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Thread: 460 S&W vs 500 Mag

  1. #41
    Boolit Master
    Petander's Avatar
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    I sold my 458 Socom,a 45-70 has more power and it bothered me to shoot the same bullets at too slow speeds.

    Recoil is very subjective. I feel a Raging Bull 454 Casull is more punishing than an X-frame 500. Even a hot 44 SBH can hurt. A 500 is more like a push... until you go to +50k psi/ 600 grains. Then it's hilarious.

  2. #42
    Boolit Master

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    A gun built for King Kong, not for a lesser man like Arnold Schwarzenegger or his peers!!!
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  3. #43
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    If you are just looking to carry it instead of bear spray for protection I wouldn’t go longer than a 4” barrel. The 44, 454,460, 480 etc. would all fit the bill. I too have been thinking of a purchase for my next Alaskan trip. If you are going to carry a 6 or 8” X frame, I would just go with a short barrel shotgun. Also, look at the Kenai chest holster for whatever you choose. Alaska is great, but bear insurance is a must.

  4. #44
    Boolit Buddy sparkyv's Avatar
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    Don't bank on the "you can shoot 45C, 454 Casull, 460 SW Mag out of the 460XVR" hype. Yes, it can be done, but the bullet jump from the shorter cartridges in that really long cylinder is significant and not likely to result in decent accuracy. Just try to find info on shooting 454 in the 460...all you'll find is velocity data, but no accuracy data. I just use downloaded 460 rounds rather than shooting 454 in my 460V if I want mouse farts.

  5. #45
    Boolit Grand Master Tatume's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sparkyv View Post
    Don't bank on the "you can shoot 45C, 454 Casull, 460 SW Mag out of the 460XVR" hype. Yes, it can be done, but the bullet jump from the shorter cartridges in that really long cylinder is significant and not likely to result in decent accuracy.
    The difference in 45 Colt and 460 S&W case length is barely more than 1/2 inch. A heavy 45 caliber bullet will still be supported by the 45 Colt case when it is entering the chamber throat of a 460 S&W. I would expect accuracy to be quite good.

  6. #46
    Boolit Grand Master


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    You won't be breaking any records, but even the Taurus Judge can put out serviceable accuracy. That's something like a 1.7" jump.

  7. #47
    Boolit Master 40-82 hiker's Avatar
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    I don't shoot the 460 or 500, but I have spent a fair amount of time around griz and thought I'd bring this into play in this discussion, if it is appropriate.

    A bear of this sort can run full out at 50 feet per second, and can cover that from a standing start in probably 2 seconds. The closest I've been to a grizzly was around 100 yards, and that was 2 juveniles fighting over a pocket gopher field. So, I am not an expert here, but followup shots I think would be very limited in a full blown charge, if one even has time to react with a single shot if surprised.

    Since I don't fire these hand cannons in question, I would think manageable recoil for an accurate second shot would be a great consideration, the question being how much effective power is traded for such a luxury. Just thinking out loud... YMMV

  8. #48
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    In a revolver, I would think that a double action would be a better choice just incase you have to shoot it one handed. I have a 4" S&W500 and have shot it double action, not very fast, but I could keep them on the target. I have also shot it one handed, not with the 600-700gn slugs, but with 440s at 1250...
    An AR Big Bore Pistol sounds interesting, but it is much more complicated to shoot then a double action revolver, but if you could get it into play before he was on you, you could unleash a pile of lead in a hurry.

  9. #49
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    "unleash a pile of lead in a hurry", that makes a good case for a 10mm with 200 gr boolits.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  10. #50
    Boolit Grand Master Tatume's Avatar
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    Watched a friend "unleash a pile of lead in a hurry" in the general direction of a deer, which then walked away without a care in the world.

  11. #51
    Boolit Master
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    I handled a Ruger Alaskan 454 Casull today.

    Might be another option for the OP?

