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Common uses: Hunting, Big Game
| Type | pistol (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 300gr Hornady Custom FTX |
| Muzzle velocity | 1950 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 2534 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.12 |
| Case length | 41.5 mm |
| Overall length | 50.6 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 60000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:18.75" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1950 | 2533 | -1.5 |
| 50 | 1648 | 1808 | 0.8 |
| 100 | 1388 | 1282 | -0.1 |
| 150 | 1184 | 934 | -5.6 |
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own firearm.
The .500 S&W Magnum is best known as one of the most powerful commercially produced handgun cartridges, prized by handgun hunters and enthusiasts who want maximum stopping power in a revolver. Its enormous case capacity and heavy .50-caliber bullets generate energy well beyond conventional magnum revolver rounds, making it capable of ethically taking large and dangerous game at moderate handgun ranges. That performance comes with punishing recoil, muzzle blast, and heavy, expensive ammunition, so it is far more a specialist's tool than a general-purpose sidearm. In practice it sees use for hunting bear, bison, and other heavy game, as well as among shooters drawn to its sheer power. It is chambered almost exclusively in large, purpose-built platforms like the Smith & Wesson X-frame revolver rather than everyday carry guns.
The .500 S&W Magnum was developed by Cor-Bon, led by Peter Pi, in partnership with Smith & Wesson's X-Gun engineering team and introduced in February 2003 at the SHOT Show alongside the Model 500 X-frame revolver built to chamber it. Smith & Wesson set out to reclaim the title of the world's most powerful production handgun cartridge, and the .50-caliber design was engineered to deliver enough energy to take any game animal in North America.
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