460 Smith and Wesson 24 inch barrel velocity.

[joshua 35 whelen]

If the velocity is 2200 fps from a 460 S&W Hornady load measured from a 8.3 inch barrel then what can be expected from a custom shop 24 inch barrel?  I am getting one and wonder becuase if you order a burris laser scope to go on it then I can get the program to compensate the drop.  I was guessing maybe 40fps per inch over 8.3 but since it is a pistol cartridge does it burn the complete load of powder way before it exits the barrel?  Any help is appreciated.

[mattmillerrx]

I have no idea, just posting to follow.  If I did the math right your guess is about 2800+ fps.  That sound reasonable.

[joshua 35 whelen]

I was thinking that would be close and is great if it is.  2700-2850fps for a 200grn bullet.  This would match the 35 whelen and .358win with a pistol cartridge out of a 24 inch barrel.  The other good thing with this set up is it is considered a primitive weapon in Mississippi and can be used in that season with a capability to kill a deer at 250 to 300yds if needed provided we are right.

[joshua 35 whelen]

The set up being a Thompson encore.  It has to be a single shot metallic cartridge with an exposed hammer in a .35 or larger caliber and it can use either black or smokeless powder.

[quickdtoo]

I get an average of 2875fps with the Hornady 200gr factory ammo in a 20" H&R 460S&W(rechambered 45 Colt BC Carbine).

Tim

[joshua 35 whelen]

Outstanding!!!!!  I think this has a twist of 1-16.  Is yours the same and what kind of groups are you getting?  That is the ammo I want to get for it and it is pretty reasonable in bulk right now from cabelas at 289.00 for 200 rounds.

[quickdtoo]

2-3" at 100yds, a little better with Hornady 250gr SST handloads, some of the TC shooters are using 2400 with the same bullet and getting outstanding accuracy from Encores, so I'm going to work with that powder next, my barrel is 1:20". Gendoc has done extensive testing with his 460 carbine, he'd be the one to ask, mine's only been to the range once as a 460 with just the two loads. I'll see if I can get him to check in here with his experience. 

Tim

[gendoc]

hi yall !!
 i tried a 20" carbine rechambered 45colt h&r barrel and it performed well with
the 230gr xtp .75" 5-shot @100yrds ~ 2566fps
 then i tried a 17" carbine barrel with 260gr rem sjhp, all groups touched in 3 different
5-shot tests @ 100yrds ~2393fps

load development and projectile selection took about 5 weeks and lots of lost sleep.

i was not after high velocities, just accuracy @100 yrds

and the load data is not from any load books, just some ballistic engineering.
from my line of work, i'm really not open to give out that data.

final results showed no signs of excessive high pressures, as a calculated guess.... maybe 57k psi

please be careful......

[jro45]

Isn't the 460 made by rem. I know TC has made a barrel for the 460 in Ecore . But A guy I know said With his 460 Rem. felt like it broke his shoulder so he sold his 460 Rem.

[Grumulkin]

Isn't the 460 made by rem. I know TC has made a barrel for the 460 in Ecore . But A guy I know said With his 460 Rem. felt like it broke his shoulder so he sold his 460 Rem.

Are you sure you don't mean 416 Remington Magnum?  Remington had NOTHING to do with the 460 S&W Magnum and I don't think they even make ammo for it.

[gendoc]

thas right ...s&w all the way
the recoil is like a 410 scatter with birdy shot

[joshua 35 whelen]

My 460 custom T/c is ready for the range.  I mounted a Swarovski AV Rail 3-10x42 on it Sunday.  SSK reported close to 3,000 fps with their 24 inch barrels from factory Hornady 200grn with good groups so this T/C heavy fluted custom barrel should do just as good.  We will see.  I will be using HSM which cliams 2,000 fps with a 300grn XTP so out of this 24 inch barrel I'm thinking it will be close to 2750fps or maybe 2800.   

[1lesfox]

I have a 15in. encore. Shooting 240 xtp mag. win. 296 at 48 grs. They give me 2265 fps.
Dear do not like them.(grin)

[Dill45]

I've always wondered about this exact question...  This little, well ok not little, pistol cartridge out of a decent barrel really has some screaming speeds on it...its really up with with some of the big magnums.

Just wish they'd make a lever action for the 460, that'd be a sweeeeet gun.

[calling4life]

So what were the velocities observed in real life?  Performance??

And how would the 500 S&W fair in a longer barreled setup like this???

[simplicity]

The 500 smith out of the 20" barrel gains about 150-175 fps with 400 grainers, the other weights I couldn't tell you. Only down fall is no company loads it any higher then 48,000 psi (it's accually a 60,000 psi cartridge) when loaded to 60,000 psi with a 400 grainer develops 1950 fps out of a 8 3/8 barrel (3378ftlbs.) add 150 fps to it 2100 fps (3917 ftlbs.) I've loaded only for the 8 3/8 revolver I have.  I've thought about getting  one of the NEF carbines to play with but to many projects going on now.

[Dill45]

Winchester makes a 400gr power house load for the 500.  I believe it's moving in the area of 1800 + FPS out of a 8 3/8 barrel.  That's the most powerful factory round I've seen.

