Looking to load some 500 S&W

[Cole440]

Hey all, due to the outrageous cost of 500 these days, I am finally going to shell out some cash for the dies to load it.

As far as bullets, J-words are stupid expensive, and unnecessary for what I'm doing. (shooting for smiles)

That leaves plated and cast.

As far as cast goes, I am looking at either a PC plain base in the 350 or 440 range or gas checked traditional lube bullets in the 350-500 grain range. They will be commercial bullets from Blue Bullets, Missouri, or Matt's. I won't be casting my own for many reasons...

Any thoughts on those, I am not looking to break any records but I am looking for a full power 500 load. I've done a lot of cast work in 44 and 357 and pushed 11 Brinell plain base bullets pretty hard in marlin MG rifles (think 1400 FPS plus in a pistol barrel, they were screaming out of a rifle). But, I've never experimented with the pressure and speed of the 500.

Any and all thoughts welcome!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

"I am looking for a full power 500 load"

I used H110 and the Lee 440gr with GC.

When I got tired of the excessive recoil, I found a 385gr PB boolit and worked up a load using Unique, starting at 12gr and up to 17.5 which is where I started seeing flattened primers, so I dropped it down to 17 and called it good...that Unique load was much less than what I'd call Full Power 500, I would compare it something like 44Mag +p

[reedap1]

I have used light 325 and 350-grain commercial cast bullets in my 500 S&W (7.5") that give very mediocre accuracy at 50 and 100 yards. I think the bullets are too light, but probably more importantly, too short in length to get good stabilization and therefore accuracy.

I recently started casting and loading this 400-grain bullet from NOE with a couple of powders and the accuracy has been excellent. I can shoot 5 shot groups at 50 yards around 1.5" and about 2.5" at 100 yards. The bullets are cast from wheelweights plus a little tin for fill out, no gas check, powder coated with Smokes Clear, and sized to 0.501". I have tried H110 and AA 1680 powders with good success with AA 1680 generally more accurate. I have an Ultradot on my pistol and with 68-year-old eyes, it is probably about the limits of accuracy I can get, certainly enough for hunting. A scoped pistol would be more accurate.

IMO I think the big cavernous 500 S&W case needs at least a 400-grain bullet, 450 or so would probably be better. With jacketed bullets, I found the same with mediocre accuracy with the 350-grain bullets, but when I went to the 400-grain Sierra accuracy was cut at least in half if not more.

Here is the NOE mold I am using. It is a beautiful mold and casts beautiful bullets but it will give your arm a workout even as a two-cavity:

https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop/bullet-moulds/501/502-404-swc-bj1/502-404-swc-bj1-2-cavity-pb/?attribute_pa_dfp=dni-dfp&attribute_pa_mw-sl=dni-mwandsl

Good luck,

Paul

[Cole440]

I can shoot 5 shot groups at 50 yards around 1.5" and about 2.5" at 100 yards. The bullets are cast from wheelweights plus a little tin for fill out, no gas check, powder coated with Smokes Clear, and sized to 0.501". I have tried H110 and AA 1680 powders with good success with AA 1680 generally more accurate

Do you have any idea about how fast you were running those?

[reedap1]

Cole,

Unfortunately, I did not chronograph those loads at that time as my Oehler was being refurbished. I will chrono them in the next few weeks though as the weather gets more acceptable for my outdoor range and will try to remember to let you know. About all I can say is that the recoil off the bags "seemed" a little less than my full power loads...not much help though, sorry.

[hades]

I just recently got 500 S&W mag dies, brass and the NOE 458gr FN NOE mold for a 500 JRH.

Idk what that 500 mag could see in terms of velocity but it's such a huge bullet base ase that I would think a plain base would be just fine?

I guess I didn't even think about it and got a plain based mold but 1300ish is probably the max with this bullet and the JRH.


311582

Here's the bullet next to a loaded 9mm for comparison. I'd be going after something 450gr+ vs 350-400gr for 'full power' 500 mags but that's me and I don't load for nor have I shot one before. :wink: :neutral:

[lar45]

I like the Lee 440 with 4227. I've shot up to 700s, but the 440 is a favorite.

[Cole440]

I appreciate all the insights!

[sierra1911]

When I bought my S&W 500 revolver I bought a box of factory ammo so I could shoot it before getting dies, etc. The hottest ammo at the store was 350 gr Hornady; in the big revolver the felt recoil reminded me of a 357 magnum.

I then loaded some Hornady 400 gr bullets in front of H110 per the Hodgdon manual and the felt recoil was only slightly stouter than my 44 Magnums.

Next attempt was 500 gr Hornady bullets in front of CFE BLK, again per the Hodgdon manual. Loaded 12 at the starting load and 12 more halfway between the starting and the maximum loads. Both had a very stout recoil, even in the heavy revolver. I didn't see any need to try the max load. No one else who has fired any of the mid-range CFE BLK loads has ever been interested in firing a second cylinder and most stop after a couple rounds.

[KAYDADOG]

I had to post this again to show what a swaged 500-S&W bullet would cost if you had the setup.
These were made using annealed 45/ACP full length cases.
These probably cost me about $0.05/each. Actually, cheaper than a cast gas check bullet which I also make.
I'll usually shoot 50/rounds maybe costing $10 versus $125 for 50 factory rounds, a little bit of savings.

311715

These range from 400/gr to 500/gr
Solid nose and a hollow point version

[Cole440]

That is something that I have no experience with, but it looks pretty dang sweet!

[olafhardt]

Years ago I reloaded the Lee 50 cal modern improved minie for a
500S&W Handirifle. This is essentially a 50 caliber hollow based wadcutter. I was using 14 grains of Unique and a .
large rifle primer. It worked OK both forward and reversed. I was looking for a powerful subsonic load. I never did any evaluation with it.

[Cole440]

Interesting idea for sure!

[lar45]

I have tried the Lee hb Minnie in the 50ae and 500jrh BFR, loaded backwards as a huge hollow point. They shot pretty good to 50 yds with mild loads.