500 s&w handi

[milltownhunter]

how will they hold up under the 500 s&w

[glockky]

I do not own one but from everything I have read you should ask yourself can I hold up?

[Goatwhiskers]

The Handi is a rather lite rifle, gives a pretty good bite at the rear with factory .500's. You can certainly load it down, or if you're a masochist load it with 750gr cast and see how you like it. GW

[DeanWinchester]

It's pretty much the equivalent of a 50/70 gov.
That's a lot of muscle for a light little rifle.

[nanuk]

It's pretty much the equivalent of a 50/70 gov.
That's a lot of muscle for a light little rifle.

amazing how a "Little" extra diameter, and a smidge of cartridge length allows the Ol' Gov't to keep up to the "Modern round, with under 40% the pressure.

[Nobade]

It's not even close. A 50-70 runs 400gr. or so about 1200 fps, a 500 S&W runs 400gr. at 1800-1900 fps from a rifle barrel. More like a 45-70 loaded to top end smokeless pressures.

The Handi is plenty strong, and as has been mentioned, once you get enough of the top end loads you'll likely want to load it lighter anyway.

-Nobade

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

you can either get a recoil tamer for in the butt stock, or pack it full of lead shot
to help with the bite

[Good Cheer]

Might try one some day. Should be fun with FFFg.

[Mk42gunner]

The .500's come with a recoil reducer in the stock, how well it works for that purpose I do not know. I do know it really throws the balance off and transforms what should be a handy little carbine into a very awkward butt heavy monstrosity.

Based on my 3½" 12 ga turkey gun; the recoil reducer just adds more weight to the brutal punch to your shoulder.

Robert

[DeanWinchester]

I suppose it would be labeled as some heretical blasphemey but I think this would be a great cartridge for a Sharps type rifle. Capable of great modern level performance but a straight walled .50 caliber would still handle black powder, cast and even paper patching with ease.

It could be a SSM. Sharps Short Magnum. Lol!

[Nobade]

I dunno, I shot my 500 S&W rifle with black powder and both grease groove boolits and paper patched. I wasn't too impressed, it is just too small to hold enough powder to do much with that big of a bore size. (about 45 grains of FFF) It does work, you do need to anneal the heck out of the cases to get them to seal and that makes them too soft for use with smokeless hot loads, but something with a bigger case and thinner walls is more fun. Like a 50-70 or 50-90.

-Nobade

[Good Cheer]

Was thinking one would be about like a civil war carbine, a fun gun to shoot. Did you ever try a ring tail bullet and just putting powder and a cookie in the case? Been wanting to try it in a 45 Colt but haven't found the tinker time yet.

[Nobade]

Never tried a ring tail, just the Lee 440 and the RCBS 400 (or so - don't remember). The RCBS holds plenty of lube and is reasonable to use. It does work, and like you said is about like a CW carbine. But the brass is way too stout. 45 Colt would work better.

-Nobade

[bikerbeans]

I've had a couple of the H&R 500 S&Ws. Neither had a H&R recoil reducer (steel rod in the stock bolt channel), but I bought them both used so the reducer may have been removed by a previous owner. I found this platform is capable of shooting factory 500 S&W ammo without an issue. I also found the recoil to be more than most shooters care to experience.

I sold both of these 500 S&Ws and got together with a friend and his lathe/mill and converted a H&R 50 cal Huntsman MZ to a 50-70 govt cartridge rifle. I like my 50 gubermint much better.


BB

[taco650]

I've had a couple of the H&R 500 S&Ws. Neither had a H&R recoil reducer (steel rod in the stock bolt channel), but I bought them both used so the reducer may have been removed by a previous owner. I found this platform is capable of shooting factory 500 S&W ammo without an issue. I also found the recoil to be more than most shooters care to experience.

I sold both of these 500 S&Ws and got together with a friend and his lathe/mill and converted a H&R 50 cal Huntsman MZ to a 50-70 govt cartridge rifle. I like my 50 gubermint much better.


BB

Makes me wonder how the 500 S&W Handi compares in the recoil department with the 45-70 version.

[bikerbeans]

Makes me wonder how the 500 S&W Handi compares in the recoil department with the 45-70 version.

