.500 or.454

Between the Brand S and Brand T I suggest S.

As for the caliber choice: Nobody remembers who came in second.
 
the only thing putting me off getting the 500 is that i can't find one with a 6 or 6 1/2 inch barrel.i prefer the slightly shorter barrel lenght in the .454
 
I've seen plenty of 6 1/2" models. PC and Lew Horton's I beleive. I vote for the Smith. But I want the .454 also. Thinking abot the SRH, but I'm still waiting on the .460 Smith. Love those x frames.
good shootin
kid
 
.500 and .454 for mostly range shooting? I would go with a .454 of some make, that way you could shoot .45 colt also.
.500 I know will cost you some where in the area of 2 bucks a shot maybe more. :eek:

There was a very honest post about the .500 some where here. Talking about how practical it is ( or isn't actually).
 
2nd that .460 suggestion. that will give you all your needs but should check to see what barrel lengths it will come in. I prefer the ruger alaskan. A: cuase it's a ruger and b: its a six shooter. but for 5 shooters I think the .460 will be far more practical with the ability to fire 454's and .45 long colts. I also heard the .460 will be the highest velocity revolver round in the market. :)
 


Maybe I'm not as tough as the rest of you, but I don't really like hurting my hands. That said, the brake on the Raging Bull works really well (but don't try to shoot unplated/jacketed bullets out of this one).



-tINY

 
I have owned a Raging Bull and I now own the 500 in 8-3/8"

The RB was a lot of fun to shoot, but I just didn't like the 'feel' of it. It always seemed to miss the glass smooth fit, finish and function of other guns. I think it was a personal issue more than the gun, I sold it to one of my shooting buds and he loves it. It is accurate and makes for a pretty good hunting round to boot.

The 500 is something to be believed. Not the massive wrist destroyer it is claimed to be my many. It's massive, yes. Full house loads are pretty stiff (what did you expect ?) but even with these, it still no harder to shoot than any other hot big bore. The grips and the comp do a good job of reducing recoil and make shooting it a breeze.

I reload, so ammo costs aren't the burden to me as much as someone who shoots only factory loads. The 500 Special will also fire just fine in the 500 Mag, but I haven't tried any of them.

I scoped mine, with a Leupold EER and Badger Ordinance rings. Accuracy is excellent with *most* factory ammo. With handloads I keep cost down to about .50 cents per round using new starline brass, about half that when reloading the brass afterward. I use Titegroup and H4227. So far accuracy potential is much better than I can shoot.

Lot's of available loading options from mild (and I do mean mild) to fire-breathing wild. One of the most fun weapons I have ever owned. Fit, finish and function has been excellent since day one. The trigger and sights were great out of the box.

I have owned many over the years, and this is one of the ones I knew the first time I shot it, I would keep this one forever.

As always, YMMV and personal preference counts for a lot. My opinion between the two - the Smith in 500

Hands down

BigSlick
 
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Grips on the taurus are easy to find...

bigslick,

hogue grips (wood and rubber) are available for the raging bull.

The "bulls" have gotten MUCH better, so I have been told.

All Taurus revolvers, as of late, require the forcing cone to be cleaned up.
I have asked a number of smiths and they are seeing the same problems on S&W as well as Rugers...forcing cone issues affect all manufacturers at one time or another.

I REALLY like the fact that the RB 454 is a 5 shot...plenty of meat between cylinders and the arm is pretty well built.

The RB also has slots for securly mounting a scope rail.

But, do be careful. Taurus revolvers will shoot either really GREAT, or suck. Lately, GREAT is more common.

Most 454 shooters I know (regardless of manufacturer) are shooting more 45lc+P loads than full house 454's.

I would go stainless on the RB, if I were you.

The 500S&W is a handful...it can be loaded down, but why?
 
I honeslty do not enjoy shooting 454... for some reason my 500 is much more comfortable/enjoyable to shoot. The recoil isn't as sharp
 
The 500S&W is a handful...it can be loaded down, but why?
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, I am not a Taurus bashing shooter. I liked the RB, but it just didn't ring my bell like the 500. I am the same way about HK pistols, great weapons in every respect, but they're just not my thing.

