The majority of these rounds come in bullet weights ranging between 300-500gr with subsonic rounds available. Combining the rugged reliability of the AR-15/M16 style weapons with a unique .500 inch projectile and cartridge, this semi-automatic weapon is ideal as a brush hunting weapon and is capable of knocking down virtually anything you may run across. on his 50, and we are looking for info on a subsonic load. We have collected the BCs for all ten rounds from the manufacturer’s website and listed them here. . I'm shooting 690 grain AP rounds with 35 grains of Reddot shotgun powder in my 50bmg rifle thru a form one suppressor. The loaded ammo you can find is more likely to chamber and cycle the action of the rifle. My question is this. From the factory loads that we have selected, there appears to be a trend towards the .458 SOCOM rounds showing better ballistic coefficients than the .40 Beowulf rounds. and 400 FP speers. This kinetic energy is derived from the mass and the velocity of the bullet. The 124 grain bullet used in this load is a common NATO weight for 9x19mm and offers a balance between smooth recoil impulse and flat trajectory. I have a friend with a form 1 suppressor (hello Dad, hello Mom, ch..ch..ch cherry bomb!) Nosler provided the load data used to compare trajectory, case capacity, and recoil for the cartridges (here, here, and here). I load and shoot subsonic ammo in the 9mm, 300 whisper, 338 whisper, 510 whisper, 458 socom, .223 rem and 45 acp. And like most ballistic numbers, environmental conditions can change these slightly from day to day based on temperature and pressure, among others. The gap closes at the 100-yard mark with the rounds much more tightly clustered. Overall, we wouldn’t give an edge to one cartridge over the other in this category. Still, for those on the fence of one round or the other, we will take a look at the kinetic energy (ft.lb) of our selected rounds. That’s the problem when discussing accuracy, it’s very subjective and often has more to do with the person doing the shooting than the cartridge itself. We are looking at a lot of categories completely removed from the influence of other factors. I have some brass, 50 cal projectiles, H110. Polished elliptical expander smoothly releases from case necks and eliminates the need for a separate…, …Highlights : * New Cartridges Included: 17 Hornet, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5-284, 26 Nosler, 28 Nosler, 300 Blackout, 300 RCM, 338 RCM, 450 Bushmaster, 458 SOCOM, 50 Beowulf * New Full Color Edition - The 50th Anniversary edition is our first reloading handbook produced in full color Feature…, Hornady's traditional line of bullets feature exposed lead tips for controlled expansion and hard-hitting terminal performance. A bolt action shotgun is something of a relic now, with not a lot of makers producing models anymore. Discussion Starter • #1 • Aug 31, 2017. As the acronym implies (Special Operations Command), members of special operations units were unhappy with the 5.56 rounds ability to bring down the enemy quickly and with as few shots as possible in combat while using platforms such as the M4 and M16. I'm using a cast 383 grain hollow point from NOE. In 9mm, most loading data are supersonic. Bushmaster), and .50 Action Express. The lower BCs make sense for these rounds. 300 grain Hornady FTX 1 pound of lilgun WC820 looks and meters like H110, but is a bit faster. From 0 to 200 yards, the velocities remain supersonic for the majority of the cartridges. Even then, how consistent would this data be? Aluminum forearm free-floats the barrel for optimum accuracy. Of the three, the .450 Bushmaster is by far the most common, but it still can’t hold a candle to cartridges like the .223 Remington or .308 Winchester. When we do use ballistic calculating software, we do make a point to be clear as to what the variables are and what we have used to generate the data. A flatter trajectory helps negate small errors that can be made during these situations. Ultimate Reloader LLC is not responsible for errors in load data on this website. On top of that, the heavy grain bullet paired with the velocity at close range is going to neutralize threats quickly and the recoil is also extremely manageable. Magtech is a Brazilian manufacturer with nearly 90 years of experience in ammunition and international distribution. And even then, when it comes to shots within 100 yards, we don’t think one cartridge has any advantage over the other to accuracy. $100.95. Ive used it with great effect on some Huge wild pigs in Alabama and Texas. An AR-15 lower coupled with a new BCG, barrel, and a modified ejection We are dealing with two cartridges that were designed for close quarters situations. The .458 SOCOM has been touted as an excellent low-velocity home defense round as well as a great brush gun. When it comes to the ballistics, we saw that both of these cartridges have very similar profiles. Factory subsonics have not always been subsonic in our rifles (savage 110 tactical) so spent past 3 days and over 100 rounds trying to get an accurate 220 gn load. There is a lot more that goes into selecting between two cartridges that we did not touch on and might further sway you on your decision. Menu. For the .458 SOCOM, we like the SBR Barnes Tipped TTSX 300gr round. $95.00. Whatever your endgame is for these cartridges, recoil is going to have a significant impact on any shooting scenario. Sniper Country is reader-supported. I use a accuwedge on the colt lower and have a competition trigger in it. Maybe and maybe not, but the best way to determine accuracy is to test it out yourself. Any body got "Load Data" or some experience to get this "pig-slayer" up and gunning? Get our PDF with 13 pistol & rifle targets (worth $48) including expert instructions for FREE! Accuracy was decent at 50 yards - had a few touching but nothing that'd knock your socks off. The .50 Beowulf average at this mark is 1570ft.lb while the .458 SOCOM average is 1,462ft.lb. You’re going to get more than enough penetration and energy to cleanly kill game up to 200 yards with both of these cartridges, and both have good hunting options that offer a little more expansion for maximal energy transfer. Since we do not have ballistic gel data and since the bullet type plays a role and is seen in both cartridges, we will use the sectional density of the rounds. Reloading data calls for CCI large pistol mag primers are these really mandatory or will regular large pistol primers get the job done? Before we get into our comparisons, there is one more note that we would like to make. The averages for the 200 and 300 yard mark for both cartridges are 1,052 and 800ft.lb for the .50 Beowulf and 1,056 and 810ft.lb for the .458 SOCOM rounds. AR-type gas operating system drastically reduces recoil for excellent second shot control. I have been working on 380 auto, 308 win and 358 win for a little while. Using modern bullets, like the 375 gr. HTP Copper is loaded to the highest…, Subsonic Handgun utilizes tried-and-true XTP® bullets that expand reliably at subsonic velocities. Most have their pioneering secant ogive design - one of the most ballistically efficient profiles ever developed (see diagram to right). Notes: The 50 Beowulf is the brain-child of Bill Alexander of Alexander Arms and was intended to give AR-15 users more knockdown power than the Thompson and M-3 grease guns firing the 45 ACP.It certainly fulfills that requirement and in addition makes a useful rifle for large game hunters as well. It kicks like hell on both ends and it creates a clap of thunder when your wallet slams empty as you buy the ammunition. Second, the neck of the case is made perfectly round and opened slightly to allow a standard diameter bullet to slip into the case mouth effortlessly, but concentrically, to ensure the most precise results possible. You may also choose the Premier AccuTip 450 Bushmaster, depending on…, …cartridges are also covered: 6.8 Rem, 300 AAC, 7.62x39, 450 Bushmaster, 50 Beowulf and others. Of course, with some tinkering with your rifle, you can make this recoil much more manageable. .50 Beowulf Description: A heavy-bullet, .500-caliber bullet/cartridge designed to improve stopping power over the 5.56 round when fired from an AR-15. At the 300 yard mark, we see the biggest difference between the cartridges with a little over four inches of difference with the .458 SOCOM round having the flatter of the trajectories. Take A Sneak Peak At The Movies Coming Out This Week (8/12) Kodak Black establishes scholarship in memory of late Parkland student; Celebrate Mardi Gras: Music, Movies, TV Shows and…house floats? That’s not always easy and can cost quite a bit of money, but we can look back at previous ballistic data and try a roundabout way to look at accuracy between the 458 SOCOM vs 50 Beowulf cartridges. which is slower than the 350 grain with lilgun and slower than the 400 grains with RL7 and other listed powders. The 458 SOCOM was designed for a very specific purpose. We have listed the averages for max capacities we have found from reliable sources here, and we see that they hold similar amounts of powder and they are also fitted with similar weight bullets. Before we move on and wrap up this cartridge comparison, we wanted to select a round for each cartridge that we think we excel in certain shooting scenarios. Below we have listed the average velocities for each cartridge out to the 300-yard mark and have omitted the subsonic .458 SOCOM round. Four of the five .458 SOCOM rounds break the .2 mark while only to .50 Beowulf round do so, and they also have two rounds below the .15 mark. Accuracy when discussing a comparison of any two cartridges and even any two rounds of the same cartridge can lead down a road of arguments hotter and more passionate than any political debate. New posts Search forums. Heavier bullets with the same diameter are going to penetrate deeper than lighter rounds with the same diameter. …they remain perfectly