Buffalo Bore 460 S&W 300gr JFN – Phenomenal High Velocity Load

Description

The Buffalo Bore 460 S&W 300gr JFN sits at the outer edge of what a revolver can do. A 300 grain jacketed flat nose at 2060 fps produces roughly 2826 ft-lbs, which is more muzzle energy than a 308 Winchester, out of a handgun. Twenty rounds per box, item 26A/20.

• Buffalo Bore 460 S&W 300gr JFN Overview
• 460 S&W Magnum Hunting Ammo Ballistics
• Why The 300 Grain Jacketed Flat Nose Bullet Suits This Case
• Specifications
• Range Notes For This High Velocity 460 Revolver Load

Buffalo Bore 460 S&W 300gr JFN Overview

The 460 S&W Magnum is the fastest production revolver cartridge there is. It is a lengthened, higher pressure development of the 454 Casull, itself a lengthened 45 Colt, and a Smith and Wesson Model 460 will chamber all three. That is a genuinely useful piece of flexibility in an expensive gun.

The bullet here is a jacketed flat nose at 300 grains. A flat meplat matters for two reasons: it cuts a full calibre hole rather than sliding through tissue, and it is the profile that guns fed from a magazine tube require.

At 2060 fps the Buffalo Bore 460 S&W 300gr JFN is doing rifle velocities. That has consequences beyond the energy figure, because a bullet arriving that fast behaves differently on impact from the same bullet at handgun speeds.

460 S&W Magnum Hunting Ammo Ballistics

2826 ft-lbs deserves a comparison to land properly. A 30-30 Winchester makes around 1900 ft-lbs, a 308 Winchester about 2600, and a 45-70 in the 1800 to 2000 range depending on the load. This is ahead of all of them, from a revolver.

Trajectory is the other consequence of that velocity. At 2060 fps this shoots flat enough to be genuinely useful past 150 yards with a scoped revolver, which is not something any traditional big bore handgun cartridge can claim.

The cost is recoil, and it is substantial. A Model 460 weighs around four and a half pounds for exactly this reason, and even at that weight a full power 460 S&W Magnum hunting ammo load is not something most people enjoy shooting in quantity.

Why The 300 Grain Jacketed Flat Nose Bullet Suits This Case

A jacketed bullet makes sense here where it would not in a slower big bore. At 2060 fps a soft cast bullet would strip and foul badly, and even a hard cast bullet is being asked to do something outside its comfortable range. A jacket handles the velocity without complaint.

The flat nose is doing real work rather than being a styling choice. Against game, a 300 grain jacketed flat nose bullet cuts a clean full calibre channel where a round nose would push tissue aside. And in any 460 chambered lever gun or single shot fed from a tube, a flat profile is the safe one.

Weight is the deliberate compromise. At 300 grains this is light for the case, which is what allows the 2060 fps. The heavier hard cast loads in the same calibre trade velocity for sectional density and penetration, and which you want depends entirely on the animal.

For deer, hogs, black bear and general hunting at genuine handgun distances, rifle energy handgun ammunition at this velocity is about as much capability as a revolver can offer. For the very largest game, the heavy hard cast loads are the more traditional answer.

Specifications

Range Notes For This High Velocity 460 Revolver Load

Shoot it from sticks or a padded rest, never off a hard bench. Nearly three thousand foot pounds of muzzle energy in a handgun produces recoil that will teach you a flinch very quickly if you concentrate it into your shoulder and cheek.

Keep sessions short and deliberate. This is expensive ammunition and punishing to shoot in volume, so sight in, confirm at your realistic distance, and save the rest for hunting.

Wear proper hearing protection and think about the person next to you. A 460 S&W with a muzzle brake is genuinely one of the loudest things on any range, and doubling up on ear protection is sensible rather than fussy.

Remember your revolver will also chamber 454 Casull and 45 Colt. That is worth knowing for practice, because you can shoot far cheaper and gentler ammunition through the same gun and save the high velocity 460 revolver load for when it matters.

Rifle Energy Handgun Ammunition Availability

This rifle energy handgun ammunition is in stock and ready to ship from MAG5 Firearms, a family owned FFL dealer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Ammunition orders ship to most states, and local customers are welcome to pick up in the shop. If you need case quantities or a heavier 460 load, call us and we will check what our distributors have on hand.

Manufacturer details are on the Buffalo Bore site. For a heavier hard cast bullet in the same calibre, see the 460 S&W 360gr hard cast. Since a 460 revolver also chambers 45 Colt, the 45 Colt 255gr soft cast is a far gentler option for practice. You can also browse our full ammunition selection.