Got my new 500 mag

[catamount]

I do alot of longrange shooting here in Utah and have several guns set up for that. I started planning a elk hunt this fall and the terrain isn't what I'm used to hunting which is big open country. The area we will be going to is super thick pines where a 50 yard shot is about all you'll get. I started looking for a short rifle that will be easier to use in the thick stuff than my 12 pound 26" barrelled 300 Ultra mag. I settled on the Handi Rifle with 22" barrell in 500 mag. I researched all the calibers available and felt this round has alot of potential for a close range elk thumper. My gun came in the other day and I picked up a box of Hornady ammo loaded with the 350grn xtp's. I mounted a Burris 1.5-6 scope on her and it sure is a nice looking little rifle. I took it to the range and the first few shots really surprised me. The recoil feels sharper than my 300 Ultra mag Remington BDL. Definitely going to practice with a lighter load and save the full power stuff for hunting. Paid about $260 for this gun is that about average?

[petemi]

The price isn't a steal, but's OK.  All I can tell ya is that if you want it to bite a bit at the down range end, ya need to get your shoudler working for this end.

Pete

[manatee1947]

The price is OK but not great. If you reload it is a very easy keeper, but the factory stuff is expensive. I if you get a shot at under 100 yds I think you will also be surprised at the performance on game. Good luck and enjoy, let us know how it works out.

[gcrank1]

Where else can you get a big honkin' thumper for that little money?
Now, the ammo is another question!
Yeah, ya gotta reload, and for the price of about 3 or 4 boxes of factory ammo you can roll your own (because you ARE going to shoot more than 200 rounds through this gun, right?).

[Spanky]

Where else can you get a big honkin' thumper for that little money?

Uuuhhhhhhh... a 45-70.
All the thump and none of the problems.



Spanky

[catamount]

I will reload for it, already have the dies. I would think with practice a guy could make killing shots as far with this round as you could with a muzzleloader. I've shot mule deer past 200 yards with muzzleloaders and I know those slugs didn't match the performance of the 500.

[JimP.]

slip a limbsaver recoil pad over the factory pad, makes the shooting bearable, save ur shoulder.

[petemi]

Guys, the .500 S&W Magnum is a HANDGUN round.  It ain't gonna rip yer shoulder off.  If you shoot muzzle loaders you understand drop.  It's gonna drop as does all the big, fat bullets.  I had folks here telling me it wasn't a 300 yard rifle.  I've had it a couple of weeks with bad weather and all, and it rings the 300 yard gong.  Ya just gotta learn the Rainbow.  It's the same with any rifle.  The important factor is what's left for energy at the end of the rainbow?  What are you trying to whack?  A 500 cal. bullet dropping out of the sky on a woodchucks head at 3 or 4 hundred yards would take him out  A larger animal.....I dont, know.  I haven't delved into .500 ballistics enough to know.

Pete

[gcrank1]

All this talk about rainbows.........
Pete, did you REALLY move up there because you heard about some 'pot of gold'?
 

[petemi]

All this talk about rainbows.........
Pete, did you REALLY move up there because you heard about some 'pot of gold'?
 

Yeah I did.  It runs a half mile west on the south line, and then a half mile north, then a quarter mile east, a quarter south another quarter east and then another south.  It's called 120 acres of Gods's Country..  I live it, hunt it and enjoy it.  It is my "Pot Of Gold".  I love my Home, my wife, and my land.  In my youger years, I never would have thought I'd be so fortunate.

Pete

[parisite]

The best thing to do to tame down the recoil in the 500 Handi is to take off the recoil pad and fill in the long hollow cavity in the stock with lead shot or maybe some small cast bullets.....you get the idea, something to add some weight to it, then replace the recoil pad of course. This makes a noticeable difference.  My 500 Handi is the cheapest and my most fun firearm. Reloading for the cartridge is mandatory and nearly as fun as shooting it.

[cjrjck]

I have not bought a 500 S&W Handi yet, but I might. I just don't understand the recoil concerns. I mean it should be somewhat noticeable but any more so than the 45/70 everyone here including myself  raves about? I have owned 4 different 45/70 handi rifles and they can give back as much as they give but recoil is manageable. I haven't done the calculations but I would assume the 45/70 with all but the lightest loads would recoil as much or more than the 500 S&W, right?

[catamount]

Loaded hot what kind of foot pounds of energy would a 500 s&w and a 45/70 make, each shooting a 400 grn bullet. I'm getting a touch over 2200fps with 350 grn hornady xtp's with a 22" barrel on this 500.

[catamount]

By the way I'm not complaining about the recoil just mentioned above that it was more than expected. Shooting the 500 Handi and my Remington bdl in 300 Ultra side by side on the bench the Remington has less recoil and I usually shoot 210grn Bergers at 3070 fps out of it. I might try the lead shot idea or one of the mercury recoil reducers to make it little more comfy shooting on the bench.

[gcrank1]

FWIW, I tried the hole full of buckshot and for me another layer of recoil pad in a slip-on worked better, and didnt throw the balance off, so the lead is now gone.
After reviewing comments online Im not convinced the mercury does much better than the lead for a lot more money, but if one comes along on a G.S. table cheap I will probably have to give it a go so Im not just talkin' through my hat.

[petemi]

I've got shot in my synthetic .45-70 and .30-06 and I'm thinking it's coming out and replaced by Limbsavrs.  They're just too heavy and awkward to tote all day.  I like a light, fast swinging rifle.

Pete

[quickdtoo]

I have not bought a 500 S&W Handi yet, but I might. I just don't understand the recoil concerns. I mean it should be somewhat noticeable but any more so than the 45/70 everyone here including myself  raves about? I have owned 4 different 45/70 handi rifles and they can give back as much as they give but recoil is manageable. I haven't done the calculations but I would assume the 45/70 with all but the lightest loads would recoil as much or more than the 500 S&W, right?

Loaded with the same weight bullet at the same velocity, the difference in recoil will be a matter of the weight of the powder in each load. Using Hodgdon levergun 45-70 data, a max load of 61gr 8208XBR under a 350gr bullet will do 2152fps in their 24" barrel, I get 2150fps with a max load of 42gr Lil'gun under a 350gr XTP in my 500 Handi. When you plug those figures into the recoil calculator using an 8lb rifle weight, you get 39.39lbs recoil in the 45-70 and 33.56lbs for the 500S&W. So they're reasonably close in recoil loaded equally. The thing a lot of folks don't take into consideration is most 45-70 factory loads are trapdoor level, most, if not all 500S&W factory ammo is loaded to much higher pressures and thus more recoil than trapdoor factory 45-70 loads.

Tim

http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp