This is a little convoluted.... S&W 460

[LandSurveyor]

So I got this gun by trading some inherited shotguns I don't need. I know, it's excessive, unnecessarily powerful, etc. Heck, I don't even hunt any more, just plink at the range.

I bought the gun because I handled some and was amazed at how well it pointed and balanced.

But I do have a lot of 45LC ammo, also partly inherited. Should be fun to plink with.

I will probably never buy any 460 ammo. Not to shoot at 25 yards or so.

But if I did want something warmer, I think I would have to load some 454 Casull cartridges. I have a couple of guns in 45LC and they have mighty thin cylinder walls I DO NOT want to deal with any confusion there.

So questions: My Lyman manual says use cast bullets sized 451. Would this make that much difference in the relatively mild loads I would contemplate? Think 44 mag.equivalent at the hottest. I've also read this caliber prefers heavier bullets than the usual 250+\- grains for good accuracy. Am looking at getting another mold? Also, I have a large quantity of 2400 to use up. Again, I'm not looking at the hottest loads. Will 2400 be decently useable for my purposes? Lastly, S&W says this gun has a gain twist. Is there a downside to this using mild loads?

Sorry this is so rambling. I had chemo this week and it addles the brain somewhat.

[megasupermagnum]

I'd say yes to all those questions. If you don't measure your gun, I'd at least use .452" bullets. It's worth measuring though. A lot of guys use .453", and even .454" is not uncommon. Not many have good results at .451". I can't help specifically on 460 S&W as I've never shot one. The Lee c452-300-rf should be a really good one for any 45's. 2400 powder should be ok in 460, and it does quite well in 454.

[boatswainsmate]

I've had good luck with my powder coated bullets sized .452 in the 300 plus grain range.

[murf205]

I am guessing that it is a Smith and Wesson revolver in 460 S&W right? If so, you really need to know the cylinder throat and barrel diameter. Smith and Wesson is famous for having tight throats in their more recent guns-80's forward- so I would check those measurements first. Since you aren't looking for bazooka loads, a good choice would be what megasupermagnum recommended, 2400, a very forgiving powder. BTW, no need to apologize for the rambling, I do it without the chemo. Hope it is working for you.

[LandSurveyor]

Yes, I'll slug it when I get a chance. I will probably try some "store-bought" cast slugs at first, if some can be found with good bases.

This is a 460 XVR with the 8-3/8" barrel. I really wanted the 5-incher but ordering anything nowadays is difficult. Before this I was trying to get a new Anaconda since I already load 44 mag. But after waiting nearly a year, I gave up. I thought the rush was on plastic autos. Who woulda thought big magnum revolvers would be hard to get? Most gun stores around here barely keep more than a few revolvers of any type, mostly snubs.

[LandSurveyor]

Boatswain mate, you mentioned powder coating. Do you think gas checks will be needed?

[DougGuy]

I wouldn't worry about slugging the barrel, if you run a tightly patched cleaning jag down the barrel and it doesn't slow down and get snug at the barrel/frame juncture, you have NO thread choke to worry with and the groove will be right at .4505" or .451" as long as you have .452" throats, you should be good. You want the throats .001" to .002" bigger than groove diameter.

As a footnote, unless you have a comparator and a 110 degree V block, it can be difficult to mic a slug from a 5 land/groove barrel. If you decide to slug the barrel, see if the slug will enter the cylinder throats from the front. If not, then the throats are smaller than the slug, meaning the throats are smaller than the groove diameter of the barrel.

An exception to this would be if you have any thread choke, the slug will not be an accurate representation of the barrel dimensions, since the thread choke would size it down farther than the bore did, and if the choke-sized slug will go through the cylinder throats, that only means the choked portion of the barrel is smaller than the throats, however does not present an accurate comparison of the throats to the rest of the barrel.

[Mal Paso]

Yes, I'll slug it when I get a chance. I will probably try some "store-bought" cast slugs at first, if some can be found with good bases.

This is a 460 XVR with the 8-3/8" barrel. I really wanted the 5-incher but ordering anything nowadays is difficult. Before this I was trying to get a new Anaconda since I already load 44 mag. But after waiting nearly a year, I gave up. I thought the rush was on plastic autos. Who woulda thought big magnum revolvers would be hard to get? Most gun stores around here barely keep more than a few revolvers of any type, mostly snubs.

That 8-3/8 should be very pleasant to shoot. I can shoot a lot more 44s from my 6 inch than the 4inch. Above 1500 fps Gas Checks start to make sense.

