I'm working on a 2014 non-trophy elephant hunt using a S&W 500. (Now, before you laugh ...) I've taken an old stink bull giraffe with it, and it was one shot in the neck with a Hornady 500 gr and watch the earth jump as he fell. I'm fairly sure the Smith will do the job with proper bullets.

Now, here's the question. There used to be a company loading 600 & 700 gr bullets in the Smith. They are gone and won't be back. Does anyone know of a supplier of this weight and type of bullet?

No, but any elephant with a handgun is a trophy. Keep us posted.

Give me a day or so to dig it up. George sold all his stuff to 2 others who are making the bullets now. They just bought him out about a month or so ago and should be soon in production.
Steve

A guy who used to make the big bullets goes by the name of Ranger Rick, but I think he quit making them. He posts on the Alaska Outdoor Forum.

Lar45 actually casts and sells bullets and he has some 600 grain .500 bullets as well as the 700 grain Ranger Rick bullet mold. Let me see if I can dig up his contact info as I haven't seen him here for a while.

Just checked and he hasn't been on here since February. I would start with a PM -- Lar45 is his actual handle here and I will try to dig up his contact info.

400 gr. Punch bullets should work fine. 400 gr. casts have taken elephants. Punches penetrate better.

RG Henson
Bullet33@hotmail.com

I used 440 grain punch bullets in my SW .500 on my bison hunt and they all exited like butter. The only bullets I use when hunting big. They should work great on an elephant.

Thanks all. Whit - I'll watch for Lar45. Hunterat heart, I'll wait to hear. I'll check out the punch bullets. I am a member of the "If a little is good, then another 200-300 grains is better" club. That's why I was looking for those heavy bullets.

Apropos of nothing, the 600 gr hard cast lead bullets tend to make my palm hurt. I fired a full cylinder at the range a few years ago and got educated real fast.

Ok, question #2. Given equal opportunity - brain shot, or heart shot? I'm leaning towards a heart shot. My first, and only, elephant was taken with a Searcy 577 Underlever. Missed the brain by inches. Ele went down - got back up! Hmmm, time for another 750 grain kiss.

The person who's going to be most amused by handgunning an elephant is me!

Here is a link to his site:

http://www.lsstuff.com/lsstuff--about-us

There is contact information there. Keep us posted!

Pam Atwood killed an elephant with her 454 Casull. Don't see why the S&W wouldn't work.

poprivit,

I thought that you might be interested in this article.

Best of luck on your upcoming hunt, sounds exciting!

Thanks again. X-C great story. I'm going to contact Rogers ASAP. Whitworth - Maybe I can get an ele hunt article in your next book.

quote:

Originally posted by poprivit:
Whitworth - Maybe I can get an ele hunt article in your next book.

That would be awesome! I look forward to your success and would be honored to include it!

Matt's Bullets has the Ranger Rick molds, and he is making both the 600 and the 700 grain 500 S&W bullets at very reasonable prices. Right now he has a 4 month wait time, so order quickly and be patient.

http://www.mattsbullets.com/

I have the 700 grain bullets and the 440 grain punch bullets and I am like you and like the heavy bullets as well but when I did some penatration testing with the two the punch bullet performed much better and was more accurate as well. I could see the punch bullet going through an elephants skull. Plus the 700 grain bullets don't stablize well.

quote:

Originally posted by steel:
I have the 700 grain bullets and the 440 grain punch bullets and I am like you and like the heavy bullets as well but when I did some penatration testing with the two the punch bullet performed much better and was more accurate as well. I could see the punch bullet going through an elephants skull. Plus the 700 grain bullets don't stablize well.

I completely agree.

Yeah, I've heard that the 700-gr bullets need a long barrel and different rate of twist to stabilize. Doing research on the punch bullets. Looks like the way to go.

Now - which sight? Red dot, or 'scope? My last 500 wore a Bushnell red dot. Very quick and accurate as far as I could see. No magnification. I took the giraffe at 72 paces with it.

I would bet your PH require you to be closer than 72 paces before saying pull the trigger.
If you must have a sight I would go Ultradot. Personally I would use the iron sights.

I'd use iron sights if I wasn't 69 years old, blind as a mole and with the reaction time of seismic events. The giraffe was a loooong pause while I got a good rest. I have it on film and photos. I paced off 72 steps and I walk 2.5 feet per step.

The elephant will have to be close enough to check his deodorant before I press the trigger. And, with both knees having been replaced, I'd better damn well put the bullet where it will rapidly remove the burden of life from the animal. I prefer not to be stomped into a softly-drifting pink mist.

POP

Get a copy of Buzz,s dvd, Zambezi Extreme. Several elephant are harvested on the dvd with the 500 S&W.

Mark

I checked out the dvd. Cost+ $100. A bit expensive for my taste.

Anyone have this video and would sell/rent it?

Pop

Check this site:

http://www.amazon.com/Zambezi-...UTF8&m=AHI9WEWDB9T7A

Only $29.99 plus what shipping you decide.

it's all in the bullet. i would recommend the busters over any hardcast if elephant bone is to be encountered no matter the weight of the bullet.

I've escaped Las vegas for a couple of weeks. Down at Delray Beach, FL. Near Ft Lauderdale. 82 degrees, sunny and the ocean is warm.

I'll check out the above post when I get home.

Thanks to all.

I've had a scope on my 500 - and for this hunt I would go with a dot.
The scope can be slow enough to see that I think you could lose an opportunity because of it.

Tinkerer, I'm thinking a Leupold RD would be the way to go. It shuts off automatically like their illuminated scopes, plus can handle the recoil of Cor-Bon 440s or 420 gr Punch bullets.

"Course, I'm not sure about my wrist taking the bang, but I hear carpal tunnel isn't so bad if you're already old and infirm.

That delta point sight looks nice

For whatever it's worth, that recoil is temporary, and the 440 cor bon isn't so bad anyway.

Have fun and let me know how the leupold rd works for you. I've been thinking of something like that for my 460 rowland 1911

quote:

Originally posted by poprivit:
I've escaped Las vegas for a couple of weeks. Down at Delray Beach, FL. Near Ft Lauderdale. 82 degrees, sunny and the ocean is warm.

I'll check out the above post when I get home.

Thanks to all.

https://cuttingedgebullets.com...tion&key=HGS_500_400

You may find this helpful as well, which explains in detail how solids work, and the factors involved with deep and straight line penetration... While this is all rifle stuff, the principals are exactly the same in handguns.............

http://www.b-mriflesandcartrid...id--FMJ-Bullets.html

Michael

Save for the fact that without the inherent feeding issues of rifles, we can get away with a lot more meplat. My one and only complaint about the CEB solids is that the meplats are on the small side. That said, they are works of art.

quote:

Save for the fact that without the inherent feeding issues of rifles, we can get away with a lot more meplat. My one and only complaint about the CEB solids is that the meplats are on the small side. That said, they are works of art.

Yeah, I know. Have had several conversations with JWP about the same thing. However, in this particular circumstance, where I see depth of penetration the major issue, then I think 67% is just perfect, FOR THIS MISSION.......... As we both know and understand, the larger the meplat, the less depth of penetration we get, but the more trauma inflicted. Anything 65% meplat and larger of course gives dead straight penetration............

M