Viability of the Big Horn Armory Model 89 in .500 S&W (22" Barrel) for Cape Buffalo?

[Red Leg]

I dont know why. If you get into any dangerous field of work you know the risk you are taking on.

And the risk for hunting dangerous game by non standard equipment is it really as high as the risk of a bad shot by someone over guned because there going after something dangerous?

I knew a old bear hunter that would rather you bringing a 243 and put the bullets where they needed to go than a 338 mag.

He singled out the 338 because of the number of them that showed up brand new .

Truth. On my trips to africa ive still yet to see someone shoot large double well. On my first safari the assistant ph couldnt shut up on the lack of capability of my FA 454 and my buff went down with one well placed shot with a 325 aframe at 1600 fps. Pit a finisher in at 5 yds as it was lying on the ground. The next hunter up couldnt shoot his 458 lott well shot too far back and the goat rodeo started 6 hrs and 7 more shots it finally ended. When people say placement is key, there is no but…… after that statement.

I wouldn't argue at all. My whole point is that as a client we really only have a single responsibility - put that first shot in exactly the right spot with a projectile capable of delivering a lethal wound. Do that and everyone gets to sit around the fire saluting us for bravely cheating death. Screw up that first shot with a stick, a pistol, a .416 or a double and the odds of someone getting hurt or worse go up significantly. Because PH's are responsible for their clients, the more likely victim will be him or the tracker (who typically has no vote at all).

I have often noted here my now old friend and PH in Mozambique, and former Rhodesian light infantryman, says the only thing that truly frightens him is a client showing up for his first buffalo with his brand new double rifle. He will not guide a bow hunter. Of course, Mozambique doesn't really offer opportunities to pot a bull at a waterhole or feeding station.

The best favor a first time buffalo hunter can do for himself and his eventual PH and tracker is to use a firearm that is the easiest transition from his or her favorite deer rifle. A scoped .375 fits that definition perfectly for most people.

 

[DaBill]

True and I can assure you from personal experience with lever guns on DG that when you get anywhere near those velocities, the gun wants to come apart. I have sheared many screws from mag tubes and crushed a lot of springs trying to get there with lots of input from Ashley Emerson and others who understand it far better than I do. It's just not viable for very long. And in the light lever guns, it's punishing recoil that really slows reloading down. There is a big vertical lift with a lot of sideways torque. It can also pop the lever open on recoil...think about that...the action is opening itself.

The rifles that you have had come apart were they the Big Horn Armory Model 89 or other brands? Were they purpose built for those high velocity rounds? I just trying to understand if the failure was due to a rifle being pushed past its designed limits or if its just not possible for any lever action to handle higher pressure higher velocity rounds. The model 89 is 8.2 pounds (22in Barrel) so it seems like there enough mass there. I read on there website it was purpose built for the 500 S&W caliber. I suppose it's possible that engineering wise the lever action is too weak to deal with magnum pressures. What do you think?

 

[Green Chile]

My experiences were with Marlin guide guns heavily modified. I exceeded the design’s intended specifications and that was a risk. I have a Bighorn Armory 500 S&W but haven’t used it in Africa. It has been good on large black bears and would be fine on some DG like cats. My days of leverguns on ele are over though. I just feel more confident and responsible on buff and ele with .416 and up ballistics. I’ve done it with .375s but that is the ground floor for me.

 

[HankBuck]

Hi all,

I’m new to dangerous game hunting and have not yet been to Africa, but I’ve been doing quite a bit of research and would like to start a friendly and informed discussion.

One rifle that’s caught my attention is the Big Horn Armory Model 89 lever-action, chambered in .500 S&W Magnum, particularly with the 22-inch barrel. I’m curious what those with actual Cape buffalo hunting experience — especially PHs and seasoned hunters — think about this rifle and cartridge combination in real-world terms.

I’m not claiming it’s ideal, but I do think it deserves a look — and I’d appreciate hearing opinions on whether this setup has legitimate potential or clear limitations.

