500 S&W Handi Rifle

[BKS]

I am on the fence about a 500 S&W handi rifle. I have found one for a good price.
I dont want to shoot full power loads, unless I hand it to a smart A&$ who says he aint skeered. Any way I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has/had one.
How does it hold up?
I am thinking a big lead slug at around 1100-1200 fps, sort of like a 45-70(which I already have)

let me hear it, I have learned a TON from this forum.

[curator]

I have several Handis but not one in .500S&W. However, I do have a T/C Encore Rifle in .500S&W. Like you, I don;t feel the need to shoot full-power loads in it. I am shooting the Lee .500-440RF-GC cast bullet using light loads for 1100-1200fps. It shoots great and is quite accurate without beating me senseless. The only drawback is the need to use a gas check on the Lee slug as it is not very accurate without one.

[rockrat]

I have one. Unless you really enjoy recoil, you will want to try the lighter loads. Not too shabby. Push it, and it will hurt you. IIRC, a 440 gr over 2100fps and more recoil than I wanted.

[southpaw]

I have one and played with a little bit. I am a recoil junkie so I went with full power loads. I don't recall if I shot the 400 grainers out of it but I did shoot the 700s and they shot good. The j words shot well also. I had to raise the sight all the way up for the 700 grainers. It does have a bit of recoil but not like my 338 rum (no brake).

I think I am gonna have to dig it out and play with it some now...

Jerry Jr.

[Von Gruff]

A large part of the felt recoil is the stock shape. A friend got one and I reworked the stock which has made it a much easier rifle to hold onto and that seems to have lessened the feel of the recoil impulse. It is a fun little blaster now.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1676_zps76b8a738.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1676_zps76b8a738.jpg.html)
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1680_zps2d3b7594.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1680_zps2d3b7594.jpg.html)
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1684_zps3b8cef22.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1684_zps3b8cef22.jpg.html)
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1685_zpscf12d3cd.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1685_zpscf12d3cd.jpg.html)
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1690_zpsb02f6955.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1690_zpsb02f6955.jpg.html)
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1693_zps06b744da.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/500%20S%20W%20Handirifle/Photo1693_zps06b744da.jpg.html)

[725]

Nicely done.

[54bore]

Very nice Von Gruff!

[jonp]

Great job on that stock. I have read on a number of forums including the H&R Forum that to mitigate recoil as much as possible with the Handi's a stock change from rifle to a shotgun stock will help a great deal. It looks like you went with that line. I like it much more than the standard shotgun stock.

[singleshot]

I don't have a handi, but I have one built by nobade on a mosin action. I really like that cartridge in a rifle. Go for it!

[bluelund79]

That's a great looking modification to the stock! Wish I could do that, especially around the receiver on mine, it's oversized and just doesn't look/feel right.

[69daytona]

I have one, mounted a pistol scope on the barrel about half way out, scout rifle style, scope falls right into place when shouldered.
I have tried 600 and 700 gr full power loads and it hurts and recoil doesn't bother me to much.
the best boolit for these is the 385gr Mihec mold I designed awhile ago. Even full power it's not bad and it shoots light loads great too. Still waiting for the scope to go flying off. Maybe someday it will.

[ericp]

My dad has one. He made a lead slug that fits in the stockbolt hole which increased weight by 1.5-2 pounds. Helps quite a bit. He likes to think of it as a modern 50-70 and loads it accordingly.

Eric

[Good Cheer]

Started to get one of these just to try a bore diameter boolit breech seated in front of a case full of black.
But, tried it in the smaller 45Colt instead.
It worked!
[smilie=w:
If any yall try it in the .500 please post results.

[54bore]

I'd like to have one of these! I had the revolver 8 3/8" bbl, I really liked the round itself but the gun was a piece of junk imo! It didn't matter if it was the lightest load or the hottest the cylinder would bind up from time to time, you would shoot and go to roll the hammer back to shoot again and the cylinder was bound up? I contacted S&W about it, the character I talked to had absolutely no idea, he asked me what bullet I was shooting in it, I told him hornady XTP 500 grain bullets, his reply was ('that sounds like an awful big bullet, maybe that's the problem?) I just hung the phone up, I doubt the guy knew what day it was. I took the gun to a big gun shop on the west coast and they traded me out of it, I was honest and told the guy (I know him personally) what was happening, he said that S&W would stand by it, hopefully whoever ended up with it didn't get the same guy I did when I called