Encore 460 S&W Recoil and Accuracy?

[spook1]

I live in Ohio and am looking to get a 460 S&W barrel for my Encore for this deer season.  We are limited to straight walled pistol cartridges only, and I really like the ballistics of the 460.  However, how bad is the recoil from the Encore setup?  I have shot a 480 Ruger for about 5 years and have shot many 44 mags.  But I do not want to get the 460 barrel if Recoil is unmanageable.  Also, what type of accuracy have you guys got with the 460.

Thanks

[Grumulkin]

I've never shot a 480 Ruger but I consider my scoped 460 S&W Encore with it's brake and 15 inch barrel more comfortable to shoot than an unscoped Contender 44 Rem. Mag. if that's any help.  I suspect it's probably comparable to an unscoped, unbraked 480 Ruger.

I had some difficulty coming up with a load that met my requirements for accuracy in my 460 S&W.  I finally hit the winning combination with 2400 powder and Hornady 250 gr. SST/ML (the ML stands for muzzle loader) bullets.  The pictured 1.5 inch group was shot off the bench at 200 yards.  This load has has also been used with great success on Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Gray Duiker, Kalahari Springbok, Porcupine, Cape Grysbok, a Klipspringer (at about 180 yards), a European Fallow Deer, an Impala and maybe some other's I've forgotten.

On the above target, I was aiming at the upper red circle and the gun was right on at 100 yards.  The drop from 100 to 200 yards was about 7.5 inches giving an estimated velocity of 2,350 fps.

If you get a 460 S&W Mag. be sure to go with a durable scope.  The torque from this cartridge is very hard on scopes.

[Catfish]

Spook,
   I`ve never shot a .460 but am sure it would not bother me. I do have a .500 S&W though and find no problem with it with very stiff loads though. I also own a PD 329 S&W, the .44 mag. that weights as much as most .38 SP. If you live close to Sidney I`ll let you shoot acouple of my larger handgun and give you a better idea. If your interested pm me.

[banjoman]

I have personally never shot a .460 S&W but that barrel is on my wish list. From what I have read a good brake is a must if recoil is to be what most of us consider "manageable"  If limited to a straight wall case I think the .460 is the ultimate handgun round. Just my .02

[kiddekop]

I had Bullberry Barrels make me a 20 inch Encore Rifle Barrel in 454 casull & when the SW460mag reached a level of popularity I sent my rifle barrel back to Bullberry to be rechambered to SW460mag now I can shoot 45c,454casull & sw460mag.The ammo with the most recoil is the Magtech 260gr JFP 454 casull ammo,I asked magtec tech at the shot show in vegas about the powder used in the ammo,they didn't know as it's  some brand the company in Brazil uses that loads the ammo for magtech.I bought the new TC Pro Hunter recoil absorbing stock for the sw460mag rifle .

[poncaguy]

I have a 460 15" Encore..............recoil is very stout, more so than my 45-70 16" Contender wirh brake. I shoot more 454 Casulls and 45 Colt in it than 460's. Very accurate............... with all 3 rounds.........I'm 67 so getting a little soft....hahahaha

[spook1]

Poncaguy,

So is your 460 not braked?  I am thinking about getting a barrel and getting a brake installed, but I don't know if the trade off for recoil is worth the muzzle blast.  How bad is the muzzle blast without the brake?

And by the way, I only hope I am still shooting the big boys when I am 67, so I definitely don't think you are getting soft.

[poncaguy]

No brake................don't notice blast with my electronic muffs........

[kiddekop]

I have personally never shot a .460 S&W but that barrel is on my wish list. From what I have read a good brake is a must if recoil is to be what most of us consider "manageable"  If limited to a straight wall case I think the .460 is the ultimate handgun round. Just my .02

Bad experience with a TC Muzzle Tamer didn't reduce any recoil on 15" encore 454casull barrel but a good experience with www.probed2000.com on my 15" Encore 30-06 barrel the owner used to work at kdf in texas.I have no brake on my Encore sw460 20" bullberry barrel but I wish I had one every time I fire some  Magtech 260gr JFP 454casull ammo.

[banjoman]

I agree on the .460 I would stay away from the TC muzzle tamer. I would opt for a SSK arrestor or an OTT Shark Gill.

[Redhawk1]

I had a S&W 460 Mag barrel that I had rechambered from a 454 Casual barrel. The recoil was stout, but manageable. (No Brake). I sold it when I got my S&W 500 Mag barrel, and other bigger bore Encore barrels.

The most effective recoil reducing brake I have found is, the one Gary Reeder puts on his barrels. I have a Reeder brake on my 10 inch 475 Linebaugh barrel, one on my 510 GNR barrel and one on my 375 H&H barrel. And I know they work great.

As for as the noise, I would not know either, I always wear Walker Game muffs when I shoot handguns and hand cannons. Braked or not.