All data below assumes modern handloads in the Big Horn Armory Model 89 (22" barrel):

Bullet	Weight	Velocity (fps)	Energy (ft-lbs)	Source
Hardcast WFNGC	500 gr	~2,150–2,200	~5,100–5,375	Buffalo Bore, Cutting Edge, chronographed field reports
Monolithic Solid	500 gr (e.g., Cutting Edge Safari Raptor, Punch bullet)	~2,150 fps	~5,135 ft-lbs	Owner reports & field data (BHA forums, chronographs)

Penetration reports with flat-nose solids and monolithics indicate 30–40+ inches in gel and wet pack, with clean straight-line performance at velocities >2,100 fps. Some reports claim through-and-through on heavy game at close range.

One major consideration is that the Model 89 is a smooth, fast lever-action — offering:

• 5+1 round capacity (some users report up to 6+1 depending on cartridge OAL)
• Fast, instinctive cycling (comparable to or faster than some bolt-actions)
• Compact overall length for brush or backup roles

This puts it in an interesting position: more capacity than a double, faster than most bolt-actions under pressure, and still packing serious weight and energy.

Discussion Points I'd Love Feedback On​

• Has anyone here seen or guided a Cape buffalo hunt using the Model 89 or similar large-caliber lever-action?
• How would you compare its real-world performance (within 50–75 yards) to more traditional .375 H&H or .470 NE setups?
• With the right bullet (e.g., 500 gr Punch or Safari Raptor), does this qualify as a legitimate dangerous game option in your view?
• What would you personally consider the minimum bullet construction and performance for such a rifle to be acceptable?
• Does the fast follow-up and 6-shot capacity offer a practical advantage — or is it outweighed by concerns about trajectory, penetration, or platform strength?

Again, I’m here to learn, not to argue. This isn’t about trying to “prove” anything — I’m just exploring realistic, field-proven alternatives to classic DG rifles, especially those that offer something different (like lever-action speed and familiarity for North American hunters).

Thanks in advance to those who’ve “been there and done that.” I greatly value your insight.

---

@DaBill - you certainly framed out your Question “Clearly” as well as your intent to “Learn” —- very well done. Hopefully this thread stays on your intended track.

 

[michael458]

Those velocities are very generous compared to buffalo bores published speeds, which are 1,650ish from what I see at a glance.

I think a 500gr .5" bullet over 2,000 fps is poison for anything that walks but I'm skeptical of reports of that much speed from such a short case.

I personally do not believe that you can run a 500 gr .500 caliber bullet in the 500 S&W to 2000+. There is not enough case capacity, nor suitable powder to achieve that velocity, in that case. 400 gr, Yes.........
And here is why I have that opinion;

Michael458 has done considerable testing including field testing with a variety of cartridges of his creation. I believe his 50 B&M Super Short is very similar ballistically to the 500 S&W Magnum and it was used very successfully in Australia on multiple water Buffalo using CEB solids & Raptors, 375 grain North Fork solids and expanding. He likes the performance of these 375 grain bullets.

The 50 B&M Super Short is very near identical to the 500 S&W cartridge. 50 B&M SS is a cut/trimmed WSM case to 1.650 and the S&W case is 1.625, so the 50 B&M case is slightly bigger, 69 gr of water capacity, S&W at 65 gr. This is important in the following information.

50 B&M SS is designed for the WSSM M70 action. And can handle 65000 PSI without issue. The rifles have 16 inch barrels. In .500 caliber, there is a lot of interior burning cubic inches. This makes .500 pretty efficient using appropriate powders. In my research here these cases have a very narrow window of the type powder that is efficient. In the beginning WW 296 was top end, until I tried LilGun. Lilgun edges out WW 296 by just a smidge, with slightly more velocity at lower pressures. But just by a smidge. Going with a slower powder on the scale you run into case capacity before reaching optimum velocity. Going faster you reach Pressure limits before getting to optimum velocity. A very narrow window.

I also have the capability of running Pressures here as well. I tested the 500 gr Hornady FN Soft many years ago in the 50 B&M SS. I was able to get 1777 fps with 39/LilGun at 64500 PSI. 40/WW 296 ran 1715 fps at 60000 PSI, I did not go any further with it, could have probably made 1750 fps with WW 296 without going over 65000 PSI, but I did not see a point in it.

