S&W 500 or S&W 460 for dangerous game defense

[jk3006]

I like the big hole it makes, to be honest with you.  I am sure they both will do a great job, but big bullets with a lot of weight is what I would want. When I shot my black bear with my 500 Mag, I was amazed how quick it died. It was instantaneous, dead before he hit the ground.

Redhawk1, out of curiosity, I believe I remember from previous posts that you took that bear with a 370 grainer.  What meplate diameter and velocity was that load at?

[RollTide]

Redhawk,
Thanks for giving me your insight.  I would really like to here more details on your black bear kill with the 500.  Distance, load, shot placement, animal reaction when shot would be great to hear about. Kind of in the same line as JK, could you give us any insight as to meplat, velocity, entrance and exit wound diameter and diameter of permanent cavity?  I know I am asking a lot, and if it is too much just tell me to shut up and go away (it wouldn't be the first time   ). Maybe you already posted elsewhere.  If so, let me know and I will try to find it.  Thanks again for lending us the benefit of your experience.  I was talking to an instructor at the shooting range today.  He said he had fired the 4" 500, and that he was pleasantly surprised at how well the recoil compensator worked.  He said the recoil was not nearly as bad as he had been led to believe.  He said the only draw back was that it was VERY LOUD! 
Roll Tide

[Redhawk1]

The first link is about the hunt the second is pic's. There is also pic's of my trophy rooms.
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,74745.0.html
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,96106.0.html



Here is Ranger Ricks bear with a 500 Mag.
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,94575.0.html

jk3006, I will have to measure the 370 LFNCG gr. bullets to give you the diameter of the (Metplat). The Velocity is 1831 fps. I bought them from Montana Bullet Works, he lists the (Metplat) at 0.430.

RollTide, I also have a 4 inch S&W 500 Mag, I removed the compensator and installed a custom made end cap. I did not like how loud it was with the compensator. The recoil in my opinion is not noticeably different.

[RollTide]

Thanks for the links Redhawk.  Did that 500 bullet with a broad meplat at over 1800 fps make a wound channel significantly larger than bore diameter in the bear? It seems that in the Linebaugh tests, the entry wound is significantly larger than bore diameter, but with the elasticity of living tissue, i would imagine that the entry and exit wounds would be smaller than the diameter of a tomato paste can.   What diameter were the entry and exit wounds if you recall?  You mentioned the bear died instantly, was it a heart/lung hit, shoulder hit, neck shot?

Great trophy room.  I was wondering where you got the fawn when I saw it, unitl a read down a little further.  I liked the life size mount on the bear also.  You have some other pretty nice "heads" hanging there too.  Pretty nice!

Roll Tide

[jk3006]

The first link is about the hunt the second is pic's. There is also pic's of my trophy rooms.
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,74745.0.html
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,96106.0.html



Here is Ranger Ricks bear with a 500 Mag.
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,94575.0.html

jk3006, I will have to measure the 370 LFNCG gr. bullets to give you the diameter of the (Metplat). The Velocity is 1831 fps. I bought them from Montana Bullet Works, he lists the (Metplat) at 0.430.

RollTide, I also have a 4 inch S&W 500 Mag, I removed the compensator and installed a custom made end cap. I did not like how loud it was with the compensator. The recoil in my opinion is not noticeably different.

Wow, 1840 fps is smoking.  Veral Smith says that anything over 1.3 inch wound channel delays the affect of the shot, but not in your case.  I estimate a 1.5-2 inch would channel.  A one-shot instant kill is pretty good with cast bullets, from what I've read.I get my bullets from MBW, as well.  They don't have many metplat figures listed yet.  The .430 you listed is the nose-to-crimp.  The metplat diameter will be in parethesis.  I think MBW only has the metplats listed for the .429 as of now.   
   

