.500 S&W Magnum Loading Data

    Below are loads developed in the 500 Smith & Wesson.  Most are cast bullets of my own design, with long noses and short shanks in the case, to give the most possible case capacity.  Molds of my design are available from Dan at www.mountainmolds.com.  He has an excellent online bullet design page. 

    Here are the specs for a very accurate long range bullet with excellent killing power:  Bore riding flat point, nose length .700", front band .100", bore ride length .150", meplat 70%, and any weight from 500 to 650 grains.  For absolute maximum killing power for close range hunting, specify 93% meplat.  For long range plinking, use 40% meplat for a semi-pointed design and weight 400 to 550 grains.  Other specs the same.  If you like velocity, specify gas check design.

    DO NOT use this data for bullets of the same weight that have shorter noses and longer shanks.  Pressures will be much higher. 

    For medium power loads try 4895, H335, BLC-2, H322, 4759, or 4198  powders.  Put in as much as will fit and you'll have a uniform, mid-power load with any lead or jacketed bullet.  With 100%+ loading density, velocity will be slowest with 4895 and H335, and fastest with 4759 and 4198.  No 100% density load with any of these six powders fired in the S&W revolver will be near maximum allowable chamber pressure with any bullet unless the bullet is constructed of a material more dense than lead.

    All the usual handloading disclaimers apply.  Don't handload if you don't know what you're doing.

                                                          John Ross  2/5/05

 

Barrel

Powder

Culver

Powder

  

Bullet

Nose

Bullet

Shank

            

Shank

Capacity, cc

Energy

Gun

Length

Weight, Gr.

Setting

Type

Primer

Weight

Shape

Length

in case

OAL

Vel.

Energy

ES

SD

Comments

0.000

4.406

  
                               

0.200

4.084

3800

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

42

70

WC680

WLRM

350

HP

  

.396"

  

1690

2217

    

Hornady bullet, mild

0.300

3.763

3500
                               

0.400

3.441

3200

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

42

70

WC680

WLRM

440

FP

  

.506"

  

1490

2167

    

Cast Performance bullet, mild

0.500

3.119

2900
                               

0.625

2.717

2525
                               

0.700

2.475

2300

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

                                  

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

48

78

WC820

CCI 250

400

Semi-ptd.

.900"

.200"

2.320"

1920

3271

    

Near max, easy extraction

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

46.6

76

WC820

CCI 250

400

Semi-ptd.

.900"

.200"

2.320"

1880

3136

    

Getting warm

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

46.3

90

4895

CCI 250

400

Semi-ptd.

.900"

.200"

2.320"

1275

1442

    

All that will fit

      
                                     
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

                                  

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

40.3

66

WC820

CCI 350

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1671

2787

49

22

        

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

41.5

68

WC820

CCI 350

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1713

2929

39

17

        

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

42.6

70

WC820

CCI 350

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1761

3095

22

10

Near max, easy extraction

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

43.8

83

4198

CCI 250

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1555

2413

25

14

        
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

49.5

89

H322

CCI 350

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1380

1901

10

4

Mild, very uniform

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

51.5

93

H322

CCI 350

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1490

2216

    

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

53.6

80

BL-C2

CCI 250

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1105

1219

            

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

56.1

84

BL-C2

CCI 250

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1275

1623

            

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

57.5

85.5

BL-C2

CCI 250

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1305

1700

            

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

58.5

87

BL-C2

CCI 250

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1335

1779

9

3

Extremely uniform

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

59.4

88.5

BL-C2

CCI 250

450

Semi-ptd.

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1360

1846

28

10

All that will fit

      
                                     
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

                                  

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

42

70

WC820

CCI 250

510

.460" Meplat

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1640

3042

50

22

Near max

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

46

77

WC680

WLRM

510

.460" Meplat

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1700

3269

    

Near max

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

45

85

4895

CCI 250

510

.460" Meplat

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1240

1739

    

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

57

85

H335

CCI 250

510

.460" Meplat

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1240

1739

    

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

57

85

BLC-2

CCI 250

510

.460" Meplat

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1305

1926

45

18

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

34.1

85

4759

CCI 250

510

.460" Meplat

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1405

2233

    

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

44.9

85

4198

CCI 250

510

.460" Meplat

1.000"

.300"

2.320"

1435

2329

55

19

All that will fit

      
                                     
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

                          

 

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

29

78

4759

CCI 250

550

Semi-ptd.

1.200"

.500"

2.320"

1320

2126

17

5

Uniform, all that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

32

52

WW296

WLRM

550

Semi-ptd.

1.200"

.500"

2.320"

1385

2340

            
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

42

70

WC680

WLRM

550

Semi-ptd.

1.200"

.500"

2.320"

1400

2391

            
                                     
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

                                  

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

27.8

45

WC820

CCI 350

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

1235

2165

17

6

Near max, easy extraction, uniform

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

30

  

WC820

CCI 350

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

1380

2703

10

3

TOO HOT, pierced one pistol primer

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

23.7

60

4759

CCI 250

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

1080

1656

            
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

31.2

59

4198

CCI 250

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

1100

1718

            

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

32.1

61

4198

CCI 250

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

1135

1829

            

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

33

63

4198

CCI 250

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

1155

1894

            
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

31

56

H322

CCI 350

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

905

1163

48

22

Mild

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

33

59.5

H322

CCI 350

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

960

1308

36

16

Mild, compressed

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

34.9

63

H322

CCI 350

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

1025

1491

28

11

Mild, all that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

36.7

55

BL-C2

CCI 250

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

850

1026

5

2

Extremely uniform

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

38.2

57

BL-C2

CCI 250

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

900

1150

2

0.5

Extremely uniform

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

39.4

59

BL-C2

CCI 250

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

935

1241

11

2

Mild, all that will fit, uniform

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

32

  

WC680

WLRM

640

.325" Meplat

1.325"

.625"

2.320"

1205

2061

            
                                     
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

26

42

WC820

CCI 350

650

.300" Meplat

1.325"

.695"

2.240"

1190

2042

30

10

Easy extraction

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

27.8

45

WC820

CCI 350

650

.300" Meplat

1.325"

.695"

2.240"

1265

2307

17

6

MAX, Uniform 58,000 PSI

      
                                     
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

                                  

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

28.2

56

3031

CCI 250

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

795

1016

    

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

32

56

4895

CCI 250

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

825

1094

    

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

36.2

56

H335

CCI 250

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

865

1203

    

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

36.3

56

BLC-2

CCI 250

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

905

1317

    

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

20.1

50

4759

CCI 250

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

925

1376

            

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

22.3

56

4759

CCI 250

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

975

1529

    

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

29.2

56

4198

CCI 250

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

1035

1723

62

23

All that will fit

      
                                     

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

25

41

WC820

CCI 250

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

1100

1946

15

6

Near max, easy extraction, uniform

      

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

28.2

46

WC680

WLRM

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

1050

1773

            

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

30

49

WC680

WLRM

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

1070

1841

            

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

32

52

WC680

WLRM

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

1170

2201

            

.500 S&W

8 3/8"

34

56

WC680

WLRM

725

.460" Meplat

1.395"

.695"

2.320"

1205

2335

    

Near Max