If you could only have 1 S&W 500 load, what would it be?

[Ron60]

I'm actually re stating my request for S&W 500 loads to this one.

I like to stick to one load for my large revolvers. I need a load that will be accurate and controllable for someone accustomed to hard kicking handguns. I will be using it for Brown Bear protection and some hunting. I stay with open sights and keep hunting shots 100 yards or less.
I will be using a Smith & Wesson 500 Performance Center with 7.5" barrel.

So what I'm asking is with the above criteria in mind - what would be a "best" single load?

I fully realize there will be disagreement. But I'm hoping for a consensus.
Additionally I'm somewhat concerned about sheared and shed parts and cylinders turning backwards on these revolvers in 500. Is this typical - are there fixes?
My 460 would 'double tap' shooting double action if not held firmly. I lost the screw out of the cylinder latch but a little lock tight on the threads fixed that. The biggest problem with the 460 was serious gas cutting. I'm hoping this will be less of a problem on the 500.
Thanks
Ron

[bdutro]

I'd use a slower powder than H-110 behind a heavy bullet like that. I tried H-110 and IMO, it's better saved for lighter, faster bullets like a 44 mag.

H322, BL C2, 4198, Ramshot X-terminator all would be good choices.

I have no issues with cylinder back-spin, doubling, or screw loosening, even shooting my PC 500 one-handed. The only thing I've noticed is that massive cylinder doesn't stop on a dime and shooting DA can cause some peening of the cylinder stop notch edges. My gun is still tight, accurate as all heck and shoots very clean. BHN 22 bullets at 1500+ fps leave not a speck of lead.

[miestro_jerry]

I would recommend a 500 grain cast bullet that can be gas checked. Then using H110/296, a load of 32 grains. you will get about 1,400 fps. Remember to use a magnum primer.

Jerry

[frankenfab]

Mountian Molds 400 KGC. It is a short nose boolet that leaves alot of the boolet in the case. I shot many 2.5 to 3" 5 shot groups with this boolet at 100 yards out of a plain 8 3/8" model 500 with a Leupold 2.5-8X. That's not too hard to believe, is it?

I'm sorry that i can't post pictures right now, but I have group pictures, and here's the chrony data for one sesion:

GROUP #1 400 gr. Kieth GC
1) 1598 14 37.0 gr. H110
2) 1588 4 WLR
3) 1574 -10 new nickel cases
4) 1613 29
5) 1563 -21
6) 1597 13
7) 1609 25
8) 1587 3
9) 1568 -16
10) 1544 -40 ƒ
High: 1613
Low: 1544
E.S.: 69
Ave.: 1584
S.D.: 21.6
95%: ±13.0

I figure it's good enough for hunting.

[wilddog45]

Remember to use a magnum primer.

Jerry

Do you use a magnum rifle primer? I have never used them but it might help ignite more powder.

[felix]

No, no, the rule is to start load development with the lowest primer force you can find, unless told otherwise by someone on this board in the know for a specific application. Generally speaking, save the magnum type primers, especially WW, for cases longer than 2.5 inches in LENGTH. ... felix

[Changeling]

Age old question with the same answer always:

You figure out what bullet you would like to use, try the appropriate powders in that range with that bullet, if everything starts coming together with one powder, work up and down till you find the sweet spot, BINGO!
That's it for that bullet/powder/charge, witch will change over time by the way! We aren't going to talk about primers witch also effect things , but not as great as we discussed!

Another Bullet, same scenario, see how simple it is.

[Ron60]

Anyone have experience with the 600 grain cast bullets from Rick Gibson? We're talking big toothy, 4" long clawed brown bears here!
Thanks for the feed back so far. I AM impressed with the data Frankefab provided - just hoping for a bit more bear thumping bullet mass.

[69daytona]

I love Ricks 600 gr boolits. I will have to look through my book to see what the load is but I know it was going around 1350fps and 2440ftlbs. it was 29gr of lilgun with CCI LRP in corbon case.
Get in on the 700gr HP GB that is going on right now.
The 700gr solid for a medium load is25gr H110 for 1060fps and 1740ftlbs.
With lilgun you can get 1250-1300fps safely which will almost double the energy but even slow not much stops that mass and its accurate.

[500bfrman]

I still like cpb 440 grains going about 1600 out of my bfr I can shoot groups under an inch at 25 yards. and I suck

[Ron60]

Sure like the sound of the 600s. I'll be wanting to take up to 100 yard shots and just have to wonder if that 700 grain artillery round will make for a lot of drop.

I just took posession of the 500 yesterday. Could only get my hands on a box of 50 Hornady 350 grainers. Stuck 42 grains of H-110 under them and headed for the range.
First impression is that while very controllable one can't get sloppy about their grip on this thing.
I liked it MUCH better than my 460 with 360 grain hard cast bullets and a hot load of LilGun.
Let me know when the data on those 600 grain bullets comes to light.
Richard Gibson is out hunting - almost in my back yard here on Kodiak Island so won't be back at casting until near the end of September so I'm going to have to just wait -

[Dill45]

The load data I've got written down is 25gr's of Lil'Gun starting load and 30gr's of Lil'Gun max for the 600gr bullet. I personally run 28grs under mine, and they are plenty a handful. Group at around .9 inches at 25 yards.