  12. #52
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    I'd pick up one of the new Marlin SBL's in 45-70. I wouldn't even consider a pistol as a first choice for rounds on target, under stress. As pointed out earlier, a bear is a whole lot faster than you can believe. They are faster than a horse on flat ground for the first fifty yards. I have a Super Redhawk in .454 and I shoot it alot. It's big/heavy and with the right loads, kicks like my ex wife. An accurate followup shot isn't likely and you won't have the time to see if your first shot did the job. The appeal of a big handgun wears off pretty fast when it gets tangled on every bush you pass and your constantly trying to keep your trousers up somewhere near your waist. Just my opinion.
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  13. #53
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    Alrighty, I did some more looking and now I think I have narrowed things down. Let me first say that the bear thing was mainly meant to be an excuse to buy a large stupidly powerful gun. I will hopefully be going to Alaska, and I would like to take whatever I get along, but that's a one time deal and I won't be in the woods the whole time I'm there. The gun is not going to be a dedicated bear gun, more so a range toy and a hunting revolver. Keep that in mind.

    I am pretty much set on .475 caliber. So much so that I already ordered a mold for it. So, there are two guns I'm looking at. A Ruger SBH in 480 Ruger, or a Magnum Research BFR in 475 Linebaugh. I'm kind of stuck on this. The Ruger is about $400 cheaper, is lighter, and is in what most seem to consider the most powerful round that you can comfortably shoot. The BFR is made to a higher degree of quality, is supposed to be more accurate, and is chambered for a very potent round. It's heavy though, and from what I've seen of the 475, it has some monstrous recoil. You can of course use reduced loads or load it with 480 Ruger instead. With the SBH, I'm stuck with just 480 level loads, but with the BFR, I have the option of loading it to wrist breaking levels. The Ruger would certainly be nicer to my checking account, but I don't have a problem spending more for quality. I'm just questioning if that extra cost is actually worth it to me. I consider myself a decent shot, but I can't shoot 1" groups at 50 yards quite yet.

    I don't know which would be a better fit for me.
    ______________________________________________
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  14. #54
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    I won’t try to offer an opinion between those two revolvers, but I can tell you that I am really fond of the .480 Ruger.

    Mine happens to be a 7.5” SRH. I got the bear defense bug back in ‘96 after a Grizzly was claimed to be frequenting for a time where my cattle summered in the high country.

    The bear story originated three years earlier but when I met up with the witnesses and they told me their story first hand, I went into full on soul searching.

    At that time I thought that handguns were mere boat anchors but as I analyzed my options I realized that no long gun was going to suffice. One way or the other I was going to have to get proficient with an adequate hand gun.

    Based on action styles I settled on DA revolvers and though I had allowed the gun magazine writers of the near past to convince me that merely looking at a 44 Mag Handgun would knock teeth loose and shatter my existence I traded off my SW 4506 and came home with a 7.5” Redhawk SS in 44mag.

    Factory ammo for a newbie to these high performance cartridges was not good sledding. I started buying new empty brass and downloaded. That and a comparable revolver in 22 rim made all the difference in the world!

    In the years since you would never guess that I had ever looked down at hand guns as I now own several. A couple 41’s, three 44s until one, a SRH 9.5” was traded for the .480.

    Referring to the begining of this thread I would have recommended the S&W 500 for a defense firearm. The .460 SW is a formidable cartridge and it is certainly in a class by itself for HUNTING. You need a long barrel to go with it for that use.

    The 500’s are better in the defense department and with the barrel lengths you were contemplating.

    Handloading to suit your physical and mental attitude about recoil bridges the gap in my experience.

    Today you are thinking about the 480 vs the 475 and single action. I greatly prefer DA, better follow shots and faster reloads but that eliminates the .475 which is also a fine cartridge (outstanding really).

    For me, the “looks” of the SRH series is a non-issue. I own and practice with the gun for effect and if is needed, what the bear thinks about it’s lines are irrelevant.

    I am also biased against the SBH because the SRH is stronger and every single 44 Mag SBH I have fired beats the ever liven snot out of the back side of my middle finger on my strong hand. I have not fired a BFR but in handling them I would say it certainly strong enough.

    It is a great thing we can chose from so many guns because we are individuals and what works /suits one does not for another.

    Good luck with your choice and best regards

    Three44s
    Last edited by Three44s; 03-29-2020 at 12:56 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bret4207

    “There is more to this than dumping lead in a hole.”

  15. #55
    Boolit Master
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    45 Colt, loaded to it's full potential, will suffice. And in a package that is easy to carry.

  16. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by Three44s View Post
    I won’t try to offer an opinion between those two revolvers, but I can tell you that I am really fond of the .480 Ruger.

    Mine happens to be a 7.5” SRH. I got the bear defense bug back in ‘96 after a Grizzly was claimed to be frequenting for a time where my cattle summered in the high country.

