I am new to the handgun hunting game and just bought a 460 s&w performance center.

Is there a powder that works well with this round? And what loads do you guys use for hunting? I bought some 230gr JHP bullets.

Any tips would be great, Kelpy

Nice to have you on the form. Welcome!

This information is from a previous post

I purchased a 460 S&W last year and so far have only taken a mid size boar. Used Hornady`s 200gr SST ammo for a 60yd shot that dropped the boar instantly.However, I have not been able to get the groups that the gun writers have published in their mags.
The best shooting factory ammo for my gun has been the Hornady
load listed above with 3 shots inside 3" at 96yds.I ran some of the factory loads through my chronograph and the following velocities were the average for 5 rounds.
1)Hor.200gr SST-AVG 2210fps #1
2)Hor.200gr SST-AVG 2213fps #2 factory lists 2200fps
3)Cor-Bon 325gr A-frame AVG 1629fps- factory lists 1650fps
4)Cor-Bon 200gr X- AVG 2239fps- factory lists 2300fps #1
5)Cor-Bon 200gr X- AVG 2245fps- factory lists 2300fps #2
6)Cor-Bon 395gr HC-AVG 1508fps- factory lists 1525fps
7)Cor-Bon 454 Casull 335gr HC-AVG 1542fps-fac.list 1600fps
8)Hor.454 Casull 240grXTP-MAG-AVG 1848fps- " " 1900fps
I fired load #8 through my Freedom Arms 454 Casull with a
7 1/2"barrel and 5 shots averaged 1843fps.Good hunting,JFJ

The information is from James. You can also get a lot of handloading data from Hogdon’s website! http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

Duane

Kelpy, WELCOME to Handgun Hunt!!

Sorry I can't help with any load data. I have a 460 S&W but I have yet to drop the hammer on a live round. Maybe this summer.

Hi there Kelpy. Welcome to this site, I think its pretty neat. I shoot a 460 S&W Mag in a 15 in. bbl. in a T/C Pro Hunter frame. Due to the cost of Cor Bon Hunter ammo I have been reloading my own. I use 47 grs. of H-110, Barnes 200gr. XPB bullits with good luck. I've had the best accuracy with that load. Only other round I have tried is Hornady 200gr. SST. I hear Federal has a 460 S/W round now, I'm gonna have to try it someday. Good luck with your gun.

Thanks everyone, I am enjoying the site thus far.

I will post results when I get a few loaded up.

Later Kelpy

Tigger, you should have the load data I sent you with the gun and that was a killer load. I was getting 2100fps with the 260gr Nosler partition and 1 1/2 groups at 150 with the leupold on top. I might still have the data somewhere but I'm not sure where it is at.

I have the .460 PC 10.5" and after field-testing the different factory offerings on paper and game I am settled on the Hornady 200 SSTs. I have two harvests this season, both at 75+ yards, and neither ran a step. Last year I took several at the 120 range and feel very confident in one day "joining the club" at 200 yds. using the Hornady round.
Since I'm not a reloader, the Hornadys are alot easier on the wallet than the Corbons, too.
No matter the ammo, you got yourself a heckuva weapon!

I'll have to dig around and find it.

Good evening my american friends.
I'm a newcomer italian "gunmen" of your fantastic handgun hunting site. I've to make you my escuses for my really bad english, but I hope to improve and that meantime you could understand me.
I'm sure that you already know that unfortunatly handgun hunting is illegal in Italy: only hunting guns legal are rifles and shotguns, and moreover we can hunt only for four/five months in a year... S**t!
I love big bore handguns, particularly revolvers: it would have been my intention to buy a .500 S&W handgun, but in my country, since october 2004, .500 S&W cartridge and all guns can shoot it (S&W revolvers, TC Contender, BFR, etc.) are illegal too!!!
.460 S&W and relative guns, instead, are perfectly legal, and we know that some .460 "hot" reloads are more powerful than others of .500 maximum loads... idiot italian fu***d politicians!
However four months ago I've decided to buy a .460 revolver, and since about a couple of weeks I own a customized S&W .460 'Hunter' PC 12 1/8" fluted barrel, equipped with Harris bipod, white outline rear and fiber optic front sight and special logo grips (those modifications have been made by a very good italian gunsmith, from Rome, my town).
I've not still have the time to shot with my new handcannon, but a friend of mine has give me that load data: 335 grs copper-plated bullet, 42.3 grs of Hodgdon H4227 powder, approximately 696 m/s (2280 fps) of muzzle velocity out of a 12" barrel. My friend has said to me that this is a very powerful load, with big recoil, but extremely accurate, perfect "versus african elephant" (he say)... eheheh!!!
I hope this indication can be useful for Kelpy.
You are great!

