Reloading v/s factory for the S&W 500 Magnum.

[wvmedic]

At what point is it less expensive to reload v/s buying factory ammo?

I have a friend who has a 500 S&W who mentioned me reloading for him, I have no problem loading some for him. Though I was thinking with the cost of dies, brass and if he wants to shoot cast at least a mould and sizing die unless he would go with a commercial caster. At what number of rounds say per year would it make since to get setup for loading this caliber?

I myself have no use for this size handgun so would not benefit at all from the dies or any of the components.

Jeff

[ss40_70]

well it wouldnt take much .. 2 boxes of factory ammo would probly cost more then the dies and powder and primers to get started , paying for the mold would depend on what you bought and how much it costs . if your friend is just a casual shooter , few boxes a year i'd let him buy factory . if he wants to shoot more i think you would be better served introducing him to reloading for himself

i would have to think realy hard about loading ammo for someone else , ive never done it and have no plans on starting now , before you do think of all the possible down sides to doing this .

[stubshaft]

It would depend also on how much he shoots per year. I blow through about 4000+ in a years time so it's a no brainer for me. I'd say about 5 or 6 boxes of factory ammo would offset the cost of reloading components.

[wvmedic]

I would think if he only plans to shoot 3 or 4 boxes a year it wouldn't be worth reloading. I will need to ask how much he plans to shoot.

Jeff

[Charlie, AKA The Deacon]

I Think I would let him purchase the reloading equipment and help him to get started, but I would not do it for them. People do not realize how much time you can spend getting things right so that you have a good accurate load.

I have loaded for a couple of (friends) for their deer rifles shooting J-Boolits and never got any compensation for the loading materials so no more of the buddy stuff for me.

[para45lda]

I shoot a 460 (maybe a little less costly than the 500) and a box of 20 Barnes loads are $93 locally. So for $370 per hundred I can say for my needs it is cheaper for ME to reload and I only shoot 200 rounds a year.

As always YMMV.

Wes

[ebner glocken]

For the .500 smith it's a no brainer unless you have a safe queen. 38 grains of ww296 cost me roughly 11 cents. I've never givin $40.00/1000 for primers but let's say they cost that. This mould:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/266944/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-c501-440-rf-500-s-and-w-magnum-501-diameter-440-grain-flat-nose-gas-check

The thing cost 20 bucks and will pay for itself in a hurry. Don't know if you do but I make my own lube for the most part. If you don't make your own lube let's say for the sake of arguement it cost one cent per bullet. Gas checks

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/623008/hornady-gas-checks-50-caliber-box-of-1000

Now lets add it up .04+.11+.01+.06=.22.

Twenty two cents per round. $22 bucks per hundred

Now let's compare

This load, btw is the cheapest thing I could find and hardly comparable....look at the velocities.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/318524/hsm-bear-ammunition-500-s-and-w-magnum-440-grain-wide-flat-nose-gas-check-box-of-20

1.85/round 185 bucks per 100

That's a difference of $163 bucks per hundred considering you already have brass. The 50 cal handguns make reloading easily justifiable. I couldn't afford to feed mine w/o it. If you already have the press and casting pot a person could justify a set of competition dies pretty quick. Does your buddy plan on shooting 100 rounds in his lifetime out of this gun? If so the answer should be quite clear.

Ebner

[warf73]

A straight comparison factory to handloads.
500gr XTP 500 S&W $58.00 per box of 20

Same bullet but handloaded (full tilt book max)
500gr xtp per 20 ~ $16.80
Primers per 20 ~ $00.60
Powder per 20 ~ $02.00
Brass per 20 ~ $11.00

Handloads cost $30.40 per 20 a savings of $27.60 So just going off of that in less than 100 rounds he would be saving money. And the saving really jumps up if he starts to cast.

[warf73]

Sorry ebner glocken didn't see your post I had been working on other things and didn't refresh see your post. But we both came up with the same answer 100 rounds is the key number for the 500s&w and reloading pays for itself pretty fast.

