Smith Wesson 460XVR 8.5 Inch – Superb Hunting Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson 460XVR 8.5 Inch is the Extreme Velocity Revolver, and the name is not marketing. Smith and Wesson built the 460XVR to push a 200 grain bullet past 2,300 feet per second, which makes it the fastest production revolver in the world and one of the most capable handgun hunting tools ever made.

Smith Wesson 460XVR 8.5 Inch What Extreme Velocity Buys You

Most handgun cartridges arc noticeably at range, which is why handgun hunting is traditionally a hundred yard proposition. The Smith Wesson 460XVR 8.5 Inch changes that arithmetic. At 2,330 feet per second with a 200 grain bullet, the trajectory is flat enough that a sight zeroed at 200 yards puts you on target with a centre hold from zero to 250 yards.

That is a genuinely different capability from a 44 Magnum, and it is what the eight and a half inch barrel is for. Velocity is a function of barrel length, and this is the length that lets the cartridge do what it was designed to do.

It is also the most powerful 45 caliber revolver in the world by muzzle energy, at around 2,400 foot pounds. That is rifle territory from a handgun, and it makes the 460XVR suitable for game that would be optimistic with anything else you could hold in two hands.

Compensators and Recoil

The revolver ships with a removable, interchangeable compensator system and two muzzle brakes, so you can match the device to the load you are shooting. That is unusual on a production revolver and it reflects the enormous range of ammunition the 460 platform handles.

Perceived recoil is remarkably low for the power on offer. Between the sheer mass of the X-Frame, the long barrel and the compensator, the 460XVR does not punish the way its numbers suggest it should. It is not mild, but experienced shooters consistently find it far more manageable than the ballistics imply.

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 can accommodate with chambers this large.

A note on versatility that matters: a 460 S&W Magnum revolver will also chamber and fire 454 Casull and 45 Colt. That is 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.

Shooting and Setting Up the Smith Wesson 460XVR 8.5 Inch

Zeroing is where the flat trajectory pays off, and it is worth doing deliberately. Sighting in at 200 yards is what unlocks the centre-hold capability the cartridge is capable of, and it takes a rest, a still day and patience. Once done, the practical hunting envelope of this revolver is larger than most people expect from a handgun.

Most owners will want an optic. A scoped handgun demands attention to eye relief on a gun producing this much recoil, and a long eye relief handgun scope or a red dot are the two sensible answers. Check what mounting options this frame accepts before buying a sight.

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

Maintenance Notes

The compensator and muzzle brakes collect carbon quickly and should be removed and cleaned on a schedule rather than left in place indefinitely. Keep the threads clean and lightly lubricated so the devices continue to come off easily.

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 stays tight. On a revolver producing this much recoil impulse, that check is worth making every time you clean it rather than occasionally.

Smith Wesson 460XVR 8.5 Inch Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 163460
• UPC: 022188634600
• Caliber: 460 S&W Magnum; also fires 454 Casull and 45 Colt
• Capacity: 5 rounds
• Barrel: 8.5 inches, stainless steel
• Frame: X-Frame, stainless
• Muzzle: removable interchangeable compensator, two muzzle brakes included
• Action: double action and single action

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 460XVR 8.5 Inch

For handgun hunting at distance there is very little that competes. Flat trajectory, enormous energy and a production revolver you can buy off a shelf is a rare combination.

This is a large, heavy revolver, and that is inseparable from why it is shootable. It is a hunting and range gun rather than something you carry on a belt all day, and it makes no pretence otherwise.

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 ownership practical rather than an occasional expensive treat.

Who Should Buy It

The Smith Wesson 460XVR 8.5 Inch suits handgun hunters and enthusiasts of the most powerful production revolvers: hunters taking large game at handgun ranges, shooters who want maximum reach from a revolver, and anyone who appreciates the X-Frame platform at its most capable.

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

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