Proper loads for the S&W .500

[Ghost101]

First off, what a wonderful site this is.I've spent many nites reading, can't get enough info. Thank you
I.ve loaded up some rounds for my 6.5 in .500. I'm using boolits from Montana bullet works, they are 422 gr. WFN GC Heat Treated, with CCI #200 primers.I would like your ideas on the loadings before I take them to the range. Too high , too low or should be ok. Don't want to blow the gun or my hand up. I load ten rounds each, 5 for the chrono, an 5 for bullet placement on target.
1) 27.7 gr LilGun
2) 28.o gr LilGun
3) 28.5 gr LilGun
4) 29.0 gr LilGun
Am I good to go or do I need to pull the boolit puller out?
One other question I have is for sizer machines. Please remember that I haven't started casting as of yet. Is the Magma Star Sizer the best to buy? An will I be able to use GC's with this machine ? Don't want to buy something an learn later that I should have gotten something else.
I plan on using for now just a cast iron pot an a gas furnace, a dipper an two cavity mould.
Thank You again for the help an for just being here.
Ghost101

A dipper an a two cavity mould.

[tubb_ooh_lard]

howdy there ghost .

i have zero input on the .500

but as to the star .. yea they are the cream of the crop , but for a begining caster you could find better ways to spend your money that is a sizeable investment .

the lee push threw sizers are a great investment , cheap, easy to use and you can have them made in any size you want for about $25

if your mold drops noolits at the proper dia you realy have no need to size .
far as lubeing goes pan lubing is very simple to do

casting equipment , buy a good lead thermometer it will greatly shorten the learning curve , many of us here have been using a burner , pot and ladle for years and years

[Ghost101]

Thanks for your thoughts. I've thought about using one of those buy I would like to make the one purchase. Don't think I would have trouble selling if I got out of casting but will think on it. Thanks for the reply

[subsonic]

I have never loaded for a .500 S&W, nor used much Lil Gun, so I don't know how to answer you. CCI 200 primers? Are those large rifle? I would probably choose large magnum pistol primers. The best place to start is where the book shows the minimum load and do not excede max loads.

As far as sizers, I don't own a star. I've got a lot of Lee sizer dies for my press and a few Lyman or RCBS sizer dies to use in my RCBS LAM II lubrisizer. I *size* in the Lee dies and lube in the lubrisizer. This gives me very "true" boolits that aren't wiped off on one side like you can easily get with the lubrisizer alone.

The Star sizers look like a good deal for a guy shooting a lot of the same boolit, but from what I understand they are a little more tricky to swap over since you have to adjust where the dies lube the boolit by driving lead shot into some of the holes. They are also more picky about what lubes you can use and the dies cost more and are a little harder to come by.
I think they make boolits that are more "true" than the Lyman/RCBS lubrisizers if you're not doing like me and running boolits through the Lee first.

+1 on a simple lead thermometer for a quicker learning curve AND for safety! Most cheap pots can go over 1000deg and that is about where lead starts to vaporize and become very hazardous. Keep your pot below 850*F for safety and I get best casting results with WW metal around 750*F.

[Ghost101]

Again more to think about. I will at some point be casting for 15 different calibers. An setup time can sure take some of the fun out of the process in reloading. Any advise what to look for in a temp. gauge? Thank you for your reply

[ole 5 hole group]

I haven’t gone as low as you’re going with Lil’Gun, as I chronographed 32.0 grains with a 440 grain cast bullet and that flew 1,385fps with a rifle primer and 1,325fps with a WLP primer in a 5” barrel. My primer of choice with my 500 S&W is the WLP. I’ve found Lil’Gun to heat my barrel way more than any other powder, so I stopped using it.

If you ever load AA1680 in that 500 Smith, just make sure you don’t go below their recommended starting load, as you’ll get squibs if you do and some of them act like your hammer fell on a dead primer as there is no noise or recoil (if you’re wearing heavy ear muffs) and dropping the hammer on another fresh round could be a huge mistake.

For reduced loads I found 28 grains of IMR-4227 at 1,010fps and 15.0 grains of HS-6 at 928fps both with WLP’s and 440 grain cast bullets to be accurate.

[subsonic]

I just use the RCBS "meat thermometer" looking thermometer. I think NOE might have a digital one as well as other folks. As long as you know and keep an eye on the temp, any will work that go up to 1000*F.

[Ghost101]

I will give the AA powder a try with my 450gr. boolits. Which I haven't tried out as of yet. Haven't noticed the barrel over heating as I will fire off 5 rounds over my chrono, an then another 5 at the target. I take my time an make notes. Don't have an interest in reduced loads unless they perform the best down range.
Any thoughts on loads for a 500gr. an 600gr. boolit? It's a new toy that I just want to play with for now.

[Flinchrock]

"Don't have an interest in reduced loads"

Something tells me that you might in the future...

I can't help you much on your loads, except to recommend that you go by your books.

[Paulinski]

4759 is excellent powder for the .500 you can't blow your gun with it...

H110 is often used for hot loads.

Many people are saying that Lil'Gun causes flame cutting of the forcing cone as well as heats the gun quick...

I'm sure members with tons more knowledge that me will chime in soon...

