Short Answer: Very.
Every single source I’ve come across, from Wikipedia to Cartridges of the World, basically says the same thing. This cartridge introduced in 2003 as the most powerful handgun cartridge designed for hunting large and dangerous game. To the best of my knowledge, it still is the most powerful production handgun cartridge to date.
Let’s compare the .500 S&W Magnum to some other fairly popular handgun cartridges to paint a clearer picture:
| Cartridge | Bullet Weight | Velocity | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| .380 ACP | 80-100 grains | 900-1200 fps | 162-294 ft-lbs |
| .38 Special | 95-200 grains | 710-1175 fps | 132-548 ft-lbs |
| .40 S&W | 135-200 grains | 907-1324 fps | 363-500 ft-lbs |
| .45 ACP | 185-230 grains | 770-1140 fps | 244-534 ft-lbs |
| 9mm | 80-147 grains | 975-1560 fps | 294-465 ft-lbs |
| .500 S&W Magnum | 275-500 grains | 1425-2137 fps | 2254-2805 ft-lbs |
While I’ve used data from commonly found factory loads, the data implies that, generally speaking, the .500 S&W Magnum sends larger projectiles down range faster and with more energy than the most common handgun cartridges by a significant margin.
That comparison might seem unfair since the .500 S&W Magnum was put against common handgun cartridges. A fairer comparison might be to put it up against other magnum pistol cartridges. Ok. Let’s do that.
| Cartridge | Bullet Weight | Velocity | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| .327 Federal Magnum | 85-115 grains | 1300-1536 fps | 370-510 ft-lbs |
| .357 Magnum | 110-180 grains | 1090-1500 fps | 400-644 ft-lbs |
| .41 Remington Magnum | 170-210 grains | 965-1420 fps | 434-788 ft-lbs |
| .44 Remington Magnum | 180-255 grains | 1000-1610 fps | 533-1042 ft-lbs |
| .460 S&W Magnum | 220-250 grains | 2198-2243 fps | 2149-2574 ft-lbs |
| .500 S&W Magnum | 275-500 grains | 1425-2137 fps | 2254-2805 ft-lbs |
Again while I gathered data from commonly found factory loads, this data also implies that the .500 S&W Magnum sends larger projectiles down range faster and with more energy than other magnum cartridges. The difference in velocity and energy is quite significant between the .500 S&W Magnum and the other magnum cartridges with the exception of the .460 S&W Magnum. The .460 appears to nip at the heels of the .500, but the .500 is still leads.
Looking at the energy ranges, one could infer that shooting a .500 S&W Magnum would be the equivalent of simultaneously firing:
- about 6 rounds of 9mm,
- about 5 rounds of .45 ACP,
- about 4 rounds of .357 Magnum,
- or about 2 rounds of .44 Magnum.
Even though the sum of energy of simultaneous fire of other cartridges is approximately equivalent to the energy of the .500, the numbers only tell part of the story. The other part of the story is told by what recoil the shooter perceives. The individual handgun used to fire the cartridges plays a big role in mitigating the recoil impulse. So there is that.
All I can say is the numbers speak for themselves. There is a lot of energy waiting to be released in the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum. A lot. My experience confirms it. It’s a very powerful round. To my knowledge, the most powerful production handgun cartridge to date.