Getting into the handgun hunting game. 500 S&W

Bush Buck said:

The standard Blackhawk grip manages recoil well up to 45 Colt or light 44 mag level. After that I am MUCH happier with the Ruger Bisley grip frame. It handles full power 44 mag and heavy Ruger Only 45 Colt loads nicely.

Working on revolver marksmanship is the key to successful hunting. Even a load your revolver doesn't really like is typically capable of 3" at 25 yards.
A good load can do under 2" - I'm talking Rugers here.
Master 25 yards first then move to 50. My Ruger Bisley 44 magnum is capable of 3" at 50 yards when I'm shooting well.

I recommend using a simpler target so you can see your sights well and follow through on your sight picture. White paper with a black dot works well.
You can learn a lot by dry firing at the dot too. You want to strive to hold the sight picture through the hammer fall.

Regarding powerful loads - these can be much harder to shoot consistently - your ability to consistently manage recoil is key to avoiding flyers.

It's MUCH better to put a 250g @ 1200fps through the heart and lungs than to put 300g @ 1400 through the back the lungs.

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I work at a paper mill and we supply paper to the company that makes those targets, so when they have some seconds we get free targets by the pallet full. Ha ha. I will definitely get some better targets for serious practice sessions. The ones with all the dots are pretty handy though for close up drills with autos.
I ordered 1000 pieces of brass and 1000 nosler 250gr hip yesterday. I have the reloader set up and I have two weeks of vacation coming up. Between turkey hunts I plan to get in a bunch of practice. I am working on figuring out what powder to go with to make a light +/- 1000fps practice load. CFE pistol looks pretty promising as well as HP-38. I have unique as well.
I'm hoping to find a powder that will generate decently accurate loads in the 1000fps range in both the 44 and 45 that way I can buy a supply of it and use 2400 for my hunting loads.

Bush Buck said:

The standard Blackhawk grip manages recoil well up to 45 Colt or light 44 mag level. After that I am MUCH happier with the Ruger Bisley grip frame. It handles full power 44 mag and heavy Ruger Only 45 Colt loads nicely.

Working on revolver marksmanship is the key to successful hunting. Even a load your revolver doesn't really like is typically capable of 3" at 25 yards.
A good load can do under 2" - I'm talking Rugers here.
Master 25 yards first then move to 50. My Ruger Bisley 44 magnum is capable of 3" at 50 yards when I'm shooting well.

I recommend using a simpler target so you can see your sights well and follow through on your sight picture. White paper with a black dot works well.
You can learn a lot by dry firing at the dot too. You want to strive to hold the sight picture through the hammer fall.

Regarding powerful loads - these can be much harder to shoot consistently - your ability to consistently manage recoil is key to avoiding flyers.

It's MUCH better to put a 250g @ 1200fps through the heart and lungs than to put 300g @ 1400 through the back the lungs.

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There’s nothing in the lower 48 a 44 or 45 caliber 250 Kieth at 1200 can’t handle.

Backyardsniper said:

I work at a paper mill and we supply paper to the company that makes those targets, so when they have some seconds we get free targets by the pallet full. Ha ha. I will definitely get some better targets for serious practice sessions. The ones with all the dots are pretty handy though for close up drills with autos.
I ordered 1000 pieces of brass and 1000 nosler 250gr hip yesterday. I have the reloader set up and I have two weeks of vacation coming up. Between turkey hunts I plan to get in a bunch of practice. I am working on figuring out what powder to go with to make a light +/- 1000fps practice load. CFE pistol looks pretty promising as well as HP-38. I have unique as well.
I'm hoping to find a powder that will generate decently accurate loads in the 1000fps range in both the 44 and 45 that way I can buy a supply of it and use 2400 for my hunting loads.

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I can highly recommend Winchester 244, BE-86, and Longshot for loads in that power level. The 244 is one of the cleanest burning powders I’ve used, and meters wonderfully.

Wyatt Smith said:

I can highly recommend Winchester 244, BE-86, and Longshot for loads in that power level. The 244 is one of the cleanest burning powders I’ve used, and meters wonderfully.

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I have a bunch of longshot. I use it for 20 gauge loads. I will give it a go!

I think HP-38 will work well for 1000 fps, Unique for a little more power and 2400 for your top loads.

With the lighter loads there will be more empty space in the case and it helps to tilt your barrel either up or down (choose one) before each shot to have a similar powder position in the case. I tilt mine down because it's what I would do in the field anyway.

