I have 300 grain ftx, 350 grain xtp, and 500 grain xtp. My gun is currently sighted in for the 500 grain bullets but I was thinking of working up a load with the 350 grainers for a little more speed. In my mind the ftx is out because it seems like it is not stout enough for a heavy muscle or bone shot on a larger critter. I've never shot either critter with anything but I may take a stab with a handgun in the near future and want a load that is up to the task. I likely will not go this fall so if there are other better bullet choices I'll have time to acquire them and develop a load. I realize the 500 is a lot of gun but it is the handgun I am most comfortable taking.

I'd probably use the 350 grain XTP if I had a 500, but I'm sure an elk or black bear will end up just as dead if you hit it with the 500 grain flat point.

I like the xtp mags. I think the regular xtp will do fine for ya too as long as ya aren't pushing them extremely fast. As far as I know, the mags are made for the higher velocity, otherwise, they are the same bullet. Like I said in another thread, the xtp line of bullets are the only ones I'll use that aren't hardcast. I love them in my 460.

I should clarify, the 350 grain Hornady bullet for the 500 S&W is an XTP-Mag. The 500 grainer is a flat point XTP.

My vote would be the 350gr mag then. My 300gr mags have outstanding accuracy.

That was my thinking. I would like a little more velocity than the 500 grain will do but I don't trust the 300gr ftx to stay together. The newest hornady book has a pretty good recipe with 296 I think I'll try.

Maybe you already know this, but H110 is pretty much the same thing as 296. I look for both, and use as though they are the same.

Don't forget X bullets. I did a brown bear at 129 yds. with one shot with a 375 gr. X. Have done deer with it out to 175 in Taurus Raging Bull .500. It's the most accurate .500 bullet I shoot. Damage has always been exceptional.

I would use the 350 gr. Magnum XTP

Yep I know this, actually I believe they are now the same powder as the newest load data on the IMR/Hogdon/Winchester Powder site many of the loads for 296 and H110 are exactly the same with exactly the same pressures for the same charge. This leads me to believe that they are now owned by the same conglomerate that they are the same powder, just labeled differently.

I have shot the 350 grain Speer, 500 grain Hornady, 440 grain cast performance, and the 375 grain Barnes XPB in my 500 S&W. Like the hitman, I really like the 375 grain Barnes. They provide good accuracy in my 500 S&W: Here is a sub 2", 100 yard group that I fired lying prone and resting the barrel on a rolled-up sleeping bag pad, not the bench.


I used the XPB on my 2011 brown bear and it worked great.


I don't have a tremendous amount of experience with the 500 S&W on game, I've only used mine on a couple of brown bears, nothing else. I've never used the 350 XTP, but if 500WE recommends it you can bank on it working well!

Best of luck to you!

I never get tired of seeing that bear. Awesome. Nice shooting buddy!!

Another bullet to consider for the 500 is Woodleigh`s 400gr JFP. I used this in a trimed 500 WE shell for correct OAL to take a nilgi.
Averege recovered weight for the 4 bullets was somewhere around 394.0grs... Below the woodleigh is a recovered 325gr Swift taken from a Red Stag. Another good bullet for the 500....