New to 500 S&W Magnum

[Moonie]

I've received a 15" 500 S&W barrel this past week and a Lee 440gr mold. I've cast and powder coated some to load. The loads I've tried so far were 10gr Unique, these were quite mild, and 34gr of W296, these were not mild. Can anyone suggest other loads to try with this mold? I'm interested in 2400 loads as I have some or any other loads members have tried.

[Bzcraig]

I can see going from 10gr of Unique to 34gr of 296 would be a shock to the senses!! I can't however offer any load suggestions cause I'm not young enough or man enough or perhaps both to even want to try a 500!

[bns454]

The free Accurate powder magazine has nice loads listed,light,medium and max,best source I found so far.

[DougGuy]

You are sorta in luck.. QuickLoad has data for the 500 with the Lee C501-440-RF boolit!

With a COA of 2.300" and working with a 60,000psi pressure ceiling

32.8gr Alliant 2400 would be a starting load, 1629fps velocity, 2591 ft. lbs energy, 36,088psi pressure.

40.0gr Alliant 2400 would be max, 1880fps velocity, 3453ft. lbs energy, 59,640psi pressure.

You could also go to Alliant and check to see if they have data for your caliber and boolit.

The data I posted is from QuickLoad, you MUST keep in mind it is software that works with mathematical formulas, and not taken from pressure barrels so I would not arbitrarily choose the max load, I would start somewhere in the middle and sneak up on it.

There is a rather inexpensive strain gauge sold that you mount on the barrel above the breech and it will record pressure readings when rounds are fired. If you are looking to build load data, this would be an invaluable tool.

ALSO, on a serious note, youir 34gr load of W296 might not be safe. In this caliber, that is only a 66% load density, and W296/H110 requires AT LEAST 75% or greater load density to be safe to load. I think we all know by now that H110/W296 should not be downloaded below published minimum charge weight.

Hodgdon lists 34.0gr H110 as starting weight with pressure at 40,700psi but that still does not make up for the fact that the case density is ONLY 66%! They list 38.0gr as max, with 49,900psi listed for pressure. I do not trust their starting load for this boolit, as the case density falls below 75%.

I will include the QuickLoad data, but the Hodgdon data is for a 440gr boolit NOT the Lee 440, and they show a COA of only 2.025" which would be less case density than the Lee 440 at 2.300" COA so this starting load may be safe for the boolit listed, but I would do some more research before I used it for the Lee 440gr as it doesn't look right for the reasons I mentioned.

40.0gr H110 (same as W296, same powder made in the same plant) only produces 33,180psi with a 77.7% load density. <-- This is from QuickLoad.

48gr would be a max charge, producing 57,706psi with 93.2% case fill, 1931fps velocity, 3642 ft. lbs. energy. <-- This is from QuickLoad.

Could you post some measurements on the boolit? Length of boolit, and how much of it is below the case mouth, how much above, and COA of the assembled round? thanks.

[Moonie]

Thanks DougGuy, I'm very familiar with the warnings on downloading W296/H110 and you do have a good point about this load especially considering I've loaded them to the lower crimp groove rather than the higher one. My Unique loads used the higher. I will point out that my Encore barrel doesn't like this boolit powder coated at the longer crimp groove, lockup is difficult so I am goin to break these down and rebuild them. I will do more research on this boolit before I settle on a proper charge.

I really appreciate the heads up on that 34gr load.

[DougGuy]

Thanks DougGuy, I'm very familiar with the warnings on downloading W296/H110 and you do have a good point about this load especially considering I've loaded them to the lower crimp groove rather than the higher one. My Unique loads used the higher. I will point out that my Encore barrel doesn't like this boolit powder coated at the longer crimp groove, lockup is difficult so I am goin to break these down and rebuild them. I will do more research on this boolit before I settle on a proper charge.

I really appreciate the heads up on that 34gr load.

Good good.. They list the 34gr load but we don't have a clue how much shank is in the case, and this is the critical part. It may be safe for them with the boolit they listed but yours is a different boolit altogether.

If you can give me some measurements off the boolit I can run them in QL and show the differences in the two crimp grooves so I would need length of the boolit, length from each crimp groove to the base, length from the nose to the crimp grooves, and COA using each crimp groove.

[44MAG#1]

With the Lee 440 DO NOT USE 40 gr of 2400. That will get you a real surprise. Hodgdon only goes to 38 gr with H110 and a WLR primer. That is around 49000 PSI as I remember.
I have an Encore 10 inch custom and with 37 Gr H110 and a 445 Keith it goes 1654 average.
If you doubt what I say go ahead and load 40 gr 2400 and let us know how it works out. Of course mine has a short throat.

[Moonie]

I'm finding lots of posts online of using 34gr H110/W296 with the 440gr Lee with no issues. I'll have to check the free space and see if it is under 70% load density at either crimp groove.