I've killed a few deer with 245g WFN @ 1080 fps (this load shot very well in my revolver) - broadside in the shoulder was very effective.
I do think that the 44 XTP @ 1200 was a little faster at putting animals down.
The .452 250 may be a little softer but should work well from 1100 to 1200fps MV.

was poking around at GI and saw this. wish i did not already have a 45 colt FA
what a pretty Colt

Backyardsniper said:

Now that I'm back to the drawing board on this I would like to get everyones opinion on caliber and single vs double action. Long barrel short barrel. Why or why not. I have been looking hard at the FA 83 in 454 and also the Lipsey special BFR 45-70 with a 6.5" barrel and rose wood grips. I'm thinking the 454 or 45-70 is the most versatile. I like the 454 because its a bit more compact, but I already have a 45-70 rifle and all the 45-70 reloading equip. Then there is the 500 like I was planning to get in the beginning

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Kinda late to the post. I favor the 454 over all the hunting calibers in revolver above a 44 mag. I have had a FA 454 83 since 1986/87 it's magna-ported. I used a 44mag blackhawk before the FA and I have 454 Ragingbull. I used the Blackhawk from 84 to 87, but after shooting game with the 454 it did not compare. The FA is so smooth however my BH is more like second finger than the FA. It goes where I point. As for the RB, it shoots damn well, smooth, but a bit heavy. Maybe not as balanced. That being said, I can empty the cylinder as fast I can pull then trigger into a 6 inch pie disc at 20yrds. I cannot do that with FA, unless I put on the pachmayr grips and it's still not as fast and I have to get back on target. There nothing wrong with 500 S&W, I have shot several, but I cannot get back on target fast enough. This to me is the most important thing. A 454 will kill and DG and has less recoil.

Has anyone owned one of the BFR revolvers in 45-70? I was curious if they are well made, if they are legitimately better for hunting, and whether their recoil is remotely tolerable?

I know people have hunted DG with 45-70s and a proper bullet, but they were usually out of Contender pistols that can be loaded very stoutly. I was curious if the BFR has the same capabilities.

Backyardsniper said:

I am making a dedicated move into handgun hunting. I have owned a Redhawk 44 magnum for a long time and I have a lot of experience with it. However, I am looking to get into a more specialized hunting pistol and cartridge.
The questions I have for any of you with experience with this caliber or these particular revolvers are as follows;
Is there any particular difference in performance between the 7.5" and 10" performance center pistols. I will be running this with a trijicon RMR and I like the fact that the pic rail is machined in and sits lower on the 10" so that is the pistol I'm leaning towards.
Is there any reason to look at any of the other revolvers available. The BFR, or Freedom arms?
Would there be any reason to look into another type of specialized pistol for this task, the task being able to handle large game up to bear, elk/moose, and or even large African antelope such as Kudu or Eland, Wildebeest.
I do reload so I can control power level for training purposes. I plan to use the Sierra 400 grain, at least I think that looks like one of the better options. I live about 15 min from a great outdoor range and can also shoot out to 50 yards in my back yard so having the ability to train and practice with it will not be an issue.
I am looking at the 500 because the 500 seems to have a better selection of heavy duty hunting bullets and since I reload I can control the power level, while it is handy that the 460 shoots the 45 and 454 once I buy the brass and bullets for the 500 I can make training rounds with that.
All opinions and suggestion are welcome.
Thanks.

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No hunter here, but experienced in shooting big pistols. I have a Taurus 500 S&W, a Freedom Arms 500 Wyoming Express and two FA 475 Linebaugh, a Linebaugh 500 Linebaugh, a BFR 500 JRH, and a couple of FA 454s. A 480 Ruger Super Blackhawk as well. If you handload, recoil is what you want it to be with these, within reasonable limits.

I bought the Taurus 500 Smith and am pleasantly surprised by its superbly tight lockup (zero cylinder rotation when locked), zero end shake. It weighs 56 oz, feels pretty good in the hand but exceeds the upper limit of 3 lbs. for a sidearm. It is by far the most powerful of these 500s, exceeding them by about 150 to 200 fps given the same bullet. It hurts to shoot, but then I have trouble with DAs because of the thumb-busting protrusion at the top of the backstrap. I may've gotten lucky with my Taurus, but do have to say it is superior in lockup to any S&W I've had. Be sure to look at one before buying the Smith. Mine has a ~ 5.5" barrel, ideal.

