500 s&w handi

[jmort]

Either a .45-70 or a .500 S&W would be ultra-cool. If you have no equipment/brass/boolits/bullets for either one, it really does not matter at that point. I vote for the .500 S&W

[77ruger]

I also vote on the 500. Reloading is the only way to go.. Low and mid range loads are still very accurate. Try Titegroup loads.

[Nit Wit]

I have one, It takes your breath away with factory ammo. The H+R can handle this round better than you can. I have a 50-70 TD and its a pleasure to shoot. The .500 round in this firearm is simply brutal.
Nit Wit

[mrvmax]

A friend of mine has one and it was fun to shoot. Yes, it has some kick but it was still fun to shoot. The bad part is that the sites will not hold up to the recoil. I am considering buying one to go with my S&W 4 inch 500.

[mrvmax]

Instead of getting the H&R I just ordered the T/C Pro Hunter frame with 20" ss fluted 500 S&W barrel.

[geezer56]

The 500 with factory ammo or full power reloads is a beast. Toned down with cast, it's a hoot. I shot a bunch with a 440 gr boolit and 35 gr. of H110, no more of that for me. I like my retinas just where they are. I now use Trailboss and 400 or 350 gr boolits, much more fun to shoot. I can't imagine the handgun in this caliber. As far as handi rifles go, the 45-70 and 444 Marlin are much more mild mannered.

[wlc]

I've got a T/C Encore in 500 and really like it. Haven't got to do much playing around with loads for it though. What loads are you using for Trail Boss?

[Dutch4122]

Did some experimenting with my .500 S&W Handi-Rifle this summer. I now have a Weaver 1-3x Shotgun scope mounted on the gun. I was shooting 10 grains of trail boss behind a 440 LFNPB pistol boolit for 865 fps. Fun load, but accuracy fell apart after 100 yards. Then tried 14 grains of Unique with the same boolit which chrono'd at 1150 fps. Much better range and accuracy. My intention was to find a load that would duplicate the old .50-70 load of a 450 grn slug @ 1,250 fps.

I'll be going back to that goal this summer with a new boolit designed by Tom @ Accurate Molds for me. Seems like I should have no problem reaching 1,250 fps with Unique or several other powders like SR-4759, Imr-4227, AA-5744. etc.

I've tried to attach a pic of my .500 boolit designed by Tom, the 50-440-N. Hope this works.

[BABore]

Did some experimenting with my .500 S&W Handi-Rifle this summer.

Is that what you called that.

I've never turned beet red and hammered my fists on the shooting bench when I'm testing loads.

[357maximum]

Is that what you called that.

I've never turned beet red and hammered my fists on the shooting bench when I'm testing loads.

Clearly...... you lack commitment and dedication to the cause then....sometimes one simply needs to put more "emotion" into their shooting. Not everyone on this planet can put their emotions in a bottle and save it on a shelf ya know. .........neener.

[BABore]

Maybe I should have entered law enforcement.

Oops!

[357maximum]

WOW! just WOW!

[69daytona]

I have one of the first handis chambered for the 500 s&w and it doesn't have a weighted butt, have had it new for about 8 years, I have shot 700 gr bolts that go 1250fps out of my 10.5" revolver, don't know what they went out of the handiand don't care because it hurts.
If you reload and want to try some 700gr in your handi drop me a PM, I will even send some loads.
Hot 500gr are about max for me in this little gun, guess I am getting old. 45-70 even in a handi has nothing on a 700 gr 500!

[HGS]

Have been shooting my 500 s&w handi for several years now, liked it a lot when it was new, but my shoulder grew older faster then my rifle so I let the next generation shoot with it. They seem to like it alot.

HGS

[JimP.]

slip another recoil pad over the installed pad and it takes the bite out....JimP.

[taco650]

slip another recoil pad over the installed pad and it takes the bite out....JimP.

True, but it might also lengthen the pull to the point that the stock doesn't fit the shooter which will likely increase felt recoil.

[JimP.]

works for me cause I use a red dot scope on it, the extra length of pull doesn't matter and it does reduce the recoil making the rifle comfortable to shoot depending on the slip pad, my pad is a slip on limbsaver. JimP.

[bubba.50]

anybody ever tried re-chamberin' one to 50-70? been thinkin' of tryin' it with mine but don't wanta ruin it with a bad experiment.

[dubber123]

anybody ever tried re-chamberin' one to 50-70? been thinkin' of tryin' it with mine but don't wanta ruin it with a bad experiment.

It's a smaller bore, 500 S&W is .500", and the 50-70 is .510", so it would be a pretty good squeeze down the barrel.

[bubba.50]

a 50-90 sizin' die will squeeze the brass down enough to hold .501 boolits so i'm not really worried about that aspect. also, I used to use .513's in a 140yr old 12mm swede rollin' block that squished them down to where they looked like bolt-heads with no problems. just lookin' for input on things I might not have already thought about.