460 or 500

[itstime]

Hello all,

I want to get a X-frame. Why, just cause. Won't shoot it much but just holding one makes me smile.

I haven't decided to get a 460 or the 500. From all of you that have one already what do you suggest.

I'm thinking the 460/454/45 would be more practical. But the 500 is so cool.

Prob. won't use it hunting but never know.

All input is welcome and thanks.

[smith10]

If your getting it just cause, get the 500!!

[Brass Nazi]

500:banana:

[TattooedGlock]

Just bought a 4" 500...

Just cause!!!

:hugs:

[Pepiot]

I'd definately go with the 500:thumbsup:

[Fear Night]

460 mag. 3 bucks per 500 round is ridiculous, I actually like to shoot my guns!

[Danny Reid]

If you are a handloader...500 definitely

If you are a 'factory ammo only' guy...460 makes more sense

[epsylum]

I have shot both and I prefer the 460. For handloading .452 bullets are cheap and everywhere. Plus the who .454 and .45colt thing makes it very versitile. As far as shear head turning at the range, the .460 is louder too (some thing way too loud). The recoil on the .460 isn't bad at all, definately more bark than bite. In fact I shot some Hornady .460 and Cor-Bon .454 out of the same gun in the same cylinder and I found the .454 actually had more recoil than the .460, but was a lot quieter. But I find the 500's recoil a bit excessive. It would do nothing but make me flinch if I owned one, whereas I could get used to the .460 and still make accurate shots.

[blueiron]

Having shot both, I prefer the .460. Less brutal on the wallet and hand. Far more practical for hunting too, as .454 Casull and .45 Colt ammunition is found in many more places.

The .500 just has no allure for me. I guess i am too practical.

[flyandscuba]

I have a 10.5" 500 Hunter and the 500ES. To be honest, I prefer my .44 Magnum revolvers.

However, the 500 Magnum in my Handi-rifle is a formitable Deer slayer and Pig exterminator -- especially with the Hornday 300gr Evolution load...:supergrin:

[smith10]

Either way, get an IWB holster, some 400 grainers, your good to go for concealed carry.:rofl: :animlol: :animlol: :banana:

[kcboy]

im also saving some cash to get the 500 just for the heck of it....can anymore of you guys post your experiences in firing the 500?:banana:

[Rebeldon]

I don't even like to stand near someone who is shooting a .500 S&W revolver. Some feller at the range asked me if I wanted to try it out. I didn't even hesitate when I said, "No, thanks!"

[Rebeldon]

oops!

[Short Cut]

The 500 has the whole bigger is better in America thing going for it, but I like the 460. I think it would be better for hunting with more range and then there is the ammo versatility aspect. That said I've yet to buy one, not that I haven't thought about it.

Like flyandscuba, I LIKE shooting my .44 Magnums. I have one .454 Casull, which is the Ruger SRH 7.5", but it gets shot far less than the .44s.

[Lone_Wolfe]

I have fired both, and I own a 500 with 8" barrel. I call it my Smith & Howitzer. It has a lot more recoil that the 460 magnum, although I think the 460 is about as loud. Either one gets a lot of attention (and dirty looks) when you shoot it at an indoor range.
I will shoot mine, then offer it up to some big tough looking guy and most of the time they will back away from me shaking thier heads "No"
If you're getting one "just because" then the 500 is the way to go. You can always buy or reload some tamer ammo then the Corbon that I like to blast. The 460 does have the advantage og being able to shoot 45LC which is a LOT cheaper than 460 or 500.

My $.02 worth.:)

[Blasko]

I tried both but bought the 460. Recoil for the 460 is almost comfortable compared to the 500. Blast on both I thought was about the same with the 460 being a little more thump in the sinus. Went deer hunting with the 460 last year but only saw a squirrel and a cat.

[sglatzel]

500 is the only way to go, why be second best and wonder after you bought the 460, should I have gotten the 500. I have a 4 inch 500, bought it just after they came out. Just used it for my CCW in Arizona. I have 8 GLOCK'S but the 500 was the gun for the day.

[epsylum]

Originally posted by Blasko
Went deer hunting with the 460 last year but only saw a squirrel and a cat.

Lemme guess. No pieces of the squirrel could be found and you had to dine on cat stew?

:supergrin:

[bac1023]

The 460 is more practical, but the 500 has the "wow" factor.

[spober]

if its the cool factor you want .its the 500 you need!

[bac1023]

I can expand on my previous post. The 500 has the "wow" factor due to its caliber size. However, the 460 is able to fire much cheaper 45 Colt rounds. I happen to have both a 460 and 500. The 460 is the 8" S&W X-frame, while the 500 is a 4" Raging Bull. Both rounds are extremely loud and extremely powerful. Out of the long barrel, the 460 is simply amazing. With the compensator, it sounds at least as loud as a 30 caliber magnum rifle and hits real hard. When firing it 100 yards, I'm amazed just how fast the bullet hits the dirt back stop and these are bullets of 240 grains and 300 grains I'm firing.

I have never hunted with it, but its effect on deer must be a sight to see.

I'll post a pic of these two beasts as soon as I can.

[MOTHERGREEN]

personally, I think you have to handload to own either of those. the price difference between the .460/.454/.45lc Isn't very much..

sure the .500 is a bigger caliber but the .460 is a longer case

so you decided which one is "more manly"


the .460s and .500s I've fired were enjoyable the recoil wasn't too bad the .460 was less though.