To claim 2000-2150 fps with a 500 gr .500 caliber in the S&W Case, which is smaller than the B&M just does not add up to me, even at 22 inch barrel. I am pretty sure there is no way you would gain that much velocity in 6 inches extra barrel. Remember inside Cubic Inch Burn? You don't gain 40-50 fps per inch with these powders. If you gain anything at all, which is also a little doubtful, then it would be between 10 fps and 20 fps per inch at the most.

400 gr bullets we can get 2050 to almost 2100 fps in the 16 inch B&M version without going over 65000 PSI. You might get to 2150 with a 400 with the 22 inches....... or close, Maybe..........

Now, can the Big Horn handle 65000 PSI? I really don't know, but honestly I would suspect it might. Reason being, I had contact with the owner of Big Horn before his lever action was ready for market, they were still design and making....... Very nice fellow, and seemed to be very serious about the Big Horn being what they claim it to be today, and I do not doubt it is very Top Of The Line. I suspect he built a lot of strength in the action. He was very interested in my 50 B&M Alaskan, also a lever cartridge based off the .510 Alaskan, just squeezed down to .500 caliber. This cartridge can be done on the 1895 Marlins and the Winchester/Browning M71s. I can tell you this for sure on these guns, the 1895 Marlin can handle 45000 PSI before running into issues, and I think you can run 50000 PSI or so in the M71s. The Alaskan case is much bigger, 2.1 inches and 85 gr water capacity.

Regardless of the above, it is really a moot point. You don't need a 500 gr .500 caliber bullet to conduct business on DG in the field. If you use proper designed bullet tech, then you can rule the world. I needed proper bullet tech for all the B&M cartridges, but in particular the various .500 caliber cartridges. At the time I started this, there was only S&W Handgun bullets available. I needed something much more substantial to do things I wanted to do, so we went to work.

For buffalo +, I really like for a bullet to start out at 2100 +. I was coming up just a little short with 400s in the 16 inch 50BM SS..... I dropped to 375 gr for the Solids, in both CEB and North Fork. CEB made a Raptor from the 375 Solid at 335 gr. North Fork made a matching 375 gr Expanding CPS for me. These bullets would prove their worth in the field, and turn this cartridge into a serious hammer, even with its tiny size compared to anything else...... overall 36 inches total, and 6.25 lbs without scope. 375 Solids from 2150-2200 fps running a modest 60000-62000 PSI, same with the 375 North Fork Expanding CPS and we could bump up the 335 Raptor to 2225-2250 fps.

In 2012 I took the entire family Down Under to do some shooting with Paul Truccolo. My best friend Sam Rose was along as well, he was testing some new CEB bullets for his 500 NE guns. My Son Matthew had his 50 B&M Super Short, loaded with CEBs and North Forks. Mark David had his 475 B&M Super Short loaded also with CEB and North Forks designed for his 475 SS at .474 caliber, they came in at 350 and 375 as well. Sam was shooting a new 475 Raptor and 510 Solid from CEB in his 500 NE.

The boys really put on a show. Sam and Paul both watched intensily as Matthew worked the little 50 SS with ease, both made the comments that it was just as effective on buffalo as Sam's 500 NE! They said, not me, but it was getting the buffalo's attention in a very serious way. None of the Solids were recovered, they all burned .500 caliber holes through and through. Mostly broadside and very angled shots, I don't know of any rear to front or front to rear that the boys did. Some Raptor bases were recovered from broadside shots.......

This is a 325 Raptor .474 from the 475 Super Short;

Matthew slammed this big body tank of a bull with his 50 Super Short..... two North Fork Expanding CPS, angled shots...... both recovered see below, and 1 375 North Fork Solid from severe angle forward that exited..........

Matthew shot 20 or so buffalo on this trip with the 50 SS, it was a solid hammer on buffalo without any doubt at all. This was observed by 3 very experienced individuals. In addition, the .474 caliber SS did just as good. 20 or so buffalo for Mark David, and he never came up "Short" at all either. Mark David would go on later to take elephant with his 475 B&M SS with a 350 CEB Solid at 2200 fps, side brain at 10 steps, done and over, and exited far side..........

So can the Big Horn Armory in 500 S&W stand the test of Big Dangerous Game? Oh yes without any doubt, but you need to use proper bullet tech. As far as that goes, it don't matter if you use a 500 NE, you still have to have proper bullet tech! If you do not have the right bullets, you will fail regardless of the cartridge or rifle.