[44MAG#1]

What would be the problem using Hodgdons data. They used the Castperformance bullet of 440 gr weight. The seating depth is so close on the two bullets that for all purposes they are the same.

[Motor]

I use 13gr of Unique. I also use the starting load in the latest Lyman cast bullet manual for Lil-gun.

It's supposed to be just over 1400 fps with the 440gr.

I really love the 13gr of Unique load.

I also load the Lee 250gr REAL. Yes the muzzleloader boolit. I push it with 12gr Unique. It has a deer kill to it's credit.

I've also tried the 385gr hollow base mini. Though I have not tried them loaded backwards to create a massive hollow point. I used 12gr Unique with these too.

All 3 of these boolits are incredibly accurate out of our 8 3/8" revolvers.

We have loaded some full house j word and shot some Cor-Bon 440gr cast. The Cor-Bon were simply brutal. They would bow my 1/2" thick steel plate swinger at 50 yards.

Has anyone made a lever action rifle yet ?

Motor

[Moonie]

DougGuy it looks like the measurements are around the following:

.907" total length
.4 from base to lower groove
.519 from base to upper groove
.388 from top groove to the top

[DougGuy]

I'm finding lots of posts online of using 34gr H110/W296 with the 440gr Lee with no issues. I'll have to check the free space and see if it is under 70% load density at either crimp groove.

Hodgdon's data lists the COA as 2.025".

.907" total length
.4 from base to lower groove
.519 from base to upper groove
.388 from top groove to the top

Thank you for the measurements, QL's default values for this caliber and boolit COA was 2.30" which is in err to where the crimp grooves are. This is the data that was giving 66% fill. Recalculating with the correct input for both crimp grooves, I come up with this.

COA to the lower crimp groove is 2.131" and 34gr now reads 78.7% fill, 28453psi, 1508fps.

COA to the upper crimp groove is 2.012" and 34gr now reads 91% fill, 37571psi, 1586fps.

Apologies for the alarming post but I didn't have boolit data to work with..

With the Lee 440 DO NOT USE 40 gr of 2400. That will get you a real surprise. Hodgdon only goes to 38 gr with H110 and a WLR primer. That is around 49000 PSI as I remember.
I have an Encore 10 inch custom and with 37 Gr H110 and a 445 Keith it goes 1654 average.
If you doubt what I say go ahead and load 40 gr 2400 and let us know how it works out. Of course mine has a short throat.

Well, when you input the CORRECT boolit data, 40gr 2400 shows 122,435psi crimped into the upper groove so yeah in software this looks disastrous, but it says it's 121% case fill so likely you could not assemble this load anyway. The 40gr of 2400 load I listed in a previous reply was with QL using a COA of 2.300" which is in err, but only produced 59,640psi at that COA.

[44MAG#1]

The Lee bullet only seats .019" deeper than the CPB 440 gr used in Hodgdons data. A wise man would heed Hodgdons data.

[44MAG#1]

Also the 445 Keith PB I load with a seating depth of .520" with 37 gr H110 and a Winchester Large Pistol primer ran 1654 FPS average from 10 inches.

[Moonie]

It will be interesting to chrono these coming out of the 15" Encore barrel.

DougGuy, don't sweat it, I'd rather you warn me and be wrong then not and be right

I am glad you got it sorted out though.

[Dieselhorses]

Nobody mentioned IMR 4227. I tested H110 34-38 grains at .5 increments with Lee 440 at 50 yards free handed, all shot ok but then I tried 31 grains of IMR 4227 and WALLA I closed group a lot!

Also no signs of over pressure...

[RJM52]

"Has anyone made a lever action rifle yet?" Yes...

http://www.bighornarmory.com/catalog...e-500-sandw-2/



I have two 500s, a 4" S&W and a 20" Encore barrel that has a thumbhole stock not a pistl grip....I like my wrists......

Settled on 350 grain bullets, jacketed, plated and cast as it is nice balance between recoil and effectiveness... For what I am planning on shooting the 350s will work just fine.

Bob

[samari46]

A tip of the hat to anyone who shoots the 500S&W. My limit was the Ruger Redhawk in 44 magnum. Recoil was heavy but manageable. Buddy had a 454 Casull in a Redhawk and handed it to me with two rounds in it. Fire everywhere, had a death grip on it. No way would have bought one. Since I have aquired some S&W 44 specials the Redhawk sits in the safe gathering dust. Frank

[RJM52]

46...you would be pleasantly surprised shooting the 500 in a DA revolver... I had FA83s in both .454 and .475 and disliked both of them. The 500 with 350 grain bullets running 1000-1300 fps is fun to shoot...no thanks on shooting 700s...insane...

Bob

[samari46]

Bob, my neighbor has a S&W 500 magnum. Seems he likes to shoot it occasionally but not as much as he would like. High cost of factory ammo and doesn't reload. Since his dad passed and he's the only one who works in the auto shop and doesn't leave much time for shooting. Frank