.500 S&W- Magnum Research vs S&W
- Thread starter forest15
- Start date
Craig C:
Thank you for the link. It just worked for me.
I will be following up with this, and, sending it to my friend for his conformation. I'm glad you are correct, not for my good, but his.
All I wanted was a straight answer, because, he firmly believes he cannot bring his SA 5 gun into SA.
S
Thank you for the link. It just worked for me.
I will be following up with this, and, sending it to my friend for his conformation. I'm glad you are correct, not for my good, but his.
All I wanted was a straight answer, because, he firmly believes he cannot bring his SA 5 gun into SA.
S
Someone at the local range has a S&W 500. He let me fire a couple of rounds. He down loaded the rounds I fired to 1/2 normal power because the full power ones nearly broke his wrist. It was much nicer to fire than a 340PD with 357s.
I could see owning one of them if I lived in bear country or was expecting a gunfight and couldn't bring a rifle or platoon of Navy SEALs.
I could see owning one of them if I lived in bear country or was expecting a gunfight and couldn't bring a rifle or platoon of Navy SEALs.
Love my BFR!
I own a few S&W's and I own a BFR 460. I've put some wood grips and had a trigger job on my BFR. It's my favorite handgun hands down. With the grips, scope, and trigger job I have right at $1k into the gun. I've handled the S&W many times and do not think it is enough better to justify the price. It's a great gun but I feel the BFR is a bit stouter. I really have nothing to back this up other than my observations about how well my BFR is made and how good the tolerances are. I've run a good deal of full power 460 through it and alot of 454 and have not had any problems with it, other than a sore handlwrist the next day.
You really can't go wrong with either its a matter of taste and for me the BFR with wood grips and some polish is hard to beat.
I own a few S&W's and I own a BFR 460. I've put some wood grips and had a trigger job on my BFR. It's my favorite handgun hands down. With the grips, scope, and trigger job I have right at $1k into the gun. I've handled the S&W many times and do not think it is enough better to justify the price. It's a great gun but I feel the BFR is a bit stouter. I really have nothing to back this up other than my observations about how well my BFR is made and how good the tolerances are. I've run a good deal of full power 460 through it and alot of 454 and have not had any problems with it, other than a sore handlwrist the next day.
You really can't go wrong with either its a matter of taste and for me the BFR with wood grips and some polish is hard to beat.
500 S&W vs BFR
WOW ! Whats with the negative spurts about Socrates? He's been helpful to several readers including myself. I happen to own 3 Performance Center 500's and have owned a BFR in the same caliber. I've had some problems with 2 of the S&W guns relating to timing. As for comfort and accuracy they are outstanding. The muzzle break does work to control felt recoil but it does creat a little anger for the people standing next to you. The BFR was nice but felt recoil with 440 grian bullets at 1500+ fps was a bit much. To give an opinion to the original question, I would recommend the Smith at 40,000 CUP or less (AS MENTIONED BY SOCRATES !!!)
WOW ! Whats with the negative spurts about Socrates? He's been helpful to several readers including myself. I happen to own 3 Performance Center 500's and have owned a BFR in the same caliber. I've had some problems with 2 of the S&W guns relating to timing. As for comfort and accuracy they are outstanding. The muzzle break does work to control felt recoil but it does creat a little anger for the people standing next to you. The BFR was nice but felt recoil with 440 grian bullets at 1500+ fps was a bit much. To give an opinion to the original question, I would recommend the Smith at 40,000 CUP or less (AS MENTIONED BY SOCRATES !!!)
Well, we do have one guy with a 500 S&@ with 525 grain bullets at 1550 fps. He pretty much missed a Bison with one, since the gun made him flinch.
Couple other guys are having Jack cut the nose off cast .50 BMG bullets, and, they yield about a 730 grain, cup nosed bullet.
The round in the middle is a .500 Linebaugh
Now, Jack says the 500JRH, the shorter version of the 500 S&@ hits like a 375 H&H, at least on big game, bison, beefalo, asian buffalo, Nigali, and those are the ones I know he shot. Guys at the ranch in Texas concur. That's a 440 grain bullet at either 950 fps, or, 1350 fps. Funny part is the animals don't seem to notice the additional ftlbs the velocity creates, and, the extra speed might actually limit penetration, due to the cast bullet noses deforming at the higher speed.
