S&W 460 Load Data and Tips, please

Buddy got a Performance Center 460 for Christmas and since I am his reloader I started trying to pull data together. Seems folks here like the standard magnum powders like H110 and AA9; seems the 250-275 grain bullets are the preferred; and I take it that the 460 uses rifle primers? None of my older reloading manuals has 460 included so I would appreciate any tips and tricks. How do you crimp? Roll, taper or do you get the Factory crimp die; let me know what's needed with the monster's recoil. Thanks in advance.

In addition he chose the extra wide rings Burris sells. Will this be enough in your experience? Seems most use 3 or 4 standard rings. I need to verify if they put the scope (Vortex) against the rings like Mr. Prasac recommends. Thoughts on this appreciated.

I would add the 300 and 325 grain Swift A-frame to the mix as probably the best option for thin-skinned game like whitetail all the way up through Cape buffalo. Letting the scope but up to the ring will prevent it from moving and changing your POI.

Corrections: scope is a Nikon and he said the Burris rings fill the space so no additional rings could be added. I will see if they butt up against the center. Lots of load data online but not so much on the crimp style/method. I hope the 460 experts here will enlighten me.

I have a number of applications where I only use two rings and they are sufficient. I use only two Leupold steel rings on my .500 JRH BFR and it is more than adequate. I wouldn?t give it too much more thought as long as it?s not slipping. The .460 doesn?t generate that much recoil as the mass and brake negate it.

short.. Your buddy will love his 460PC as l truly love mine.

My favourite 460 load comes from Speer #14. lts a ''reduced''

load as Speer calls it using their 260gr Gold Dot bullet and

2400 powder.. l personally don't consider a 260gr Gold Dot @

1600fps a reduced load.. l use the CCI350 LMP primer for this

load. Absolutely no problems. Great accuracy too!! lt will make

a 55 pound IHMSA steel ram literally JUMP off the rail @200meters

One caution l will suggest is NOT shooting shorter ctgs/rds than

factory 460 cases.. They were a great headache when extracting

460s after shooting 45 Colt rds first.. S&W's 460 Magnum is a

60,000PSI ctg... Almost DOUBLE a 44Mag or 357Mag @32000psi

I'm getting great accuracy using the Swift A-frame 265 pushed by 43 grains of 4227. It's near max and a compressed load, but still below book max. Also, and this may sound crazy but in my testing with my Smith 460 XVR 8 3/8" barrel, my speed fell using magnum primers vs. standard. So, I'm using standard rifle primers as opposed to magnum or bench-rest. This was with a different powder/bullet combination, but thought it was worth mentioning.

As far as the crimp, I use the bare minimum to keep it from moving when firing a cylinder full. I crimp just at the first cannelure edge and like I said, nothing too crazy tight. As long as I don't get bullet-creep, I call it good.

Although I haven't chronographed this specific load yet, I'm expecting it to be right around 2000 fps based on previous testing with other loads, both hand-loaded and factory.

Good luck with your search and keep us posted!

And BTW, Tradmark (Mark) will eventually see this and can offer a ton more experience. He's like the Rain-Man of hand-loading for the 460.

He does handload for his BFR but he mainly uses Swift?s 300 grain factory loads. There are no flies on that load and it delivers great accuracy, more than 2,000 fps at the muzzle, and it kills with aplomb.

I shoot 3 loads through my 2 460?s, first is cream puff load of 20 grains of power pistol with the 240 grain XTP, 2nd is 39 grains of 2400 with the Hornady 200 grain FTX, lastly is 45 grains of H-110 with the 200 gran FTX, both scopes have not shifted since i mounted them in 2011, one is a Encore, the other is a Smith PC gun, 12? no brake, the bark is worse than the bite.

l love shooting my 460 at our local SILH matches. ln Hunter Pistol

we aren't allowed loads more potent than 44 Magnum. l use a

reduced load @45 Colt levels. At first l had 4x EER Leupold

mounted. 0nly to remove it this year to try on a SBH Hunter.

I have enjoyed shooting it open sights. l use Hornady 45Colt

dies most of the time. The 460 Hornady dies seemed to buckle

the cases at times. lt caused lost brass that are expensive.

Now l just neck size, saving my brass. l believe this helps

accuracy with the gun/ammo. No need for me to full length size.

This 10 1/2'' cannon is my only 460

Awesome, thanks to all. Sounds like I can reload with my 45 colt dies and do some cream puff loads with non-magmun bullets. I did read the shell holder is slightly larger for 460 rim so I may pick one up. I have 2400, H110 and 296 so I will start there and if he opts we can get some PowerPistol, AA9 and 4227 to try. He bought some factory stuff to try and to get brass. Looking forward to igniting the beast.

MD Smith liked the 5744 for reduced loads and I have some of that also so we have a couple options. thanks again

I once owned one of the standard 8 3/8" barreled Model 460's, and I later traded it for a 14" barreled Performance Center Model 460. Here's a few loads I've tried that I've found useful:

- Starline brass, Federal Large Rifle primer, 200 grain Hornady FTX, and 51.5 grains Hodgdon H110. Average velocity of 2,656 fps, and is consistently prints groups of 1.5 MOA or less. This is my practice load. This is what happens when you touch it off:




- Starline brass, Federal Large Rifle primer, 200 grain Barnes XPB, and 46.0 grains Accurate #9 - the maximum load listed in the book. Average velocity of 2,502 fps, and produces MOA accuracy. My primary deer hunting load. Pic related:




- Starline brass, Federal Large Rifle primer, 240 grain Hornady XTP-Mag, and 47.0 grains Hodgdon H110. Average velocity of 2,009 fps out of my 8 3/8" version, and I think it was in the neighborhood of 2,300 to 2,400 fps out of my 14" model. I need to retest that load to determine its accuracy.

As far as crimping goes, I use a separate roll crimp die and crimp them pretty thoroughly. Might be a bit much, but I've never had an issue with the bullets backing out under recoil.

Now that is one very impressive Fire Ball!

Bob R

Most of the time you dont need a huge crimp with the 460. The rcbs dies provide a ton of case tension. I would stick with barnes or aframes with the 460. If you pm me what you are wanting to use bulletwise i will send you some
Loads.

Thanks for the load info and thanks for the PM offer. I will take you up on it once he decides what he wants to do. I am about to start a separate post with initial impressions and scope issue/question. thanks again.

I have an Encore 1" bull with break from MGM , 15" barrel with a red dot in three rings.
I tried a couple of loads but this one shoots the best for me out to 200 yards.
I shoot Hornady brass, Barnes 200 grn. XPB all copper bullet, 45grn of H110 and Fed large rifle primers. I checked some right after I got the barrel and they were running avg. 2200 fps. Here is a photo of the 460 next to a 44 mag. The load I'm using is right from the Hodgdon Reloading manual and on the low side. I don't
crimp mine due shooting in single shot.
Mike