I am thinking my next hand gun will be a S&W .460 or .500. I have looked at some of the old threads and have not found the answer I am looking for. I know the .460 is considered more versatile when it comes to ammunition options. I have a number of hand guns for target shooting and would buy this gun for deer hunting and maybe some larger animals but mostly for deer. My questions is, when it comes to hunting only loads what would be the best option? I do hand load and could tailor the loads for my purpose.
.460 vs .500
- Thread starter Chaz88
- Start date
I went with the 460 because of the versatility, but found that it isn't all that accurate with 45 Colts or 454s. So I just use 460 brass and download using lead bullets when I don't want to send shockwaves throughout the county.
For deer, both rounds are overkill. Since you reload, either one will be a hoot. The 45 caliber bullets will be a bit cheaper than the 50's, but most people don't go out and shoot hundreds of rounds every weekend through these things, so it's probably not that big of an issue.
For deer, both rounds are overkill. Since you reload, either one will be a hoot. The 45 caliber bullets will be a bit cheaper than the 50's, but most people don't go out and shoot hundreds of rounds every weekend through these things, so it's probably not that big of an issue.
As you are a handloader, you will peruse component bullet selection and it's possible you will find more options in a .452" diameter than you will in a .500" diameter. Of course, not all of those .452" slugs on the market are appropriate for use at the extreme velocities and pressure the .460 S&W Magnum is capable of building, but I would think just the simple edge in component bullet selection would give the edge to the .460 S&W Magnum, just in versatility and availability.
I'm not sure there's a really gaping large difference in the capability of the best loads for .500 over the .460. But I only toss that out there to be pondered. As I don't hunt, I truly have NO IDEA what either is capable of, or what you might ask it to do. But even as a guy who knows very little about hunting... I don't know if God or Mother Nature has yet created a deer or deer-like animal that would require any edge the .500 Mag might carry over the .460 Mag.
I'm thinking that either one of them is going to do everything you might ask from a firearm... to cleanly take a deer.
I'm not sure there's a really gaping large difference in the capability of the best loads for .500 over the .460. But I only toss that out there to be pondered. As I don't hunt, I truly have NO IDEA what either is capable of, or what you might ask it to do. But even as a guy who knows very little about hunting... I don't know if God or Mother Nature has yet created a deer or deer-like animal that would require any edge the .500 Mag might carry over the .460 Mag.
I'm thinking that either one of them is going to do everything you might ask from a firearm... to cleanly take a deer.buck460XVR
New member
For deer and most other large game, I considered the .460 more versatile, thus that's what I went with one. .45 caliber projectiles are less expensive than .50 cal and there seems to be a larger variety available for loading. If the gun was intended more for dangerous game, I would consider the .500. The .460 seems to shoot lighter weight projectiles better than the .500 also, which not only makes it good for deer, but also for a fun range gun.
If you plan on hunting under 150 yards save your coin and use a 44. If you feel the need to go heavy then grab a Super Redhawk in 454 and carry 6 rounds instead of 5.
I had a 460 for a few years. Had. It was too much in the Encore pistol platform. I couldn't find a mid-range load. Factory fodder was more than I wanted and Trail Boss was too weak. All the middle weight loads I tried came out squirrely or left unburned powder in the bore.
45 Colt and 454 were very inaccurate due to the looooong chamber.
The X frame revolvers are so heavy that if you plan on taking precise shots some form of support will be needed. At that point you might as well be carrying a rifle.
I really think the 460 and 500 were answers to questions nobody asked. Okay, make that nobody without short man's syndrome or outside the mine's bigger'n yours crowd.
I had a 460 for a few years. Had. It was too much in the Encore pistol platform. I couldn't find a mid-range load. Factory fodder was more than I wanted and Trail Boss was too weak. All the middle weight loads I tried came out squirrely or left unburned powder in the bore.
45 Colt and 454 were very inaccurate due to the looooong chamber.
The X frame revolvers are so heavy that if you plan on taking precise shots some form of support will be needed. At that point you might as well be carrying a rifle.
I really think the 460 and 500 were answers to questions nobody asked. Okay, make that nobody without short man's syndrome or outside the mine's bigger'n yours crowd.
buck460XVR
New member
I agree with the part about the .44 mag, but would reduce the max range to 100 yards. Difference between 100 and 150 yards with factory ammo outta a .44 mag is about a foot. In the .460, a coupla inches. Misjudgement of range of 20 yards at those ranges could mean a miss or a wounded deer with the .44 Mag. With the .460 you probably still got a dead deer. Gonna use the handgun as a secondary to your long gun and/or not shoot past 100 yards, yep, you may as well get a .44. Lookin' for a primary deer gun that will reach out and be effective to 200 yards, than the .460 can do it if you can.
Anybody taking shots at deer past 80-100 yards with a handgun should be using some kind of support, regardless of caliber and regardless if you consider yourself another Elmer Kieth. You owe it to your quarry.
