.500 S&W Magnum with small recoil

[DukeInFlorida]

After much research, I loaded some of the 370 grain Spire Point cast bullets with 8 grains of Trail Boss for my .500 S&W Magnum (6 1/2" barrel)......

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/swedenelson/502375GrSP001.jpg

Recoil was kind of like a starting load for a 357 magnum.

Great fun!!!

[Dill45]

For light loads in the 500 I've started using 400gr RNFP's over 11.5grs of trail boss.

50cent piece size groups at 50 yards from the bench. Recoil is light, but its coming out of a 8 3/8's barrel with a scope on it, so it weighs around 5.5 pounds.

Edit: here's a picture, I don't have a 50cent piece laying around, but this quarter is close enough.

[southpaw]

For light loads in the 500 I've started using 400gr RNFP's over 11.5grs of trail boss.


If you don't mind me asking what was the velocity?

Jerry Jr.

[Dill45]

Around 900 FPS, it tends to go just a bit below it and just a bit above it. But average is around 900 FPS.

I'd say its more than enough for small game.

[ole 5 hole group]

A couple other low velocity but accurate loads are:
440 grain with 28.0 grains of IMR-4227 flying at just a tad over 1,000fps
440 grain with 15.0 grains of HS-6 flying at 930fps

[Markbo]

Around 900 FPS, it tends to go just a bit below it and just a bit above it. But average is around 900 FPS.

I'd say its more than enough for small game.

Small game?? 400gr @ 900fps is nothing to sneeze at! I'd venture a guess that will pass clean through any white tail.

[Dill45]

Eh from what I've gathered white tail are "small" game depending on where you live.

[TDC]

When people realize what a sweet shooting caliber the 500 is with reduced loads their popularity will skyrocket... I have a 6 1/2" 500.

I've used similar loads of Trail Boss but my favorite is 12 grains of Unique behind a 385 grain SWC. With the added weight of the 500 the recoil is very similar to a light loaded 44 mag.

At our public range I permit others to shoot these light to moderate loads. The experience radically changes their perception of this fine caliber from one of an almost unmanageable cannon to one of an easily adaptable firearm useful for everything from plinking to dangerous game......

[Changeling]

Small game?? 400gr @ 900fps is nothing to sneeze at! I'd venture a guess that will pass clean through any white tail.


I would venture a guess that a 375 to 400 gr bullet would go through a deer lengthwise at 900 fps! That's a heck of a lot of centrifugal force (400 gr) at 900 fps.

Anyone have any idea of the trajectory at 100 yd?

[Dill45]

If you zero at 50, you get around 11 and half inches of drop at 100 yards, with an inch high at 25. It really starts to fall off after 100 yards, 21 inches low at 125, and around 36 inches at 150.

Still carrying 820 FPS and around 600 pounds of energy at 100 yards.

[Changeling]

If you zero at 50, you get around 11 and half inches of drop at 100 yards, with an inch high at 25. It really starts to fall off after 100 yards, 21 inches low at 125, and around 36 inches at 150.

Still carrying 820 FPS and around 600 pounds of energy at 100 yards.

Thanks for the information Dill 45.

[AaronJ]

duke where did you get that spire point mold? i am looking for something like that for my 460 S&W

[DukeInFlorida]

Came from NOE on a group buy......


duke where did you get that spire point mold? i am looking for something like that for my 460 S&W

[coatessey]

I’m sorry I love resurrecting old threads. Does anyone have light loads for the 330 grain polymer coated badman?

[DukeInFlorida]

Trailboss powder is the way to happiness.
BTW, there is a current group buy for a similar boolit.

[CGT80]

The same method works well for the 460 magnum. Mine is the 8-3/8" version and a 45 270 saa boolit over 10-11 grains of trail boss is a very light load. 38 spl recoil, at most. Bump that same boolit to 1400 fps with some Accurate 5744 and it is similar to a 44 mag but with very manageable recoil from such a large and heavy gun.

The fit and finish on the x frame is wonderful and the single action trigger is still a surprise at times. The double action trigger is smooth, but very heavy and long, making for good practice that transfers over to the Smith M&P 340 scandium frame 357 mag that weighs in at 14 ounces.

Reloading for these big guns allows many uses and lets me shoot them more than I would with only full power loads.

