S & W 500

[TomMcC]

I was at the outdoor range yesterday and a fellow to my right had a S & W 6" 500. We got to talking about it a bit and he let me try a couple of rounds (expensive). The first was a full power 440 gr, the second a full power 385 gr. Man, talk about recoil. Does recoil in a revolver get anymore fierce. I was holding it pretty tight, just before trembling. Didn't feel like I was going to drop it or anything. The web of my firing hand took it pretty well, the rubber Hogue grips had a pretty generous amount of rubber in the backstrap right where my web was. Where I felt it the most was in my finger tips. Stung them pretty good. Made my full power .44 Mag Smith seem light by comparison.

[matemike]

I have inherited my fathers 10.5” PC version. It’s a beautiful gun and has a fantastic trigger; best out of all my wheel guns which are other smiths, Rogers and a Rossi. Especially in pre-cocked SA mode. It’s a handgun that can ride on my shoulder via a sling. With its 6” of pic rail space I’ve entertained the idea of mounting a silver handgun scope on it and try hunting with it. But as you mentioned, the recoil is nothing short of impressive. Might be a little lighter than a 6” barrel though. Either way the recoil is sharp enough that I don’t shoot it often and it’s actually for sale.

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...ver&highlight=

My Dad still has his big horn(?) 500 lever action that I also want to inherit one day as a bear gun for when we hunt in Alaska. It also has a humongous recoil. I have a 338/378 wby (bigger than the lapua) and that rifle recoils is harsh, but sharp. The unbraked 500 lever action is just as heavy of a push on the shoulder, but I swear it lasts for a full half second. Four or five times longer than what the 338/378 rifle feels like. Hence the 500 recoil definitely feels worse. YMMV

[TomMcC]

That Big Horn is a beautiful lever, what a price! Most I've shot out of a lever was .45/70. I wouldn't say the recoil was harsh, but it was quite stout. Seemed to recoil more than my 7mm Rem Mag bolt gun.

[Wildcat]

Several guys at the local range have 500s.

The club requested a plate rack for the plinking area. Apparently skeptical, the very first thing a member of the board did was blast it with his 500. It survived! so they deemed it OK for general use. Trial by fire can be taken quite literally at the range.

One guy has an Emergency Survival model. If the grip is considered normal size, the rest of the gun looks cartoonishly large.
He found an outfit who sells 700gr cast bullets. One of those bullets (just the bullet) is larger than a loaded 45 ACP cartridge.

[titsonritz]

I will preface by stating I am comfortable with my manhood stopping at 44 mag, but I would bet a souped up .45-70 wheel gun would buck right there and maybe more than a .500. If I were going to cross the insanity line, I would probably lean toward the .460 for the ability to run 45LC and .454 thru it.

[gaijin]

Agree with that Tits.
Anything with that level of power needs to be a long gun for me, thank you.
There’s nothing in my AOO that requires a .500 handgun.

[gunnerblue]

I've had the 4" and 6.5" S&W .500's and still have the 5" PC model as well as a 16" Bighorn 89. The revolver has a 1-10" twist necessary to shoot up to 700 gr. bullets (which I have not) and has Herrett's Jordan Trooper stocks fitted to my palm. Recoil is severe, but more comfortable than the stock rubber grips, IMO. It actually carries well in a chest-holster but is simply too big to take hunting in a back-up role.

I carry the BHA when packing out elk (I live in grizzly country) or when bear hunting in thick timber.

I have a 450 gr. cast load that recoils about as hard as a 12 gauge slug but usually carry the 400 gr. Lehigh solid copper.

[matemike]

I guess I could treat my 500 like a baseball batter treats a weighted bat. Use it as warm up. Shoot my first five rounds of the day from the big smith. Then my 9mm carry gun will feel like a pea shooter.

[Wildcat]

The snubby can be a flame thrower:
500Snubby.jpg

[C-grunt]

I shot a 500 years back. I remember the recoil to be impressive but not painful. I actually found to to be more comfortable than my friends 6 inch S&W 629. It definitely recoiled more but was less painful to the palm of my hand.

Ive heard that the 460 has worse recoil.