As I said prior, I can't really shoot 525's at 1350 fps, so, If I'm going to shoot 525's again it will be something like
525 @ 1000 fps for Recoil Energy of 28 foot pounds, and Recoil Velocity of 23 fps. I LIKE shooting loads up to 40 ft-lbs, and, know I dislike loads at Recoil Energy of 52 foot pounds, and Recoil Velocity of 30 fps(525 @ 1350 fps), or higher.
Now, I said all that to say what my experience and recoil levels are. 700 grain bullets, out of a 500 S&@ are slightly different, since the gun weighs about 73 oz. or 4.6 pounds. Mine weighs 3.6 pounds, and, does not require a carriage and a bunch of horses to carry it.
So, I'm not saying you could get 1350 with a 700 grain bullet out of the S&@, but it would recoil at:
Recoil Energy of 69 foot pounds, and Recoil Velocity of 31 fps.
700 @ 1200 fps:
Recoil Energy of 55 foot pounds, and Recoil Velocity of 28 fps.
700 @ 1100 fps
Recoil Energy of 46 foot pounds, and Recoil Velocity of 25 fps.
700 @ 1000
Recoil Energy of 38 foot pounds, and Recoil Velocity of 23 fps.
So, I could happily move those big bullets at 1000 fps, and, MAYBE 1100 fps.
The rifle guys swear their is a huge difference in bullet impact and stopping power, when you move from 400 to 700 grain bullets, at rifle velocities.
Jack Huntington has told me that a neglected component in handgun stopping power is the total outside area of the bullet, as it goes through the target. In deer sized targets up, the larger bullets, that is 400 grains or more, .475 caliber and more, seem to kill out of preportion to their ft lbs of energy. As many have observed, the 440 grain 500 JRH bullets, kill like a 375 H&H rifle. Now, they have maybe 1600 ft lbs of energy, and, the 375 H&H, at least as loaded by double tap, is in the 4000-5000 ft lbs of energy range.
I'm giving you as much information as I have, because I don't know anyone that's actually shot anything with a 700 grain pistol bullet...
Wonder if any of the black powder guys shoot 700 grain bullets at those speeds?
The Terminator
New member
Ok! As of today, I have owned or own, each revolver. I owned a 10" Performance Center S&W in 500 magnum, and currently, own a BFR in 500 magnum.
Question is, do I like it better than the S&W PC that I was shooting? The one with the 10" barrel? Yes, I do. Why? Balance, pointability, much lighter and easier to shoot without a rest. In fact, it shoots just like any long barreled Ruger that I have ever had.
Is it better made or stronger than the S&W? I don't really know enough about either to answer that. Both are fine guns for me. I am sure that there are more than enough who believe everything that a gun writer says, to pontificate on this subject.
Did the 1" longer than necessary cylinder bother me? Heck no, I even liked it better. It provides a little bit of very much needed weight to the pistol, to help keep the recoil down. I'm serious about this.
If I had to buy or trade for either, again, I'd go with the BFR, hands down, for the reasons that I listed, but only if it was cut to 6" and Magnaported, like this one. Initially, I wanted another S&W with a 6" barrel, and came very, very, close, to buying one of the new half-lug 500's with a 6" barrel that S&W is selling now. They are beautiful pistols.
Here is a photo of the S&W that I traded away for a bench rifle. It was, for me, too unwieldy to hunt or shoot at the range, without a rest.
Here is a photo of the BFR, after I changed the grips on it today.
Here is a video of the BFR at the range today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z_5XUbMJEk
Here is a video of the S&W, when I took it to the range and shot it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-bvmkzqv_k
Question is, do I like it better than the S&W PC that I was shooting? The one with the 10" barrel? Yes, I do. Why? Balance, pointability, much lighter and easier to shoot without a rest. In fact, it shoots just like any long barreled Ruger that I have ever had.
Is it better made or stronger than the S&W? I don't really know enough about either to answer that. Both are fine guns for me. I am sure that there are more than enough who believe everything that a gun writer says, to pontificate on this subject.
Did the 1" longer than necessary cylinder bother me? Heck no, I even liked it better. It provides a little bit of very much needed weight to the pistol, to help keep the recoil down. I'm serious about this.