El Che WELCOME!! Glad to have you aboard. You english is great, I understood your post well. Do you hunt out of the country where you can use your handguns? If so, it would be great to hear some hunting stories.

Again, Welcome!

Welcome aboard El Che. Nice to have you here! It is always nice to have a different perspective. By the way, my computer can’t figure out what I want to say sometimes. At least you have an excuse. My Wife just laughs at me! Along with others on the site.

Duane

Hi Tigger, thanks for your welcome.
Unfortunatly in all of the state of U.E. (European Union) is not legal handgun hunting, sure not in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria or Spain, the countries nearer Italy.
For handgun Hunting I'd have to come in the U.S.A., and I'd like it very much, but in this period my economic resources are those of a university student with an irregular job, and then I've already spent all my savings for new .460, and I don't have still in program to sell my other handguns.
However I have me too hunting stories to tell you, but "european hunting" stories, or rather "italian hunting": pheasant, sparrow-form, aquatics (geese, ducks, 'germani reali'), hare, sometimes deer, but especially wild boar (or pigskin in english?), this last kind of hunting typical of the italian region Tuscany, and it is named "cacciarella al cinghiale".
Now I prepare in english a couple of my hunting "adventure" tales and in a few days I'll try of post you.
Good night men.

Thank you too TC Man, and nice to meet you

You will find a lot of handgun hunters like hunting hogs! We love hunting wild boar!!

Duane

Yes yes, I know that: I've seen on web a great deal of photos of 'american hogs hunters' and of their 1000 lbs 'Hogzilla'.
But I want to say that our wild boar hunting ("cacciarella" exactly) is a different thing.
Tomorrow I'll try to explain you some differences and to tell you something more... I hope to be able!
In Italy now is about 0:30 a.m., and tomorrow I've to work... fortunatly... money, money, money... Good night

El Che, Great to have a member from Italy. If you are interested in handgun hunting then you have found the best site on the web.
All the best, James

I'm sure of this.
Good morning american friends!
Thanks a lot for your welcome James.
James, can I ask you a question? I've read that you're Freedom Arms collector: it would have always been my dream to own a Freedom Arms revolver .454 Casull, but it was (and it is today) too much expensive gun for me and my well-known resources.
So, how many pieces and in which caliber you have FA revolvers? Would you have by chance some photo of them, so that we can admire your collection (or at least so that I can, because probably others guys already know them very well).
Thank you James

Hey tig, I found my load book with the 460 load-welcome El Che maybe this load will help

260gr Nosler Partition
46gr Hodgdon H110
Winchester large rifle primer
Starline Brass

This load was giving me around 2100fps out of a standard model 460XVR and with a Leupold 2.5-8x I was shooting 1.5" groups off sand bags at 150yds.

Optimum! I'm starting to equip me for .460 handload and any kind of reload data in this moment can help me: thanks wapitirod.
I'd have really many questions to ask you about .460 handload. For example: one week ago I've broken my Lee Turret press, and I need to buy soon another, so what kind (single station or turret) and what trademark (RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, etc.) of press do you suggest me to buy, considering I usually reload .45 Colt, .454 Casull and now .460 S&W?
And again, some time ago my uncle presented me a box of large rifle magnum primers: can I reload a .460 S&W with a large rifle magnum primer or it would be a madness?
Thank you all for your answers.

