Question for the S&W 500 Owners

[kynardsj]

I became a member of the 500 club last Saturday. Wasn't really looking for one but it got offered at a really good price and it looked brand new. A friend of mine said I didn't need a holster for it just a trailer hitch and a set of wheels. Geez what a pistol. Factory ammo is too high so I have the components headed this way to load for it. I don't need any T-Rex loads as I think they've all been shot out of Alabama. I'll be loading 340 gr to 370 gr cast now and possibly some 350 gr Hornady XTP mags later. Want to run them between 1200 and 1500 fps. Should do the job on Alabama critters without being just unpleasant to shoot. I've yet to shoot mine but some years ago I had a 14 inch Contender in 45-70. It had a muzzle brake and was very pleasant to shoot with factory Remiongton 405's. I can't imagine this Smith being hard to handle with mid weight loads as it's got the muzzle brake and it's much heavier than the Contender. What are your experiences with this revolver ?

[simplicity]

I've got about 4500 rounds through my 500 I have the origanal 8 3/8 barrel. The most accurate load I found for it was the 400 gr. seirra with 36.8 grains of lil'gun. it gives  1800 fps according to the chrono. Off a bench with open sights I've recorded 1.5" groups at 100. A pleasant load for the 350gr. xtp I have found is 39 grains of lil gun (max is 43.0) it gives about 1500 fps. The load I primarily load now i use the remington 385 grain spit. hollow point ( aka the cor-loct ultra they use in there shotgun sabot loads) and I use 41.0 grains of lil'gun and it gives about 1650 according to the chrono. Hope this helps. Another thing I have found is all the factory ammo I have chrono'd through my revolver has been 200-250 fps below what the factory says it'll do. Most don't relise that the 500 smith is a 60,000 psi cartridge though I don't think a factory load ever goes over 45,000psi.

[kynardsj]

Lil Gun is one of my favorite powders to load with. When I get my hands on some XTP's I'll give it a try. I spoke with my gun dealer today and he put a can of Titegroup away for me till tomorrow when I can go by there. I want to try it for my cast bullets.

[simplicity]

Yes Lil'gun is a great powder for the larger High pressure revolver rounds ( 454 and up). I have normally used H110 and lil'gun as far as cleaning goes lil'gun is alot less dirty and performs just a bit better, "BUTT" If you want to work past aka factory max loads of the two H110 is the only choice. The one kinda catch with Lil'gun is it usually gives the same velocitys as H110 but with about 5000psi less chamber pressure ( don't know how that accually works out) Here is the catch if you try working past maximum load data with lil'gun you will get very high unexspected pressure spikes which as you know is really bad. H110 is a bit more consistant when working 58,000 psi. Another thing with Lil'gun is you can't really load it light cause it gives pressure spikes as well (don't go below factory minimums). So to make a long story short  if you want to load up torwards the top of the spectrum Lil'gun is great same performance with less chamber pressure and it kinda saves the gun a bit. If you want to go down to to light practice target loads I'd go with something else. I've never really practiced the light target load route only because i couldn't see haveing the most powerful revolver round and shoot light loads out of it. I use the revolver for hunting, hence I always shoot hunting loads. I hope this helps .

[kynardsj]

While working this week over in Columbus, Ga I stopped by a gunshop and they had some reloading components for the 500. I picked up a box of Sierra 350 gr JHP's. I'll be playing with them and the Lilgun trying several loads till I see what the pistol likes. Now I need my brass and other goodies to show up.

[wallacem]

The 500 is one more mean gun.  I had one for a couple years.  A friend, shooting it one day, double taped it and did not know it.  A guy in S&W told me they have a lot of calls about it.  With full power loads I am limited to 3 shots.  Hand starts hurting. Wallacem in Warner Robins, Ga

[Keith L]

The 500 is one more mean gun.  I had one for a couple years.  A friend, shooting it one day, double taped it and did not know it.  A guy in S&W told me they have a lot of calls about it.  With full power loads I am limited to 3 shots.  Hand starts hurting. Wallacem in Warner Robins, Ga

How do you double tap a double action and not know it?

[wallacem]

You have the same question everyone asks, but you would have to be there.  the shots were so close together I almost missed hearing it.  It sounded like a real real fast echo. Evidently when someone holds the gun real tight, and pulls the trigger, the recoil brings the finger off the trigger allowing it to reset, and the tight grip pulls it again without knowing it. 