I find that the FA 500 Wyoming Express suits me very well, but there is no brass. ARIA Ballistics Engineering provides ammo on a 1/10" shorter case, formed from 50 AE brass and TII Machine produces that brass. Loaded hot, my 4.75" bbl. FA recoils violently, but thanks to the superb grip shaping by FA, does not hurt to shoot. ARIA supplied 400 gr Cutting Edge monos at 1600 fps. There is an effort under weigh to produce proper 500 WE brass, and I've had a couple boxes from ARIA. That brass is supposed to become available "soon."

The 500 Linebaugh is on a Ruger BlackHawk frame. The cartridge is a little bigger in diameter than the 500 Wyoming Express, but a rough ballistic equivalent. Unfortunately, the gun hurts to shoot due to grips. It is an excellent cartridge. There are fewer bullets available than in .500. I hope to remedy the grip problem by round-butting.

The 475 Linebaugh is equal to any of the 500s excepting 500 Smith. The FA version is a little heavier than the 500 Wyoming Express. It's recoil is the same, with equivalent loads. Some will argue that the increased striking area of the 500s and the .511 Linebaugh are superior for game. The 480 Ruger is close.

There is then the 500 JRH, nearly identical ballistically to the 500 Wyoming Express. Brass can be had from Buffalo Bore at $168/hundred. My BFR is a pleasure to shoot, being a bit heavier than the FA. I'm looking for someone to make me a Ruger Old Vaquero Bisley in 500 JRH.

I think any of these is adequate for any game, assuming proper bullet selection. All of them are accurate arms. You can shoot the 500 JRH and the 50 Special in the Taurus 500 Smith, likely that's true for the Smith & Wesson too. There is a lot to recommend the 50 Special, a .45 Colt-length case - for lighter loads, use less powder.

For me, the big Taurus and S&W pistols are not pistols really, too large and heavy for carry or handling. I've seen long barrel Smiths with a sling, but the why not just get a Marlin 45/70? I regard them and the 500 S&W cartridge as interesting novelties, but the greater velocity isn't needed except for shooting at greater distance than I'm comfortable with for a pistol.

I want that Bisley with a rounded grip in 500 JRH. The cartridge is a good one and the pistol, with it's dropped Bisley-style hammer, is for me easiest to handle on the follow-up. The Freedom Arms revolvers are truly excellent in workmanship and design, but carry one less round than the BFR or Ruger, and nearly as handy on follow-up. I credit the BFR as a good gun, but its' workmanship falls behind Ruger's and way behind Freedom Arms. For me, BFR Bisley grip is superior to that of the Ruger.

Any of these guns is good enough to buy and be proud of. Any of the cartridges are adequate. The 500 S&W isn't fun to shoot. As far as penetration goes, a 400 gr monometal in any of these is adequate to penetrate an elephant skull with something to spare (based on reading, not experience). Have Fun!!!!

Wyatt Smith said:

I long for a 97 in 44 special. It would seem perfect to me.
I worked up a load for my buddy’s flat top Ruger doing 1130 feet with a 260grain semi wad cutter. That load will take care of 95 percent of what sixguns are asked to do.

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FA told me that the model 97 in 45 Colt is good for 30,000. The cylinder is short, too short for normal seating of the old Lyman 454424. But I have about 1000 Bear Tooth's at 300 gr, with a crimp groove to nose length that works in the Model 97.

EfRed said:

Just back from range after shooting new 5" bbl Taurus 500 S&W. Very, very pleased. The gun is accurate. It’s design handles big recoil well. Not too much pain, even with heavy loads. I shot:

1. Buffalo Bore 440 gr hardcast Wide Flat Nose Gas Check bullet @ 975 fps (500 S&W Special)
2. HSM “Bear Load” 440 gr hardcast Wide Flat Nose Gas Check bullet at 1260 fps (This load is a little shy of the 1350 fps that the 500 Wyoming Express yields with the same bullet)
3. MagTech 440 gr hardcast Wide Flat Nose Gas Check bullet at 1600 fps. (250 fps faster than max in the 500 WE)
4. MagTech 325 gr jacketed soft point at 1800 fps

There’s a noticeable increase in recoil going from 1) to 3). 4) is easier, but greater recoil impulse. I think 4)’s intended as a deer/elk/blackbear load, where the 440 gr hardcast is a grizzly/brown/moose load. For Rhino, Elephant and Hippo, I’d move up to a 500 gr load, though that will be painful to shoot (Life's hard. It's harder when you're stupid.) I also think that the 440 gr bullet might be loaded somewhat faster staying within pressure limits, but there are said to be extraction problems.

