.460 s&w stories

[ChrisK]

I plan to have a .460 S&W barrel for my Encore pistol and was wanting to see if some of you folks could post about using this cartridge and tell some stories about hunting with it and maybe post some pictures of animals that have been taken with this round. I am pretty excited about getting this caliber for my Encore pistol and was glad I didn't have to throw down a lot more cash for a S&W revolver and I had a barrel that someone was willing to trade with me. I am hoping to be able to use it this deer season.
Thanks,
Chris Kiefner

[Franklin7x57]

Since no one has replied, I'll tell you my limited experience. My Father in Law had the exact same gun in 460 S&W with a rifle scope on it . He wanted me to shoot it, first he handed me a 45 LC to shoot, nice no recoil, then a reloaded 454, still not bad. Then he handed me a factory 460 and said this is a different animal, I backed my eye off as far as I could and oh my goodness. I moved my head to the side when I felt the gun coming up, he shot it next and got eybrowed by the scope. It now has a nice pistol scope on it. He's passed away and I have it now, but I haven't shot it anymore.
It's nice to be able to shoot 45 LC for practice and step up in power if needed, I'm just not sure I need the power of the 460 for my hunting. He had a bunch of contenders and I've been playing with them, maybe this Spring I'll load up ammo and give it a try.
Good luck.

[JLB-MT]

I have both the Encore barrel and the Smith XVR revolver.  I am happy with both.  The Encore shoots much flatter but both are very accurate.  I killed a whitetail buck at 73 yards with the XVR.  Literally collapsed where he stood (that is how I lasered the distance). 

[irold]

Had an Encore barrel in .460.  Was the hardest recoiling handgun I've ever had, way worse than my .308 barrel.  Had it for several years , did kill a doe with it.  It was not fun to shoot.......sold it.
 
Good luck with yours....
 
regards irold

[ChrisK]

thanks. I have a .308 and I really do not think it is that bad at all to shoot. I am sure the .460 will recoil more but I am sure I will be able to handle it. Nobody else around me has one. I wish they did so I could of shot one first. I was planning on using the sst's which seem to be pretty common and not as expensive as the other brands that I have seen.

[Gdbyrd]

I've had mine for about 2 seasons.  I didn't find an accurate load for it.  The best I could get out of it was 3-5" at 100 yards with a 6x scope.  I have thus far exclusively used the ftx 200 grn hornady bullets.  It is capable of way more.

I do NOT enjoy the barrel.  I've shot mine maybe 60x.  I hate it.  It hurts to shoot it, and it's going to sit in the safe until I get it ported.  I can shoot hot loads of 44 mag all day and night and not have the slightest complaint.  I bought a pachmayr grip for it and that helped some, but it's still not enjoyable enough to shoot regularly to get good with it.  5-10 shots was my limit for the day with that gun.  I bruised the palm of my hand and cut the end of my finger on the trigger guard shooting it.


Other than that though, it's a cool caliber.  Shooting 454 and 45LC is supposed to be fun and accurate, although I have only used mine for the 460 aspect of it.



When the opportunity to kill something at pistol ranges came up, I opted for my SRH in 44 mag because I had way more practice with it.  I just don't enjoy it.


I've been shooting 44 mag since I was in middle school.  This thing is a beast.  This isn't like a rifle where you can pull it out and shoot it 2-3x a year and call it done for a hunt.  Pistol hunting takes practice...I for one won't "deal" with it.  It can't be good on your joints.



Good luck to you, and sorry for my complaining.  I was very disappointed with it. 


EDIT:  It can be "handled."  I let 3 other people on my lease shoot it and no one else would shoot it after the first shot.  I shot it more than enough to get it on paper and have a load developed.  I just like to get comfortable with my weapons before I really put them in the field, especially with a new pistola.  Keep us updated, the first time you shoot it you'll have a grin on your face.