If I had to buy or trade for either, again, I'd go with the BFR, hands down, for the reasons that I listed, but only if it was cut to 6" and Magnaported, like this one. Initially, I wanted another S&W with a 6" barrel, and came very, very, close, to buying one of the new half-lug 500's with a 6" barrel that S&W is selling now. They are beautiful pistols.
Here is a photo of the S&W that I traded away for a bench rifle. It was, for me, too unwieldy to hunt or shoot at the range, without a rest.
Here is a photo of the BFR, after I changed the grips on it today.
Here is a video of the BFR at the range today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z_5XUbMJEk
Here is a video of the S&W, when I took it to the range and shot it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-bvmkzqv_k
Let me say, never saw so much miss information in a thread.
First let me say I have many X-frames with over 2000 rounds shot through and they still shoot fine. My favorite 460 has 16000 rounds on it and shots fine.
Do they break parts- yes- not on a frequent basis but things do break- never been charged by S&W to fix them though.
These are super magnums and you would be naive to think that things are not going to wear compared to other low pressure cartridges.
As far as hunting with them in Africa most countries they can be imported for hunting a simple check with each countries hunting gun import rule will verify this. Yes I know several individual who have taken Cape buffalo with their 500 S&W and many other game animals.
State side I hunt with mine often as possible and have taken bison, grizzly, black bear and other animals.
The only down side the X-frame has in my opinion is the requirement for hearing protection.
As with any handgun if you expect to be proficient you have to shoot your chosen handgun a lot.
As for your other options in 500 S&W revolver the fore mentioned BFR will be your only option. Nothing wrong with them -probably the best bang for your your dollar in terms fo quality in revolvers today. That said single actions are more difficult to master as the power goes up.
Nothing wrong with other big bore calibers out there either, but none tops the 500 S&W for raw horsepower.
As for the comments of poster Socrates well I am in the Bay Area also and would love to see your bragged skills.
Your anecdotal comments about energy are typical of those that think kinetic energy is the magic that makes a bullet kill.
Kinetic energy is a heat calculation used by manufactures to get people to buy their ammunition. If you think others wise how does a catcher catch a fast ball without it killing them? 90+ mph and 5.25 Oz roughly
For those interested in Hunting Hand Gun revolvers I would suggest you pick up a copy of the Gun Digest Book of Hunting Revolvers by Max Prasac for a more informed prospective.
Anyone interested in shooting big bore revolvers (460, 500, 500 JRH) in the California Bay Area drop me a note
be safe
Ruggy
First let me say I have many X-frames with over 2000 rounds shot through and they still shoot fine. My favorite 460 has 16000 rounds on it and shots fine.
Do they break parts- yes- not on a frequent basis but things do break- never been charged by S&W to fix them though.
These are super magnums and you would be naive to think that things are not going to wear compared to other low pressure cartridges.
As far as hunting with them in Africa most countries they can be imported for hunting a simple check with each countries hunting gun import rule will verify this. Yes I know several individual who have taken Cape buffalo with their 500 S&W and many other game animals.
State side I hunt with mine often as possible and have taken bison, grizzly, black bear and other animals.
The only down side the X-frame has in my opinion is the requirement for hearing protection.
As with any handgun if you expect to be proficient you have to shoot your chosen handgun a lot.
As for your other options in 500 S&W revolver the fore mentioned BFR will be your only option. Nothing wrong with them -probably the best bang for your your dollar in terms fo quality in revolvers today. That said single actions are more difficult to master as the power goes up.
Nothing wrong with other big bore calibers out there either, but none tops the 500 S&W for raw horsepower.
As for the comments of poster Socrates well I am in the Bay Area also and would love to see your bragged skills.
Your anecdotal comments about energy are typical of those that think kinetic energy is the magic that makes a bullet kill.
Kinetic energy is a heat calculation used by manufactures to get people to buy their ammunition. If you think others wise how does a catcher catch a fast ball without it killing them? 90+ mph and 5.25 Oz roughly
For those interested in Hunting Hand Gun revolvers I would suggest you pick up a copy of the Gun Digest Book of Hunting Revolvers by Max Prasac for a more informed prospective.
Anyone interested in shooting big bore revolvers (460, 500, 500 JRH) in the California Bay Area drop me a note
be safe
Ruggy