Smith Wesson 460XVR Hunter 14 Inch – Superb Long Range Hunting Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson 460XVR Hunter 14 Inch is the point where a revolver stops pretending to be a handgun. A fourteen inch fluted barrel, a bipod and a Performance Center tuned action turn the 460 S&W Magnum into something closer to a single-shot hunting rifle than to anything you would carry on a belt.

Smith Wesson 460XVR Hunter 14 Inch Fourteen Inches and a Bipod

Velocity is a function of barrel length, and 460 S&W Magnum responds more dramatically to length than almost any other handgun cartridge. Fourteen inches is where the platform produces its absolute best numbers, and the Smith Wesson 460XVR Hunter 14 Inch exists to extract them.

A bipod is the other half of the equation. At the ranges this revolver is capable of, offhand shooting is not the point; a stable rest is what turns theoretical accuracy into a filled tag, and having the bipod fitted rather than improvised means it is always there.

The barrel is fluted, which sheds weight from a very long tube while retaining stiffness and adding surface area for heat dissipation. On a gun this size that is a meaningful difference in how it handles.

What the Performance Center Adds

A hand-tuned action is the headline. On a precision hunting revolver the trigger is what determines whether you can hold a sight picture through the break, and Performance Center fitting produces a considerably better one than a standard gun. The chrome trigger carries a trigger stop, which lets you tune out overtravel entirely.

A muzzle brake is fitted. Between the brake, the enormous barrel length and the sheer mass of the X-Frame, perceived recoil is remarkably low for the power on offer. This is by some margin the most comfortable way to shoot a full-power 460.

It also chambers 454 Casull and 45 Colt. That gives you three cartridges spanning an enormous power range from one gun, which makes practice far cheaper and far more pleasant than shooting full-power 460 exclusively.

The X-Frame is the largest revolver frame Smith and Wesson builds, developed specifically to contain cartridges of this class. Capacity is five rounds, which is what a cylinder this size accommodates with chambers this large.

Shooting and Setting Up the Smith Wesson 460XVR Hunter 14 Inch

An optic is not optional on a revolver like this. The whole point of fourteen inches and a bipod is precision at distance, and iron sights give that away. A long eye relief handgun scope is the traditional answer; pay close attention to eye relief, because a scope mounted too close on a gun producing this much recoil is a mistake you make exactly once.

Set the trigger stop before you do anything else. Back it out, dry fire, and turn it in until the trigger stops moving immediately after the break without preventing the shot. Done properly it removes unwanted motion at exactly the wrong moment, and on a precision hunting revolver that is a free accuracy gain.

Practise with 45 Colt. It is inexpensive, mild and lets you build the trigger control and position work that make a long-range handgun work, without the cost or the recoil of full-power 460. Move up through 454 Casull and confirm your hunting load in small doses from the bipod.

Maintenance Notes

The muzzle brake collects carbon quickly and should be cleaned on a schedule rather than left indefinitely. Keep the threads clean and lightly lubricated so it continues to come off easily when you need to service it.

Firing 45 Colt and 454 Casull through a 460 chamber leaves a carbon ring at the front of the chamber where the shorter case ends. That ring is what eventually prevents longer 460 cases from seating, so scrub the chambers properly rather than assuming a quick pass is enough.

Keep the cylinder face and the forcing cone clean, and check that the ejector rod, the bipod mounting and any optic screws stay tight. Recoil of this magnitude will back out fasteners that would stay put on any other firearm, and a check every time you clean is time well spent.

Smith Wesson 460XVR Hunter 14 Inch Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 170339
• UPC: 022188703399
• Caliber: 460 S&W Magnum; also fires 454 Casull and 45 Colt
• Capacity: 5 rounds
• Barrel: 14 inches, fluted, stainless steel
• Frame: X-Frame, stainless
• Trigger: chrome with trigger stop, Performance Center tuned action
• Hammer: chrome
• Muzzle: muzzle brake
• Included: bipod

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 460XVR Hunter 14 Inch

For handgun hunting at genuine distance there is nothing else quite like this. Flat trajectory, enormous energy, a tuned trigger and a fitted bipod is about as complete a long-range handgun hunting package as has ever been sold as a production gun.

This is not a carry gun and does not pretend to be one. It lives in a case, comes out at a stand or a rest, and goes back in. Anyone expecting to wear it is buying the wrong model.

Ammunition for 460 S&W Magnum is expensive and not stocked everywhere. The ability to shoot 454 Casull and 45 Colt through the same gun is what makes practice affordable and ownership practical.

Who Should Buy It

The Smith Wesson 460XVR Hunter 14 Inch suits dedicated handgun hunters: shooters taking large game at the outer edge of handgun range, anyone who wants maximum ballistic performance from a revolver, and enthusiasts of the most capable production hunting handguns made.

Learn more from Smith and Wesson, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.

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