Miha .502" 375gn penta HPs- surprising subsonic accuracy!

[Radarsonwheels]

Now I have had a 4" S&W 500 for a while now but I recently got a 10.5" performance center model to explore the accuracy potential a little better with more sight radius.

I tried some 500 special loads using the Mihec .502 375gn mold with the penta HP pins over 10gn of trailboss and was not surprised that it shot like a 38+p or that accuracy was good at 25 yards.

On my next trip I went to the 100/200 yard range to zero my '06 rifle before a hunt next week and also loaded up 25 'penta special' loads to try at 100 yards. I know it's a fast powder and in my 4" revolver a similar load of trailboss under a 440 slug is 700fps or so (ingot chucker), so I wasn't expecting more than like 900fps (no chrono right now).

I put a military style 200 yard iron sight target up at 100 (big white square with a dinner plate black bullseye), stabbed five in the cylinder, and prayed to hit paper with a high 12:00 hold offhand. When I checked my spotting scope I couldn't believe the POI was right at POA!

Except for a couple called fliers I put the next 15 into the black offhand standing and the last five made a palm sized group dead center off my elbows while seated.

I'm amazed. Now I'm thinking I might want to cast some up with 20:1 alloy and carry the cannon for brush or close range stalking!

[Whiterabbit]

I really like the aesthetics on those 7" and 10" PC models. I thought they were the ugliest models at first, but they are really growing on me. the 7 is surprisingly balanced (looking). seems rare too.

You shooting hte trailboss loads without the brake?

[Radarsonwheels]

On my 4" I used to switch from the cast to the full ported brake for jacketed loads. The only difference is how dirty the sides of the front sight get. It directs gas up and to the sides.

The 10" model has a 360° brake. I don't know exactly how it works because if the ports aren't just on the top then it should be pushing the gun straight foreward in recoil, and not down. The confusing thing is that the ports don't have a lot of angle or dimensionality. The brake looks kind of like a drilled machine gun heat shield. It is screwed into the barrel and stretches the barrel out while squeezing the barrel shroud into the frame. It is not designed to be easily removed or changed.

I do not think the 10 1/2" PC 500 is a good looking pistol. To me the 4" is the best looking best balanced 500, followed by the full underlug 8 3/8". For some reason the 6" with half underlug is hideous to me- maybe because I am a huge 686 fan? If it was blued with wood grips like a model 19 I would probably want one.

The looks of the long barrel gun are secondary. I'm interested in the accuracy, velocity, and fit & finish of the big Performance Center gun. So far it's a little heavy to hold up after a lot of careful slow fire but I've just been fooling around. The weight and balance is the only negative, besides being funny looking. I was amazed it shot flat to 100 with bunny loads and I threw a scope on it to work up loads and it looks right scoped. I bought two sets of wide warne steel rings and after installing them decided to just run two or maybe three, they're just too heavy. I might enjoy the weight and tube support for full house loads though, especially from the bench trying to group or bang steel at 200 yards with the 2.5-8x scope cranked up.

Anybody else hunting with light loads in the 500? I was planning to hunt with my regular 37gn of 4227 loads but if a 230gn 45acp works on deer I don't see a 400gn pill not passing through on a double lung or even breaking a shoulder no problem without destroying too much meat.

[Radarsonwheels]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f324/PhiladelphiaR/D7C84402-F58B-447C-8EAD-D01F0208BC28.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/PhiladelphiaR/media/D7C84402-F58B-447C-8EAD-D01F0208BC28.jpg.html)

[Fishman]

Heck yeah! Sounds like fun and good shooting!