I'll stick with the 45-120, Norma and Bell brass are less than $2, Bell brass is good for 60kpsi according to Mast technology. I've done some research on the 450NE, the 45-120 loaded to modern pressures with smokeless powder in a BC is no slouch. Case capacity of my fire formed brass is 124gr water compared to 119gr for the 450NE.
450 NE data isn't easy to find, but I did find some listed in an ADI .pdf as well as on the ADI website, they also list data for the 45-120 including several Hodgdon powders.
http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/aicompare.cgi?sn=pMeOxUxcln&loadset=27&xxglbl=1http://ammoguide.com/?catid=446http://ammoguide.com/?catid=152http://chasse-tir.ifrance.com/Tables%20Poudres%20ADI.pdfhttp://www.thalesgroup.com.au/handloaders-guide/equivalents.asphttp://www.thalesgroup.com.au/handloaders-guide/rifle.asp As far as weight and recoil are concerned, a lead dead mule or MRS in the stock bolt hole and a leather slip-on recoil pad like the Galco go a long ways to tame recoil, I've pushed the 555gr Saeco #20 to near 1800fps in my 45-120, shoots great, recoil is noticable, but not painful.
The data that follows is only a prediciton using software, no powder had been burned....yet. Here's a what the 400gr Barnes SSP at 2650fps might do, that's with a QuickLoad prediction with a case full of H4895 with pressure <50kpsi, still within the operating pressure of the 500S&W which is factory chambered on an SB2 frame with a larger case head than the 45-120, the 45-120 would have less case head thrust also due to considerably more case wall contact surface. Exterior ballistics calculated with Sierra Inf 5.1
Trajectory for Barnes .458 dia. (.45-120) 400 gr. SSP at 2650 Feet per SecondAt an Elevation Angle of: 0 degrees
Ballistic Coefficients of: 0.389 0.389 0.389 0.389 0.389
Velocity Boundaries (Feet per Second) of: 1360 1360 1360 1360
Wind Direction is: 0.0 o'clock and a Wind Velocity of: 0.0 Miles per hour
Wind Components are (Miles per Hour): DownRange: 0.0 Cross Range: 0.0 Vertical: 0.0
Altitude: 500 Feet with a Standard Atmospheric Model.
Temperature: 59 F
Data Printed in English Units
Range Velocity Energy Momentum Drop Bullet Path Wind Drift Time of Flight
(Yards) (Ft/Sec) (Ft/Lbs) (Lb-Sec) (inches) (inches) (inches) (Seconds)
0 2650.0 6236.2 4.71 0.0 -1.5 0.0 0.000000000
25 2593.7 5973.9 4.61 -0.16 0.29 0.0 0.028607621
50 2538.1 5720.6 4.51 -0.64 1.76 0.0 0.057839190
75 2483.2 5475.7 4.41 -1.45 2.89 0.0 0.087713988
100 2428.9 5238.8 4.31 -2.62 3.67 0.0 0.118253213
125 2375.2 5010.0 4.22 -4.16 4.09 0.0 0.149478640
150 2322.3 4789.2 4.12 -6.08 4.11 0.0 0.181412460
175 2270.0 4576.0 4.03 -8.41 3.74 0.0 0.214077896
200 2218.4 4370.3 3.94 -11.15 2.94 0.0 0.247499515
225 2167.4 4171.7 3.85 -14.34 1.7 0.0 0.281703164
250 2117.1 3980.2 3.76 -17.99 0.0 0.0 0.316715766
275 2067.4 3795.7 3.67 -22.13 -2.19 0.0 0.352565171
300 2018.5 3618.0 3.58 -26.77 -4.88 0.0 0.389280153
325 1970.2 3447.0 3.50 -31.95 -8.11 0.0 0.426890494
350 1922.6 3282.6 3.41 -37.68 -11.89 0.0 0.465427066
375 1875.8 3124.5 3.33 -44.01 -16.27 0.0 0.504921818
400 1829.7 2972.8 3.25 -50.95 -21.26 0.0 0.545407634
425 1784.3 2827.3 3.17 -58.54 -26.9 0.0 0.586918117
450 1739.8 2688.0 3.09 -66.81 -33.22 0.0 0.629487359
475 1696.1 2554.7 3.01 -75.8 -40.26 0.0 0.673149783
500 1653.3 2427.5 2.94 -85.55 -48.06 0.0 0.717939960
Here's another, 2775fps is based on a Quick Load prediction for a max load of H4350 with a 102% fill and 98% burn, about as good as it gets at a max pressure of <50kpsi which is right at 500 S&W operating pressure. The velocity is within the operating parameters of the 350gr X bullet in a 458 Lott according to the Barnes #3, in fact in the 460 Whby, it's loaded to 3000fps.
