Fellow handgunners...Please tell me what optics will work on a 500 S&W! I have destroyed a Burris Posi-Loc & now a fixed 4x Leopold...both being sent back to manufacturers on monday.

Gun shoots great with open sights...Wont hold zero with optics.

Suggestions from your experience please???

Roger, I would recomend an Ultradot red dot for it. I know I sound like a broken record, but it is one tough optic. I have an Ultradot 30 (currently on my .500 JRH BFR), that has survived thousands of full-tilt .475 LInebaugh loads in my SRH. I have dropped it out of a tree stand not once, but twice and it never lost zero or was adversely effected in any way. It costs about $160.00 shipped and it comes with a lifetime warranty. Very hard to beat.

Whitworth's suggestion is a good one. I have to admit that I'm surprised that you are having so much trouble with optics! The 2X Burris that now resides on this .475 Linebaugh was previously mounted on my .500 S&W and has withstood hundreds of rounds.

My .500 now wears a 2X Leupold and I've sent a couple hundred rounds downrange with it so far without issue.

Good luck getting it all sorted out!

I previously had a 2x leupold on my 500 sw encore and worked fine. Now it wears a bushnell trophy red dot. Only prob had with that was aluminum rings wouldnt hold...so now it has warnes heavy duty rings

Do you have a 3 ring set up for your scope?

On The Heavy Boomers a 3-4 Ring Mount , Preferably
in Steel IS Mandatory.
I Learned That The Hard Way Also.

I have an Ultra-dot mounted on my .500 S & W mag. When I got the gun I had put a PRO-point 3(tasco) on it and was shooting max. load under a 440 gr. flat point.It shattered one of the inside lenses,any way I put my Ultra-dot on the rig and I'm shooting 1270+ with my 440 gr bullets,plenty of power for whitetails and much more mild on myself and the gun.

Guys...

I appreciate the suggestions. I'm gonna keep trying, see what happens.

I have steel warn mounts on this thing too...I don't get it, very frustrating.

Roger

Roger, I have over 1000 heavy 440gr/H110 loads through my S&W 400 topped with a 4x Leupold. It is still accurate and as togehter as it was when it was new. Leupold 2x and 4x on a 500 is all that needed out to 200 yards! I have a 2x on my 15" Encore 500 and just put a JP Enterprises brake on it cuz it was a bear. The scope is till fine after ~300 rounds. I expect it will stay that way for a long time. I use Leuie's on all my heavy kickers. The Leupold 4x on my 16" 416 Rigby is still together too, but I only have about 250 through it. The recoil on that is brutal. Your's must have been a bad one.

My friend in Ohio has 4X leupolds on all of his 500s -- 2 500 S&W and a 50 Alaskan. He also has TSOBs on them. No problem for him. Hope this helps.

Which particular Ultra-dot are you guys using? There are 6 models. Looks like 4 tube style and 2 holo style.

Ultradot 30 -- currently mounted on my .500 JRH.

1 inch tube Ultra-dot/regular red dot

I had an Aimpoint 9000 on my S&W .460 that worked well. Now have a Leupy 2X on my TC .460 and I like it as well, but can actually see a little bit after sundown down. The .500 will definitely require a sight that can handle recoil, and there is no doubting the Aimpoints.

Roger, my Taurus Raging Bull .500 S&W has a 2-6X Bushnell Elite. It's on a T'SOB base by JDJones. Probably 8-900 rounds through it. No problems. Took a brown bear at 129 yards, whitetail at 190 yards, and groundhogs fron 10 yards to 150 yards. Very versitile.
WV Hitman

Hitman,

What bullet are you using in your .500 S&W?

Thanks in advance,

Darrell H

Regardless of the rings you use, this will help.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=227261

It took me several hours of lapping my Ruger stainless rings but what a difference it made. I think I only had maybe 10% clamping power before judging by the initial wear points. Now its close to 100%. Nothing ever changes or works it way loose any more.

As far as the Leupold breaking, thats a rare occurrence. Send it back and they will fix. Then lap the rings to get close to 100% contact for maximum holding power.