With factory ammunition (not counting Buffalo Bore's offering in 45-70) the 500 S&W has a lot more kick. Factory SAAMI spec 45-70 ammo runs at about 1/2 the pressure of 500 S&W ammo. Now if you handload and lookup 45-70 Ruger #1 load data then the 45-70 with the smaller bore and larger case capacity will slap harder. With a 22" Handi and synthetic stock set, either caliber is capable of giving you "scope eye", which is probably why H&R ships them with just open sights.

BB

[taco650]

Nobade,

How much success have you had loading down the 500 SW?

[Nobade]

Nobade,

How much success have you had loading down the 500 SW?

It works fine, just like any other straightwall cartridge. I have used mostly 10B101 since I have a bunch of it. But also Unique, Red Dot, Trail Boss, and of course black powder. Like I mentioned above, the brass is extremely thick and won't seal the chamber unless it is annealed. And after you do that, it is too soft for full pressure loads until it is reloaded a number of times. But other than that it works just fine.

-Nobade

[taco650]

It works fine, just like any other straightwall cartridge. I have used mostly 10B101 since I have a bunch of it. But also Unique, Red Dot, Trail Boss, and of course black powder. Like I mentioned above, the brass is extremely thick and won't seal the chamber unless it is annealed. And after you do that, it is too soft for full pressure loads until it is reloaded a number of times. But other than that it works just fine.

-Nobade

Does accuracy suffer when the power is backed off? What about "mid-range" loads?

I've toyed with getting one of these very rifles several times and still view them regularly on Cheaper Than Dirt's web site. The 500's are usually a few $$$ less than the 45-70 but if the 45-70 is going to be more flexible for reloading, I might start leaning that direction.

[Nobade]

The 45-70 is most certainly more flexible for reloading, the brass is easier to get, there are way more moulds out there for it, etc. As for accuracy with light loads in the 500, no worries there. I was seeing most shots cutting each other at 50 yds and 2 inch groups at 100, using an Ultradot sight with no magnification.

-Nobade

[jmort]

Either a .45-70 or a .500 S&W would be ultra-cool. If you have no equipment/brass/boolits/bullets for either one, it really does not matter at that point. I vote for the .500 S&W

[77ruger]

I also vote on the 500. Reloading is the only way to go.. Low and mid range loads are still very accurate. Try Titegroup loads.

[Nit Wit]

I have one, It takes your breath away with factory ammo. The H+R can handle this round better than you can. I have a 50-70 TD and its a pleasure to shoot. The .500 round in this firearm is simply brutal.
Nit Wit

[mrvmax]

A friend of mine has one and it was fun to shoot. Yes, it has some kick but it was still fun to shoot. The bad part is that the sites will not hold up to the recoil. I am considering buying one to go with my S&W 4 inch 500.

[mrvmax]

Instead of getting the H&R I just ordered the T/C Pro Hunter frame with 20" ss fluted 500 S&W barrel.

[geezer56]

The 500 with factory ammo or full power reloads is a beast. Toned down with cast, it's a hoot. I shot a bunch with a 440 gr boolit and 35 gr. of H110, no more of that for me. I like my retinas just where they are. I now use Trailboss and 400 or 350 gr boolits, much more fun to shoot. I can't imagine the handgun in this caliber. As far as handi rifles go, the 45-70 and 444 Marlin are much more mild mannered.

[wlc]

I've got a T/C Encore in 500 and really like it. Haven't got to do much playing around with loads for it though. What loads are you using for Trail Boss?

[Dutch4122]

Did some experimenting with my .500 S&W Handi-Rifle this summer. I now have a Weaver 1-3x Shotgun scope mounted on the gun. I was shooting 10 grains of trail boss behind a 440 LFNPB pistol boolit for 865 fps. Fun load, but accuracy fell apart after 100 yards. Then tried 14 grains of Unique with the same boolit which chrono'd at 1150 fps. Much better range and accuracy. My intention was to find a load that would duplicate the old .50-70 load of a 450 grn slug @ 1,250 fps.

I'll be going back to that goal this summer with a new boolit designed by Tom @ Accurate Molds for me. Seems like I should have no problem reaching 1,250 fps with Unique or several other powders like SR-4759, Imr-4227, AA-5744. etc.

I've tried to attach a pic of my .500 boolit designed by Tom, the 50-440-N. Hope this works.91167

[BABore]

Did some experimenting with my .500 S&W Handi-Rifle this summer.

