50 Beowulf handloading topic...

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Grizz
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50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

I have a 50 cal AR upper on order, and want to know what you know about hand loads..

On the other topic I posted a link to a video of someone shooting that upper with various bullets.

The heaviest bullet he shot was 350gr, which is hilarious to me because I shoot a 405gr bullet from my hand gun.

In the penetration test of the hollow point into water, it stopped in the third jug. THIS IS OK for a house gun, but not what I want to carry in the Bear's Woods. My 525gr 45/70 load stops in the TENTH JUG... this means it will penetrate any animal from any angle and pass through the vitals and exit.

Another guy got a 44/405 subsonic load to penetrate 12 jugs from a redhawk.... I want this kind of TKO from the 50.

this leads to two questions. will a gas gun choke on hard cast lead bullets???

and, does anyone have experience loading and shooting 50 cal cast bullets ranging from 405gr to around 475gr?

and, would a rounded ogive feed worse or better than a truncated cone past the feed ramp??

thanks all
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Ray »

I know nothing of ar-s, the .50 beowulf, or bears but I can imagine that if that 350 gr. plated berry bullet as loaded by or for alexander arms will not slay an angry bear then well maybe you had better stay on the boat.....
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

Ray wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2019 4:55 pm I know nothing of ar-s, the .50 beowulf, or bears but I can imagine that if that 350 gr. plated berry bullet as loaded by or for alexander arms will not slay an angry bear then well maybe you had better stay on the boat.....
IT'S FOR WHEN THEY TRY TO GET ON THE BOAT.

Anyway, you can shoot any puny bullets you like, I'm just not that way.... :lol:
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by 6pt-sika »

I’ve loaded for and shot my gunsmith buddies 50 Beo . Matter of fact his 50 was the first AR I ever killed a deer with . I load the Hornady rubber tipped if my memory is correct they’re 350 grains . When I used his gun I shot some non fragnable factory rounds because he wanted to see how they did on deer . Alexander Arms sent him that ammo to field test . I wasn’t overly impressed with the non frangnable stuff . Shot fine and accurately but I didn’t like the way it killed . IE meaning with thru both lungs or thru the shoulder and lungs they still ran forty to seventy yards .
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by AJMD429 »

28 grains of Lil'Gun gives 1400 fps or so using the 500 grain Hornady XTP. A friend loads those but my guess is that's a pretty maximum-end load. The use of a cast bullet with that load would likely give higher velocity and/or lower pressure from my understanding.

I know people DO shoot cast bullets in AR's of various calibers and chamberings, even including subsonic 223's, but I don't know if they have to clean out the gas port or tube often or not.

From CastBoolits forum...

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr ... 50-Beowulf
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

6pt-sika wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2019 5:29 pm I’ve loaded for and shot my gunsmith buddies 50 Beo . Matter of fact his 50 was the first AR I ever killed a deer with . I load the Hornady rubber tipped if my memory is correct they’re 350 grains . When I used his gun I shot some non fragnable factory rounds because he wanted to see how they did on deer . Alexander Arms sent him that ammo to field test . I wasn’t overly impressed with the non frangnable stuff . Shot fine and accurately but I didn’t like the way it killed . IE meaning with thru both lungs or thru the shoulder and lungs they still ran forty to seventy yards .

I normally take the head shot. They don't run. The only runners I get are the heart shots.
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

Good link. Thanks Doc
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBCZ_Xck0c4

here is a hard cast 380gr bullet from the 50 cal upper. 8 jugs and still going. this is what I am looking for, but'cept a little heavier.

Matt's Bullets has a 460gr cast that looks right to me. I'll run that from subsonic to maybe 1400. That makes it an anything from any direction load, and anything behind as well... https://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php? ... crumpl5566

my experience with a 525 45/70 at that velocity makes clean holes thru bone, no fragments or splinters, and you can eat right up to the hole, no meat damage. Really.

if anyone has a link to load info I'll appreciate it.

it'll be my straight-pull lever gun. Heh.

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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Jay Bird »

Grizz.....only thing I know about your big cartridge is what I have read so none of that hearsay counts. I do know about shooting cast in gas operated guns having shot thousands of cast gas checked bullets from M-1 Garands, M1-A's and the BAR....no problem with any of them. Takes some experimenting to find the proper powder charge for reliable feeding. Powders in the 3031 burn rate worked best for me and once in a great while it was necessary to put the proper sized drill bit through the gas port in the bottom of the barrel for a clean out.---6
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by wvfarrier »

i loaded 600gr hard cast when i was shooting 50 beowulf
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Ray »

Grizz, you been reading too much about mass and momentum and meplats......

