??'s reloading 500 S&W

[dragonrider]

son in laws brother just got a new S&W 500 and has discovered that it is expensive to shoot and is considering reloading for it. ? is single station press or Lee classic cast turret. I am leaning toward the turret. Don't load for one myself so any other info or tips would be appreciated. thanks.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I really like my Lee turret press with the progressive feature disabled because I can leave all my dies set up, and when I want to load a different caliber I just click in a different turret.

Projectiles for the 500 are also expensive, so he will probably need to look at casting before to long.

Also he might want to run the numbers and see if he shoots enough to justify the initial cost of getting set up to reload.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

If your brother-in-haw is shoot'in full house 500s, get the single stage.

I will produce far more of that ammo then he will want to shoot, and the time loading will give him time to think about it.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Gunslinger1911]

It won't take long to amorize (sp?) "pay for" LOL the cost of reloading if he's going to shoot that 500 much ! Store bought is HIGH!!! If he shoots other calibers it will be even better (I hope the 500 iosn't his first handgun !!!) Casting and size/lube is another set of costs, but worth it if shooting much.

I would lean to the turret, as said, easier to switch calibers.

Small rums of ammo, 100 or so, ( 500's, test runs, etc) I run batches - size all, yhen prime all, etc.

Big runs of other calibers go on the Dillon.

Have fun with that cannon !!

[dragonrider]

I don't know if he will consider casting, but certainly reloading. He said he is paying $2.00 a round now, does that sound right?? If so I am sure we can cut that cost quite a bit. I figure a rough estimate of $200-$225 should get him started.

[DukeInFlorida]

I have loaded thousands of rounds of 500 S&W Magnum. Cast boolits are the way to cut costs. I am up to 8 molds for making boolits this size, some in HP/FN configurations.

If I set the cost of the lead at zero (which it pretty much is), then I only have powder (Trail Boss is my favorite powder for the 500 magnum) and primers to pay for. That makes each round very cheap ( about 27 cents a round) versus your $2 a round. Even if you didn't have a press, if you shot the gun enough, you'd quickly pay for all the reloading equipment. Depending on your budget, you might do well with a new or used single station press to start off with.

Because there's so much surface area with this brass, even though I am using a carbide die set, I still lightly lube the outsides of the cases. Makes sizing a breeze.

Also, I use gas checked bullets, sized to .500" (this is contrary to the normal .001 over the bore size). There's enough pressure in thi gun to make .500" sizing work for me. The gas checks (I make my own using a FreeChex III set up, or you can buy them from Blammer) fix any slight issues with sizing. I use 50-50 alloy (50% wheel eights, and 50% pure lead), air cooled, for making the boolits.

And, I use my Duke's Maine Lube (recipe listed elsewhere on the forum) for my lube. Requires just a slight amount of heat to the Lyman luber.

Now, just an aside:

When the Clint Eastwood, "Dirty Harry" movies came out, everyone raced to buy "te worlds most powerful handgun", the 44 magnum. Many people quickly tired of what was thought to be excessive pain to the shooting hands. Many abandoned the gun before shooting a full box of ammo.

I predict that the same thing happens with the 500 magnum. So, before investing a lot of $$$ in reloading gear for that one caliber..... take a look at your other reloading expectations. If you shoot, you should be reloading anyways. Spread the cost of the gear out over your shooting needs, and you will soon realize fast return on investment. Especially for you younger guys who will have a lifetime of reloading fun.

ALso, the use of TrailBoss powder dramatically reduces the hand pounding that you will get with other smokeless powders. I can literally shoot my 500 magnum with 700 grain bullets (the biggest bullets that will fit in the current world's most powerful handgun) all day long with no pain in my hands. It's actually fun to shoot! It is not a test of MACHO-FACTOR.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

$2 per round is the new normal if buying factory, so at that rate he would only have to load about 500rds to come out ahead.

[LUBEDUDE]

Duke is sooo right about Trail Boss.

I am not a big Trail Boss fan. But it does have it's moments. In cerain areas like he mentioned, the recoil seems to change from a previously "Hard Snap" to a "Stout Push".

I whole heartedly agree with Duke, it is much easier on the hands and may I add - the wrists and elbows as well.

[jasons]

See if you can find one of the Mihec .502-440 molds. Cast a boatload and then load them up fast with Lilgun or H110, medium with IMR 4227, or slow with Trailboss. Very versatile bullet and a ton of fun either way.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=69316

I also have the 700 grain mold but the 440 gets used a lot more.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Yep, single stage press for the first thousands to get a real handle on loading.

IF????? and that is a BIG "IF" you want a progressive later, so be it, but loaded for years with no progressive and still use my single stage about as much as the progressive.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[dnotarianni]

With free lead my bullet cost is about .06 a head figuring lube and a gas check Add a primer and powder and it come out to about .013 a round using 15gr Unique.