Is that what you called that. [smilie=1:

I've never turned beet red and hammered my fists on the shooting bench when I'm testing loads.:bigsmyl2:

[357maximum]

Is that what you called that. [smilie=1:

I've never turned beet red and hammered my fists on the shooting bench when I'm testing loads.:bigsmyl2:

Clearly...... you lack commitment and dedication to the cause then....sometimes one simply needs to put more "emotion" into their shooting. :lol: :mrgreen: Not everyone on this planet can put their emotions in a bottle and save it on a shelf ya know. .........neener.

[BABore]

Maybe I should have entered law enforcement.

Oops! [smilie=b:

[357maximum]

WOW! just WOW!

[69daytona]

I have one of the first handis chambered for the 500 s&w and it doesn't have a weighted butt, have had it new for about 8 years, I have shot 700 gr bolts that go 1250fps out of my 10.5" revolver, don't know what they went out of the handiand don't care because it hurts.
If you reload and want to try some 700gr in your handi drop me a PM, I will even send some loads.
Hot 500gr are about max for me in this little gun, guess I am getting old. 45-70 even in a handi has nothing on a 700 gr 500!

[HGS]

Have been shooting my 500 s&w handi for several years now, liked it a lot when it was new, but my shoulder grew older faster then my rifle so I let the next generation shoot with it. They seem to like it alot.

HGS

[JimP.]

slip another recoil pad over the installed pad and it takes the bite out....JimP.

[taco650]

slip another recoil pad over the installed pad and it takes the bite out....JimP.

True, but it might also lengthen the pull to the point that the stock doesn't fit the shooter which will likely increase felt recoil.

[JimP.]

works for me cause I use a red dot scope on it, the extra length of pull doesn't matter and it does reduce the recoil making the rifle comfortable to shoot depending on the slip pad, my pad is a slip on limbsaver. JimP.

[bubba.50]

anybody ever tried re-chamberin' one to 50-70? been thinkin' of tryin' it with mine but don't wanta ruin it with a bad experiment.

[dubber123]

anybody ever tried re-chamberin' one to 50-70? been thinkin' of tryin' it with mine but don't wanta ruin it with a bad experiment.

It's a smaller bore, 500 S&W is .500", and the 50-70 is .510", so it would be a pretty good squeeze down the barrel.

[bubba.50]

a 50-90 sizin' die will squeeze the brass down enough to hold .501 boolits so i'm not really worried about that aspect. also, I used to use .513's in a 140yr old 12mm swede rollin' block that squished them down to where they looked like bolt-heads with no problems. just lookin' for input on things I might not have already thought about.

[tacklebury]

Several at gbo have done 50-70 to 50-100 sized ones. Some used the old sliding plug muzzy barrels to make them. H&R used the same steel blanks for muzzys and center fire, so they work just as well.

[JimP.]

The case length of the 500 SW is 1/8 inch shorter than the 50-70. I can duplicate the 50-70 velocities with 65 grains of Hodgdon 777 and a 500 grain bullet that I designed just so I can load BP, think of it as the 50-65 Smith & Wesson. JimP.

[rockrat]

I think the 500 S&W handi will beat most any 50-70. I have shot mine with Lil Gun powder, loaded to the point where I thought the thing was going to come out of my hands when fired. Come to think of it, my 50-70 does the same thing, when loaded hot (Ruger #1). Much rather shoot my AR50 50 times than hot loaded rounds in the above two guns.

[Dusty Ed]

Howdy BUBBA
I have 12.17 X 44 rolling block ,when slugging the bore it came out to .502 .
I went Magma they have 400gr. for the 500 S&W and bought a sizing die .503 from Lathesmith.
I had some 50-90 Bertram brass that never did fit in my Sharps 50-90, so I cut them to 1 5/8"
Don't know if the chamber was cut but brass fits perfectly although somewhat large for the bore.
So not sizing the brass just crimping with a 50-70 die and loading with 65grs.goex 2f I'm able to shoot
5 shots at average 1187 fps.in the 2" range at 100yds.
Dusty Ed

[JimP.]

I designed my own bullet which weighs 500 grs for my rifle. I can get 65 grs of FFF in my case, compress it, use an over powder card, size .501 and lube my bullets then tumble lube with Lee Liquid Alox, seat bullet and taper crimp. velocity is an honest 1175 fps. That is definitely 50-70 velocity out of a carbine rifle. JimP.