[DukeInFlorida]

Agreed!
And, for those of us who reload, and have an affinity for the big guns, the people who buy and only try them with full power factory loads (and then promptly abandon them at gun shops) provide us with wonderful opportunities to purchased used guns with only a box or so of factory ammo through them.
I got a terrific price on a S&W 329 PD (Ultralight 44 Mag revolver with scandium frame and titanium cylinder - the ammo weighs almost as much as the gun does) a few years back because no one wanted to shoot this 4" barreled hand gun with full factory loads. It got sold to my 93 year old buddy who LOVES shooting it with light 44 Special loads (215 grain Lyman 429215) of Trailboss. I regret selling it, and when my budget allows (sigh), I will get another one. Wish there was a 6" barrel version. And, wish they made a 500 Magnum in that scandium/titanium combination.

[RichardB]

"boolit over 10-11 grains of trail boss is a very light load"...I was led to believe you weren't to have any air space with TB. Was I told wrong?

RichardB

[Iron Whittler]

Duke in Florida, I'm in on the MP Mold version of the pointy boolit. Will be a happy camper when it goes to production. Till then I'll have dream about them pc in red. The wow factor will be over the house!!!:Fire: :bigsmyl2:

[DukeInFlorida]

YES! Whoever told you that was VERY WRONG.
Here is the official TrailBoss use pdf file direct from IMR ( a division of Hodgdon):
TrailBoss Use LINK (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwiyqZ7VktfeAhUQQq0KHQkSA4cQFjAAegQIABAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fimrpowder.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F11%2Ftrail-boss-reduced-loads-r_p.pdf&usg=AOvVaw36_OGGZV785lkqWrnoGv37)

Reading from the first paragraph of their suggestion for determining MAX load:
Find where the base of the bullet to be loaded is located in the case and make a mark on the outside of the case at
this location. Then fill the case to that mark with Trail Boss, pour into the scale pan and weigh. This is your
maximum load. Pressures will be below the maximum allowed for this cartridge and perfectly safe to use!

The second paragraph deals with "starting load":
Take 70% of this powder charge weight (multiply the maximum load from step 1 by .7), and that is your starting
load.

So, anywhere between powder UP TO the base of the seated bullet, and 70% of that is the safe zone.

The cardinal rule with TrailBoss is to not compress the powder. As we say, "Do not crush the donuts"............
So, your advisor was off in the advice. Hope that clears things up for you. I suggest you download and have that pdf file on hand for reference.



"boolit over 10-11 grains of trail boss is a very light load"...I was led to believe you weren't to have any air space with TB. Was I told wrong?

RichardB

[DukeInFlorida]

Every 500 S&W Magnum owner should have this bullet mold. Whether you powder coat them, or cast and lube as normal, it is certainly a WOW boolit.
Thanks for participating.


Duke in Florida, I'm in on the MP Mold version of the pointy boolit. Will be a happy camper when it goes to production. Till then I'll have dream about them pc in red. The wow factor will be over the house!!!:Fire: :bigsmyl2:

[lar45]

I picked mine up used (5 rounds through it) I was told some guy came in in the morning and bought a 4" with a box of ammo, then brought it back in the afternoon with only 5rds used out of the box. I picked it up for just over $600

[CGT80]

"boolit over 10-11 grains of trail boss is a very light load"...I was led to believe you weren't to have any air space with TB. Was I told wrong?

RichardB

Win 296 and h110 should not be reduced and would better match what you were told. Some have downloaded 296 by using less power and seating deeper to keep air space to a minimum. I have not tried this method. X2 on 70 to 100 percent for trail boss. I followed the directions posted and I think 10 grains was the 70 percent level for my combination. For smaller pistols such as the 44 mag or 357, red dot and other shotgun powders work great. Same for rifles. I just wasn't comfortable playing with the usual powders in the huge 460 cases. Trail boss is expensive compared to shotgun powders, but it is forgiving.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I’m sorry I love resurrecting old threads. Does anyone have light loads for the 330 grain polymer coated badman?

When I worked up a load of Unique for a 385gr RF, I started at 12gr and worked up til I had pressure signs, which was 17.5gr, and then backed off to 17gr, which is a snappy mid-range load for my 4" 500S&W. I would recommend the same procedure for you, you might like the 12gr load and could stop there.