Anybody tried a .458 SOCOM ??

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 4:17 pm

I've been looking at these but I'm wondering if it's a working piece of hardware or a toy to be played with that has a lot of quirks that need to be tinkered with.

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 4:43 pm

Rusty wrote:I've been looking at these but I'm wondering if it's a working piece of hardware or a toy to be played with that has a lot of quirks that need to be tinkered with.

I've had the very same thoughts. Sure looks like fun!

jb

3leggedturtle · Post by **3leggedturtle** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 4:52 pm

discussion about this going on at the castboolit site in the Levergun section.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 4:57 pm

Knew a guy who had one, but he hadn't shot it all that much and I only shot a few rounds through it so can't comment on 'quirks'. I'd planned on getting one until I read reviews of the Alexander Arms 50 Beowulf, and it looked like the latter would propel a 400 grain bullet the same speed the SOCOM would send a 300 grain one downrange, plus be a full half-inch diameter, so I wound up getting one of them instead*. Once you get past the funny-looking cases, it's a cool cartridge, and after I shot one, there's no way I'd go back to the SOCOM - not enough 'thump' for me...

(I think Cabela's still sells the uppers (no lower modifications needed, and I use regular 20-round steel 223 magazines to hold seven rounds with no modification).

Think 45-70'ish ballistics in an AR-15 platform...400 grains at 1800 fps

(See GunBlast review - http://www.gunblast.com/50Beowulf.htm)

(...*even though Beowulf is a 'Girl Gun' - http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=48904...)

6pt-sika · Post by **6pt-sika** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:50 pm

A fellow that started DCP hunting for bear with us this year has one !

I cannot say I'm overly impressed with the thing .

He also has a Stag Arms Model 7 in 6.8 SPC I like a heck of alot more regardless of whether you're using it for deer or bear .

Now with all that being said I' personally have NEVER owned a AR of any type .

I would however be inclined to get one in 6.5 Grendel , 6.8 SPC or an M16 (fully auto) in 5.56 .

I have worked up loads for a couple of them so I've shot them enough to have a decent judgement on them from my own perspective .

So far I've messed with three chamberings for the things that I really liked 6.5 Grendel ., 6.8 SPC and 243 WSSM . I might add all three of these were custom built uppers by a couple gunsmiths that build these plumbers nightmares for a living .

My friends Stag Arms 7 isn't bad either . But his 458 SOCOM does nothing for me . For the money involved in my ALWAYS biased opinion one is better off with a Marlin 1895G in 45-70 .

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 7:33 pm

I have fired the .458 SOCOM, in full auto.

I like the concept and the cartridge. I went with .50 Beowulf, though. I have a couple.

If you get a .50 Beowulf from Alexander arms you know that it is going to be right and will come from a company that will stand behind it. If you ever met Bill Alexander, you know that he is a perfectionist in every detail. He does not decide on something until he has tried every possibility and is confident that he his making the best decision. It is who he is and it comes across in the cartridges and firearms he designs.

Advantages for me of the .50 Beowulf:

1. It is in a short, handy AR-15 rifle. I can get other similar performing cartridges (.45-70, anyone?) but not in an AR-15. Everyone her is here because we like leverguns, many of us more than any other type of rifle. I would just as soon be in the woods with a levergun than anything else. I used to be in the woods quite often with nothing. I lived in a tent in the woods by myself one summer with no gun at all while working a remote job. Now I have kids. I can't escape and evade - being responsible for the safety of others means I have to stand and fight. When I am considering my families safety, I need to have the most effective tools possible. I love pistol caliber leverguns and they make fine self-defense weapons, but I keep an AR-15 ready for home defense. I like .45-70 leverguns, but I carry an AR-15 for bear protection. The AR-15 is balanced well, handles fast, is short and compact, and can be shot quickly. The same can be said for many leverguns, and some even more so in some ways. The AR-15, though has the advantage of being able to be carried on a tactical sling which keeps it always ready, even when you need to be hands free. It is designed to work well with a reflex optic, no adding rails or mounts or worrying about how to get a good cheek weld. Overall, there are reasons the design is our current military rifle/carbine and has been longer than any other type of firearm. I have trained extensively with an M16 and M4, and if I am carrying and AR-15 carbine, it will be on my body, instead of leaning against a tree just out of reach, and I will instinctively and quickly use it.

