Undisputed Heavyweight Champion: The .500 Maximum

by
posted on November 16, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
_500maximum_lead.jpg

The .500 Maximum is to hunting revolvers what the big Nitro Express cartridges are to hunting rifles. This is the proverbial big hammer. It features a .511-inch bullet and a 1.6-inch-long case.

Because of its length, the .500 Maximum requires a revolver with a longer-than-standard frame that was produced for little more than a year in the 1980s by Ruger, in a new caliber, the .357 Maximum. Essentially, the .357 Maximum is a lengthened .357 Magnum that was designed for metallic-silhouette warfare. It met with some success, but purported problems with top-strap erosion sidelined the .357 Maximum and the long Ruger revolvers that housed the cartridge. According to available records, roughly 16,000 of these extended-frame revolvers made it to gun shops across the nation.

So, that said, there is a finite supply of these special revolvers. While two other revolver manufacturers offered guns in .357 Maximum (also known as the .357 SuperMag), they are infrequently used in this particular big-caliber conversion. This is a custom proposition only; you will likely have to make your own brass by cutting down available .50 Alaskan brass. Yeah, it sounds like a lot of work, but this is the revolver version of the Hammer of Thor. Like all revolver rounds, on paper it looks relatively meek, but paper ballistics aside, this is one mean round on animal flesh.

Want to read more on handgun hunting? Check out Max Prasac’s articles below:

• The Big Hitters of Handgun Hunting
• 
Hardware: Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk
• 
First Look: .480 Ruger and .454 Casull Ruger Super Blackhawks
• 
South African Safari
• 
Magnum Research BFR Review

■ ■ ■

Max Prasac is the author of the Gun Digest Book of Hunting Revolvers. It’s a fresh take on a pastime that has been practiced for generations, and it’s organized into three main concepts: the principles of handgun hunting, the equipment necessary and the capabilities of several caliber offerings among the selection of hunting handguns available today. Anecdotes and pictures throughout the work detail the use of revolvers in hunting camps around the globe from North America to South America and Africa. $25.49; gundigeststore.com.

Latest

LEDE Thompson Center
LEDE Thompson Center

Thompson/Center Arms Celebrating 60th Anniversary

Thompson/Center Arms is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. Since 1965, T/C Arms has built a legacy rooted in the pioneering spirit of American hunters.

Federal Ammunition Awards 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships

Federal Ammunition recently awarded the 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships to two 4-H shooting sports teen ambassadors: Lucy Evans from Georgia and John Bruner from Pennsylvania.

Head to Head: 7x57mm Mauser vs. .30-06 Springfield

I’ve had more than a few requests for this Head to Head, so I figured it was high time to pit two of the early 20th century’s most popular military cartridges against one another. Let's dive into the 7x57mm Mauser vs. the .30-06 Springfield.

NRA Hunter Education FREE Online Course Now Available in Louisiana

The National Rifle Association of America’s award-winning free Hunter Education online course is now available in the State of Louisiana, the latest addition as NRA works to make the course available to hunters in all 50 states.

Moultrie Updates Line of Game Feeders

Moultrie has expanded the capacity of its line of feeders, and bettered the cameras' integration with the company's connected technology to streamline the feeding process.

Building the Ultimate Elk Bow

Elk are remarkable creatures that dwell in some of the most hellish landscapes on earth. An elk bow needs to be tough, light, and ultra-accurate. Here's how to build the right one for you.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.