I would go with the reduced loads for regular shooting. No way would I be using the max shots.

If someone isn't going to be shooting full-house .500 all the time, a .460 S&W revolver and its ability to shoot .454 Casull and .45 Colt seems like it would make a lot more sense.

I would go with the reduced loads for regular shooting. No way would I be using the max shots.

A .44 is on my list too, these would be a good compliment to my .357.

I wish Colt still produced the Python.

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Do you load your own ammo?

If someone isn't going to be shooting full-house .500 all the time, a .460 S&W revolver and its ability to shoot .454 Casull and .45 Colt seems like it would make a lot more sense.

if you buy factory ammo.if you reload the 500 is the way to go.the 460 is a sweet gun though 

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Do you load your own ammo?

Not yet, but I want to learn for: 7.62x54R, .30-06 Garrand rounds, .357, and whatever caliber the next revolver will be. Debating if 9mm and .223 is also worth reloading or just buying what is commercial.

i think reloads are roughly 50cent depending on your choice of components
i have a  20rnd box factory ammo with price tag of 65$

$65  Aiiiyeee!!  With no reloading equipment on hand yet, I could buy a lot of .44 Mag for the difference.

I truly enjoyed shooting the .44, it was sort of a "flinch" trainer and challenge.  If you did not flinch with that, you were not likely to with a .45 ACP or lesser round.

I also was routinely astounded by how accurate the darn thing was.  I out-shot, with iron sights, a buddy with a 30-30 rifle several times, to his disgust.

This lady shoot the 500 with style

This lady shoot the 500 with style

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I like her style. God bless America!

Duhh...what were supposed to be talking about now???

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I like her style. God bless America!

Duhh...what were supposed to be talking about now???

Yup sorry 'bout that. I just remember the vid and thought it would be nice to share.

  as they say.

That is obviously the long barrel version.  Does not look much nastier than a .44 Mag. Of course, that is not exactly a petite young lady..................

Dunno about the short barrel thing you guys are talking about, ain't into masochism.

Yup sorry 'bout that. I just remember the vid and thought it would be nice to share.

  as they say.

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No apology needed. With 2.2 million views, I think most people enjoyed it, yes?

Out if curiousity, I ran some numbers
Reloaded ammo which simulates a factory load comes out to approx. $100.00 per 100 rounds.
Reduced power loads with plated or cast lead bullets would be somewhat less.

That is obviously the long barrel version.  Does not look much nastier than a .44 Mag. Of course, that is not exactly a petite young lady..................

Dunno about the short barrel thing you guys are talking about, ain't into masochism.

I have fantasized about the S+W 500 too, I would only get the longer barrel just for your same reasoning.

I have a S&W 460xvr and I love it... It's nice to be able to switch amongst the .460, casull and 45 LC... It's a beast to hold as it is 15" oal... But one handed shooting is entertaining...

I have a S&W 460xvr and I love it... It's nice to be able to switch amongst the .460, casull and 45 LC... It's a beast to hold as it is 15" oal... But one handed shooting is entertaining...

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Sprained wrist is not my idea of entertaining.

But hey.....whatever tickles your pickle!
 

Hello there. I'm not an active member here but would like to provide some insights.

I have owned a 500 S&W 10.5 inch barrel revolver for about one year now and shot probably less than 1,000 rounds through it. I have also had the pleasure of shooting the 4 inch version a few times. For shooting off hand at 25 yards with no optics, I can hit a 5 inch target very consistently with the 10.5 inch barrel.

Looking back at my experience with the 500, I am not sure if I would have selected the 10.5 inch again. The gun is very front heavy (due to the long barrel) and does not balance well in the hand. I try not to shoot more than 30 rounds a day due to the weight of the gun wearing down my arms and accuracy suffers due to fatigue. If i had the chance to redo the purchase, I would probably get the 7.5 inch Performance Center version or the 6.5 inch version.

When I had the chance to shoot the 4 inch barrel, I immediately noticed that it had great balance in the hand and the aiming was very steady. I did not notice any recoil difference between the two barrel lengths. Although, I admit, I did not get to shoot the 4 inch version enough to really get a better feel for it.

Something to keep in mind with the S&W 500 is that they are double/single action revolvers. There are many video instances on Youtube of inexperienced shooters double tapping these revolvers. One poor woman was killed on the mainland with a S&W 500. She lost control of the first shot and as the recoil sent the barrel towards her head, she accidentally pulled the trigger a second time.

Now on the topic of reloads. I do reload all of my 500 magnum rounds. For economical shooting, I suggest purchasing new brass directly from Starline. Bullets can be very expensive, the cheapest bullets I have found are Berry's 350 grain bullets which are rated for 2000fps. Rainier's 335 grain bullets are the next best bet although they are only rated for 1500fps. Shooting the Rainier's at higher velocities will result in copper plating getting blown out of the muzzle break causing skin injury and bleeding to yourself and those around you. My favorite powders are Accurate 5744, Accurate 4100, Ramshot Enforcer, and H-110. As for primers, make sure to use Large Rifle primers or Large Rifle Magnum primers as instructed per reloading data. New 500 Magnum brass no longer uses Large Magnum Pistol primers. The original 500 Magnum brass was designed for use with Large Magnum Pistol primers so if you are going to use old/used brass, make sure to check what primer to use.