My son had a Encore in .460 also. He bought it 'cause he was so impressed with the accuracy of the .460 outta my X-Frame and I reloaded for it already. Brutal shooting POS that we never did find a load it could shoot accurately. He sold his too after a year and a half. My X-Frame has been very accurate with any kind of ammo shot outta it. .45 Colt, .454 and even TrailBoss loads in .460 cases. I generally don't shoot them tho because the POI is so much different from POA compared to legitimate .460 loads. Since I reload, it costs cost no more to load them as it does the powder puff loads. My youngest son shot my X-Frame when he was barely 12 years old when he weighed less than 90 pounds, and he shot it accurately. It recoils little more than my 629s with hunting type loads and is actually pleasant to shoot at the range. Not at all like a SRH in .454. Sorry, IMHO, not enough platform there for the cartridge. IMHO, .454 shot outta the SRHs is one reason the caliber is not very popular, it's just not a pleasant experience.
I hunt deer with .357, .44 and .460 caliber revolvers. When I use the .357 I'm told it's barely marginal and I need to use something larger. I'm sure tho, at one time, when they were the biggest handgun available, folks used the same "makin' up for small male anatomy" line. When I use the .460, folks tell me it's overkill and I should use something smaller.....but not a .357. Kinda like the three bears, many seem to think the .44 is "just right".....and it is, in the right scenario. But in others so are the .357 and the .460. The .460 X-Frame is a handgun that was designed for the deer hunter that rolls his own. It is not for everyone, as obviously, not everyone is capable of realizing it's accuracy out past 100 yards. But for those few that can, it is a superb platform. Many times when folks get one they think they need to shoot the hardest shooting most powerful ammo they can find outta it. For dangerous game they are probably right. Not really needed for deer tho. Mid level loads are just as effective while also being very accurate....at least for me.
I've done a good bit of shooting with both .460 and .500 Magnum X-frame Smith & Wesson revolvers. It occurs to me that there are a couple things at work when we're blasting away with these.
First is the muzzle brake/comp that S&W engineered in to these guns. I'm thoroughly impressed with their ability. Paired up with the extreme weight of the revolvers, I find both of these guns to be enjoyable to shoot.
It's also quite possibly that each and every single shot is a frenetic event and it touches all the human senses in a way that seems to be well beyond all the other handgun shooting I do... and I do a lot of handgun shooting. Perhaps because of this, each shot is something "special" and a fun day with an X-frame ends up being 10 or 15 rounds of shooting scattered throughout the day.
The bottom line, and my point? I find both the .460 and .500 Magnum revolvers more enjoyable (okay, honestly, let's make that far more enjoyable) than full-power .44 Magnum from any handgun I have yet launched full power .44 Magnum. I find the X-frame to be kinder to my hand in felt recoil, less hurt, more fun, and far more of an event.
I have no tangible "USE" for these guns. But the truth is, I only have serious "needs" or "uses" for a few of my guns and all the rest of them are purely for skill, fun and enjoyment.
I don't happen to own either X-frame revolver, but a friend bought one of each simply because he thought they'd be fun to shoot and the two of us regularly host a well-controlled little range day with a bunch of people who arrive for a party later in the day, and we have a LOT of different handguns for people of all experience levels to try. We've helped many people take their first ever shots and for a few of them that have always wondered about the big monster revolvers, we have that covered also.
Like almost all the guns I own, some of us like these things simply because it's fun, it's something to do... and we can.
First is the muzzle brake/comp that S&W engineered in to these guns. I'm thoroughly impressed with their ability. Paired up with the extreme weight of the revolvers, I find both of these guns to be enjoyable to shoot.
It's also quite possibly that each and every single shot is a frenetic event and it touches all the human senses in a way that seems to be well beyond all the other handgun shooting I do... and I do a lot of handgun shooting. Perhaps because of this, each shot is something "special" and a fun day with an X-frame ends up being 10 or 15 rounds of shooting scattered throughout the day.
The bottom line, and my point? I find both the .460 and .500 Magnum revolvers more enjoyable (okay, honestly, let's make that far more enjoyable) than full-power .44 Magnum from any handgun I have yet launched full power .44 Magnum. I find the X-frame to be kinder to my hand in felt recoil, less hurt, more fun, and far more of an event.
I have no tangible "USE" for these guns. But the truth is, I only have serious "needs" or "uses" for a few of my guns and all the rest of them are purely for skill, fun and enjoyment.
...says far more about anyone who feels some burning need inside themselves to say this nonsense.
I don't happen to own either X-frame revolver, but a friend bought one of each simply because he thought they'd be fun to shoot and the two of us regularly host a well-controlled little range day with a bunch of people who arrive for a party later in the day, and we have a LOT of different handguns for people of all experience levels to try. We've helped many people take their first ever shots and for a few of them that have always wondered about the big monster revolvers, we have that covered also.
Like almost all the guns I own, some of us like these things simply because it's fun, it's something to do... and we can.
Guy, the 460 will easily do 200 yard shots.
