I first ran into the big 500 cartridge when JD Jones brought an Encore chambered for the big bore down to SHOW-ME SAFARIS for a go at some cow elk. Right off the bat he told me I couldn't say a word about this round because the folks at Smith & Wesson hadn't announced their new offering just yet. JD's Encore was a straight bull barrel, 12-inches in length with an SSK arrestor brake topped with a Bushnell 2X-6X scope. The load he was using found a Speer 325 grain H.P. leaving the barrel around 1950 fps. We were within fifty yards or so when we finally got a shot to materialize. The big cow was at a very slight angle, almost broadside, when JD sent the Speer slug through the ribs. I don't think the 450 pound elk made it much over thirty yards before dropping stone dead. Back at the skinning pole we found a very large exit wound in the opposite rib cage, big enough to put my fist through. The bullet oddly enough, was lying next to the skin angling into the leg. Later JD told me the retained weight was approximately 290 grains.

I wanted to shoot the big cartridge to get an idea of the recoil it produced. Shooting the lighter 325 grain bullets was not too unpleasant, especially with the added weight of the bull barrel and optics. Shots were kept within fifty yards and accuracy was more than acceptable. Whenever the heavier 440 grain cast bullets were fired, recoil became rather stiff. Keep in mind this round develops approximately 2600 fpe. Definitely something you don't want to shoot all afternoon on the range! If elephants keep getting into your garden and eating your tomato plants, this .50 caliber just may be the ticket. I imagine that the lighter bullet weights would suffice for most North American game including moose.

My next observation with the S & W 500 came a few months later. A group of handgun hunting friends came back to the ranch in pursuit of some big hogs. Using the same Encore and load, I watched Dirk Starck smack a big hog, over three hundred pounds, right in the boiler room. The shot was broadside about 60 yards. Even with the naked eye one could see a visual impact on the entrance with blood gushing out. Obviously, Dirk's pig did not go far. The entrance wound was very large, almost as big as a fist, with the exit wound much smaller. This is not too uncommon especially when you're pushing lighter class bullets to this particular velocity. You can do the same thing with the 45-70 when loaded accordingly. It is confusing to me however when I see the entrance wound considerably larger than the exit channel. Later in the hunt another handgun enthusiast popped a big porker with the 500 producing the same results. The hunters all seemed to enjoy the big cannon, pigs on the other hand, were not so wild about it! Back at the range several handgunners shot both the 325 and 440 grain offerings. Most shooters felt the perceived recoil of the lighter bullets were not punishing them nearly as bad as the larger chunks of lead. The 440 cast bullet will be for special hunting applications.

As I am writing this, I have the big S & W revolver laying next to me. It's a very large wheelgun weighing a whopping 72 ounces empty. Right now I am anxiously awaiting ammo from Cor-Bon. After talking with Peter Pi, owner of Cor-Bon ammo, there will initially be three bullet weights offered, a 275 grain Barnes, 400 soft point and a 440 hard cast, if memory serves me correct. Peter advised he is already working on another 275 grain load at this time and I'm certain more will follow. In mid-July I plan on taking the S & W 500 to Zimbabwe for elephant and cape buffalo. The outfitter already has a handgun permit waiting for me even though it took some effort on his behalf. I hope to take both of these critters with the 440 grain hard cast bullet using open sights. If things work out, I'll take whatever plains game with the 275 grain offering. Hopefully I'll be able to give a more detailed report when I return.

Will this big bore round be widely accepted by handgun hunters? Only time will tell. If bigger is truly better, I'm betting this cartridge will be around for a long time. Now if we can only talk Dirty Harry out of retirement.

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