The gun impresses me. The cylinder locks up dead tight, as well as my Freedom Arms revolvers (at about 1/3 the price). It weighs in at about 57 oz, a half pound or a little more than my SuperBlackhawk. Sights are clear and precise. Best, it looks just like it came out of a Dick Tracy comic! So I now have the two-way wrist radio (my Samsung watch) and the gun…

It’s a two hand pistol due to weight, just too much wavering around to shoot accurately with one hand. (But can get minute of bear with it one-handed.) Taurus have ported it to reduce muzzle rise, so it tends to kick straight back more than it would otherwise. The recoil is about as ferocious as my 500 Wyoming Express and not nearly as painful as the unmodified S&W 329 PD (I had mine quadra-ported by Larry Kelly’s shop, which tamed it down considerably). Not nearly as bad as the 500 Linebaugh shooting a 525 gr bullet, which draws blood.

The gun needs the weight it has. Any lighter would start to hurt too much to shoot it. Reviewers complain about the trigger pull. SA, it’s a trifle heavy but it’s clean and crisp. DA is smooth, a bit heavy, though it’s still in my mind a good trigger pull. I’ve worked with grippers for maybe 15 years now – I think my trigger finger is a little stronger than most or I’m more accustomed to using it. To me, it’s a very good trigger.

I’ve handled the S&W X frame. I think the Taurus is a better revolver, due mainly to the dual lock-up and the grip angle. Some would argue with that judgement. But I’d rather have the Taurus, exclusive of price. Mine is all black. Most consider it ugly. I guess ugly is what you want a gun like this to be.

Next, I’ll mount the Trijicon MRO red dot on it and see what I can do with some mild reloads.

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The HSM hard cast is at 1500, not 1260. The 1260 fps is listed at a number of sites, but is wrong.

Backyardsniper said:

I'm leaning towards a shorter barrel, I just like short barrels, I think the easier something is to carry and handle the more you will actually use it. There is a 6" on gun international with an "action job" trigger over travel screw and magna-port for $2900.
There is an older model a little more used with pachmyer grips and 4-3/4" barrel for around $2500. Any yea's or Nays on the shorter barrel or the Magna porting. The 6" gun comes with box and invoice from 2008. It looks to have bene used very little I'm guessing.

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I had my big FAs cut to 4.75" barrel and have never looked back.

Jefferry404 said:

The 83 still has no transfer bar, the 97 has transfer bar.

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FA says to carry 4 rounds in the Model 83. Many years ago, they said 5 was OK as long as you engaged the hammer block. But an accident and a lawsuit changed that. Today, FA says 4, because there is the possibility of the hammer catching on brush, being lifted far enough to drop back and fire. I think that scenario can be defeated by using a deep holster with a hammer thong. By the way, best if the trigger guard is covered too. Mr. Baker still recommends 4 rounds. Moot for me, because I seldom leave the range, live in sparse sagebrush country, absolutely will not go into your coastal salal, and avoid brush country, preferring open ground.

MauserDuff said:

I found with a scoped .44 and .454 I was more accurate sitting up against the base of the bench with my knees together and shooting over them than I was using a cheap MTM pistol rest. It's also a functional field position (where you don't have to worry about leopards sneaking up on you)--used it for pronghorn to about 120 yards, and could shoot 2" at 50 yards, 4" at 100 yards. I carried around a short (kneeling) bipod while elk hunting, buy never used it, getting my elk at 25 yards.

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I've used that braced sitting position for years and find it very steady. Also, you can lean your left shoulder up against a tree or a post or a building and greatly improve your steadiness over freehand, about as good as bench.

Backyardsniper back to your original question, Getting into the handgun hunting game. 500 S&W.

I am a fan of any firearm, except a few modern ones, not to mention here one, If you plan on hunting with a pistol be revolver, contender, auto, the most important thing is to not shoot a pistol that hurts your hand, make us take your eye of the target and might make your flinch. This is to much gun. Plain and simple.

Look this comes from 40 years of handgun hunting experience. I got my first 44 mag at age 12, I weighed like 85/90 and was 4"10'. Mind you, I already has years of experience shooting before I move up to the 44 mag. By 15, I was shooting the 454 FA 83 and was maybe 100lbs and 5 feet tall. I shot everything in Texas and Mexico with handguns. But I had also been shooting my 375 HH since age 11, so the I was use to recoil. Now I went to Africa, I used the Contender and my backup the first year was by 44mag then my 454 going forward. I am a huge 454 casual fan. I love the way wood grips look, but I hunt with pacymers.