    The bear story originated three years earlier but when I met up with the witnesses and they told me their story first hand, I went into full on soul searching.

    At that time I thought that handguns were mere boat anchors but as I analyzed my options I realized that no long gun was going to suffice. One way or the other I was going to have to get proficient with an adequate hand gun.

    Based on action styles I settled on DA revolvers and though I had allowed the gun magazine writers of the near past to convince me that merely looking at a 44 Mag Handgun would knock teeth loose and shatter my existence I traded off my SW 4506 and came home with a 7.5” Redhawk SS in 44mag.

    Factory ammo for a newbie to these high performance cartridges was not good sledding. I started buying new empty brass and downloaded. That and a comparable revolver in 22 rim made all the difference in the world!

    In the years since you would never guess that I had ever looked down at hand guns as I now own several. A couple 41’s, three 44s until one, a SRH 9.5” was traded for the .480.

    Referring to the begining of this thread I would have recommended the S&W 500 for a defense firearm. The .460 SW is a formidable cartridge and it is certainly in a class by itself for HUNTING. You need a long barrel to go with it for that use.

    The 500’s are better in the defense department and with the barrel lengths you were contemplating.

    Handloading to suit your physical and mental attitude about recoil bridges the gap in my experience.

    Today you are thinking about the 480 vs the 475 and single action. I greatly prefer DA, better follow shots and faster reloads but that eliminates the .475 which is also a fine cartridge (outstanding really).

    Good luck with your choice and best regards

    Three44s
    The 44 mag is what really set me off to the world of big bore magnums. I shot a friends Model 29, and got hooked. It wasn't long before I had a 629 of my own. After looking into and learning about the 480, I have a feeling i would really enjoy that round. After doing a little digging on reload data, I was actually surprised to see how close the 480 and 475 are to each other. Hodgdon's website shows them within 50-75 FPS with some loads. I'll have to look in the manuals next time I'm out in the shop and see what they say. With that in mind, I'm actually leaning more towards it in the SBH than the 475 in the BFR. I think it would be a much handier package, especially since it's almost a pound lighter.

    I'm primarily a DA shooter, but 99% of the time I shoot them SA. They say that you revert to muscle memory/training when faced with something like a bear charge, so I would likely cock the hammer in that situation, regardless of if it was a DA or a SA. Seeing how this will be a one week thing, I don't feel that completely retraining myself would be a worth wild endeavor. I would be comfortable carrying a SA.
    ______________________________________________
    Aaron

  17. #57
    Boolit Master
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    You are correct, you would single it for sure!

    My drop dead favorite is my 629 Mountain Gun.

    With respect to the 480 cartridge I load about one grain under max for better extraction. You see the stainless that Ruger uses is certainly strong enough but it is/was springy. At full house factory levels, the cartridge expanded the chamber and the casing grew with it. As the pressure retreats the chamber springs back to original but the casing then sticks.

    Ruger discontinued the SRH 480 in six shot, then brought out a five shot version but they may have never distributed them? Then went back to six holes.

    Mine is an original six shooter. I get plenty of power from one less than max grains of H110 etc.

    I would say that the 475 is a serious step up from the 480 with the above taken into account however.

    Three44s
    Quote Originally Posted by Bret4207

    “There is more to this than dumping lead in a hole.”

  18. #58
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    Good friend went caribou hunting in around the area of Mt. McKinley in the mid 1990s. Guide insisted that everyone carry a defensive hand gun just in case. He bought an inexpensive SS DA revolver (new) in 44 mag and loaded it with hardcast full power loads. Now I'm not sure where the original poster was going but at the end of the two weeks in state, the SS gun was a mess. Still usable but looked 10 years old. The weather in the Big State is really hard on all hardware and to spend the kind of money that a S&W costs (especially in the X frame) to maybe never use the gun again is a little wasteful. And yes we all like new toys (the bigger the better), but if I were to book the same type of trip, I think I would do the same. Even though I have an AMT 50AE and a DW 375 Supermag both of which would work fine for bear defense. For that matter, I would maybe even use my Gen 1 Glock 20 in 10mm loaded with 15 rounds of CorBond or Buffalo Bore 200 grain+ full power bullets. But most of all, no matter which gun you take it will be just dead weight if you don't practice, practice, practice using the load you will be carrying. For a 460 or a 500 that alone would get expensive real fast.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check