[Redhawk1]

RollTide
The entrance wound was small, the hide having elasticity made the entrance hole look small, but you could tell it was a 50 cal hole. The bullet went through the rib and through the lungs and out the opposite side shoulder. The exit wound was about 3 1/2 inches round. The bone from the shoulder tore most of the exit wound.
I have my bear hunt on video, and people are surprised as to how quick the bear died. It was my BFR 500 Mag I used. It was customized by Mag-na-port.  Also, I have added a few more trophy's to my collection since them pic's.

jk3006., you are right about the Metplat, I did not see what you were talking about tell I went to his site.

[RollTide]

Redhawk,
That is excellent performance or any firearm, long gun or handgun.  I can see why you are partial to the 500.  Thanks again for all the info and help on making this decision.

Roll Tide

[HHI-7420]

 ???Something seems amiss here to me. The talk was about several shots from a 44mag vs a 460s&w or a 500 s&w for protection from dangerous game. Now it is down to 700gr in the 500s&w. Correct me if wrong, but would not the 700gr slug be hard to chamber in the 500s&w revolver(being as this is the "handgun" forum)? I'm not trying to stir anything up, but since apples and oranges, etc., etc..  Pat

[Redhawk1]

???Something seems amiss here to me. The talk was about several shots from a 44mag vs a 460s&w or a 500 s&w for protection from dangerous game. Now it is down to 700gr in the 500s&w. Correct me if wrong, but would not the 700gr slug be hard to chamber in the 500s&w revolver(being as this is the "handgun" forum)? I'm not trying to stir anything up, but since apples and oranges, etc., etc..  Pat

We are talking about handguns and 700 gr. bullets. It is obvious you don't have a 500 Mag and don't load the 700 gr. bullets for the 500 Mag (Handgun). I have no problem cambering them in my 4 inch S&W 500 Mag. Now my BFR (which is a handgun) could hold longer bullets because of the extra long cylinder.  So there is nothing amiss here. 

[HHI-7420]

  mea culpa Redhawk 1. Guess I was suffering from tunnel vision. All I could envision was a 700gr. 50cal mg slug in the case and was figuring the col would be too long for the 500s&w revolver. Lord, what is the length of the 700gr slug anyway. Hard to imagine it in a revolver-even the extra large s&w. You are correct-I don't have and know little of the 500's abilities.  Pat

[RollTide]

Well, it looks like the choice has boiled down to this:

S&W 500
1.  Bigger hole
2.  Heavier bullets

S&W 460
1. Cheaper more available factory ammo
2. Better long range ballistics.

Since I have the 2 major advantages of the 460 covered with my 445Supermag, I guess I am now leaning more toward the 500 for my stated purpose of big game defense.  If I didn't already have the 445, I might go with the 460 instead since it looks very close to the 500 for defense and has more versatility and long range ballistics.  It will probably really boil down to which ever one I find a screaming deal on first.

Thanks to everyone for their input.  Feel free to keep posting on the thread.  I haven't bought anything yet.

Roll Tide

[RollTide]

Well, I found a screaming deal on a 4" 500.  I guess that settles it for me.  Now all I got to do is work up the nerve to pull the trigger the first time. 

I just need to get good with it and hope I never have to use it.  I might take it black bear hunting this spring instead of my 445 though.  If I kill a bear, I may do some penetration tests with different loads on it.  I will let you know how it comes out.

Roll Tide

[Redhawk1]

Your first thought after you pull the trigger is, wow that was not as bad as I thought it would be.    Congrats on your 500 Mag.   

[RollTide]

I finally got the S&W 500 home today.  I went to the store to buy some ammo and nearly fainted from sticker shock.  A definite disadvantage to this caliber, but that was known from the beginning.  Unlike my 445 Supermag, at least I can go to a local gun store and have a selection of about 8 different loads from 5 different makers for my 500.  I take it to the range tomorrow for the first time.  IF I survive the recoil, I will post thoughts tomorrow.    Just kidding, I bought the pussy cat loads, 335gr at 1350 per second.  I may not even notice when the gun goes off. 

Tomorrow,

Roll TIde

[Redhawk1]

Do yourself a favor, buy an inexpensive reloading kit. You can get one for the same price as 100 rounds of factory rounds. How else could I have shot over 5000 of them 500 mags?