2. There is very little recoil. A light AR-15 carbine in .50 Beowulf with a collapsible stock and 16" barrel has WAY less recoil than almost any reasonably weighted .45-70 firing similarly performing loads. I have a 7 lb 1886 Winchester extra lightweight with a 22" barrel. It is too long, LOP is too long, and has far too much recoil for any of my children to shoot. I have photos that I will post soon of a petite 7-year-old girl with her bear and the .50 Beowulf rifle she borrowed from me and shot it with. With little recoil, you can stay on target and followup shots are faster. This is a big deal with a bear, or an angry walrus. Shooting at a 50 or 100 meter target from a bipod with the pepperpot brake and a GL-SHOCK stock, I can observe hits through the optic.

3. The .50 Beowulf works very well from a short barrel – in fact it was developed for short barrels.
Looking at the Alexander Arms Hawk 400 gr. load, which fits my bear-defense purpose perfectly, here are the velocities:
12″ Barrel: 1700 FPS MV
16″ Barrel: 1800 FPS MV
24″ Barrel: 1875 FPS MV
So you see that there is no real advantage for a long barrel with this cartridge – some people just like long barrels because . . . they do, I guess.
Now, comparing this to .45-70 factory loads:
Remington .45-70 405 gr.: 1330 FPS MV
Winchester Supreme Elite .45-70 375 gr.: 1500 FPS MV
Black Hills Government (cowboy) .45-70 405 gr.: 1250 FPS MV
Corbon Hunter .45-70 405 gr.: 1600 FPS (this is actually a little hot to be included with standard pressure loads, but not as hot as most of the really high-pressure .45-70 loads.)
All of these velocities are from a longer barrel with much higher recoil than the .50 Beowulf. We can see here that the .50 Beowulf gives better performance with a shorter barrel, less recoil, and faster cycling than any standard-pressure or slightly high-pressure factory .45-70 load.

Now, if we compare the .50 Beowulf to the high-pressure .45-70 +P type specialty loads, that can be fired in rifles such as the 1886 Winchester, we can see that the .50 Beowulf fits nicely into this class. Keep in mind that these types of .45-70 loads have been proven to perform well against the largest bears, and many have been used with great success on the largest and most dangerous African game.
Buffalo Bore .45-70 .405 Gr. JFN: 1955 FPS from a 18.5″ barrel (at about $60 per box of 20)
Garrett Cartridges .45-70 420 Gr. Hammerhead: 1850 FPS from a 22″ barrel (at about $80 per box of 20)
Grizzly Ammunition .45-70 +P 405 Gr. PUNCH bullet: 2050 FPS MV (at about $125 per box of 20)
Grizzly Ammunition .45-70 +P 405 Gr. Hawk bullet: 2000 FPS MV (at about $70 per box of 20)
These companies all make great .45-70 cartridges that will hammer anything that walks. Heavy .458 and .50 caliber cartridges at these types of velocities have proven to be very effective with very deep penetration, measured in feet in bone and flesh.
To have an AR-15 carbine with this type of performance is incredible.

4. The cost is not really as high as people assume, when we compare rifles.
Winchester 1886 .45-70 short rifle (current production): $1339 MSRP
Marlin 1895GS .45-70 $812 MSRP
Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf Entry complete rifle: $1250 MSRP
Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf Entry complete upper: $690 MSRP (drops on you existing AR-15 Lower)

5. Ammo is inexpensive. Everyone chokes when I say this, but it is because the compare it to 5.56. A better comparison it to a similar performing cartridge, like a .45-70:
MSRPs for Ammunition:
.50 Beowulf 350gr Brass Spitzer: $37.93 (20 rds.)
.50 Beowulf 385gr Millenium Brass HP: $44.93 (20 rds.)
.45-70 +P Grizzly Ammunition 405 Gr. Brass PUNCH bullet: $125 (20 rds.)

