I was perfectly happy with my .454s but picked up this barrel (15") in a trade a while back. My only experience with the .500 was firing a couple rounds in a S&W revolver a few years back. I have never cared for their revolver so the .500 bug didn't bite me. I finally made it to the range today and I'm very impressed. Using a 385 gr Remington bullet loaded a half grain over Hodgdons minimum charge I chronied the load at 1705 fps. Its very accurate with this load so I doubt I'll mess with it. After sighting in I destroyed a few mik jugs and was even more impressed with what this round did to them. Looking at the ballistics this should have more energy at 225 yards than my .454s have at the muzzle. I can't wait to hunt with it. I was a little slow to catch on to the .500 but I'm glad I finally did!

Does it bite on both ends?

There is a little bite to it but its not that bad with Pachmayr grips. I was shooting a 375JDJ with 270 gr Hornadys before switching barrels. The .500 definitely had more recoil. I shot 20 rounds off the bench and a couple offhand. I would have kept shooting if I had loaded more ammo.

pab1,

Pump it up a little & put some old tracers (out of 50 BMGs) in it. It will buck some then. Those are like 600 or 700 grs. A good brake is very helpful. I shot one with that kind of load & no brake. Did not shoot it the second time. LOL

pab1,

This morning I began "second guessing" my memory & the above post. It was a couple of years ago and we were shooting my friend's 500 S&Ws and his 50 AK. It may have been the 50 AK that was loaded with the tracers. Evenso, he is known for loading everything with plenty of powder and lead. Thus, all of the loads were heavy. I do recall plainly that the Encore without a brake (in 500 S&W) was a handful. His other with a brake & his BFR were not bad.

I'm pretty sure my .500 S&W barrel would not let me seat the .50 BMG bullets. I don't think I'd be shooting a .50 AK loaded that hot a second time either.

Correct me if I am wrong but aren't the .50 BMG bullets of the incorrect diameter for a .500 S&W barrel?

I have never looked into them but I just checked and they are .510" diameter.

As .510 projectiles, you can shoot them in the 50 Alaskan, as wtroper posted in his later post. I was researching the cartridge a week or so ago when I was considering buying a friends 50 AK barrel. In a rare moment of self-restraint, I passed on a "good deal"

My wrist and my flinch now thank me!

Im feelin like a real wus now,I shot one in a Handi rifle a couple of times and had to sit there and wonder what the h**l just happened after I touched it off.

I prefer shooting rounds like the .500 S&W in a handgun. I think your arms absorb a lot of the recoil. When shooting big bore rounds (or any round with significant recoil) in a rifle, the energy is directed into your shoulder/body. Thats magnified with a light rifle like the Handi-Rifle. I don't know if thats the same for everyone but it makes sense to me.

You are correct sir.

I tried John Taffins load of 10 gr. of Unique and it chrono's 1270+f.p.s. out of my barrel with a Lee 440 WFN,this is a very pleasant load but still enough power for deer,my wife and I took two deer last season with it .The new Lyman Cast Bullet Manual starts with 12 gr.of Unique and goes up to 17.?I tried the full power load with H110 and even though I can handle it it really slaps your hand pretty good,plus it wrecked a Tasco Pro point red dot,blowing one of the inside lenses apart,now she wears an Ultra-dot!