[jedman]

  I dont own a 460 but was asked to sight in a scoped  S & W ported revolver for a friend at deer camp a few years ago.
It was raining at the time and I was in a gazebo with a roof over my head shooting the revolver from a sand bag rest.
The first shot I took with it felt sort of like when I hac a front collision with my pickup and had the airbag hit me in the face .
After 3 shots with it my nose started to bleed from the concussion shockwave from shooting that ported beast under a low roof.
Well it was on paper at 65 yards and that was as much of that abuse as I wanted.  The guy that owns the revolver is 19 years younger than I am and dont think he has shot it once since.
Looking at the pressure that its loaded to I just dont see the need for that intense of a cartridge for a handgun,  Just my opinion because I dont use handguns for hunting anymore.          Jed

[jays375]

The best loads I have found so far is with H4227 and 250 or 300gr Hornady XTP.These are both max loads which most big magnums seem to like.You might want to give H110 a try since the H4227 is discontinued now.I recently scoped mine and haven't got to the range with it yet.I was pleased with the accuracy with open sights.My gun is a Smith & Wesson XVR.I haven't heard of great results with the FTX bullets and they are costly.Too bad Winchester 680 wasn't still made.Think it would work very well for this caliber.

[reloading_rich]

I have an 8 3/8" S & W revolver chambered for 460.  It is not bad at all to shoot even though there is significant muzzle blast and it is very loud.  I can easily shoot 50-75 rounds at the bench.  Just be sure to use proper hearing protection when shooting this caliber.  I had been using the Hornady 200 grain FTX bullets with excellent results at the range.  One inch groups at 50 yards were easily obtained using  a Leupold 4X pistol scope.  I used the revolver last year on a pig hunt and took a hog at about 40 yards broadside with it.  The bullet did not completely pass through the hog and was found just under the skin on the off shoulder.  The path of the bullet went through the ribs and actually only hit one rib bone going through the other side in between the rib bones.   Weighing the recovered bullet showed the bullet had lost 35% of its original weight and tipped the scale at 130 grains even.  This is not what I would call acceptable bullet performance.  It would probably work just fine on a whitetail but I will not use it again in a hunting situation.  I am going to work up a load using the 300 grain Hornady XTP Mag or the Barnes all copper XPB 275 grain bullet for huinting use and I believe that will net much better results.  It is a wonderful caliber and has potential to take most any critter that roams North America with the proper projectile.   

[Gdbyrd]

I have an 8 3/8" S & W revolver chambered for 460.  It is not bad at all to shoot even though there is significant muzzle blast and it is very loud.  I can easily shoot 50-75 rounds at the bench.  Just be sure to use proper hearing protection when shooting this caliber.  I had been using the Hornady 200 grain FTX bullets with excellent results at the range.  One inch groups at 50 yards were easily obtained using  a Leupold 4X pistol scope.  I used the revolver last year on a pig hunt and took a hog at about 40 yards broadside with it.  The bullet did not completely pass through the hog and was found just under the skin on the off shoulder.  The path of the bullet went through the ribs and actually only hit one rib bone going through the other side in between the rib bones.   Weighing the recovered bullet showed the bullet had lost 35% of its original weight and tipped the scale at 130 grains even.  This is not what I would call acceptable bullet performance.  It would probably work just fine on a whitetail but I will not use it again in a hunting situation.  I am going to work up a load using the 300 grain Hornady XTP Mag or the Barnes all copper XPB 275 grain bullet for huinting use and I believe that will net much better results.  It is a wonderful caliber and has potential to take most any critter that roams North America with the proper projectile.   

Damn, that's impressive.  Does your gun have a break on it?  I've heard there's a big difference in shooting 44 mag from a revolver compared to  an encore.  I wonder what the difference is in the 460?  No escaped gasses there, heh.  I really wish mine had a break on it to help tame it some.  The sound of it isn't much more your average deer rifle, my barrel is 15" though so that may very well be why.  I got mine because it was supposed to be a long range pistol caliber, for under a hundred yards there are plenty of other calibers that can dispatch your game with much cheaper factory ammo and do it with a much easier report.

[Austin from NC]

There is a coyote guns 460 ported 13inch stainless barrel on specialty pistols for $180 somebody buy it before I do.

[swift-justice]

I use the 460 for deer and it's one of my favorite barrels..
Mine is a 16 1/4" with a muzzlebrake.
Very flat shooting,my longest kill with it is just alittle over 400 yards.
 

[buck460XVR]

I haven't heard of great results with the FTX bullets and they are costly.Too bad Winchester 680 wasn't still made.Think it would work very well for this caliber.