I personally use the RCBS Rock Chucker supreme but I also load for the 300 Ultra Mag and I used to load for the 375 Ultra and 458 Lott so the larger opening is nice. I personally prefer a single stage press (except when I'm loading 357 plinking ammo) but some of the guys here really like the progressive presses and they could give you more info. I think the Large Rifle Mag. primers are going to be overkill and all your going to do is cause a pressure spike, before I sold my 460 to Tig I never had a situation where a mag primer would have done any better than a standard rifle primer. Going back to the press issue, I started loading with a Lee Anniversary kit and the little press that came with it always worked great, I was still using it on stuff up to 44 mag until I moved a couple years ago and lost my reloading room, (140 sq ft rm I built with a dead bolt and stereo so I could shut out distractions, IE wife and kids. lol) but now I just have a portable loading stand with the Rock Chucker. Just as a secondary thought have you checked with Lee about your broken press, I know people that have had very good luck with the customer service there and they may even replace it for you, worth a try anyway. One extra note on the 460, make sure you have GOOD hearing protection, muzzle blast is wicked as I found out taking shots at a running coyote without putting on my Walkers Muffs first. Hope this helps, feel free to ask any questions, there is a wealth of knowledge here from all these guys.

Heartfelt thanks wapitirod. The informations you have given me will be really very useful.
Last question about .460, if it don't bother you too much: in your opinion what can be the medium life of a .460 12" PC barrel (or rather mine)? Some people has said to me it is very long, some other instead opposite. Where is the truth?
Thanks

I've also heard both, personally I think it would take a while to wear it out. I've heard that the 460 is hard on forcing cones but so far I've not heard of anyone actually having a problem, just alot of speculation.

I had a 460 Smith that I just traded in towards my Freedom Arms Model 83 .500WE. I had shot about 200 rounds through it mostly full loads and the forcing cone was starting to look pretty rough. I figured that I would trade it because I was not sure as to how long it was going to last before I had to deal with the forcing cone issue.

Recoil

El Che, I have to echo Rod's advice in sending the press back to LEE. They are very good about standing behind thier products. If you are looking to buy a new turret press look at Redding's T-7 turret press. I really like it and will have one when I get more space in my gun room.

Thanks Tigger for your advice, but I've just seen T-7 turret's price, and it is really too much expensive for me (about 400 US$, which in Italy with the increase of import taxes become 450 €, including a dies set). I think that in the end I'll opt for a single stage press, perhaps RCBS Roch Chucker or Partner (the second more simple and economic, the first more expensive but complete).
So, according to which Recoil have said, after hardly 200 rounds .460 barrel begins already to give problems... but it happens for standard production S&W .460 revolvers only or for S&W PC production (in this case for my 12") too? ... If that were true I would be not at all happy!
Someone of you guys can explain me this fact?
Thank you friens

I don't know, the 460 I sold to tig had somewhere between 200 and 300 rounds through it and the cone still looked fine so I don't know what the answer is, and it may be something you'll only find out from shooting your gun. I can tell you that "if" you have a problem with the gun Smith & Wesson has always stood behind their products and on occasion when I've had to send a gun in I always had it back in a timely fashion. I can also tell you that if it is really worrying you, you can call them up and they'll let you talk to one of their technical people and they've always been very nice and straight talking with me so I would say they would probably give you a straight answer on the forcing cone issue and how big a problem it really has been.

My 460 was the standard configuration so I cannot speak about the PC version. I have a Ruger Redhawk .454 Casull that I have shot over a thousand rounds out of and it looks fine. I believe a lot of things factor into the situation such as bullet selection and powder used. All I know is that my .460 Smith had lots of little grooves carved out in the forcing cone. S&W says that the forcing cone is polished to help alleviate the problem. In my experience the polished cone was no help. Lots of energy attempting to jump the gap between the front of the cylinder and the forcing cone= forcing cone degregation. I do believe that the steel in the Ruger may be better able to withstand the punishment.

Recoil