I have taken the notion several times that I wanted a Big Horn 500 S&W...... but with the 50 Super Short in the Bolt gun, and my own 50 B&M Alaskan lever guns, I can't really justify it, and it won't do anything that what I have already won't do........ But they are super nice and I believe they are top notch first class firearms and would be damn hard to beat.......... Well done Big Horn.

 

[HankBuck]

Archery tackle (long bow, compound or crossbow), handgun and lever cartridges each carry a greater risk for any number of reasons.

I also wouldn't stop anyone from engaging in a form of hunting as long as it is legal. But just because it's legal, doesn't mean it's a good idea. This includes the PH who takes on the responsibility of someone wanting to do this.

The risks are high enough when using "proper" rifle cartridges on DG.

@BeeMaa - I think you point out something important - it is “the PH who takes on the responsibility”. If the PH knows what you are shooting on the hunt and accepts it - He is the “Expert” and He made a decision knowing the risks. So many Hunters & PH’s have been injured or killed during hunts for DG where “traditional & proven” DG guns were used that there is No “Safe” DG hunt. I would trust the PH to determine what he is comfortable with and accept he might tell you NOT to shoot during certain opportunities he deems “too risky” because of your weapon of choice — you might Not get your target animal because of these limitations…..or the PH may put extra bullets into that animal to insure safety for All. I would Always have a very detailed discussion with the PH well in advance of booking the hunt so that All is Clear to everyone involved.
For Me, I would Not try to “improve” on traditional calibers - what’s worked well and consistently in the past is good enough for Me. Using a .500 S&W is nothing like using a Bow - No extra “skill” is needed but to some the Rifle might be very special or it is just their “want” and I respect that —- let the PH Decide what is Safe & acceptable.

 

[HankBuck]

I personally do not believe that you can run a 500 gr .500 caliber bullet in the 500 S&W to 2000+. There is not enough case capacity, nor suitable powder to achieve that velocity, in that case. 400 gr, Yes.........
And here is why I have that opinion;


The 50 B&M Super Short is very near identical to the 500 S&W cartridge. 50 B&M SS is a cut/trimmed WSM case to 1.650 and the S&W case is 1.625, so the 50 B&M case is slightly bigger, 69 gr of water capacity, S&W at 65 gr. This is important in the following information.

50 B&M SS is designed for the WSSM M70 action. And can handle 65000 PSI without issue. The rifles have 16 inch barrels. In .500 caliber, there is a lot of interior burning cubic inches. This makes .500 pretty efficient using appropriate powders. In my research here these cases have a very narrow window of the type powder that is efficient. In the beginning WW 296 was top end, until I tried LilGun. Lilgun edges out WW 296 by just a smidge, with slightly more velocity at lower pressures. But just by a smidge. Going with a slower powder on the scale you run into case capacity before reaching optimum velocity. Going faster you reach Pressure limits before getting to optimum velocity. A very narrow window.

I also have the capability of running Pressures here as well. I tested the 500 gr Hornady FN Soft many years ago in the 50 B&M SS. I was able to get 1777 fps with 39/LilGun at 64500 PSI. 40/WW 296 ran 1715 fps at 60000 PSI, I did not go any further with it, could have probably made 1750 fps with WW 296 without going over 65000 PSI, but I did not see a point in it.

To claim 2000-2150 fps with a 500 gr .500 caliber in the S&W Case, which is smaller than the B&M just does not add up to me, even at 22 inch barrel. I am pretty sure there is no way you would gain that much velocity in 6 inches extra barrel. Remember inside Cubic Inch Burn? You don't gain 40-50 fps per inch with these powders. If you gain anything at all, which is also a little doubtful, then it would be between 10 fps and 20 fps per inch at the most.

400 gr bullets we can get 2050 to almost 2100 fps in the 16 inch B&M version without going over 65000 PSI. You might get to 2150 with a 400 with the 22 inches....... or close, Maybe..........