If you have any other questions, I would be happy to provide more thoughts and experiences.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Mahalo Nick for your insights  Much appreciated 
You must have also shot 44 magnum, can you compare?

Hello dogman,

I do have a S&W 44 Magnum Hunter. It is a Performance Center revolver with 7.5 inch barrel and muzzle break. I have shot 200 grain bullets, 240 grain, and 300 grain bullets from the 44 Mag. The 200 grain bullets with near max loads of H-110 were very loud but surprisingly kind of weak in recoil. The 300 grain bullets with a near max load of H-110 has much more recoil than the 200 grain bullets. However, even the the 300 grain bullets out of the 44 Magnum do not compare with the 400 grain bullets of the 500 Magnum. I would say the 500 Magnum has at least three times the recoil kickback of my 44 Magnum.

However, I should mention the type of revolver used would also make a difference in perceived recoil. For example, S&W makes a 44 Magnum revolver with a 2.625 inch barrel and no muzzle break. A 300 grain bullet out of this little monster would probably be very interesting.

However, even the the 300 grain bullets out of the 44 Magnum do not compare with the 400 grain bullets of the 500 Magnum. I would say the 500 Magnum has at least three times the recoil kickback of my 44 Magnum.

Good to know Looks like you've been a member for a while but welcome to the forum, hope to see your posts more often.

Hello dogman,

I do have a S&W 44 Magnum Hunter. It is a Performance Center revolver with 7.5 inch barrel and muzzle break. I have shot 200 grain bullets, 240 grain, and 300 grain bullets from the 44 Mag. The 200 grain bullets with near max loads of H-110 were very loud but surprisingly kind of weak in recoil. The 300 grain bullets with a near max load of H-110 has much more recoil than the 200 grain bullets. However, even the the 300 grain bullets out of the 44 Magnum do not compare with the 400 grain bullets of the 500 Magnum. I would say the 500 Magnum has at least three times the recoil kickback of my 44 Magnum.

However, I should mention the type of revolver used would also make a difference in perceived recoil. For example, S&W makes a 44 Magnum revolver with a 2.625 inch barrel and no muzzle break. A 300 grain bullet out of this little monster would probably be very interesting.

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Welcome to the discussion. You confirmed what I was thinking about the recoil of full power 500 loads.
I started handgunning with a 44mag and have shot full power 500 linebaugh. Truthfully, I could not control the 500 lb.
So when I looked up the ballistics of the 500sw, it was even hotter than 500lb.

Something to consider regarding choice of bbl length, bullet weight and recoil ...
Longer bbls have substantially higher velocity than short bbls, and vice versa.
With these big magnums running slow burning powders, the difference is substantial.
Because a longer bbl allows the bullet to go much faster, oft times the recoil is much harder.
When you shorten the bbl, you lose so much speed it becomes more pleasant...loud and flashy but less recoil simply because the bullet is not as fast.
Other factors affect felt recoil too. The 500sw pistols have full underlugs which adds weight and with the muzzle brake ports, it reduces muzzle flip.
My rule of thumb is 50fps for each inch of bbl.
So if comparing a 4 inch bbl to 8inch, you could get about 200fps difference with a corresponding change in recoil.
If running heavy bullets, 200 fps is a big diff.
That is why I run light 180 gr jhp in my sw m29. It is light recoiling but loud and flashy so my friends get a thrill without the wear and tear on the gun or the shooter.

Thank you dogman.

I think I have been a member for about 2 years now. I wasn't really planning on ever commenting here until I saw this thread. I have a special interest in big caliber handguns, and the 500 Magnum is one cartridge I have studied many hours in pursuit of building cheap yet powerful ammo. I also own a S&W in 44Mag, Desert Eagle in 44Mag and 50AE, and two Thompson Encore pistols in 308 Winchester and 300 Winchester Magnum.

Hopefully some of my insights and experiences will help others here make informed decisions on these obscure firearms.

Hello oldfart.

There is indeed a correlation between recoil and barrel length and from what I understand there are two possible theories.

The first theory is exactly what you mentioned, longer barrels create more velocity, which in turn creates higher muzzle energy, which in turn will create more recoil. In a 500 Magnum 4 inch revolver, I have seen a 335 grain bullet chronographed at 1500 fps which would give 1673 foot pounds of muzzle energy. In a 10.5 inch barrel, I would expect upwards of  2000 1800fps which would produce an astounding 2400 +  foot pounds of muzzle energy.

There is a second theory about barrel length and recoil. This theory is that shorter barrels result in less weight of the gun, which would result in more felt recoil. For example, a 4 inch revolver weighing 56 ounces would have more felt recoil than a 10.5 inch barrel revolver weighing 79 ounces. This could explain why a 500 Linebaugh out of a gun that weighs half of an S&W can have so much felt recoil. That and also some of those 500 Linebaugh revolvers have no muzzle break or decelerating grips.

My guess is that both theories will have some affect on the felt recoil.
However, theory number 1 probably is more relevant here. That increase in velocity is significant.
Well anyway, I hope I'm not confusing anyone here. Cheers 

My recommendation: To reduce recoil, the easiest thing to do is stick to 275 grain and 300 grain bullets using reduced loads. If unable to reload your own ammunition, I know there are a few factory ammo reduced loads for the 500 Mag. I do not know if anyone locally carries it or how much it would cost.