[wvmedic]

Well thanks for the break down guy's, and yes reloading is way less expensive for that round.

Now I need to decide if I'm going to load them. I've known him for 15 years, and he is a good guy. So I will think on it.

Thanks, Jeff

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Well thanks for the break down guy's, and yes reloading is way less expensive for that round.

Now I need to decide if I'm going to load them. I've known him for 15 years, and he is a good guy. So I will think on it.

Thanks, Jeff

If you do decide to load the 500.
Get him to buy at least 100 rds of factory ammo, right now, same brand,
so it's all the same brass. Most are designed to take a Large Rifle primer,
Look for a "R" on the headstamp...you want that brass.
Beware, some brass isn't designed for Large Rifle primer,
it sucks to have some of each in a batch of brass...Just sayin'...that's where I'm at, and it's a pain.
Also, if your friend is too cheap by buy 100 rds of ammo,
don't bother loading for him, you'll never break even.

When he's shot them up, then you've got the brass.
he'll know better what power loads he needs and if he wants
to keep shooting such a powerful gun.
At that time, is the time to buy dies,
and J-word bullets or mold and sizer and checks
J-words in 50 cal are spendy...about 40¢ to 50¢ each.

I have had good luck with the Lee 440 gr. boolit
But the Checks are expensive...4¢ to 6¢ each.
Jon

[BossHoss]

I have one of these cannons. Shot EXACTLY one round through it. So did everyone else in the family....1 round. Not Fun, way too harsh..more fun to hit your hand with a hammer....lol.

The ammo is crazy expensive...as noted above.

I have been waiting to get a few molds and sizer die for this silly thing. THEN I will develop a plinking load...I have been reading the threads around here about them....

A BIG Boolit and low power load would be fun.....the Factory Nonsense 1900fps 325 jacketed is just plain silly. Unless you are facing a dangerous game and you were stupid enough to forget your safari rifle....lol.

I have the large one 8 3/8 ish with a compensator...took it from a family member who made an impulse buy when his testosterone was raging. lol. HE only took one shot from it also....lol.

BTW, have you seen the scary double-tap incidents with this gun??? Scary. I hope to make it a shooter with a "plinking" load CB.

Loading this for anybody in factory pressures is a liability for sure. YMMV.

[subsonic]

Everybody has their limit. There are those of us who can shoot these bigguns and even hit stuff. Not all day long mind you, but a lot more than 1 shot.

[saz]

I did this with a friend of mine for his 45 colt- I had him use my dies at first-your friend can buy a set of Lee dies for about $28 from midsouth- and I had him helping me with the brass prep, showed him how to set up the dies and told him to have at it. I just watched to make sure he wasn't making any mistakes. He bought an old press from me and now loads his own. You just never know if they will like it or not. I told him that if he didnt like it I could sell his colt dies for maybe $5-10 less than what he paid for them so he wouldnt be out much $ at all.

The real appealing thing about handloading for the 500 is being to tailor the recoil to your comfort level. If you are looking for a good midrange load for the Lee 440, try IMR 4759 and load it like you would load trail boss. Load up to the base of the boolit (seat to the upper crimp groove to limit powder capacity) for a max load then back off 10% and start working. I LOVE this powder in the 500.

If you are looking for a light load, there is some good data in the Lyman 4th edition Cast Bullet Handbook. There is also data for the Lee 440 if you are wanting to get started with the 500 "on the cheap". It is a very good boolit, and the molds that Lee is producing lately are very good. Mine dropped at .5015 right out of the box with no "Leementing". A full case of Trail Boss with this boolit is a fun load, and no beer can within 25-30 yards is safe. Also the Unique loads are plesant in the midrange of the data provided- lower end had some ignition problems inside that HUGE case.

[wvmedic]

Thanks for the feed back.

Thanks Jeff

[wvmedic]

I spoke to him this morning and I think he might get his own press and dies. I sent him a link for a press and dies, and he said that the price was reasonable. He told me that he has reloaded some with another friend years ago, so I think if he is going to shoot the 500 he will need to reload for it.