What you need is a pointy one......

https://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php? ... crumpl5566
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Thunder50 »

I shoot the Lee 440gr boolit in my AR and I use Re7 for fuel. No problems yet.
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

Ray wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 9:44 am Grizz, you been reading too much about mass and momentum and meplats......

What you need is a pointy one......

https://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php? ... crumpl5566
THAT'S HILARIOUS, THANKS.

My bullet selection is based on about thirty years of field experience with calibers ranging from 25-20 to 45/70 and a bunch if in-betweeners. My choices are based on wound forensics, not my reading. Thanks again for the input. :lol:
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

Thunder50 wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 10:37 am I shoot the Lee 440gr boolit in my AR and I use Re7 for fuel. No problems yet.
Thanks for this. Do you have a velocity for your load. Don't care about the powder charge, but the velocity would help.
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by harry »

Grizz just remember that the 50 beowulf runs about 35000 psi chamber pressure and needs 12 - 15000 psi port pressure to work the action.
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

harry wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:28 pm Grizz just remember that the 50 beowulf runs about 35000 psi chamber pressure and needs 12 - 15000 psi port pressure to work the action.

GOOD REMINDER, THANKS.

I will experiment with the low end. I am curious how slow I can go and still cycle the gun. Will be nice if I can run some heavies subsonic. I've seen some RL7 load info that looks "stiff", but so far nothing on the subsonic side.

I ordered a pound of Matt's 460gr GC 501 so that will be my starting point.
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Ray »

Grizz wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 11:53 am
Ray wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 9:44 am Grizz, you been reading too much about mass and momentum and meplats......

What you need is a pointy one......

https://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php? ... crumpl5566
THAT'S HILARIOUS, THANKS.

My bullet selection is based on about thirty years of field experience with calibers ranging from 25-20 to 45/70 and a bunch if in-betweeners. My choices are based on wound forensics, not my reading. Thanks again for the input. :lol:

Thanks for reminding me.....Sometimes I forget that there are legends here amongst us.....
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Thunder50 »

Over on Castboolits, one fellow has a load that runs 1550 out of his 16", using Re7 and the Lee 440. Not a max. load. Can't find my velocity figures, but I have a 24" bbl so mine would be different.
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by piller »

460 grains in a .5 inch bullet at 1550 fps sounds as if it could do some serious damage. It doesn't sound too punishing on the shoulder.
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

Ray wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:26 pm
Grizz wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 11:53 am
Ray wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 9:44 am Grizz, you been reading too much about mass and momentum and meplats......

What you need is a pointy one......

https://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php? ... crumpl5566
THAT'S HILARIOUS, THANKS.

My bullet selection is based on about thirty years of field experience with calibers ranging from 25-20 to 45/70 and a bunch if in-betweeners. My choices are based on wound forensics, not my reading. Thanks again for the input. :lol:

Thanks for reminding me.....Sometimes I forget that there are legends here amongst us.....
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

Ray wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:26 pm
Grizz wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 11:53 am
Ray wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 9:44 am Grizz, you been reading too much about mass and momentum and meplats......

What you need is a pointy one......

https://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php? ... crumpl5566
THAT'S HILARIOUS, THANKS.

My bullet selection is based on about thirty years of field experience with calibers ranging from 25-20 to 45/70 and a bunch if in-betweeners. My choices are based on wound forensics, not my reading. Thanks again for the input. :lol:

Thanks for reminding me.....Sometimes I forget that there are legends here amongst us.....
I know of a few. Happily I'm not one of them.
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

However, I do sometimes repeat myself
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

wvfarrier wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 9:03 am i loaded 600gr hard cast when i was shooting 50 beowulf
I would like to see that bullet if you have a photo or link to it... also interested in the velocity. 'Thanks for the input.
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Re: 50 Beowulf handloading topic...

Post by Grizz »

piller wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 6:44 pm 460 grains in a .5 inch bullet at 1550 fps sounds as if it could do some serious damage. It doesn't sound too punishing on the shoulder.
yeah serious damage for sure. a lot of that depends on the alloy. I am curious to see if I can find a load that will run 1050 or thereabouts, and reliably cycle the gun. That will give me a 60 to 70 yard win-win radius.

460gr is a sweet spot from my 45/70, but not necessarily for the 50. But maybe. anyway I just got the thing to exercise constitutional liberty. I can sit watching the House UnAmerican Activities with the 50 on my lap, and manufacture ammo for the happy hunting grounds. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
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