500 JRH - Load Info - Ballistics Question

I have a new BFR 7.5” Bisley in hand and love it. I’ve shoot 440 WFNGC over 14.0 of HS-6 and some TrailBoss loads. I have searched and copied everything I can find on the internet for loads, have the copy of Jack Huntington’s load notes.

I plan on traveling to shoot either a Watusi or a Water Buffalo with it this fall for my Christmas present to me. Just because I’ve never shot anything that big and for the meat.

I would appreciate any insight on other 500JRH owners loads and ballistic observations. ie what does it take to make the gun do what I am describing above.

I’ve chose to mount a Leupold FXII 4x and an UltraDot 30, both in Leupold quick release rings.
Attachment 269137

Here is some load Data for the 500 JRH and 500 WE, they both have the same case capacity.
http://www.lsstuff.com/pics/bullets/500jrhloaddat.jpg

http://www.lsstuff.com/pics/bullets/500weda.pdf

I had a 500gn mold cut from Accurate, but the shank was too long and would bulge the case.
The Lee 440 is a great bullet, you can cast it soft or heat treat it to cover anything you might want to shoot. If you want a lighter bullet, I think Lyman makes a 375gn SWC. I used to have it and was happy with it. If you want the biggest hollow point in the world, cast some Lee 50-360 hollow base and load them backwards. They shoot surprisingly well.

For absolute top end loads, go for H110 or 4227. 2400 isn't listed, but it's a pretty good powder also. I use mag primers in all of my heavy loads, but a standard pistol or rifle primer can be used with light loads.

Here's my 500 JRH
http://www.lsstuff.com/pics//500jrh/500jrh-04.jpg

http://www.lsstuff.com/pics//500jrh/500jrh-07.jpg

http://www.lsstuff.com/pics//500jrh/500jrh-11.jpg

For what you want to do I'd use the 27 grain load of H110 with the 440. That load should shoot through a buff and exit on a broadside heart shot.

I avoid Li'lGun entirely as it it burns hot enough to make the gun too hot to handle without gloves if you're shooting more than just a few rounds, and that can and will tie up a closely-fitted gun. That is NOT a good sign, given that 296/H110 gives the same performance without the heat issue, even if you don't plan to shoot more than a few rounds at a time on either your hunt or while practicing for it.

Thank you gentlemen. I appreciate the replies. I absolutely love this gun. I will buy some H110 and set up some loads soon.

It's a matter of personal preference, so please feel free to ignore this if it doesn't apply to you, but I usually only put scopes on revolvers for accuracy testing ammo while shooting off of sandbags at ranges of 100 yards or more. On the rare occasions that I use a scoped revolver in the field, it's only been with a 2X Leupold, as that is about the smallest and lightest quality pistol scope available. For shooting at game in the field, I'd never want anything (on a handgun) of greater magnification than 2X. Field of view is too small.

As an aside, over a dozen of my rifles, from several 10-22 Rugers, to my 16 pound .50 BMG shoulder rifle, to my single shot Nitro 4-bore, wear 1-4 Leupold variables with dot reticles, and they spend 95% of their time on the lowest power setting. I can shoot with both eyes open on moving targets including clay birds using this setup.

Scopes (and most red dot sights) make handguns considerably heavier, bulkier, and clunkier than traditional iron sights. If you like (or insist on) having the target and the sights in the same focal plane, I'd put a Leupold Deltapoint Pro on that gun. They weigh less than 2 ounces and are far less obtrusive than what you are using now.

I've not handled or examined your particular model gun, so I don't know exactly what mounting system is on it right now, but I'd be prepared to have the smallest, lightest, and lowest profile mount custom-made by a machine shop to mount the DeltaPoint on your gun.

The DeltaPoint is available with either a 2.5 or 7.5 minute dot, and costs about $400. I have used Leupold products on my heavy recoiling guns for almost 50 years with great results. I have broken them occasionally under extreme conditions (over 100,000 rounds on a Browning beltfed AN-M2 aircraft machine gun firing 30 rounds of .30-06 per second, as an example) but the factory has either fixed or replaced every broken unit with no questions asked and at no charge.

Just a thought.

https://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold...dot-sight.html

I appreciate the advice. I have a Delta Point on my S&W 617 revolver and may switch over to one for this later.

I agree with John Ross that 2x is about all the magnification that I can use for a field revolver. Too little field of view at revolver ranges

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I hate that Leupold stopped making the 2x scopes. I bought the 4x when I really didn’t know any better. I have the 2.5x8 handgun scopes on my 8 3/8” models 647,617, and 460 XVR.

Any advice on any of the jacketed loads listed above? I have some Hornady 350 XTP MAGS

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BKS

Any advice on any of the jacketed loads listed above? I have some Hornady 350 XTP MAGS

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I haven't personally hunted any game animals for many years, as I focus on ballistic experimentation, particularly with the .500 Smith & Wesson. However, many of my friends and customers have used my recommendations and my loads on game.

I have extensive experience with Hornady's XTP line of bullets in the .500. First of all, they are extremely accurate. Scoped and off sandbags, good loads with H110 and this projectile shoot around 2 MOA @ 100+ yards. Secondly, all my feedback says that they perform as designed on game with both good expansion and close to 100% weight retention.

In your gun, I would load 33 grains of H110 under this bullet and have every confidence that it would do exactly what I wanted.

Below are pictures of a 350 grain XTP bullet I loaded at a little over 1400 FPS, recovered from a grizzly. Weight as shown after recovery was over 340 grains.


Attachment 269829 Attachment 269830

JR

Attachment 270241

32grs of H110 under a Hornady 350gr