Ammo Brief: .460 S&W Magnum — The Fastest Revolver Cartridge Around

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Known for its blistering velocities and long-range accuracy, the .460 S&W Magnum is the very definition of a red-hot revolver cartridge.

• The .460 S&W Magnum reaches velocities around 2,200 fps with a 200-grain bullet.
• This makes the .460 S&W Magnum one of the fastest revolver cartridges ever produced.
• The .454 Casull is the parent case, lengthened 1.8 inches.
• The .460 S&W Magnum is the first commercial revolver cartridge to utilize tipped bullets.

Announced in 2005 as a joint Hornady-Smith & Wesson development, the .460 Smith and Wesson (S&W) is the fastest revolver cartridge ever produced, reaching velocities of about 2,200 fps with 200-grain bullets. It is chambered in the S&W M460 Extreme Velocity Revolver for long-range handgun hunting. Used by a skilled pistol shooter, the .460 S&W Magnum cartridge can achieve MOA accuracy at 100 yards.

The .460 S&W uses the .454 Casull case lengthened to 1.8 inches as its parent case. It is the first commercial revolver cartridge to use tipped bullets. Hornady and CorBon offer loaded ammunition for the .460 S&W. Hornady and Starline supply reloading components and data for this cartridge. It is well suited for use in whitetail deer hunting at 150 yard-plus ranges.

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Cartridges of the World 15th Edition.

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