I've also noticed that all the reloading data for the 500 stops at around 52-53k PSI even though I've seen it stated more than once that this is a 60K PSI cartridge.  I'm not one to really test my luck with my limited funds, but does that mean there's room to play with reloading data?

[kynardsj]

I shoot a 500 S&W in the 8 3/8 pistol and a 20 inch Encore rifle. All my rounds are handloads with the hotter ones being a 350 gr JHP Sierra over a dose of Lilgun. I'm on the lower end of the load and book speed for the pistol is 1697 fps. I have room to go up 7.0 more grains of powder to raise the fps to 1912 but the others are very accurate so I leave it alone. Don't have a chrony but the Encore and the Smith love these rounds. Also have a 460 S&W Encore, my avatar, but only shoot hot 45's and 454's in it. With me already owning a 500 I never saw the need to buy 460 brass for it.

[jro45]

Isn't the 460 made by rem. I know TC has made a barrel for the 460 in Ecore . But A guy I know said With his 460 Rem. felt like it broke his shoulder so he sold his 460 Rem.

Are you sure you don't mean 416 Remington Magnum?  Remington had NOTHING to do with the 460 S&W Magnum and I don't think they even make ammo for it.

This friend was shooting a 416 Remington Mag. it is a rifle.

[luckydawg13]

2-3" at 100yds, a little better with Hornady 250gr SST handloads, some of the TC shooters are using 2400 with the same bullet and getting outstanding accuracy from Encores, so I'm going to work with that powder next, my barrel is 1:20". Gendoc has done extensive testing with his 460 carbine, he'd be the one to ask, mine's only been to the range once as a 460 with just the two loads. I'll see if I can get him to check in here with his experience. 

Tim

the 2400 out of my 13" encore 454 is the ticket i use 240 xtp mag try in your 460

[calling4life]

SO, by the same logic as the original post.

If you are shooting a 325gr at 1800fps out of the 8" barrel, in a 24" barreled 500 S&W would you be shooting that 325gr bullet at over 2400 fps???

Or like said a couple posts before me, he could get a 350gr jhp going 1912 in the 8 3/8" pistol, so that would be over 2500FPS in a 24" barrel???

Wouldn't this be a good potential African game round in a longer barreled rifle then, or am I missing something.

[kynardsj]

My guess would be yes for some of the Africa game if it is the correct 325 gr bullet. Some of them critters in Africa are pretty tough. I wouldn't be afraid to hunt bigger game with my 500 but would want a bullet that didn't expand too fast. Same with my 460.

[calling4life]

Should be right in there for cape buffalo for sure, if it is throwing out numbers right around the 375H&H, so if you can get a solid, you should be golden, make up something like the Garrett hammerhead for it, with a wide meplat and it should be a devastating stopper.  

I guess it would be interesting to see what the ballistics would be like if it were pushing something like a 500gr barnes solid.

[Dill45]

RR makes a 535gr .452 bullet for the S&W 460.  He claims he can shoot it at 1930 FPS out of his 14" S&W PC pistol.

535gr bullet with a .452 diameter has a sectional density pretty damn close to .375 and if you can shoot that at at over 2000-2200 FPS (assuming a 24 inch barrel) I think that would be more than enough power to put down the meanest game in Africa.  But I've never hunted anything in Africa and don't have any plans in the near future, and I'm no expert either, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

But a 535gr bullet traveling at 2000+ FPS is not something to mess with either way...

[joshua 35 whelen]

300gr HSM loads touched at 50 and I sighted in for an inch high.  About 4 inches high when I shot at 100yds.  I put two out of 6 in the bull.  The others went all over the paper.  Trying Federal premium barnes expander 275's next.

[jro45]

Isn't the 460 made by rem. I know TC has made a barrel for the 460 in Ecore . But A guy I know said With his 460 Rem. felt like it broke his shoulder so he sold his 460 Rem.

Are you sure you don't mean 416 Remington Magnum?  Remington had NOTHING to do with the 460 S&W Magnum and I don't think they even make ammo for it.

Yes you are right I don't know why I posted thinking the 416 REM is what the rifle was being talked about.

[jro45]

thas right ...s&w all the way
the recoil is like a 410 scatter with birdy shot

No this firend had the 460 remington. This goes back a few years

[jro45]

Isn't the 460 made by rem. I know TC has made a barrel for the 460 in Ecore . But A guy I know said With his 460 Rem. felt like it broke his shoulder so he sold his 460 Rem.

Are you sure you don't mean 416 Remington Magnum?  Remington had NOTHING to do with the 460 S&W Magnum and I don't think they even make ammo for it.

You are right  Rem had nothing to do with the Ecore barrel

[joshua 35 whelen]

So I shoot like 2 touching then one 4 inches high then one 4 inches right, then one 2 inches low and left, etc.  I have shot 3 1 inch groups at 100yds with HSM 300gr hornady and federal barnes expander loads.  Found out my hangar bar was loose which the stock bolts to.  Got it tightened down with a drill.  I was shooting off bags.  Does anyone think that might have been the problem for erratic groups?  I mean one minute I am hitting 2 to 3 touching then the next 2 to 3 inches a part.  This is all off a rest.