My shooting bud, loves the hell out of the RB. I still shoot it when we go out, it's fun, I just like the Smith better - MUCH better for my taste.

I load the 500 down sometimes depending on what I am hoping to accomplish. I load it in mid to upper ranges for deer, low mid range for hogs. The 400 JSP Sierra with 17 grains of Titegroup will tear a pig up in short order and grand fashion. I took one last fall at about 85 yds. Hit him just behind the shoulder. When dressing it out, about a third of the ribcage on the backside was tore up to hell. Now I use the XTP in 350 gr with 15 gr Titegroup. It drops the pig like a sack of rocks and the carnage isn't nearly as bad.

I have taken one deer at about 100 yds. A *big* doe, had to be five or six years old. The 400 JSP Sierra with 39gr of H4227 was just perfect. I hit her just behind and slightly below the shoulder. She just stood there for about a half a second and fell over. When field dressing it, the entrance was clean and the bullet lodged in the opposite shoulder. It mushroomed to about the size of a quarter and retained 382 grains of weight. It shed most of the jacket, but the rest of it was in one piece.

I load it down of course when working up a new load and for range fodder.

The RB certainly wouldn't leave you under-gunned, but a 500 (for me) is as versatile a round as I could want and it is a hoot to shoot. Using 22 gr of LongShot on a muggy day or at dusk will certainly provide a light show. Muzzle flash is dramatic.

In short, lots of fun, versatile and I like it.

BigSlick
 
Taurus 500 mag

This year Taurus is coming out with a Raging Bull in 500 Mag. 2, 4, 6, & 10 inch barrel. Check out their Web page. They will be available in the fourth quarter. My brother has a RB in 454. very nice gun. I have a Smith PC 500 in 10.5 barrell. The 500 definately keeps you awake at the line. If you like the RB and you wnat a 500 just wait and see the Taurus. It will probably cost a lot less than the Smith.
 
I have both handguns and I say buy the Taurus RB because it will feel alot better to shot since the Taurus design absorbs the recoil much better than the SW 500.
 
S&W .460

.45 colt for the range and .454
.454 for hunting and the .460
.460 for longer ranges (250 yards no hold over)
 
its a crap shoot, either way....I've shot both, and, well, I just can't justify the cost of the .500 for myself.

for the $ I'd go with a ruger over the taurus in .454, even though the taurus has porting, the ruger is a sturdier machine and tends to cost less than the taurii us here, and I am not a fan of the two point cylinder release. That's just me.

I am a bit underwhelmed by the recent push by S&W to boost sales by creating again the "most powerful" handgun....again, and the .500 and the .460, as powerful as they are, are pushing the envelope towards the zone of being ludicrouis(sp), nearly o the point that the xframes look like a spoof of an anime gun out of Wicked City or the like.

That's why I won't get one, but, OTOH, if it takes marketing ploys and big numbers to get people interested in shooting, so be it, and I have to admit, if I were 10 years younger and just getting into this, my interest would be piqued and I'd have to get one.
 
Actually SEG45 has provided the best answer. Get a SW 460 and you have the best of both worlds because you are using the heavy X-Frame the 500 was built on to shoot a caliber that has a 5000 CUP higher pressure than the SW 500......and it can shoot the 454 in it as well.

The 460 BTW is in essence a 454 Magnum type round with a higher velocity and punch than a SW 500.
 
Several people have suggested the S&W 460 on versatility grounds (the ability to shoot 454 and 45 Colt) and I would agree, given the stated use, but I've yet to see one. Are they even on the market yet?
 
I have had my premier geade Freedom arms 454 for 15 years and have taken 2 elk with it ,it is a great gun .the S&W 500 i got 6 months ago is bigger,heavyer,and with the brake more fun and has less recoil.I plan to take it with me to alaska to hunt moose this year .
 
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