My personal favorite seems to be the 400gr Spire Points over 39.8 grs of H110. They group extremely well out of my 500. ~.7 inches at 25 yards and open up to just over an inch at 50. I have a Bushnell Trophy 2-6x32 on mine though, so I don't know how well I could do with open sights.

Though for personal security I'd go with the 515gr bullets or the 600gr ones. How fast you could pull a follow up shot off is up to your ability to control the recoil.

Edit: Have to revise this. At 50 yards the groups open up a bit more 2-4 inches. I think I got lucky on a couple of groups because I haven't since been able to duplicate the performance. I know a lot of it is the shooter behind the gun; I'm pretty novice to big bores, and I may be a bit jerky.

The performance at 25 yards has remained the same, between .7-1 inch on the 400 grain bullets and the 600 grain ones are in the .9-1.5 inch range. The extended range showed my novice shooting abilities.

[ole 5 hole group]

I really don’t see much stopping those big heavy bullets at moderate speed, which would do well for both hunting & personal protection. Here are a couple loads from a 5” non-ported/compensated barrel. I really like the HS-6 load.

440 grain HC – 15.0 grains HS-6 – 928fps – under an inch at 25 yards.
440 grain HC – 28.0 grains IMR-4227 – 1,030fps – under an inch at 25 yards
440 grain HC – 32.0 grains Lil’Gun – 1,385fps – under 2” at 25 yards
440 grain HC – 35.0 grains H-110 – 1,410fps – under 2” at 25 yards.

Gibson’s 535 Keith with 30 grains of IMR-4227 will get you 1,156fps and will shoot less than 2” at 25 yards.

To give you an idea what the 600 grain from Ballistics Supply was doing from a 5" non-ported barrel - I got 1,161fps over my Oehler 33 chronograph. They advertised it was flying 1,300fps - don't know what barrel length they were using but it must have been a long one. Recoil wasn't heavy but you knew you sent something down range. They shoot good but I have a fast twist barrel with the JR Model and I opened the cylinder throats to 0.501 from 0.4985.

[Paulinski]

27.5gr of LiL'Gun under 700gr Mountain Mold wadcutter 2.230" OAL

[Ron60]

5 hole group,
How did you go about opening up your cylinder throats? My 500 Performance Center has a .501 groove to groove bore but only .500 throats.
I used pure lead .520 round balls to slug the bore and throats.
I shot a few of Ricks 600 grain bullets with 29 grains of LilGun the other day and extraction was sticky. I am guessing that stuffing a bullet like that sized to .501 through a .500 throat could be causing some pressure issues.
I'd like to get the throats opened up to .501 but need to know how to go about it.
Thanks
Ron

[ole 5 hole group]

5 hole group,
How did you go about opening up your cylinder throats? My 500 Performance Center has a .501 groove to groove bore but only .500 throats.
I used pure lead .520 round balls to slug the bore and throats.
I shot a few of Ricks 600 grain bullets with 29 grains of LilGun the other day and extraction was sticky. I am guessing that stuffing a bullet like that sized to .501 through a .500 throat could be causing some pressure issues.
I'd like to get the throats opened up to .501 but need to know how to go about it.
Thanks
Ron

I guess you can do it by hand but I think a jig & a proper setup to make sure everything is absolutely centered is the proper way to go. Here's a do-it yourself article.
http://www.castbullet.com/misc/accrsa.htm

Myself, I stripped my cylinder down and sent it to Jim Stroh and requested that he open the throats to 0.501 exactly and he did so. I know of another individual who sent his to Hamilton Bowen and had the throats opened to 0.502 and he's very happy with it. I should have opened my cylinder throats to 0.502 but I had my head up my **** at the time. I think 0.502 is the best size when shooting 0.501 hardcast bullets, as our bore diameter also run a little on the large size - Smith's tolerances can go to 0.502!!! Mine run just a tad over 0.501, which is why 0.502 is probably the better way to go. My JR model starting seizing up on me and after getting it back from the factory I noticed they opened the cylinder gap from 0.003 to 0.0065 but they advised I would no longer have cylinder/barrel problems. Here's Stroh's site:
http://www.alphaprecisioninc.com/

[Dill45]

I shot a few of Ricks 600 grain bullets with 29 grains of LilGun the other day and extraction was sticky. I am guessing that stuffing a bullet like that sized to .501 through a .500 throat could be causing some pressure issues.
I'd like to get the throats opened up to .501 but need to know how to go about it.
Thanks
Ron

Were your throats clean on the cylinder? I know that my 500 some times get a lube build up in them from the bullets and it can cause the shells to feel like their sticking. After cleaning out he lube from the throats the slide in fine.

[Ron60]

As a matter of fact two of the cylinders did have some lube build up. Also, both LilGun and H110 burn pretty dirty.
Thanks for that bit of wisdom - another lesson learned.
Thanks for the web address for Jim Stroh.
Ron