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Excuse a newbie to the site for GUSHING over guns, but my love affair has been ongoing for about five decades now. The last few years, I have been renewing my vows with the S&W X-Frame 460 and 500 Magnums. I started with the 8 inch model 460 and soon progressed to putting a scope on it in an attempt to come closer to the full potential of the pistol. I've taken 2 black bears, Caribou and Moose with it up here in Alaska. Longest shot was 130 yards.
I then ventured further and moved up to the 500 S&W. I was leery for a while from all the horror stories of the massive amount of recoil, which proved to be greatly exaggerated. I now have an 8 inch model, a 4 inch model and even a H&R Handi Rifle in 500 S&W. I reload, so the fun rarely stops. I test out my near max loads on the H&R for safety, but I don't go to the Max and never beyond. Standard factory Hornady went clear through a seven foot grizzly. It only made another 75 yards into the deep undergrowth before giving up the ghost. I followed a sedate 2 hours later...No use rushing my own demise.
I've been experimenting. I put a 3-Dot Red Dot scope from a crossbow on the 8 in 500 and it surprisingly held up to the recoil. I suspected it might, since a crossbow has tremendous whip back and forth when fired. The scope worked and I thought I was on my way for a ranging scope on the pistol, but the Red Dots are just too big, even on low settings. At anything past 25 yards, it blots out too much of the target. Going back to my old standby 2-7 Burris Pistol scopes.
Still looking for an affordable 5 inch 460 S&W. I use the 8 in pistols with scopes, but like the 4 & 5 inch models for hip carry in dense alders and willows in Bear Country. I load the 4 inch 500 with Hornady 500 grain jacket flat points with 32 grains of H110 for close in bear protection. I load Barnes 275, 325 and 375 grain loads over Lil'Gun for the 8 inch. The 375 grain have the best BC I've found for any .500 pistol bullet.
Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. I load and re-arrange scopes in the winter, then shoot em and try them out in the Spring.
I then ventured further and moved up to the 500 S&W. I was leery for a while from all the horror stories of the massive amount of recoil, which proved to be greatly exaggerated. I now have an 8 inch model, a 4 inch model and even a H&R Handi Rifle in 500 S&W. I reload, so the fun rarely stops. I test out my near max loads on the H&R for safety, but I don't go to the Max and never beyond. Standard factory Hornady went clear through a seven foot grizzly. It only made another 75 yards into the deep undergrowth before giving up the ghost. I followed a sedate 2 hours later...No use rushing my own demise.
I've been experimenting. I put a 3-Dot Red Dot scope from a crossbow on the 8 in 500 and it surprisingly held up to the recoil. I suspected it might, since a crossbow has tremendous whip back and forth when fired. The scope worked and I thought I was on my way for a ranging scope on the pistol, but the Red Dots are just too big, even on low settings. At anything past 25 yards, it blots out too much of the target. Going back to my old standby 2-7 Burris Pistol scopes.
Still looking for an affordable 5 inch 460 S&W. I use the 8 in pistols with scopes, but like the 4 & 5 inch models for hip carry in dense alders and willows in Bear Country. I load the 4 inch 500 with Hornady 500 grain jacket flat points with 32 grains of H110 for close in bear protection. I load Barnes 275, 325 and 375 grain loads over Lil'Gun for the 8 inch. The 375 grain have the best BC I've found for any .500 pistol bullet.
Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. I load and re-arrange scopes in the winter, then shoot em and try them out in the Spring.
