500 S&W Mag Heavier Cast Loads?

[BigBoreReloader]

So... I have searched and searched to no avail. While the reloading books and manufacturer's websites provide some load data, they all seem to stop at the almighty 440 grain boolit. That is fine, but I'd like to get a bit more out of my 500 S&W Magnum. I have reloaded several different loads <=440grain, but I cannot seem to find any publications above that.
Can anyone here either point me to a book/another good source that does list that data or perhaps share your min/max loads as a starting point? Not looking to run hot, but I certainly, want to be safe. Specifically, I was looking for data on 500 grain and 600 grain, but happy to learn from whatever others you may have!

I have seen published data on the Hodgdon website for 500 grain, but that is specific to the now extinct(?) jacketed Hornady Soft Point... hesitant to use that load for a cast boolit, unless there is a general consensus that min jacket loads are perhaps transferable in some measure? Any guidance would be appreciated!

[reloader28]

You can use jacketed data for cast bullets.
You dont want to use cast data for jacketed without backing it down because jacketed bullets make more pressure.

[BigBoreReloader]

You can use jacketed data for cast bullets.
You dont want to use cast data for jacketed without backing it down because jacketed bullets make more pressure.

Thank you... have always been leary of mixing the two at all. So, it's OK to use min/max data published for jacketed on cast boolits, but not cast data on jacketed... makes sense, as I think jacketed present more friction, hence pressure. If so, think I will certainly start at the min and work up load if needed.

[downzero]

I don't have any advice other than to say if we're talking about H-110 or Lil' Gun, you'll want to be very careful backing the load down at all.

[BigBoreReloader]

I don't have any advice other than to say if we're talking about H-110 or Lil' Gun, you'll want to be very careful backing the load down at all.

I would not back anything down, persay... I would simply start at the min load published for jacketed and not go below that. So, in this case, if I were looking to load a 500 grain cast, Hodgdon shows the following for 500 GR. HDY SP jacketed
- H110 min 31 grs / max 33 grs
- IMR 4227 min 30 grs / max 32.2 grs
- Lil'Gun min 27 grs / max 30 grs.

As such, I would stay within those range specs when loading a 500-grain cast WFP/GC. When you say backing down, I presume you mean going below the min jacketed loads?

[downzero]

I would not back anything down, persay... I would simply start at the min load published for jacketed and not go below that. So, in this case, if I were looking to load a 500 grain cast, Hodgdon shows the following for 500 GR. HDY SP jacketed
- H110 min 31 grs / max 33 grs
- IMR 4227 min 30 grs / max 32.2 grs
- Lil'Gun min 27 grs / max 30 grs.

As such, I would stay within those range specs when loading a 500-grain cast WFP/GC. When you say backing down, I presume you mean going below the min jacketed loads?

I'm surprised to see Hodgdon has such large published ranges for those two powders. They usually say not to back down more than a few percent on those, not 10%.

[BigBoreReloader]

I'm surprised to see Hodgdon has such large published ranges for those two powders. They usually say not to back down more than a few percent on those, not 10%.

Sorry... to be clear, those are the published ranges for a Hornady's Jacketed 500-grain soft point (https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/rel...c=true&type=53)... the hope would be that I could use that same jacketed data for a cast 500 grain WFP/GC. So, to start, if I was using H110 as an example, I would use the same 31 grains of powder prescribed for jacketed, but behind the cast boolit instead and ensure no less than 31 grs. Is that what you would do/were thinking? Or would you reduce that charge by something? Sounds like you would think the min charge shown for jacketed could apply to both jacketed and cast (which is what reloader28 noted)?
Thanks again, really appreciate the help...

[downzero]

Sorry... to be clear, those are the published ranges for a Hornady's Jacketed 500-grain soft point (https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/rel...c=true&type=53)... the hope would be that I could use that same jacketed data for a cast 500 grain WFP/GC. So, to start, if I was using H110 as an example, I would use the same 31 grains of powder prescribed for jacketed, but behind the cast boolit instead and ensure no less than 31 grs. Is that what you would do/were thinking? Or would you reduce that charge by something? Sounds like you would think the min charge shown for jacketed could apply to both jacketed and cast (which is what reloader28 noted)?
Thanks again, really appreciate the help...

Honestly, I wouldn't do either. My .357 Magnum loads for H110 have about a half grain from start to full pressure loads. Every reloading manual says to never download H110. I wouldn't even be confident you'd get reliable ignition at the max load. Magnum pistol powders are not like all the others--you don't start low and work up. You rely on published data and stay in the narrow zone they give you, normally about 3% from min to max.

For all I know, it may be fine. H110/W296 is good stuff. But I'd want some data from a credible source for a similar bullet before I'd try it.

[BC17A]

Post #5 in the below thread has a link to the John Ross data in Excel format.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-amp-W-500-Mag

[BigBoreReloader]

Post #5 in the below thread has a link to the John Ross data in Excel format.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-amp-W-500-Mag

Thank you!

[reddog81]

I'm surprised to see Hodgdon has such large published ranges for those two powders. They usually say not to back down more than a few percent on those, not 10%.

It all depends on the cartridge, bullet weight and the pressure it operates at. The min 500 S&W load is still 20% more pressure than their min 357 Mag load. You don't want the pressure to drop too low with H110. For 300 BLK with bullets in the 200 grain range I've seen loads that range from under 10 grains to over 15 grains depending on whether you want subsonic or max loads.

[carelesslove]

carelesslove, here !

Loading for the S&W 500 has been a good experience for me. I found that I could easily load it down with UNIQUE and 400 gr. cast bullets and make it tolerable for practice - with good velocity and manageable recoil. For me, UNIQUE was has always been tractable - meaning if you start at a modest pressure level, you can "sneak up" on a good mid-range, cast bullet load, without showing any signs of pressure, or it being "position sensitive".

At the same time, I worked up a loading for both the 4" & 8 3/8" 500, using the Hornady 500 XTP. I thought long and hard about the narrow range of acceptable loading for H110 & W296 and elected to use other powders with characteristic slow burn rates and limited established min / max load data. Given this, I experimented with VV N110 & IMR4227 and simply walked up the powder charge, until I just didn't think I could stand any more blast & recoil. VV N110 worked the best in both the 4" & the 8 3/8".

Then, after verifying performance with the chronograph - acceptable velocity and consistency - I fired ten 5-shot groups at 25 yards, and verified the accuracy. This established my heavy jacketed bullet "Maximum", for the 500. Some day, I might get in enough practice to jack things up, but for right now, I am where I need to be. This loading is just slightly below the velocity for the "minimum" loading for H110 / W296.

To be perfectly clear, H110 & W296 are probably the undisputed "Heavyweight Champions" for the heavier jacketed bullets and they will provide the higher velocities some folks want & need. I just can't handle it.

Thanks, Tom "carelesslove" Love

[BigBoreReloader]

Thanks, Tom (carelesslove). You have had a very interesting approach/mindset around reloading for the 500. While I have not shied away from recoil, I certainly have had a healthy respect for it. To date, I have stuck with near min loads for 350 & 440 grain projectiles using IMR 4227. So far, very manageable.
I just ordered some 535 grain boolits from Matt's to see how that goes. Seems the consensus on that is to start with 29 grs of H110, so I plan to give that a go. I suspect that may test my recoil fortitude! Thanks again for the insight; I appreciate it.