Jeff

[44man]

That sounds good.
My friends that have no place to load come here to cast and load using my stuff but if I don't have the caliber they shoot, they buy the dies.
I have been lucky with lead because they bring WW ingots. They bring powder, brass and primers.
At prices today it only takes a few shooting sessions to pay for everything.
I would go with a PB boolit too, just water drop. GC's are made from unobtainium! :x

[GLynn41]

amen to what has been well said --can you spell reload

[saz]

That sounds good.
My friends that have no place to load come here to cast and load using my stuff but if I don't have the caliber they shoot, they buy the dies.
I have been lucky with lead because they bring WW ingots. They bring powder, brass and primers.
At prices today it only takes a few shooting sessions to pay for everything.
I would go with a PB boolit too, just water drop. GC's are made from unobtainium! :x

As I am not lucky enough to have freinds bring me WW's in ingot form, they do hunt down WW's for me and bring a 5 gal bucket full every now and then. To be completely honest, I love it when one of my friends come by to "help" me load and they want to do everything themselves. Ill just look over their shoulder to make sure there are no mistakes, and when I am satisfied, Ill go back to casting or anything else that I can do in the garage. I do supply powder and primers quite a bit just for working up loads, but they are good about supplying VERY good burbon!!!! God love em!!!

As for the PB boolit, there is a +1 here- .50 cal checks are EXPENSIVE! But you can order them for $5.50/100 from www.mattsbullets.com to try and keep the cost down.

[parisite]

The 500 cartridge is very easy to load also. I shoot nothing but cast gas check bullets I buy online in my 500 Handi-Rifle. I can reload them for 50 cents a piece.....great fun to shoot.

[Ed K]

I would not handload for others but agree with what I'm hearing here in helping some to get started. Most recently I had a friend over and we loaded together for him. I had him charge the cases himself: drop the charges a little low, weigh in pan, trickle up to finish. Instilled confidence in the loads.

Loads shot just great and he will be getting himself set up soon enough!

[Paulinski]

Thats what got me into casting (as I was reloading for other calibers already)

500 Smiths are so much fun I have two of them 8-3/8" and 6.5".

[olafhardt]

So far my 500Handy rifle has not fired a factory load.? My favorite load is a Lee modern minie reversed over 6.4 grains Uniqu (Lee dipper) a WLR in Starline brass. I seat the boolit even with the case mpouth to limit air space. I doubt that factory ammo is a good place to get emties, its too expensive and unpleasant to shoot. Comercial bullets are pretty expensive too, the most reasonable seem to be Ranier plated. IMO YMMV for the caster/reloader the 500 s&w in a Handi is a really fun gun. Otherwise you can keep it.

[44man]

I figure it costs me 10 cents a shot to shoot my .475 and about the same for the .500 JRH.
I don't figure in brass because it seems to last forever and costs drop with every reload. I know I have .44 brass shot 40X.
One time long ago I replaced some of my .44 brass, loaded what I didn't need and gave them to a friend. He is still using the brass after around 20 years.
Yeah, both of us are CHEAP! :holysheep
One problem I keep telling some friends to stop doing is to not load so fast. Slow down the press handle and stop jamming boolits in like a nut.

[x101airborne]

I am running my own hand cast 500 and 450 HP's in my 50 Beowulf. There is no way that I could afford to bust hogs on a regular basis buyin my ammo from Alexander Arms. Even at 120.00 for each mold, 150 rounds will darn near pay for that and there is no limit to how many boolits I can make. Then using 32 grains of H-110 and a large pistol magnum primer in starline cases.
Remember..... This is a 500 smith minus about 8 percent and out of a rifle. The economy is definately there.

[wvmedic]

Thanks for the info, I will pass it along. I spoke to him last night and he is interested in loading his own, but is going to hold off for now.

44man
Yeah, both of us are CHEAP!
I resemble that remark...:grin:


Jeff