Practice & target
Full-metal-jacket, plated, lead, and wadcutter bullets describe different constructions. Grain weight is projectile mass; it does not state a powder charge or guarantee recoil.
THE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY · RIMMED CENTERFIRE
.460 S&W Magnum
A long, rimmed .45-bullet magnum revolver cartridge. Its .460 designation must not be interpreted as an exact bullet diameter.
2A Ledger reference desk · Sources checked October 18, 2026
Read the dimensions
- Overall · min–max
- 1.900–2.290 in
48.260–58.166 mm - Case length · max
- 1.800 in
45.720 mm - Bullet maximum
- 0.4525 in
11.494 mm - Rim diameter · max
- 0.520 in
13.208 mm
Know the exact name
At a glance
- Cartridge family
- Rimmed centerfire
- Bullet specification
- 0.4525 in / 11.494 mmBullet maximum
- Factory examples
- 5 loadsSelected, sourced examples below
- Weight in cited examples
- 200–300 grGrains measure mass, not powder charge
.460 S&W Magnum is identified by its complete cartridge designation. The resource-table alternative is 460 S&W Mag. A caliber number, bullet diameter, or family resemblance on its own does not identify ammunition compatibility.
.460 S&W Magnum, .460 Rowland, and .460 Weatherby Magnum are separate cartridge designs.
Dimensions: open the exact dimensional drawing ↗. The displayed number is bullet maximum, rather than an assertion that every manufactured projectile or barrel has this exact diameter.
Origins & evolution
Background & development
Smith & Wesson introduced the .460 S&W Magnum with the Model 460 XVR in 2005. The revolver belonged to the company’s extra-large-frame sporting-handgun program. XVR meant X-treme Velocity Revolver, reflecting an emphasis on a fast .45-caliber hunting cartridge rather than simply repeating the larger bullet diameter of the .500 S&W Magnum.
The company’s contemporary quarterly filing records initial Model 460 shipments in July 2005 and a substantial order backlog that same month. That provides a firmer introduction record than later promotional summaries alone. The cartridge extended the long rimmed .45-caliber magnum lineage associated with the .454 Casull, but it was developed as a separate high-performance offering for a larger platform. Its place in handgun history is tied to the early-2000s expansion of factory hunting revolvers, when manufacturers offered purpose-built large frames and ammunition for a market previously served more heavily by custom guns.
Historical sources: Smith & Wesson: 2005 quarterly filing documenting first Model 460 shipments ↗
Construction changes the story
Loads, variations & specialty offerings
Expanding factory bullets
JHP, XTP, FTX, HST, and similar product names refer to particular designs. Muzzle energy alone does not show expansion, penetration, or reliability in a particular firearm.
Specialty load families
Reduced-recoil, subsonic, monolithic, and heavier-bullet offerings are product-specific. A +P marking is a pressure category where standardized, not simply a heavier bullet. Follow the maker’s exact product and firearm guidance.
In the cited .460 S&W Magnum examples, bullet weights are 200, 260, 275, 300 grains. These are the weights actually present in this source selection, not a claim that every possible loading is listed.
Bullet construction background: Hornady: anatomy of a bullet ↗. Exact product descriptions and velocities are cited in the factory table.
From the factory catalog
200 grains
2,200 fps
FTX ®
260 grains
1,600 fps
FUSION SP
275 grains
1,670 fps
BARNES EXPANDER
Compare all 5 cited factory load records
| Maker / product | Bullet mass | Published construction | Muzzle velocity | Test barrel | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady9152 | 200 gr 12.96 g | FTX ® | 2,200 fps 671 m/s | 8 3/8 in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| Hornady9153 | 200 gr 12.96 g | MonoFlex ® | 2,150 fps 655 m/s | 8 3/8 in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| FederalF460FS1 | 260 gr 16.85 g | FUSION SP | 1,600 fps 488 m/s | 8.4-V in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalP460XB1 | 275 gr 17.82 g | BARNES EXPANDER | 1,670 fps 509 m/s | 8.4-V in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalP460SA | 300 gr 19.44 g | SWIFT A-FRAME | 1,750 fps 533 m/s | 8.4-V in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
Explore the published data
Ballistics you can inspect
Select a legend entry to add or remove its line. Hover or tap a plotted point, or use the position slider. With the graph focused, arrow keys move the inspector. Solid dots identify source points; dashed connectors show estimates between them. Load construction, pressure category, and test setup can differ even at the same grain weight.
Read the original values as accessible tables
.460 S&W Magnum: factory velocity downrange
| Exact load | Source | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| 200 gr Hornady FTX ® | Hornady | 0: 2200; 50: 1948; 100: 1715 |
| 260 gr Federal FUSION SP | Federal | 0: 1600; 25: 1495; 50: 1397; 75: 1309; 100: 1229 |
| 275 gr Federal BARNES EXPANDER | Federal | 0: 1670; 25: 1595; 50: 1522; 75: 1453; 100: 1388 |
| 300 gr Federal SWIFT A-FRAME | Federal | 0: 1750; 25: 1625; 50: 1506; 75: 1397; 100: 1300 |
| 200 gr Hornady MonoFlex ® | Hornady | 0: 2150; 50: 1917; 100: 1701 |
How to interpret the comparison
Changing bullet weight also often changes bullet design and propellant choice. Two curves are comparisons of the listed products, not a controlled experiment proving that bullet weight alone caused the difference. Catalog downrange points are projections under the maker’s conditions; barrel-study points are recorded observations in the study firearm.
Direct answers
Common questions
What is .460 S&W Magnum?
A long, rimmed .45-bullet magnum revolver cartridge. Its .460 designation must not be interpreted as an exact bullet diameter.
What diameter does .460 S&W Magnum use?
The cited dimensional standard lists 0.4525 inches (11.494 mm), bullet maximum. This drawing convention is different from a casual caliber nickname.
Are similarly named cartridges interchangeable?
.460 S&W Magnum, .460 Rowland, and .460 Weatherby Magnum are separate cartridge designs.
Are the graph values measured or estimated?
The downrange view uses the exact manufacturer catalog records shown in the source table. Dashed connectors and intermediate inspector values use linear interpolation between the displayed source points. Calculated energy uses the listed bullet mass and velocity.
Does higher energy mean the best load?
Energy is calculated from mass and velocity. It does not establish accuracy, expansion, penetration, pattern density, recoil, or suitability for a particular firearm. Use the exact product documentation and firearm manual.
Trace the facts
Sources & methodology
Skives & petals: read the jacket construction →
Compiled by 2A Ledger from the linked standards, manufacturer publications, and identified test records. Checked October 18, 2026. Historical tests and older catalogs retain their original dates; a listing here does not establish current availability.
- SAAMI: dimensional drawing · PDF p. 63 ↗
- Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗
- Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗
- Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗
- Smith & Wesson: 2005 quarterly filing documenting first Model 460 shipments ↗
Diameter figures preserve the cited drawing convention. Inch–millimeter conversion uses exactly 25.4 mm per inch. Factory specifications describe the maker’s test setup; your firearm, ammunition lot, temperature, and measuring method can produce different results. This is an educational factory-ammunition reference, not a reloading manual.