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The .460 S&W Magnum
The .460 S&W Magnum round is a powerful revolver cartridge designed for long-range handgun hunting in the Smith & Wesson Model 460 revolver. It is also the most versatile big bore revolver being able to fire four standardized cartridges, as well as lesser known rimmed and straight-wall cartridges of .45 caliber that predate the .45 Colt.
The .460 S&W round is a lengthened, more powerful version of the popular .454 Casull, itself a longer and more powerful version of the .45 Colt. For this reason, the .460 S&W Magnum could be considered an example of a "super magnum". Consequently, firearms that fire .460 S&W are usually capable of firing the less powerful .454 Casull, .45 Colt, and .45 Schofield rounds, but this must be verified with each firearm's manufacturer.
For instance, some lever-action firearms are designed to handle cartridges within a certain length and bullet profile range. The reverse, however, does not apply: .45 Schofield, .45 Colt, and .454 Casull handguns generally cannot safely fire .460 S&W rounds — nor can they even chamber the .460 S&W because of the longer case length.
Left to right: .460 S&W Magnum,, .454 Casull, .44 Magnum, .45 acp, .22lr.
The .460 Smith and Wesson Magnum is built to handle both long-range hunting and Dangerous Game hunting and defensive performance. Smith & Wesson says that the .460 S&W is the highest velocity revolver cartridge in the world, firing bullets at up to 2,409 feet per second (734 m/s). The .460 cartridge achieves high velocities by operating at chamber pressures (65,000 psi max) normally reserved for magnum rifle cartridges.
The recoil when shooting .45 Colt ammunition out of the S&W .460 firearm is comparable to recoil from a 9mm or .380 load, due to the weight of the gun and lower chamber pressures. Since firearms chambered in .460 S&W magnum can also fire cartridges of dissimilar trajectories, such as .45 Colt, S&W provides an extra additional rear sight with the gun to compensate for bullet drop down range, depending on the user's load and shooting applications.
With Buffalo Bore's loadings, the .460 S&W can achieve 2,826 ft⋅lb of energy by driving a 300 grain .452 caliber bullet at 2,060 fps and 2,860 ft⋅lb of energy by driving a heavier 360 grain .452 caliber bullet at 1,900 fps.
For comparison, Hornadys' 9249 load for the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge offers slightly more energy at the muzzle, achieving 2,868 ft⋅lb by driving a 300 grain FTX bullet at 2,075 fps. Buffalo Bore's loading for the cartridge offers much less energy at the muzzle, achieving only 2,579 fps by driving a 440 grain .500 caliber bullet at 1,625 fps.
The .460 S&W Magnum round is a powerful revolver cartridge designed for long-range handgun hunting in the Smith & Wesson Model 460 revolver. It is also the most versatile big bore revolver being able to fire four standardized cartridges, as well as lesser known rimmed and straight-wall cartridges of .45 caliber that predate the .45 Colt.
The .460 S&W round is a lengthened, more powerful version of the popular .454 Casull, itself a longer and more powerful version of the .45 Colt. For this reason, the .460 S&W Magnum could be considered an example of a "super magnum". Consequently, firearms that fire .460 S&W are usually capable of firing the less powerful .454 Casull, .45 Colt, and .45 Schofield rounds, but this must be verified with each firearm's manufacturer.
For instance, some lever-action firearms are designed to handle cartridges within a certain length and bullet profile range. The reverse, however, does not apply: .45 Schofield, .45 Colt, and .454 Casull handguns generally cannot safely fire .460 S&W rounds — nor can they even chamber the .460 S&W because of the longer case length.
Left to right: .460 S&W Magnum,, .454 Casull, .44 Magnum, .45 acp, .22lr.
The .460 Smith and Wesson Magnum is built to handle both long-range hunting and Dangerous Game hunting and defensive performance. Smith & Wesson says that the .460 S&W is the highest velocity revolver cartridge in the world, firing bullets at up to 2,409 feet per second (734 m/s). The .460 cartridge achieves high velocities by operating at chamber pressures (65,000 psi max) normally reserved for magnum rifle cartridges.
The recoil when shooting .45 Colt ammunition out of the S&W .460 firearm is comparable to recoil from a 9mm or .380 load, due to the weight of the gun and lower chamber pressures. Since firearms chambered in .460 S&W magnum can also fire cartridges of dissimilar trajectories, such as .45 Colt, S&W provides an extra additional rear sight with the gun to compensate for bullet drop down range, depending on the user's load and shooting applications.
With Buffalo Bore's loadings, the .460 S&W can achieve 2,826 ft⋅lb of energy by driving a 300 grain .452 caliber bullet at 2,060 fps and 2,860 ft⋅lb of energy by driving a heavier 360 grain .452 caliber bullet at 1,900 fps.
For comparison, Hornadys' 9249 load for the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge offers slightly more energy at the muzzle, achieving 2,868 ft⋅lb by driving a 300 grain FTX bullet at 2,075 fps. Buffalo Bore's loading for the cartridge offers much less energy at the muzzle, achieving only 2,579 fps by driving a 440 grain .500 caliber bullet at 1,625 fps.