[simplicity]

Walla cam your half right but not to far off. The 500 double tap occurs when someoen doesn't hold the trigger to the rear under recoiland a not so tight grip. Like you said under recoil with out holding the trigger to the rear it will reset and the recoil twists the gun in the hand to a loose grip and presses the trigger back against the trigger finger and gets pulled again. I't never happened to me but i've been shooting 44's on up ever since I was 12. If you go onto Youtube and there are videos of it happening there. Here's one that shows it in slow motion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCjdQwJHEms

[kynardsj]

Shot mine this morning with some light loads from Magtech. 325 gr JSP running 1378 fps. I've had light weight 357 mags that kicked worse than they did. Then after doing a bit of reloading, 350 gr Sierra JHP over 35 grains of Lilgun, 1697 fps. I went for round two. Still less recoil than a 44 mag. This is a nice gun. The weight, power and natural pointing charcteristics of it makes it a keeper.   

[Keith L]

A few years ago I was at my local toy store and a guy was picking up his new 500.  While the clerk was doing the paperwork I found out it was his first handgun.  He had never shot a handgun before.  I saw it in the used gun area a couple weeks later.  They are a great gun but not a first pistol for anyone. 

Also at the indoor range where I shoot they only let the 500s use one of the lanes. The first time one was set off on that range most of the 8' florescent bulbs flexed enough from the blast to fall out of the fixtures and hit the floor.  Impressive!

[wallacem]

When I first got mine I loaded up some 90% starter loads with 440 gt bullets, shot it up side of a 454 Ruger with full 100% loads.  They shot about the same, so I went home and went straight to the 100% full power loads with the 440 gr bullets. Big mistake!!  It is a real handful.  One of the most accurate handguns I have shot, but it will hurt you.

[Keith L]

They are for serious handgunners.  As I mature I get more recoil averse, and the noise and blast are part of that.  While I admire the craftsmanship and the way the 500s look and feel, I have no need to shoot one.  If I lived in grizzly country I may want one for a walking around gun, but not here in Wisconsin.

[Tom C.]

I confess that as I get older, I see less and less need to prove how macho I am or was or whatever. I have 3 .500s and I almost never shoot factory loads or full power loads. They are so much fun to shoot with slightly reduced loads I see no need to beat myself up with the hot stuff.

[kynardsj]

I loaded up some "just for fun" loads and my wife and I went back to the range Sunday. My fun loads were Western Bullet Co. 340 grain RNFP's over 15 grains of Unique. I weighed them and the actual weight averaged 367 grains. While they still had some buck to them they were quite mild compared to a hot 500 load. My guestimate is they're running around 1250 fps and the brass almost falls out of the gun. My little 115 pound wife actually touched off three of them and grinned like a fool. Had me take pictures so she could show her friends. If you look at the energy that these mild loads give out of the 500 it's still as much or more than magnum rounds in a smaller handgun. I have some hotter loads behind jacketed bullets but I'll save them for something big and bad enough to deserve them. Like that gallon jug full of water I shot at the range with a 350 gr Hornady XTP magnum running over 1700 fps. Quite a show. By the way, there was a couple shooting at the range Sunday that I took for rookies. No hearing protection and no notice to us that they were going hot or cold range. They lasted maybe 10 minutes after the 500 started shaking everything and decided it was time to go. I'll be taking mine on a hog hunt next week and hopefully see how it performs on a critter. 

[S.B.]

Mine doesn't even have a compensator(it's a John Ross custom from the Performance Center) but, they are a wrist wrench.


Steve

[kynardsj]

I expect that nice pistol could be handfull with a hot 500 load.

[S.B.]

It's a wrist wrench but, not as bad as I expected it to be or the internet pistoleeros would have you believe? Compensators just about deafen me.
Steve

[kynardsj]

My 500 Smith and my 460 Encore both have muzzle brakes. I don't shoot either without muffs even with light loads. While I haven't had that shot at a hog yet I did take a light pair of ear plugs with me to slip in if I was going to shoot.

[S.B.]

What's the difference? I never hunt without ear protection any more either. Just don't like compensators or muzzle breaks(what ever you call them) just one of the many reasons I chose this gun over a stock one. Wanted a shorter than normal, ighter than normal gun. Did not want one that needed a front axle to shoot.
Steve

[Tom C.]