  Altho the 200gr FTX shoots very accurately, I would not recommend them for deer. Only deer I ever shot with one was at a distance of 20 yards and the bullet blew up when it hit the front shoulder. Instead of breaking the shoulder, passing thru the lungs and putting it down, the deer had to be trailed thru knee deep water till it could be put down. Upon butchering it was found that bullet placement was fine for a proper bullet, it just was not a proper bullet. The FTX never made it  inside the body cavity. They would however, make good varmint rounds.

The best loads I have found so far is with H4227 and 250 or 300gr Hornady XTP.These are both max loads which most big magnums seem to like.You might want to give H110 a try since the H4227 is discontinued now.

 The old IMR4227 has been discontinued and the old H4227 has been renamed IMR4227. I too have found IMR4227 a great powder in my .460 reloads. It does not give me the velocities of H110/W296, but seems to be less temperature sensitive. Since temps here during deer season can range from 60 above to 20 below, it tends to be more consistent  accuracy wise over the season. I would refrain from using the 250 and 300 gr regular XTPs as they are more designed for .45 LC velocities. Hornady's 240 and 300 gr XTP-Mags are what they recommend for the .460.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive shot those ported smiths and allways thought they were pussycats. About like shooting a super blackhawk 44 mag. Now in a non ported encore im sure its a differnt animal. I shoot alot of big bore six and five guns and recoil doesnt bother me much but had a contendor in 4570 for a while years ago and it got on me differnt then a revolver and i just didnt like shooting it with big loads. I still had it when i bought my first linebaugh gun a 5.5 inch 475 and was nervous about shooting it but found it much more confortable with top end loads then the contendor was.

[ChrisK]

I use the 460 for deer and it's one of my favorite barrels..
Mine is a 16 1/4" with a muzzlebrake.
Very flat shooting,my longest kill with it is just alittle over 400 yards.

That is well beyond what I would ever try. What were you shooting at?

[454-hunter]

I have owned a 460 s&w barrel for about 4yrs. first barrel I bought for my encore. I love it .  It will reach out and touch em . I used wheeel guns for yrs. 357 44 mag 454 casull and all were good but, a lot of shots passed on because they would be out of range so I wanted something that would be able to shot 150 -200 yrds. flatter so far I have killed some nice deer none as far as i would have liked but, the opportunites havent been there . However my biggest complaint is I have broken four scopes. It has wickedly evil recoil and I am finally going to upgrade to a scope that can handle it this spring . My advise dont skimp on the scope it I would have just put the money into a good scope that i wasted on cheaper scopes I would be even happier.

[Lloyd Smale]

Sorry but i wouldnt shoot deer at 400 yards with my 444 or 4570 rifles let alone a 460 handgun. Im usualy one that preaches to each his own and its not my bussiness to bash anyones hunting practices but i shoot deer at 400 yards with bolt rifles and that isnt even easy. 400 with a handgun in any caliber and your eventually going to wound animals. I dont care how good of a shot you are or how good your gun is. I shoot enough handguns to know that it takes but a miniscule mistake on the trigger or a puff or a of wind pr being off 25 yards on your range estimation shooting a bullet with such a poor bc at those distances to send a deer off wounded. Personaly i think even with the best handguns 200 yards is a stretch. I do alot of long range shooting with handguns but make my targets rocks thankyou.

I use the 460 for deer and it's one of my favorite barrels..
Mine is a 16 1/4" with a muzzlebrake.
Very flat shooting,my longest kill with it is just alittle over 400 yards.

[yooper77]

I bought the Thompson Center Encore 15" 454 Casull barrel before the 460 S&W Magnum came out. This barrel is very accurate and manageable at 15" topped with a Weaver 2x28mm pistol scope.
 
Since this barrel was so accurate I wanted a handier length, so I sent the barrel to SSKIndustries.com and they shortened it too 12" and had them install their 6 screw 3 ring T'SOB scope base for my T/C 2.5-7x28mm recoil proof pistol scope. I am thinking on updating this scope to a simple and totally indestructible Leupold 2x20mm pistol scope since I don't really need a variable scope.
 
I only shoot very heavy LBT style 360 grain hard cast lead gas checked bullets using H-110 powder and CCI 450 primers and starline brass. I have of yet to shoot a animal with it, but time will tell. Plus I wouldn't shoot past 100 yards even if I had a solid rest.
 
yooper77

[Lloyd Smale]

my self imposed limit is 50 maybe 75 under perfect conditions with open sights 100 with a scoped revolver 150 with a flat shooting tc like my 7waters.