[memtb]

LandSurveyor, You’ll quickly learn to love your 460. I “only” use 460 brass in mine, not certain what the original owner used. I load 300 grain cast “plinking” loads to around 1100 fps. Other than the muzzle blast…..it’s very tame! My hunting load is a 400 grain, powder coated, gas checked cast at near 1600 fps. That gets your attention, but is still more comfortable to shoot than my 629 pushing 265’s pretty hard! memtb

[boatswainsmate]

Boatswain mate, you mentioned powder coating. Do you think gas checks will be needed?

The bullets I'm using are gas checked but I'm pushing them with big charges of CFE Black. If your staying under 1200 FPS I think you would be ok without them.

[murf205]

LandSurveyor, where in Alabama are you. The next time you get the itch for a revolver, there is Simmons Sporting Goods in Bessemer that carries quite a few wheel guns, Ruger and Smith and Wesson. I think you will be glad you bought the 8 3/8" gun. I have a 9 1/2" Super Redhawk 44 and it is pleasant to shoot.

[LandSurveyor]

I haven't priced it but I thought 460 brass was pretty costly, plus the extra powder needed to fill the bigger case, but who knows? I haven't cracked a cap in it yet. There's plenty of fun to be had experimenting.

[LandSurveyor]

I'm over in the east half, close to Columbus, GA.

Yes, the older I get, the more I like wheelguns, especially big stout ones.

[Mal Paso]

I haven't priced it but I thought 460 brass was pretty costly, plus the extra powder needed to fill the bigger case, but who knows? I haven't cracked a cap in it yet. There's plenty of fun to be had experimenting.

That 460 chamber is awfully long. There's a lot of bullet jump for the shorter cartridges. I quit shooting Specials in my 44 Mag due to occasional fliers. I was shooting SWCs and that may contribute to the problem.

[LandSurveyor]

That 460 chamber is awfully long. There's a lot of bullet jump for the shorter cartridges. I quit shooting Specials in my 44 Mag due to occasional fliers. I was shooting SWCs and that may contribute to the problem.

Will have to check Starline's prices on the Casull and 460 brass. I plan to go to the range this weekend and see how it does with 45LC and 250gr. cast. I may never run a jacketed bullet through it, especially since you are supposed to change the thingies at the muzzle. Can't figure out why.

[murf205]

I haven't priced it but I thought 460 brass was pretty costly, plus the extra powder needed to fill the bigger case, but who knows? I haven't cracked a cap in it yet. There's plenty of fun to be had experimenting.

Yes they are more expensive, as in almost $100 more than 454's for 250 pieces from Starline. If IRC, Hornady sells then in bags of 50 which wouldn't hurt as much as 250. Using the full length 460 brass will help eliminate the fouling between the shorter(454/45 Colt) cases and the throat which can be a PITA to clean out.

I just looked on GunBroker and LG outdoors has the packs of 50 for $42 + $9shipping.

[gwpercle]

.452" boolits should be just fine . In this day ... I say load and shoot whatever you have on hand .
Stick with book loads in 45 Colt cases if you don't have and can't get 460 brass , use starting loads with the 250 gr. boolits and see how they do .
I've been shooting loads in 38 special cases , some loaded to magnum levels with the right mould , in a Ruger Blackhawk since 1972 ...accuracy at 25 yards on targets and tin cans has always been very good . Clean the gun / cylinders after every shooting and you wont have any problems whatsoever !
Lighter loads may be more accurate in 45 Colt case ...some claim bullet jump is a problem but too much air space in a case will cause erratic groups / flyers . Powder selection ... use what you got !
Gary

[Mal Paso]

No worries about running Ruger Only Loads the S&W 460 is 65,000 psi.

No Body Parts Near The Cylinder Gap!

I shot a few 300g high velocity factory rounds from a 12" XVR and was surprised how pleasant it was to shoot. Except for holding up the gun with fingers clear of the gap.

[memtb]

It doesn’t take much Unique to push a 300 grain bullet over 1K fps!

While 460 brass is a little spendy, it lasts a long time …..especially with light loads! memtb

[LandSurveyor]

Lord willing, I am going to the range Saturday and will check the gun out with my available 45 Colts. Should be fun plinking, anyway. I love Smiths, anyway.

[cobia]

I stopped using 45colt in my 454 because of the buildup of lead where the 454 case stops, just incase I forget to brush lead fouled step in the throat and threw in full house big one! They say it's important to prevent high pressure when crimp cannot open up from previous lead buildup from shorter cases. Don't know how true it is, just kinda makes sense..

[memtb]

I stopped using 45colt in my 454 because of the buildup of lead where the 454 case stops, just incase I forget to brush lead fouled step in the throat and threw in full house big one! They say it's important to prevent high pressure when crimp cannot open up from previous lead buildup from shorter cases. Don't know how true it is, just kinda makes sense..

Primarily the reason that I use 460 cases only…..and gave away all of my .454 cases! memtb