One of my .500s is the JRS. It is the one I shoot most. I prefer the feel of the roll of a gun in recoil to the straight push with a comp. I also don't care for the blast of a comp.

[S.B.]

Tom C., I called John Ross right after taking delivery of his custom gun to tell him that I felt the recoil was more of a straight back push than what the, evidently posed, pictures(larger arc of recoil) of Leroy Thompson article on GunBlast.com showed? He agreed. I've yet to see anyone shoot my gun with factory or equivalent ammo, without the rubber grips leaving some trace of rubber in the crease of the hand(web)? These guns will surely tell shooters where every bit of arthritus is, in their shooting hand.
Steve

[Tom C.]

With or without a comp, the .500s with reasonably hot loads beat on your hand. What I have found is that if I use padded bicycling gloves, which I have in abundance, the thickness of the padding helps fill out the slightly small grip and absorbe enough of the smack of recoil that it is a lot more fun.  I do prefer the roll of the non-comped JRS to the straight push of the comped guns.

[S.B.]

Tom C., I may just try the bicycle glove trick? The knuckle of my middle finger on right hand has taken severe beatings from the 500. Thanks.
Steve

[S.B.]

Found a pair of bicycling gloves at Wallyworld tonight. They have gell padding. Going to try these with the 500?
Steve

[Tiapan64]

Tom C., I may just try the bicycle glove trick? The knuckle of my middle finger on right hand has taken severe beatings from the 500. Thanks.
Steve

Going to have to try those also...middle finger takes a beating....kinda makes ya flinch waiting for the crack!!  That is when I get back to reloading for it....this winter someone or something??? knocked my balance off of my reloading table and it broke the lower cast part of it.  Would like to get a digital balance....just haven't done it yet.

BTW, that 500 is the ticket for those hogs...370 grain hardcast is what I use.....like a sledgehammer on them.  Just remember thier vitals aren't exactly where ya think. And make your shots accordingly as they get mean when wounded.

[S.B.]

Tiapan64, the gloves help is marginal at best. I put a pair of Herretts Jordon Troopers (made for my Mountain Gun)on the 500 but, there is a very noticable gap behind the hump at top of grips? Thought all S&W round butt grips were now the same? Really think Herretts would help but, hate to spend $150 to find out for sure.
Steve
P.S. Talked to Herretts and they informed me that all S&W round butt grips are not the same. X frame grip is in actuality smaller than N round butt frames and I would have to bed these to get them to keep from breaking under the heavy recoil of the 500?

[Tom C.]

Tiapan64, the gloves help is marginal at best. I put a pair of Herretts Jordon Troopers (made for my Mountain Gun)on the 500 but, there is a very noticable gap behind the hump at top of grips? Thought all S&W round butt grips were now the same? Really think Herretts would help but, hate to spend $150 to find out for sure.
Steve
P.S. Talked to Herretts and they informed me that all S&W round butt grips are not the same. X frame grip is in actuality smaller than N round butt frames and I would have to bed these to get them to keep from breaking under the heavy recoil of the 500?

The X frame guns are supposed to have the grip frame size of the K/L frame guns, which is smaller than the N frame grip. Grips made for the N frame would be too big.

I tried the Pachmayr grips I use on .357s and .44s, and they didn’t work. The recoil of the .500 seemed to want to turn them inside out. I don’t particularly like the grip that comes with the .500s, but I haven’t found anything better yet. It is a little small for my large hands and the bicycle gloves help to fill it out the grips for me.

[S.B.]

Tom C., think your missing my point? They(S&W) grips are sold as fitting all grip frames, see above link?
Steve

[Tom C.]

I looked on Herrett’s website and didn’t see what you referred to. If I wanted wood grips for a .500, I would probably try to get them fitted as closely to the grip frame as possible. Gaps in the grips between the rear of the grip frame and the wood would weaken the wood where you don’t want it weakened. Of course, one test is worth a thousand “educated” opinions. Try it and see. It may be fine. If you liked the shape of the grips with full power .44 in a Mountain Gun, you may like the same grips on the .500. Then again, maybe not. I continue to look for suitable grips for my .500s. So far, I haven’t found anything better than the factory grips, and they are a little too small for me, but that is one area the gloves help correct.