.50 Beowulf 400gr Hawk FP: $38.32 (20 rds.)
.45-70 +P Grizzly Ammunition 405 Gr. Hawk FP: $70 (20 rds.)
.45-70 Buffalo Bore .405 Gr. JFN: $60 (20 rds.)
.45-70 Garrett Cartridges 420 Gr. Hammerhead: $80 (20 rds.)

I have shot both the 350 gr. Solid Brass Spitzer and the 385 gr. Solid Brass Hollow Point completely through 3 feet of solid bone. In one case that was as far as I could get the rod I was measuring with in before the channel turned enough that I could not get the rod in further, and in the other case, they went that far, exited, and burried themselves deep enough in the pea gravel beach that we could not find them. I have shot them through steel plate, rocks, trees, whatever, and seen their performance in bears.

I'll take one in the woods with me any day against the biggest bears.

pshort · Post by **pshort** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:25 pm

Howdy,
Take a look at the 450 Bushmaster as well before you decide...

Paul

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:40 pm

7.62 Precision wrote:I have shot both the 350 gr. Solid Brass Spitzer and the 385 gr. Solid Brass Hollow Point completely through 3 feet of solid bone.

What (other than Piers Morgan's thick head) has three feet of solid bone...???

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 12:04 am

I'm just looking into it now. I had thought about the Beowolf but I was thinking bullets would be harder to come by and a lot more $$$

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 12:50 am

pshort wrote:Howdy,
Take a look at the 450 Bushmaster as well before you decide...

Paul

The issue for most people up here with the .450 Bushmaster is availability of good loads/bullets for it. The soft flex-tips are okay for things that die easily, like pigs or moose, but it is much easier to get good dangerous game loads or bullets for the .50 Beowulf and .458 SOCOM. In the Lower 48, most people will not hunt anything other than grizzly or bison that the .450 Bushmaster won't work fine for.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 12:51 am

AJMD429 wrote:
7.62 Precision wrote:I have shot both the 350 gr. Solid Brass Spitzer and the 385 gr. Solid Brass Hollow Point completely through 3 feet of solid bone.
What (other than Piers Morgan's thick head) has three feet of solid bone...???

A whale.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 12:59 am

Rusty wrote:I'm just looking into it now. I had thought about the Beowolf but I was thinking bullets would be harder to come by and a lot more $$$

Ammo for the Beowulf is pretty available, with some really good loads from Alexander Arms themselves.

As far as bullets, while shape and design can make a difference on which feed well in a semi-auto, and velocity may limit the choice on some, especially .452 bullets, very simply the three calibers use the following:

.50 Beowulf - bullets designed to work with .500 S&W, or designed specifically for the Beowulf.

.458 SOCOM - .458 bullets, like a .45-70 uses.

.450 Bushamster - .452 bullets, like .45 Colt bullets.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 1:31 am

Rusty wrote:. . . or a toy to be played with that has a lot of quirks that need to be tinkered with.

Forgot to mention that I have shot many hundreds of rounds through at least four Beowulf rifles and seen hundreds more fired. The are very reliable, if built by Alexander Arms. I have seen a couple hundred rounds fired through a .458 SOCOM, and fired a couple magazines myself, with the only malfunctions due to reloaded ammo that may not have been loaded quite right.

My other Beowulf:

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:19 am

probably fun to shoot but no real use....to me anyway
unless you are in alaska and get and get attacked by
a squad of brown bears...

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:00 am

Actually I was thinking it might make a pretty decent hog rifle. They just killed a 500 pounder on the lease Jr. got into this year.

piller · Post by **piller** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:48 am

Just thinking about simplicity of use and all, but wouldn't it seem that having a good lower and a .223, a 6.5 Grendel, and a .50 Beowulf upper would handle anything in North America.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 12:00 pm

piller wrote:Just thinking about simplicity of use and all, but wouldn't it seem that having a good lower and a .223, a 6.5 Grendel, and a .50 Beowulf upper would handle anything in North America.

Yep. I think that was Alexander Arms' idea...

but I'd add an upper (single shot) in 338 Lapua or 405 CheyTac of 416 Barrett or 50 BMG...

