Ammo Test -- H&R 500 S&W

[Mortis]

It was raining this morning so could not get on the range for an actual zero shoot with the H&R 500 S&W.

Finally got out long enough to do a basic function test and see how stiff recoil will be.

Being that the H&R is a closed chamber verses a revolvers open chamber, muzzle velocities will change. No lost gases...increased pressures... etc...

So....I loaded up some 300 Grain Hornady FTX ontop of 42 grains of H110 using a Fed210M Primer...

Two rounds fired from the offhand position into a berm 50 yards downrange.

Both rounds hit within 6 inches of aimpoint. Remember, the rifle has not been zero'd yet.

Recoil..... about like 12 Guage 00 Buck out of a pump gun. Certainly less them a 300WinMag.

Hornady shows 42 grains of H110 using a 325 Bullet should produce approximately 1831 FPS MV out of a pistol. Can't wait till I can get it zero'd and chrono'd.

I'd like to see what the Barnes 275's will do...but 20 of them costs as much as 50 of the FYX's... I'll stick with these for now....

Will try to get it zero'd and a target posted as soon as I can.

 

[DrMike]

Fascinating project, Mortis. It truly looks interesting, and promising.

 

[SJB358]

Sounds like a thumper buddy. I love them big bore rifles. They are so much fun sometimes. It is nice to take a step back and launch the big thumpers downrange..

Post up when you can.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I looked it up on youtube to see the recoil. Some of the clips showed the shooter getting beat. A few others showed a more mild shooting rilfe. The ones that got rocked, did not have the best form. Sounds like a cool project.

 

[Guy Miner]

I like the .500! Bought one, sight unseen, when they were first introduced. I think that was about nine years ago. Sadly, I must admit that mine has merely been a range toy. I've never even taken it hunting, and have only used two different loads with it over all those years:

1. 440 gr Cast Performance flat nose lead bullets at 1400 fps, via AA #9.

2. Hornady factory 350 gr JHP ammo - rated at something like 1900 fps, I saw only 1350 fps from the revolver.

The hardcast 440 gr bullet penetrates like crazy. Truly impressive. The big revolver is easier to shoot than one might imagine. Cushy grips, hefty weight, and a ported muzzle cut the felt recoil.

Keep thinking that it would be interesting to take a bear, elk or moose with it, but haven't made the opportunity happen.

Enjoy that .500, it's a pretty interesting cartridge to work with. Guy

 

[Mortis]

I looked it up on youtube to see the recoil. Some of the clips showed the shooter getting beat. A few others showed a more mild shooting rilfe. The ones that got rocked, did not have the best form. Sounds like a cool project.

Form is everything.....especially when shooting large bore.

Interesting to note...... S&W Handgun Testers fire a minimum of 5 rounds per handgun when testing. Early testing was done with 450 grain bullets, max load. All handguns are test fired WITHOUT GRIPS!!!

This is a photo of me shooting the 500 one handed. The loades are 350 grain Hornady XTP's ontop on 43.3 grains of H110. And they will knock the legs right out from under a 300 pound hog.

Note: The serial number of this 500 is............ 1.

Tis good to have friends in low places. The owner of that 500 retired from S&W as a tester.

Anyway....cannot get to raqnge today.... eldest daughter is having her 40th birthday and I'm expected to attend.

Will get more data and hopefully photo's and maybe video as this progresses.

 

[Mortis]

Guy..... I'm not much for pushiing cast bullets thru a rifle.....but I do believe I should try those.

Thanks for the comments.....

 

[Guy Miner]

Big, heavy cast bullets from the .45/70 Marlin lever gun worked out real well. I think with the relatively modest velocity of the .500, it too would do well with high quality, hard cast lead bullets. I'd highly recommend the Cast Performance 440 grain gas-check bullets. They were, I believe, the original bullet for the .500 S&W and have proven to be both accurate and tough.

Considered the 700 grain bullets. Once. Decided against that... :grin: Might be fun, but I'll let someone else have that fun.

Your lil rifle with the big bore should prove to be a LOT of fun. I've shot one in .45/70, and it was surprisingly accurate, as well as being downright handy.

Regards, Guy

 

[FOTIS]

My boy 3 years ago (13 at the time) with the 700 gr T-rex bullet

 

[Mortis]

Had hoped to get on the range today with the H&R for zeroing and grouping.

Rainy and miserable out..... the range would have been a mudpit.

Fotis...... neat video.... I'm going to try to get more photos and videos of the S&W 500 revolver next April in Texas. We've put a bunch of 700 grainers thru it and I have a volunteer that wants to put one thru the H&R.

Hope the photo connects...... my loaded 300's between a Federal 45/70 and a 700 grain 500.

 

[FOTIS]

Had hoped to get on the range today with the H&R for zeroing and grouping.

No chance of that here today! If you look hard enough you can see I-80 in the backround less than 1 mile away. Well it is there I promise~!