[bac1023]

Originally posted by MOTHERGREEN
personally, I think you have to handload to own either of those. the price difference between the .460/.454/.45lc Isn't very much..



Uh, the price difference between 460 and 45LC is night and day. Its at least three times as much.

[MOTHERGREEN]

still, buyin .45lc ain't like buyin .45acp

[bac1023]

Originally posted by MOTHERGREEN
still, buyin .45lc ain't like buyin .45acp
True. I'll give you that.;)

[MOTHERGREEN]

I guess it all boils down to how everybody does financially but I couldn't afford to shoot as much .45lc as .45acp.

[Danny Reid]

you could afford to shoot as much 45 Colt as 45 ACP if you got into reloading...

practically as much, anyway

[MOTHERGREEN]

this is true.. and I have been meaning to break into that because its getting to be that way for almost every caliber.

[UnTainted]

When I decided on my X-frame, I knew I would want to use it for hunting, but that didn't help me to pick between the 500 or the 460. I figured I'd own both eventually, but the more I read about the two, I started leaning towards the 500.

That was until I shot them side by side. I actually shot a few variations of the two. I shot a 4" 500 (a little stout on recoil, with your hand tingling after bout 15 shots), two 8.375"s (one in 460, and one in 500), and found the recoil to be more manageable in the 460 when shooting the 200 grain rounds. When I put 275s through the 460 next to 275s through the 500, I found the 500 pushed (didn't snap more than the 460) a little more with both guns coming back on target.

Then I shot a 7.5" performance center 500 next to a 6.5" performance center 460. The difference was astounding on both guns with the 360 degree compensator. With only open sights that day, the 460 didn't seem any flatter out to 100 yards, but after 150 to some 250 yard shots I felt the need to put the 500 sight up a bit to let the bullet drop in. The 460 did not need that.

It was that single fact that the 460 did not need to be held up as much for longer shots that sold me on it. I knew that if I wanted to be able to avoid serious flinch that I would have to practice a lot (helps with the 460 ammo prices, at $1 a shot), and want the 360 degree compensator.

Thus, I settled on the gun shown below. a 6.5" performance center model. I put the most recoil-intensive capable scope that I could find on it, and sighted it in.

I did find one interesting thing, though. Shooting the 45 cold and the 454 out of it leaves residue that can be cleaned, but with a lot of work, on the inside of the chambers in the cylinder. I only mention this because I found the gun to be far more accurate at 100 yards or more when the chambers were polished so the shorter rounds' residue was removed and then only 460 was shot through it. Now, I reserve one chamber for the shorter rounds (used when I need to sight it in, or just shoot the round through it) and the other 4 stay clean and polished for the 460 case to sit happily against the metal, and not offset by powder residue.

The 460 200 grains shoot fairly soft, and I don't feel any problems with flinch. When I mounted the scope, the recoil lessoned with the added weight such that it now kicks less than some .44 mags that I have shot. This gun sent me to the weight room to develop some muscles for off-hand stability, but that's not anything I complained about.

The 454 rounds felt like a 45+p, but not like any other gun chambered in 454. The 45 cold feel like a 9mm out of it (really really really nice to shoot!). If you got a shorter barrel 460, like the 5", there are some good 45 self defense loads that would not be overkill for two-legged targets, and still give the option for 454 and 460 for woods and grizzly carry.

Don't forget, though, that the 500 shoots 500 Special rounds now.

Here, after all this typing, are the photos. Good luck with whatever you buy. The x-frame rules; I hope S&W does more with it in the future! I couldn't be happier.

http://i17.tinypic.com/66ysx1z.jpg
http://i11.tinypic.com/5xid2di.jpg

[Kudos]

Originally posted by sglatzel
500 is the only way to go, why be second best and wonder after you bought the 460, should I have gotten the 500. I have a 4 inch 500, bought it just after they came out. Just used it for my CCW in Arizona. I have 8 GLOCK'S but the 500 was the gun for the day.

Second best? If you are talking energy, yes, but one out of two isn't bad. The speed of that .460 is in rifle range, ahead of the .500 at least.

That said, if I were asked which I'd buy, I would donate every body fluid someone would pay me for until I could get both.

[bac1023]

Originally posted by Kudos
if I were asked which I'd buy, I would donate every body fluid someone would pay me for until I could get both.
:laughabove:

Here are pics of my 500 and 460. The 500 is a Raging Bull while the 460 is an X-frame.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n5/bac1023/000_0449.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n5/bac1023/000_0450.jpg

[Iowa Hick]

I went with the 460 because of its versatility (45/454/460), accuracy, and range (supposedly shoots flat out to 200 yards).

If wow factor is a factor in you're decision you are not going to be disapointed either way. When a ball of fire the size of a basketball comes out of your barrel you've pretty much reached critical mass on wow factor.

Someday I'll probably pick up a 500, but for a deer round the 460 is hands down the better choice just for its range. If you're planning on hunting something bigger that will be closer then the 500 would probably be a smarter option.

No matter what you decide you are going to be grinning ear to ear on your way home from the gun shop (not to mention the first time you take it to the range) so don't obsess over it too much.

PS. I would definitely recommend reloading no matter which one you get.