Trajectory for Barnes .458 dia. 350 gr. X at 2775 Feet per Second <50kpsi At an Elevation Angle of: 0 degrees
Ballistic Coefficients of: 0.402 0.402 0.402 0.402 0.402
Velocity Boundaries (Feet per Second) of: 1960 1960 1960 1960
Wind Direction is: 0.0 o'clock and a Wind Velocity of: 0.0 Miles per hour
Wind Components are (Miles per Hour): DownRange: 0.0 Cross Range: 0.0 Vertical: 0.0
Altitude: 500 Feet with a Standard Atmospheric Model.
Temperature: 59 F
Data Printed in English Units
Range Velocity Energy Momentum Drop Bullet Path Wind Drift Time of Flight
(Yards) (Ft/Sec) (Ft/Lbs) (Lb-Sec) (inches) (inches) (inches) (Seconds)
0 2775.0 5983.6 4.31 0.0 -1.5 0.0 0.000000000
25 2718.9 5744.1 4.23 -0.14 0.13 0.0 0.027304499
50 2663.5 5512.6 4.14 -0.58 1.48 0.0 0.055174416
75 2608.9 5288.6 4.05 -1.32 2.51 0.0 0.083626047
100 2554.9 5071.9 3.97 -2.38 3.23 0.0 0.112676545
125 2501.5 4862.4 3.89 -3.78 3.61 0.0 0.142343627
150 2448.8 4659.4 3.81 -5.52 3.64 0.0 0.172646633
175 2396.6 4463.1 3.72 -7.63 3.32 0.0 0.203605887
200 2345.1 4273.3 3.64 -10.11 2.61 0.0 0.235241949
225 2294.3 4089.9 3.57 -12.98 1.51 0.0 0.267576101
250 2244.0 3912.7 3.49 -16.27 0.0 0.0 0.300630774
275 2194.3 3741.5 3.41 -20.0 -1.94 0.0 0.334429621
300 2145.3 3576.1 3.33 -24.17 -4.34 0.0 0.368997363
325 2096.9 3416.4 3.26 -28.81 -7.21 0.0 0.404359618
350 2049.1 3262.5 3.18 -33.95 -10.57 0.0 0.440542825
375 2001.9 3114.1 3.11 -39.61 -14.44 0.0 0.477574287
400 1955.4 2971.1 3.04 -45.8 -18.86 0.0 0.515482255
425 1909.6 2833.5 2.97 -52.57 -23.85 0.0 0.554295978
450 1864.4 2701.1 2.90 -59.93 -29.44 0.0 0.594045651
475 1820.0 2573.8 2.83 -67.92 -35.65 0.0 0.634762272
500 1776.3 2451.7 2.76 -76.56 -42.51 0.0 0.676477433
And a couple <40kpsi loads with Remington bullets that I calculated for a membere on another forum...
Trajectory for Remington .458 dia. 45-120, Rem 405 gr. SP at 2250fps <40kpsiAt an Elevation Angle of: 0 degrees
Ballistic Coefficients of: 0.281 0.281 0.281 0.281 0.281
Velocity Boundaries (Feet per Second) of: 1064 1064 1064 1064
Wind Direction is: 0.0 o'clock and a Wind Velocity of: 0.0 Miles per hour
Wind Components are (Miles per Hour): DownRange: 0.0 Cross Range: 0.0 Vertical: 0.0
Altitude: 500 Feet with a Standard Atmospheric Model.