More info

[ole 5 hole group]

A 500 grain cast in front of 32.0 grains of IMR-4227 will get you 1,220fps with the WLP primer, 33.0 grains pushes it 1,280fps and 35.0 grains gets 1,335fps. If you want to use Lil'Gun you'll find 27.0 grains will push the 500 grain cast 1,264fps with a rifle primer.

A 600 grain LFN in front of 29.0 grains of Lil'Gun should get you 1,349fps with a rifle primer.

I think you might find staying between 900fps and 1,200fps will give you all you should need for whatever you have in mind - however, if you feel the need for snap & speed playing around with H110 or WW296 will get you there and then some.

[Ghost101]

Thanks once again for the input. I will pay close attention to the LilGun an forcing cone. I have been using Starline brass which is setup for LR primers. Will try a round or two with this brass with LP primer only to see how it ignites. As far as the manuals go, they only list three boolit weights which don't match the weights that I'm reloading. Now my math skills aren't that great, which is why I've come here to ask for help. I try to get out to the range 2 time each week. One day for smaller calibers with many rds. down range. Another for testing. As far as flinch goes, play with a handgun with a flintlock or matchlock. Waite for the Boom, it's never quite the same ignition time, hold, hold, hold. A lot of fun to be had for sure.

[375RUGER]

If your not interested in reduced loads and want to use the lil' gun, then you need to be up around 36.0-37.0g and you'll be getting 1600-1700fps, this for the 400-425g boolits.

600g boolit - 27.0g Lil' Gun

650-700g boolit - 26.0g Lil' Gun

A good reduced load for the 650-700g boolit is 36.7g BLC2

Don't underestimate the reduced loads, a big slow moving boolit hits hard. Speed doesn't necessarily make things better, unless you want a lot of meat damage and a large exit wound.

[gofastman]

the 454, 460 and 500 (Im forgetting a few too, I'm sure) are all designed to use rifle primers

[Ghost101]

375 Ruger;
Very good point about the meat. Now my question is how do any of you come up with these loads. There has to be some kind of equation which I won't understand to get to these figures. I'm here to learn-not to teach. I've reloaded for many years, but have always stay with the books. Now with the cast boolits being outside these figures I'm very lost. Casting is somethimg I really want to get into now that I am retiring an will have the extra time.
Thanks to all once again for the help an understanding

[500MAG]

I agree with Tubb. I would go with the Lee lube & sizer. I cast for the 500 mag and that is what I use. I will tell you, I did have to change from dipping with a ladle to a bottom dispensing melter because the bullet is so large. I cast the 440 grain and use h110. It works for me.

[dnotarianni]

Lil-gun and H110 don't like light loads as you can get fizzles and detonation due to the space in the case. Those 2 powders are best with full house loads and use a glove cause they sting! If loading light loads with those 2 powders use a 410 felt wad to take up the extra space. 1680 is a good powder with most all size heads but I get my best results with unique. 20 grains with a 350 head or 16grains with a 475 head is a comfortable load. Unique also gives me the least deviation over the chrony, normally less then 20fps. Always try for 90% fill of of the case with what ever powder you use. I got 4 pages in my load book with diferent loads and unique is my favorite. If looking for soft loads under 900fps try Trail boss. You can fill the case and never go over 1000fps with a 325 head
Check out this link for great info on the 500.

http://john-ross.net/pdfs/maghist.pdf
Dave

[Ghost101]

Thanks for the web site. I bookmarked it to go to when time permits, like in the morning. I can't believe how dirty my gun was after getting home from the range today. Is LilGun know as a dirty powder. Also noticed some heavy burns on the top strap above the forcing cone. No pitting or rough spots but it took some work to remove. I know I was warned about LittleGun but had already loaded some fifty rds. It had to much of a spread over the chrono. Each round is trickeled. ?? I used 2400 in my .44 mag an Titegroup in my .45 Colt with good performance. Big gun show( for the LA area) this weekend. Hopefully they will have some casting equipment to snap up. I will take some advise from some of you an give the Lee sizer a chance.
I'd like to thank all of you for your help an what a wonderful place this is. I like how everyone treats each other here even when disagreeing.

[dnotarianni]

Lilgun and H110 will cause forcing cone erosion and show some flame cutting after a lot of use. 2400 will work in the 500 but be careful not to double charge. I have used H335 and H322 with good results but had to use a mag primer to light it all off as I had some unburned powder with plain rifle primers

[paul h]

Can't comment on the loads I don't currently shoot a 500 S&W, but I have cast, loaded and shot 1000's of magnum handgun bullets in 44, 45, 475 and .500 and .512. As to the star lube sizer and a two cavity mold being ladle filled, to me that's like a formula one paddle shift transmission mated to a ford flathead engine.

To me the main advantage of the star sizer is the speed at which you can lube and size bullets. If you're casting a 4 cavity mold, or a pair or 2 cavity molds, then consider the star to speed up your production. But if you're not planning on cranking out bullets by the 1000, then I think you'll find that a lyman or rcbs lube sizer works just fine. I've shot cast bullets lube/sized from my old lyman 450 that have outstanding accuracy, both plain base and gas checked. It's wanting to speed up production that has the star on my to buy list.