square for precise alignment in the chamber of your firearm. Of course, if you do decide to hand load, the price per round will go down significantly and save you quite a bit over time. And receive our newsletter with the best articles covering guides, guns & gear. Arguments will abound from both sides of the aisle concerning which cartridge is preferable. With this information, you can better make your own decision. One last item before we get to the fun stuff. Normally, velocity is critical for both hunting and self-defense for a variety of reasons including performance at long range, proper expansion, and penetration. The cartridge utilizes a rebated rim, sized to match the rim of the 7.62×39mm and 6.5mm Grendel rounds. Heavy barrel is hard chrome-lined in bore and chamber…, Deer Season XP ammunition combines our extensive experience into a product engineered specifically for deer hunters. .300 AAC Blackout (7.62x35mm) ammo rifle AmmoSeek.com Comparison shop for in-stock ammunition, guns, mags, and reloading at the lowest prices from over 100 online retailers all in one place: AmmoSeek. The slightly better BCs and the higher average velocities out at 100 and 200 yards might sway you towards the .458 SOCOM rounds when it comes to hunting purposes. And again, we’re taking a lot out of the picture when it comes to penetration and rest assured that these rounds are not going to plink off a target. The Sub-X bullet used in Subsonic Rifle features a lead core. 50 Beowulf, 450 Bushmaster, 458 HAM’R, 450 Raptor, and now the king of the hill, the 500 Auto Max are all available with varying levels of modifications necessary. With a velocity of 2200 FPS, the Hornady 250 Grain SST/FT bullet in the 450 Bushmaster "Thumper" is designed for all large North American game. As you can see, 300+ yards is going to offer some difficult shooting for even skilled marksmen. As the rounds move out to the 200 and 300 individual rounds, do begin to distance themselves from one another. Similar to mine to which I use H110 for powder. As a matter of fact, the factory loaded 600-grain subsonic load is designed to achieve complete powder burn in a 9.5" barrel. An AR-15 lower coupled with a new BCG, barrel, and a modified ejection We hope that this article has taken several of the available factory loads and presented an unbiased look into how they stack up against each other in various ballistic and other performance categories. I'm just getting into reloading and looking for some advise on powder and bullets to use for target loads in my .50 Beowulf I've got a lee single stage press I'm going to start with. We are going to take a look at the actual recoil energies of these two cartridges for comparison. A few of these include the bullet design and the speed of the bullet. The highest performing round at this mark is still a .50 Beowulf, but the averages begin to look similar. For this article, we are going to keep it as simple as possible. Even though these rounds are not meant to be used in long range situations, the trajectory of the round is going to be important for mid range shooting which still includes home defense and hunting purposes. With a degree in Microbiology and several years of doctoral work manipulating bacterial genes, he attempts to merge the rational and unbiased thinking of scientific research with the passions of hunting and fishing. The .50 Beowulf® was designed to generate devastating stopping power at short to moderate ranges. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT .50 … I honestly would say the 50 Beowulf. While you might get in closer in some situations where this difference is negated, we think it’s better to think about hunting medium sized game and choosing the cartridge with 75+ yards in mind. We also see that there is not much of trend between the two cartridges in regards to one showing consistently higher or lower velocities. That is not our goal in this article. While both cartridges have their more affordable and more expensive options, the .458 SOCOM is is more expensive per round than the .50 Beowulf. Though all of the rounds we looked at dropped below the 1,000ft.lb mark at the 300 yard mark, there is still enough energy to drop medium size game with a well-placed shot, especially considering the size of these rounds. I am thinking about taking a 408 Chey Tac case, neck it up to 50 cal for a 750gr bullet and shortening the case down to the appropriate size to be a 95% capacity charge of sufficient powder to keep the bullet subsonic. Even these numbers can change depending on the variables such as powder charge, type of powder, and firearm weight. The 1.65-inch case is similar to the 500 S&W, except the rim is sharply rebated to the same diameter as the 7.62X39mm cartridge. When the bullet reaches the target, this energy is transferred and causes a tremendous amount of damage to the surrounding tissue and organs. Both can handle your needs, but at the end of the day, your personal preference is going to be from