Smith put together th 500 for the biggest bore crowd. When it was done they studied the platform to see what they could do with it. The result is the higher pressure 460. When zeroed around 150 yards there will not be more than a few inches of rise or fall out to 200 yards with factory 200 grain loads.
It is a big burly platform. The mass of an X frame takes it appreciably. Stuffing a brake on the end was gravy.
Those 2200 fps 200 grain loads ran 2600+ fps out of my 15" Encore. It was punishing and seriously damaged my wrist. A muzzle brake made it controllable.
I don't know what kind of powder Hornady was using for their stuff but I was never able to match their velocities. I can tell you that I got a Precision Delta 230 gr FMJ well over 2300 fps but that recipe won't be shared.
Smith put together th 500 for the biggest bore crowd. When it was done they studied the platform to see what they could do with it. The result is the higher pressure 460. When zeroed around 150 yards there will not be more than a few inches of rise or fall out to 200 yards with factory 200 grain loads.
It is a big burly platform. The mass of an X frame takes it appreciably. Stuffing a brake on the end was gravy.
Those 2200 fps 200 grain loads ran 2600+ fps out of my 15" Encore. It was punishing and seriously damaged my wrist. A muzzle brake made it controllable.
I don't know what kind of powder Hornady was using for their stuff but I was never able to match their velocities. I can tell you that I got a Precision Delta 230 gr FMJ well over 2300 fps but that recipe won't be shared.
Sharpsdressed Man
Moderator
.460 go BANG! .500 go BOOM! 
Thank you for the replies.
Just a few things to add. I am not looking to compensate for anything, it would not be a range toy and hardly ever seen by anyone but my hunting buddy (my daughter) and me. I am looking for a hunting hand gun that I can take past 100 yards and step up to larger game if I want. I can not use a rifle in most places in my state, if I could I would. I do not enjoy hunting with shotguns as much as hand guns. I am not interested in anything but a S&W. I shot my dad's 44's plenty growing up and have not ruled one out but am also interested in having something I have not owned before.
The flatter shooting and component selection has me leaning to the .460, even thought it costs more than the .500 I was looking at.
Just a few things to add. I am not looking to compensate for anything, it would not be a range toy and hardly ever seen by anyone but my hunting buddy (my daughter) and me. I am looking for a hunting hand gun that I can take past 100 yards and step up to larger game if I want. I can not use a rifle in most places in my state, if I could I would. I do not enjoy hunting with shotguns as much as hand guns. I am not interested in anything but a S&W. I shot my dad's 44's plenty growing up and have not ruled one out but am also interested in having something I have not owned before.
The flatter shooting and component selection has me leaning to the .460, even thought it costs more than the .500 I was looking at.
You may also want to take a look at the BFR in .30-30 .444marlin or .45-70 especially if you're looking for a longer range handgun. If you handload, you could probably load the .30-30 with some spitzers (since no tube mag to worry about) to make use of the higher BC bullets, which will shoot flatter, retain velocity/energy for a longer range, as well as suffer from less wind drift.
My Encore would hold the 200 gr Hornady loads right at an inch at 100 yards after I had the brake cut into the barrel.
I dug out my reloading notes. Those loads averaged 2697 fps out of my barrel. Big difference between that and an X frame.
That's enough to make a 30-06 rifle hang it's head in shame.
The hot loads with the 230 FMJ averaged 2499 fps. I started them out much lower. It was an experiment to see how much pressure the Precision Delta exposed lead base FMJ bullets would take before the jacket would lift off the core in the muzzle brake. I had spoken to the owner of PD and he could not tell me what kind of load they would take but wanted to know what I found. When I called back with the results the guy nearly jumped through the phone. He never considered these power levels but the bullets performed fine with no leading and no jacket separation in the brake. It had a very tight exit.
I can tell you that the Hornady 300 grain XTP Magnum expands very nicely when pushed by 40 grains of H110. The first shot ran 1983 fps. I got sloppy on the second shot and it, well...
There was no hole in the middle partition before the shot. The XTP was doing it's job. Never found the bullet. It either buried itself in the backstop or achieved low earth orbit.
I dug out my reloading notes. Those loads averaged 2697 fps out of my barrel. Big difference between that and an X frame.
That's enough to make a 30-06 rifle hang it's head in shame.
The hot loads with the 230 FMJ averaged 2499 fps. I started them out much lower. It was an experiment to see how much pressure the Precision Delta exposed lead base FMJ bullets would take before the jacket would lift off the core in the muzzle brake. I had spoken to the owner of PD and he could not tell me what kind of load they would take but wanted to know what I found. When I called back with the results the guy nearly jumped through the phone. He never considered these power levels but the bullets performed fine with no leading and no jacket separation in the brake. It had a very tight exit.
I can tell you that the Hornady 300 grain XTP Magnum expands very nicely when pushed by 40 grains of H110. The first shot ran 1983 fps. I got sloppy on the second shot and it, well...
There was no hole in the middle partition before the shot. The XTP was doing it's job. Never found the bullet. It either buried itself in the backstop or achieved low earth orbit.