TC Encore Katahdin:S&W .460 vs.500

S

Skeets

Member in memoriam
Wanting to switch my Encore ML to a carbine for deer.Using scope,shots at 150 yds.could be expected.Sure would like your thoughts,from chambering to impact,with these cartridges.TIA as always. :D
 
Both will give you huge recoil. One member here was having a terrible time trying to get his .460 to group.

Personally, I'd go with the .460 and then use .454 Casul ammo for the distance you are stating.
 
Have you thought about a .357 Maximum? Using it in an Encore rifle barrel and 180 grain SSP from Hornady would make an awesome 150 yard plus deer rifle. It would be far more pleasurable to shoot than the .460 barrel.
 
It's a sad day when I see the word "Katahdin" and I think it reads "Kardashian." Excuse me while I go gouge my eyes out.
 
Encote

It is a light gun. Recoil may be objectionable. I have a 15 inch pistol barrel chambered for the 500. Yes, it is a different animal than the Katahdin but recoil using heavy bullets was painful from shot one.
Perhaps the carbine will mitigate that to a degree. Perhaps.
 
.444 Marlin, .45-70 are also good choices. I would get the .460 over the .500.
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I don't think the .444 and 45-70 are allowed in Indiana. There is an overall case length for deer hunting. The .454 Casul is just under and the .460 is over.
 
I doubt the deer would react differently with either, but the 460 will be a lot more versitile, and less expensive to practice with, even if you handload.
 
I have shot a decent volume of ammo from the big X-frame S&W revolvers in both of these rounds and in my opinion, they handle the massive recoil every bit as well as I should think could be possible. Given that a "full slate of shooting" is typically going to be a handful of rounds in one session (not 50-200rds), I find them manageable and even enjoyable to shoot.

The -WORST- physical abuse that I have EVER put myself through with a firearm has been that .500 S&W Magnum barrel on a T/C Encore. Four shots, completely awful, straight punishment.

If I wanted to shoot .500 Mag, the S&W is the only good platform, IMO.
 
35 whelen?
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NO. Read my posts. The dude is in Indiana. They have some REALLY funky laws about what you can use to hunt deer with. They only started allowing any rifles at all just in the last few years. Now, they can use only certain "pistol caliber" rifles - i.e. .357, .44mag, .454 Casul, etc. They must be straight-walled cartridges with a case length no shorter than 1.6" and no longer than 1.8".
 
Unless things have changed recently, you can use a bottleneck cartridge in Indiana. The . 358X1.8 aka Hoosier (shortened .358 Win) sprang up as well as many many other shortened wildcat .358 based on WSSM and . 35 Rem cartridges. The WSSM is the best of the bunch usually achieving .35 Whelen performance.
 
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Taylorce1, I don't think so on the bottleneck (perhaps if they don't exceed the 1.8 but that would be a funky looking cartridge). It looks like the .460 S&W is now on their OK list. That makes the process even easier.

Rifles with cartridges that fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger; have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches; and have a maximum case length of 1.8 inches are legal to use only during the deer firearms and special antlerless seasons. Some cartridges legal for deer hunting include the .357 Magnum, .38-.40 Winchester, .41 Magnum, .41 Special, .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .44-.40 Winchester, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .458 SOCOM, .475 Linebaugh, .480 Ruger, .50 Action Express, .500 S&W, .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf.
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The rule doesn't state straight walled cartridges only. Indiana with the changes to allow rifle cartridges is a wildcatters dream came true with the length restrictions and the birth of cartridges like the .358 Hoosier were born. The WSSM cartridge with a case length of 1.670" fits perfectly into the IN regs and the 54 grain case capacity puts it in the Whelen power range.

This all might be moot in the future, as there is a reg change discussion in Indiana to allow all rifle cartridges .243/6mm and up.
 
I've never seen the .358 Hoosier so I'll have to take your word for it. Yes, it does sound like a wildcatter would have a field day there in IN. As to the rule change, I read somewhere last week that it was shot down - at least for another year until it gets brought back up again.

Back to the OP's question, I'm thinking he's probably not a wildcatter (and maybe not even a handloader). With that in mind, I'm still thinking the best Encore barrel for him is a .460 Katahdin. Ammo is more readily available (especially if you use .454 Casul) and it won't beat you up as badly. Plus, you get the ability to use .45 Colt plinking rounds.
 
Frying Pan to Fire?

In myOP, one reason for changing;just tired of 12ga.slug recoil and shotgun slugs in general.Thanks for saving me from myself!!Just wondering how do those calibers compare in recoil to a 12ga. 1oz.slug in my Encore? :D
 
Just wondering how do those calibers compare in recoil to a 12ga. 1oz.slug in my Encore?
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When compared to the 500, the slug would be "pleasant". .460 isn't going to be much better. Like I said earlier, you can use the .460 with .454 Casul loads. They will be much more tamer to shoot.
 
Recoil. The 500 S&W shooting a 500 grain bullet at 1775fps
from a seven pound gun will have about 47 ft.lbs of free recoil. A 12 gauge one ounce slug at 1560 fps from the same weight gun will have about 30 ft.lbs.
 
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