Temperature: 59 F
Data Printed in English Units
Range Velocity Energy Momentum Drop Bullet Path Wind Drift Time of Flight
(Yards) (Ft/Sec) (Ft/Lbs) (Lb-Sec) (inches) (inches) (inches) (Seconds)
0 2250.0 4551.8 4.05 0.0 -1.5 0.0 0.000000000
25 2179.0 4269.3 3.92 -0.22 0.53 0.0 0.033871809
50 2109.3 4000.5 3.79 -0.9 2.1 0.0 0.068854858
75 2040.9 3745.2 3.67 -2.06 3.18 0.0 0.105002435
100 1973.8 3503.0 3.55 -3.75 3.74 0.0 0.142370331
125 1908.1 3273.6 3.43 -5.99 3.74 0.0 0.181017117
150 1843.7 3056.5 3.32 -8.83 3.15 0.0 0.221004178
175 1780.9 2851.6 3.20 -12.31 1.92 0.0 0.262395193
200 1719.5 2658.6 3.09 -16.48 0.0 0.0 0.305255337
225 1659.9 2477.3 2.98 -21.38 -2.65 0.0 0.349650600
250 1601.9 2307.4 2.88 -27.07 -6.09 0.0 0.395647122
275 1545.8 2148.5 2.78 -33.6 -10.38 0.0 0.443310948
300 1491.7 2000.6 2.68 -41.05 -15.58 0.0 0.492706043
325 1439.6 1863.4 2.59 -49.47 -21.75 0.0 0.543892401
350 1389.7 1736.5 2.50 -58.94 -28.98 0.0 0.596924399
Trajectory for Remington .458 dia. 45-70 Govt,Rem 300 gr. JHP at 2700fps <40kpsiAt an Elevation Angle of: 0 degrees
Ballistic Coefficients of: 0.213 0.213 0.213 0.213 0.213
Velocity Boundaries (Feet per Second) of: 1448 1448 1448 1448
Wind Direction is: 0.0 o'clock and a Wind Velocity of: 0.0 Miles per hour
Wind Components are (Miles per Hour): DownRange: 0.0 Cross Range: 0.0 Vertical: 0.0
Altitude: 500 Feet with a Standard Atmospheric Model.
Temperature: 59 F
Data Printed in English Units
Range Velocity Energy Momentum Drop Bullet Path Wind Drift Time of Flight
(Yards) (Ft/Sec) (Ft/Lbs) (Lb-Sec) (inches) (inches) (inches) (Seconds)
0 2700.0 4855.3 3.60 0.0 -1.5 0.0 0.000000000
25 2596.5 4490.3 3.46 -0.15 0.25 0.0 0.028326239
50 2495.4 4147.5 3.32 -0.63 1.67 0.0 0.057790453
75 2396.5 3825.1 3.19 -1.45 2.75 0.0 0.088459485
100 2299.9 3522.8 3.06 -2.65 3.45 0.0 0.120406196
125 2205.4 3239.3 2.94 -4.27 3.74 0.0 0.153708380
150 2113.1 2973.8 2.81 -6.33 3.58 0.0 0.188451395
175 2023.0 2725.7 2.69 -8.88 2.93 0.0 0.224727059
200 1935.2 2494.3 2.58 -11.95 1.76 0.0 0.262633025
225 1849.9 2279.1 2.46 -15.61 0.0 0.0 0.302273346
250 1767.0 2079.6 2.35 -19.91 -2.39 0.0 0.343757854
275 1687.0 1895.4 2.25 -24.89 -5.48 0.0 0.387200039
300 1609.8 1726.1 2.14 -30.65 -9.33 0.0 0.432714797
325 1535.9 1571.1 2.05 -37.24 -14.02 0.0 0.480417001
350 1465.3 1430.1 1.95 -44.75 -19.63 0.0 0.530417629
375 1398.5 1302.7 1.86 -53.28 -26.26 0.0 0.582817790
400 1335.7 1188.3 1.78 -62.92 -33.99 0.0 0.637703853