Buffalo Bore 500 S&W 375gr Barnes XPB – Colossal Big Game Load

Description

The Buffalo Bore 500 S&W 375gr Barnes XPB is about as much as a handgun cartridge can reasonably be asked to do. A 375 grain solid copper bullet at 1800 fps produces roughly 2697 ft-lbs, which is more muzzle energy than a 30-30 rifle. One compatibility note before you order: it is safe in any 500 S&W chambered firearm except guns fed from a tube magazine, which need a flat nose bullet. Twenty rounds per box, item 18D/20.

• Buffalo Bore 500 S&W 375gr Barnes XPB Overview
• 500 S&W Magnum Hunting Ammo Ballistics
• Why The 375 Grain XPB Copper Bullet Drives Through
• Specifications
• Safety Notes For This Lead Free 500 Smith And Wesson Load

Buffalo Bore 500 S&W 375gr Barnes XPB Overview

The projectile is a Barnes XPB, turned from solid copper with a deep hollow nose and no lead core. It opens into copper petals and keeps essentially all of its weight, which is what lets a 375 grain bullet penetrate like the 500 and 700 grain hard cast loads this calibre is usually associated with.

At 375 grains it is light for the 500 S&W, and that is deliberate. The lighter bullet buys velocity, and velocity buys a flatter trajectory and more reliable expansion. Buffalo Bore describes it as flying very flat and penetrating very deep, which is an unusual combination to get in one bullet.

They also load the Buffalo Bore 500 S&W 375gr Barnes XPB with a flash suppressed powder. That is more relevant than it sounds even in a hunting load, because a 500 S&W fired at last light produces a genuinely spectacular fireball with conventional powder.

500 S&W Magnum Hunting Ammo Ballistics

Buffalo Bore chronographs in real guns. They list 1816 fps from a nine inch barrelled 500 S&W X frame, slightly ahead of the nominal 1800, which is roughly 2746 ft-lbs at the muzzle.

Put that in perspective. A 30-30 Winchester with a 150 grain bullet makes about 1900 ft-lbs and a 308 Winchester around 2600. This 500 S&W Magnum hunting ammo is producing more than either from a revolver, and it is doing it with a half inch bullet.

Trajectory is the part that surprises people. At 1800 fps a 375 grain bullet is flat enough to be useful past a hundred yards, which is not true of the heavy hard cast loads that dominate this calibre. If you shoot a scoped X frame, that difference is worth having.

Why The 375 Grain XPB Copper Bullet Drives Through

The 500 S&W has always had a split between two philosophies. Heavy hard cast bullets, 440 to 700 grains, that do not expand and simply bore straight through anything. Or lighter expanding bullets that open wide but historically gave up depth when they did.

Solid copper collapses that choice. A 375 grain XPB copper bullet expands into petals and then keeps essentially all of its weight behind that expanded nose, so it does both jobs at once. You get a wound channel considerably wider than a half inch and penetration that still reaches the far shoulder.

Buffalo Bore aims this 500 S&W Magnum hunting ammo at the largest game, bison and cape buffalo included, and the energy figure supports that. For a North American hunter it comfortably covers elk, moose, big hogs and coastal brown bear at handgun distances.

There is a practical benefit to the lack of lead too. Non toxic requirements are spreading across public land and a few states, and a lead free 500 Smith and Wesson load lets you hunt those units without stepping down to something less capable.

Specifications

Safety Notes For This Lead Free 500 Smith And Wesson Load

The tube magazine restriction is the one hard rule. A pointed or hollow nosed bullet stacked nose to primer in a tube magazine is a safety problem, so if your 500 S&W is a lever gun with a tube, use a flat nose load instead. Revolvers and single shots are fine.

Practise in short sessions. Deep penetrating big bore revolver ammunition at this level punishes the shooter as much as the target, and fatigue produces flinch faster than anything else. Sight in, confirm, and stop.

Use a proper rest and a good grip, not a hard bench. A 500 S&W fired badly off a bench will hurt you and teach you nothing. Sticks, a bag, or a padded rest with a firm two handed hold is the way to shoot it.

Confirm your zero with this exact load. A 375 grain XPB copper bullet at 1800 fps shoots far flatter than the 440 and 500 grain hard cast loads most 500 S&W shooters sight in with, so the point of impact will be different and you want to know where.

Deep Penetrating Big Bore Revolver Ammunition Availability

This deep penetrating big bore revolver 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 500 S&W load, call us and we will check what our distributors have on hand.

Manufacturer details are on the Buffalo Bore site. For big bore performance in a smaller package, compare the 45 Colt +P 225gr Barnes XPB or the 44 Special 255gr hard cast SWC, or browse our full ammunition selection.