I will get some slack here, but I am in the believe that almost anything bigger than a 454 in a revolver or auto is way to big of a caliber for a pistol to shoot professionally and be get back on target quick enough for DG. Maybe if was 6 feet and like 225, my thought would be different or if was JD Jones or Larry Kelly.

None of handguns hurt my hands, if they did I would not own them.

Here is the most recent update on the handgun hunting journey.
I started with the Ruger Blackhawk 7.5" in 45 colt. I have put a few hundred rounds through it and my accuracy is improving for sure. I have expanded the collection to a 22lr single six, and a Blackhawk in 357, 45, and a super Blackhawk in 44 magnum. I also have the colt Kodiak and ruger redhawk in 44 magnum. I am concentrating mostly on the single actions. I have put an RMR on the Kodiak and it is an extremely accurate pistol with the red dot but as I said for the moment I am concentrating on practicing with the sine actions. I replaced the grips on the 44 and 45 with the larger hogue monogrip wood grips. They look goofy as hell but make a world of difference when shooting the heavy loads. I have been running 240/250 grain bullets at +/-1150fps in both the 44 and 45 and I am now working up to 305-330 grain bullets in the 1200-1250 range in both pistols now until I get comfortable with that recoil level and can shoot it accurately. Once I get that power level dialed in I will probably move up to the 454.

You certainly have a fun collection of revolvers.
Are you working on offhand shooting or rested shooting?
What ranges are you working on?
What is the first hunt you are working on?

Working on both rested and offhand. A lot of rested shooting at the moment standing off a set of shooting sticks. I have been concentrating most of the practice on grouping at 15 and 25yds just trying to get consistent with the trigger squeeze. I have done a bit of shootong off the sticks out to 50 and 75yds with the 45 and have had pretty decent success with that. I have ran the Kodiak with the RMR out to 100yds seated off a rest and can pretty regularly hit a paper plate size gong. I am.about to start working on some field position stuff. Sitting on the ground and shooting off the sticks from a chair and stuff like that. I plan to use them this deer season. I killed one last year with the redhawk 44 and shot one several years ago with a colt king cobra. Once I finish my Africa trip next year I think the first order of business will be a black bear hunt in Maine. I think shooting a black bear will be a good place to start once I get comfortable with hunting deer with them

Backyardsniper said:

Working on both rested and offhand. A lot of rested shooting at the moment standing off a set of shooting sticks. I have been concentrating most of the practice on grouping at 15 and 25yds just trying to get consistent with the trigger squeeze. I have done a bit of shootong off the sticks out to 50 and 75yds with the 45 and have had pretty decent success with that. I have ran the Kodiak with the RMR out to 100yds seated off a rest and can pretty regularly hit a paper plate size gong. I am.about to start working on some field position stuff. Sitting on the ground and shooting off the sticks from a chair and stuff like that. I plan to use them this deer season. I killed one last year with the redhawk 44 and shot one several years ago with a colt king cobra. Once I finish my Africa trip next year I think the first order of business will be a black bear hunt in Maine. I think shooting a black bear will be a good place to start once I get comfortable with hunting deer with themView attachment 774148

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@Backyardsniper - I have also enjoyed deer hunting on my place with S&W 629 5” barrel and open sights. I practiced often at 25 to 40 yrds and was consistently hitting 9” plates. Last year, From a box blind with window sill to rest on - took small Doe @ 25 yrds (one shot kill)…However, I hit her in the neck —- 12” OFF from my point of aim so really “poor shooting” on my part. Not sure where the intended aiming point was on the doe pictured above - if it was the “neck” than that was good shooting. Me? I need more practice before getting serious into HG hunting for big game.

HankBuck said:

@Backyardsniper - I have also enjoyed deer hunting on my place with S&W 629 5” barrel and open sights. I practiced often at 25 to 40 yrds and was consistently hitting 9” plates. Last year, From a box blind with window sill to rest on - took small Doe @ 25 yrds (one shot kill)…However, I hit her in the neck —- 12” OFF from my point of aim so really “poor shooting” on my part. Not sure where the intended aiming point was on the doe pictured above - if it was the “neck” than that was good shooting. Me? I need more practice before getting serious into HG hunting for big game.

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you are correct! That was not my intended point of impact! That was several years ago with the 357. Shot was about 40yds. I killed one last year out of a box blind with the redhawk at about 20yds and the shot was spot on where I was aiming. It is amazing how easy it is to mess up a pistol shot! It takes a lot of practice to get good with one and it is also a very perishable skill!