Smith and Wesson now has a magazine advertisement claiming that their new 500 Magnum revolver is powerful enough to stop a charging Cape Buffalo.

That makes it easy. I don't have to build a left handed 404 Jeffries now.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
Smith and Wesson now has a magazine advertisement claiming that their new 500 Magnum revolver is powerful enough to stop a charging Cape Buffalo.

That makes it easy. I don't have to build a left handed 404 Jeffries now.

A fine plan, except that very few countries permit the hunting of DG with handguns.

George

I can tell you that the 500 magnum round is ridiculous. My brother was trying to shoot one handed and hit the grass and dirt literally flew up about 20 feet and a strange smoke came out of the ground. Even when I shot my 45-70 revolver at a log it didnt make as much damage as when the 500 hit the dirt.

Personally, I laughed when I saw S&W's advertisement, you have to wonder what they were thinking of when they presented it as an ad campaign.

I know I would love one of these in a lever action. Is their any talk of lever actions coming out in this caliber? Not for buffalo ,but just for a fun gun.

The 500 will stop anything on the planet with the right bullets. If you wait a bit you can buy the new .460 it is a .454 on steroids and them some, with reported "bullistics" greater than the 500. Where this is all leading is by me. The .475 Linebaugh has a proven reputation in the field and it has taken everything on this planet. I think the S&W R&D dept has gone off on a "my guns bigger than your gun hissy fit. Where it will end up is yet to be seen. Charlie

A friend of mine headed to South America to hunt with a S&W rep. using the new .500 round. They did shoot a buffalo (species ???). It was not a one shot kill, I believe there were quite a few rounds pumped into him. The shooting was not poor, but I believe the penetration was a bit to be desired.

cr500

I saw the 500S&W rifle you are looking for at the SHOT Show in January. Unfortunately I can not remember the producer.

It was being made by the same aftermarket mfr. of the Alaska Guide Guns?

Anyway it apparently can be done. Maybe someone else can point you to the maker?

Les

Well, since charging buff hardly blink at a .416, I would have my doubts. I wonder if the sales guy that wrote that would like to be the one to test that theory? I guided a hunter with a .475 on water buff last year. He got it, but it wasn't impressive and lucky we didn't get killed in the process.

Could this .500 round be easily built on a Marlin Lever.................would it be an easier conversion than the 50-110 lever gun I have had done ??

loboga,the biggest thing i have used the .475 on is Brownies, they are not a Cape,Water, Asian or Red by any stretch of the imagiation,but with hard cast bullets of 435 grains at 1325 fps it is an impressive hand gun caliber. We cant expect and aminal of Buff size and tenacity to react the same way as a hit from something like a .470 or larger( was at the range yesterday cranked a few out of the old .470 Merkel and shoulder is still hanging on woopie ). Hand gun hunting is different from banging them with N.E. guns and it will take more time and or rounds to get the job done. As we all know sucess in hunting D.G. its what you hit them with and most importantly where you hit them. Hand guns are cruical in this respect more so than any other gun i can think of.You start off in the hole with lesser velocitys and bullet weight and have to make up for it in accuracy and range. It is an ify proposition at best.I am glad you didnt expire during the festivities and hope you continue to guide us nuts. Charlie

Charles, I agree with you completely. My comment was directed at the S&W ad saying that the .500 was powerful enough to stop a CHARGING buff. There is a very big difference between hunting with a handgun and stopping a charging buffalo. I am sure you will agree.

Perhaps their add man would like to give a deminstration.

loboga i do apologise Old George is very determined indeed when his grapefruit sized brain says charge. I would not want to be the one who tries to stop him with any hand gun. I have had two close ones and both were with rifles one with a .416 (wont do that again) and the other was a .470 (better ). The S&W people need to quantify the term Buffalo. Maybe it was a misprint and it should have been Black Angus Charlie

I hope they enjoy such an endeavor as stopping a cape buffalo with a pistol, just not my cup of tea, I'd get the shakes sure as the world..

A PH I know killed an elephant with a 44 magnum, and from a helicopter at that..but only the pink ones fly so he was safe.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
Personally, I laughed when I saw S&W's advertisement, you have to wonder what they were thinking of when they presented it as an ad campaign.

Let me be honest...
My significant other is a real live ad person on Madison Av. in NYC... here's how it works:

Ad person: What's the most dangerous game there is?
S&W: Cape Buffalo, Why?
Ad person: That's all, you can go now...
S&W: Thank God, you people make me nervous.

And the Ad is created...

I hope some enterprising young lad does not catch a bout of the "dummies" and be the first one ran over, hooked, stomped on, and made into another of Africas dark spots while his mind is saying "but the S&W guy said...." Charlie

I don't think the claims are accurate, but it is a pretty rediculous round. I was at a gun show yesterday and had an opportunity to handle some dummies...wow what a cannon.

I am holding off for S&W to introduce a .577 Howdah revolver with a titanium frame.

At the NRA show in Houston, Wild West Guns, Inc. had one in 500 S&W on their own designed lever action. The one they had is stainless with synthetic stock and is a highly modified Marlin 336 design that is beefed up in the rear part of the action like a Big Bore Winchester 94 and the locking lugs on it come through slots in the top of the action. The safety is built into the hammer which is real trick. They say they will have one in blue and are going to build a larger model for very heavy calibers...they have pictures on their web site......www.wildwestguns.com

hunting with a pistol, if a pistol is allowed in country, is no issue... remember, the guy with the 454 casull has taken all of the dangerous 7 with it


would *I* do it?

as my primary weapon, HELL NO

as a holdout, it's all gone in the tank?

couldn't think of a better one

jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by 500grains:
I am holding off for S&W to introduce a .577 Howdah revolver with a titanium frame.

500 , given enough time they will probably have a .700 Neanderthal with an add tag that reads, " It will nock a speeding locomotive off of its tracks with one shot." Charlie

When I see Mark Sullivan stop one with his new S&W I'll believe it. It's one thing to slip one behind the shoulder and wait 30 minutes. It's a different story when they're 25 yards away giving you "that look".

Here's the WWG Model 04'in the 500 S&W - My order has been placed almost 2 months ago - Delivery should be Aug or Sept.
[url="http://www.hunt101.com/?p=276435&c=500&z=1"] [/url]

Can a Marlin be converted to .500 S&W ??

I saw a guy use one on a water buffalo on a tv show. He put a few rounds into it but the guide had to finish it off with a rifle.

I see no problem with hunting buffalo with a handgun, if you have the presence of mind to save the last shot for yourself!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I see no problem with hunting buffalo with a handgun, if you have the presence of mind to save the last shot for yourself!

Cheers Charlie

Guy and his wife used one not long ago to kill elephants in Botswana, I think it was. It was written up in the SCI magazine, Safari.

Elgin Gates used a S&W M27 in .357 Mag. with armor piercing bullets to kill a cape buff that had treed him once.

But killing is not stopping. They are not the same at all.