Now, can the Big Horn handle 65000 PSI? I really don't know, but honestly I would suspect it might. Reason being, I had contact with the owner of Big Horn before his lever action was ready for market, they were still design and making....... Very nice fellow, and seemed to be very serious about the Big Horn being what they claim it to be today, and I do not doubt it is very Top Of The Line. I suspect he built a lot of strength in the action. He was very interested in my 50 B&M Alaskan, also a lever cartridge based off the .510 Alaskan, just squeezed down to .500 caliber. This cartridge can be done on the 1895 Marlins and the Winchester/Browning M71s. I can tell you this for sure on these guns, the 1895 Marlin can handle 45000 PSI before running into issues, and I think you can run 50000 PSI or so in the M71s. The Alaskan case is much bigger, 2.1 inches and 85 gr water capacity.

Regardless of the above, it is really a moot point. You don't need a 500 gr .500 caliber bullet to conduct business on DG in the field. If you use proper designed bullet tech, then you can rule the world. I needed proper bullet tech for all the B&M cartridges, but in particular the various .500 caliber cartridges. At the time I started this, there was only S&W Handgun bullets available. I needed something much more substantial to do things I wanted to do, so we went to work.

For buffalo +, I really like for a bullet to start out at 2100 +. I was coming up just a little short with 400s in the 16 inch 50BM SS..... I dropped to 375 gr for the Solids, in both CEB and North Fork. CEB made a Raptor from the 375 Solid at 335 gr. North Fork made a matching 375 gr Expanding CPS for me. These bullets would prove their worth in the field, and turn this cartridge into a serious hammer, even with its tiny size compared to anything else...... overall 36 inches total, and 6.25 lbs without scope. 375 Solids from 2150-2200 fps running a modest 60000-62000 PSI, same with the 375 North Fork Expanding CPS and we could bump up the 335 Raptor to 2225-2250 fps.

In 2012 I took the entire family Down Under to do some shooting with Paul Truccolo. My best friend Sam Rose was along as well, he was testing some new CEB bullets for his 500 NE guns. My Son Matthew had his 50 B&M Super Short, loaded with CEBs and North Forks. Mark David had his 475 B&M Super Short loaded also with CEB and North Forks designed for his 475 SS at .474 caliber, they came in at 350 and 375 as well. Sam was shooting a new 475 Raptor and 510 Solid from CEB in his 500 NE.

The boys really put on a show. Sam and Paul both watched intensily as Matthew worked the little 50 SS with ease, both made the comments that it was just as effective on buffalo as Sam's 500 NE! They said, not me, but it was getting the buffalo's attention in a very serious way. None of the Solids were recovered, they all burned .500 caliber holes through and through. Mostly broadside and very angled shots, I don't know of any rear to front or front to rear that the boys did. Some Raptor bases were recovered from broadside shots.......

This is a 325 Raptor .474 from the 475 Super Short;

Matthew slammed this big body tank of a bull with his 50 Super Short..... two North Fork Expanding CPS, angled shots...... both recovered see below, and 1 375 North Fork Solid from severe angle forward that exited..........

Matthew shot 20 or so buffalo on this trip with the 50 SS, it was a solid hammer on buffalo without any doubt at all. This was observed by 3 very experienced individuals. In addition, the .474 caliber SS did just as good. 20 or so buffalo for Mark David, and he never came up "Short" at all either. Mark David would go on later to take elephant with his 475 B&M SS with a 350 CEB Solid at 2200 fps, side brain at 10 steps, done and over, and exited far side..........

So can the Big Horn Armory in 500 S&W stand the test of Big Dangerous Game? Oh yes without any doubt, but you need to use proper bullet tech. As far as that goes, it don't matter if you use a 500 NE, you still have to have proper bullet tech! If you do not have the right bullets, you will fail regardless of the cartridge or rifle.

I have taken the notion several times that I wanted a Big Horn 500 S&W...... but with the 50 Super Short in the Bolt gun, and my own 50 B&M Alaskan lever guns, I can't really justify it, and it won't do anything that what I have already won't do........ But they are super nice and I believe they are top notch first class firearms and would be damn hard to beat.......... Well done Big Horn.

@michael458 - I really enjoyed reading your post, well written-informative-interesting!

 

[DaBill]

Thank you for that response @michael458 Great information. That is truly thinking outside the box with great data. Ive followed all the information and videos about the B&M rifles I could find (yes I am a nerd). Have you ever tried to create a lever action similar to the Big Horn with 416 B&M type round?