Kentucky Ballistics tests a .500 Bushwhacker snub-nose revolver

Kentucky Ballistics calls it the most powerful snub nose in the world: a T2 Armory revolver with a barrel of about two and a half inches, chambered in .500 Bushwhacker. In its test, the same 275-grain bullet that leaves a .500 S&W Magnum at around 1,600 feet per second runs about 2,570.

The short version

Host Scott explains the idea behind the cartridge. The .500 Bushwhacker uses the same bullet diameter as the .500 S&W Magnum but fills space the Magnum leaves unused in the cylinder, so it can drive the same bullet much faster. The revolver holds five rounds and wears a massive muzzle brake.

That brake solves a problem unique to very short revolvers. With a barrel this short there is no room for a normal ejector rod, so empties can't be pushed out. T2 Armory built the ejector rod into the brake itself. Scott then runs five loads through the gun on a series of reactive and armored targets and compares the results with a .500 Magnum snub.

Key points

• Velocity: A 275-grain bullet at about 2,570 fps from the Bushwhacker, against roughly 1,600 fps from the .500 Magnum, nearly 1,000 fps faster.
• Size: The barrel is about 2.5 inches and the cylinder holds five rounds.
• Ejector fix: T2 Armory integrated the ejector rod into the muzzle brake.
• Loads tested: 185-grain and 275-grain hollow points, 325- and 340-grain loads, and a 400-grain solid.
• The cartridge: It shares the .500 Magnum's bullet diameter and uses more of the cylinder's length.

Bottom line

This is a niche big-bore revolver for shooters who already love oversized wheelguns, not a practical carry gun. For anyone curious what the .500 Bushwhacker does that the .500 Magnum doesn't, the side-by-side is worth watching.

Source: Kentucky Ballistics