confidence in the round from use. Most hunters also want enough stopping power to be able to make a clean and humane kill of the animal with causing unneeded suffering and risk losing it in the field. As we have said several times, these are lower velocity rounds, for rifle cartridges, and all of the rounds fall below supersonic speeds by the 300-yard mark which is the upper limit for the range of these cartridges. Suppressors, barrel length, and stocks all impact the felt kick. Huston is a hunting enthusiast who believes your success in the field is directly correlated to the amount of preparation at home. In the case of the .458 SOCOM vs .50 Beowulf, we are not going to mess around with the trajectory over 500 yards. The new Hornady reload manual has 50 beowulf reload data. -Rob Obviously, flatter trajectories (less bullet drop) is going to be more advantageous for the shooter than one where you have to make more radical adjustments to shot placement. The 275 XPB has a hollow point deep enough to use as a shot glass. Compare that to a 55-grain .223 Rem. Due to increased demand, our estimated shipping time is 15-20 days. As that is one of the issues with .458 is ammo could have clambering issues. 50 Beowulf is a proprietary cartridge of Alexander Arms, introduced in 2001 to bring big-bore performance to the AR platform. ADD TO CART.50 Beowulf® Ammunition Case Gauge ... - Ships with a copy of our latest .50 Beowulf® reloading data - These are not carbide dies. These projectiles are perfect for self-defense and training; intermediate barrier-blind and frangible on hardened steel. It does not have the expansion of our choice for the .458 SOCOM, but what it does have with the .50 cal bullet is enough to make clean kills up to 300 yards, and the trajectory is extremely flat when compared to other. Thank you for your patience. Re: Subsonic 50 cal load I did not explain very well so here goes. All data in this caliber is subsonic but is not normally tagged with the name subsonic. But most Load data is for light weight HP bullets. Hornady Lock-N-Load Modified Case "A" Series .450 Bushmaster, Lyman 50th Edition Reloading Handbook - Softcover, Lyman AR Reloading Handbook 2nd Edition (Softcover), Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension Series IV Rifle 2-Die Set .375 RUM, Lyman 50th Edition Reloading Handbook - Hardcover, Hornady Interlock Rifle Bullets .45 cal .452" 245 gr SP Interlock (.450 Bushmaster) 50/ct, Bushmaster XM-15 Complete Upper w/Bolt 450 Bushmaster Flat Top 16 Barrel Pre-Ban, Lyman MSR Precision Die System 4-Die Set .50 Beowolf, Remington HTP Copper Rifle Ammunition 450 Bushmaster 250gr Triple Shock X 20/ct, Hornady Subsonic Ammunition 450 Bushmaster 395 gr SUB-X 1050 fps 20/ct, Bushmaster XM-15 Complete Upper w/Bolt 450 Bushmaster Flat Top 20 Barrel Pre-Ban, Winchester Deer Season XP Rifle Ammunition .450 Bushmaster 250 gr PT 20/ct, Lyman MSR Precision Die System 4-Die Set .458 SOCOM Bushmaster, Remington Premier AccuTip Rifle Ammunition .450 Bushmaster 260 gr AT 2180 fps - 20/box, Federal Power-Shok Rifle Ammunition .450 Bushmaster 300 gr JHP 1900 fps 20/ct. Not all "subsonic" loads are noted as such in the data, because the cartridge is not capable of producing supersonic velocity. If you are planning on shots coming outside of the 1oo yard mark, the .458 SOCOM round did have slightly higher velocities, higher BCs, and a flatter trajectory than the averages of the .50 Beowulf rounds. The .50 Beowulf is a 12mm caliber rifle cartridge developed by Bill Alexander of Alexander Arms for use in an AR-15 rifle. Because of this, their availability is often limited if you are searching in retail stores. The .50 Beowulf rounds had on average, several more ft.lb of force than the .458 SOCOM rounds. Another factor that goes into a cartridge’s stopping power is the penetration of the bullet. For the sake of clarity and not getting stuck in the weeds, we are going to keep the discussion to each category but will bring it all together when discussing applications. Subsonic loads refer to those whose velocity is less than the speed of sound. The .458 SOCOM (11.63×40mm) is a moderately large round designed for a specialized upper receiver that can be mounted on any AR-15 pattern lower receiver. Not responsible for typographical errors. The person I talk with most related to Starline Brass technical issues is Hunter Pilant, one of the engineers at Starline. From the muzzle out to 150yds, there is no difference between these two cartridges. History: Introduced by Alexander Arms, the round was built around a rebated-rim case that will fit a 7.62×39 bolt face. 308 winchester cast bullet load data, It lists cast bullet loads for calibers which are, to me, unlikely choices for cast bullets, such as the .220 Swift, yet leaves out other calibers which would be. An example is .32 S&W. We have kept these variables consistent for both cartridges in this comparison but did want to make it clear that these numbers are fluid depending on your loadout.