Zel Uppers - http://www.tactilite.com/Tactilite-T1-U ... r-p/t1.htm

Brownell's video on it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_hAU1Op ... r_embedded

THEN you can cover anything in North America or anywhere else in the world...

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 12:31 pm

piller wrote:Just thinking about simplicity of use and all, but wouldn't it seem that having a good lower and a .223, a 6.5 Grendel, and a .50 Beowulf upper would handle anything in North America.

Absolutely, with a .22 lr conversion for the 5.56 upper.

Actually, the 6.5 Grendel could take the place of the 5.56 for almost any use. It is definitely the most versatile chambering for the AR-15 - excellent for hunting anything up to a moose or black bear, and sufficient for a brown bear if necessary. Great long-range abilities, great selection of bullets, ammo is not expensive and the Wolf steel cased ammo should be priced the same as their steel cased .223 for practice. It does everything the 6.8 spc does, and more. On the other end, it overlaps the usefulness of the 5.56. Anyone who has hunted a lot with 6.6x55, .260 Rem, etc. knows that the 6.5s have a lot of advantages for hunting over .30 calibers.

For most people the 6.5 would be the most practical chambering for a 5.56.

I have often thought a bag with a lower, 6.5 grendel upper, .50 Beowulf upper, and a .22 LR upper would be an excellent survival kit to keep ready on a boat. Maybe a little on the heavy side and needing to be trimmed down to only one or two uppers for a plane.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 12:33 pm

AJMD429 wrote:but I'd add an upper (single shot) in 338 Lapua or 405 CheyTac of 416 Barrett or 50 BMG...

. . . or go with a Safety Harbor Firearms upper and it doesn't have to be single shot.

Ji in Hawaii · Post by **Ji in Hawaii** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 12:38 pm

I always thought a AR platform chambered in 50AE would make a fine pig gun.

Availability and affordability of brass would be better I'm guessing.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 3:51 pm

Friends Call Me Ji wrote:I always thought a AR platform chambered in 50AE would make a fine pig gun.
Availability and affordability of brass would be better I'm guessing.

Its been tried, but I have not heard of it being done successfully - a lot of problems.

The problem is in trying to fit an existing cartridge to and existing weapon system. It can work sometimes, but often not or at least not well. What Alexander Arms did with the .50 Beowulf and 6.5 Grendel was to design a cartridge for the weapon.

The military could not get a sufficiently reliable 7.62x39 M4 upper (no one really has without using AK mags in a modified lower) so they developed the 6.8 SPC for the weapon.

When Nemo wanted to put .300/.338 Win Mag in an AR platform, they designed an AR-style rifle around the cartridge.

Ji in Hawaii · Post by **Ji in Hawaii** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:12 pm

7.62 Precision wrote:
Friends Call Me Ji wrote:I always thought a AR platform chambered in 50AE would make a fine pig gun.
Availability and affordability of brass would be better I'm guessing.
Its been tried, but I have not heard of it being done successfully - a lot of problems.

The problem is in trying to fit an existing cartridge to and existing weapon system. It can work sometimes, but often not or at least not well. What Alexander Arms did with the .50 Beowulf and 6.5 Grendel was to design a cartridge for the weapon.

The military could not get a sufficiently reliable 7.62x39 M4 upper (no one really has without using AK mags in a modified lower) so they developed the 6.8 SPC for the weapon.

When Nemo wanted to put .300/.338 Win Mag in an AR platform, they designed an AR-style rifle around the cartridge.

Though discontinued due to slow sales I have read that Tromex was very successful at manufacturing reliable 50AEs.
http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html? ... 1&t=302912

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:32 pm

There seems to be a lot of people writing about subsonic loads with silencers for hog hunting. I don't see a subsonic load fro the Beowolf. The SOCOM uses a 600 grain bullet for subsonic. I wonder how heavy a .50 would have to be to go subsonic and still function?

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:36 pm

Some likely were, others required tinkering, and the ones I knew of were problematic. Also, you have to think about things like how the bolts are being made - it is one thing to manufacture a bolt to specific specs, and another to open up a bolt that was intended for a different purpose. This is why Alexander arms does not use opened bolts - their bolts are manufactured specifically for each caliber and materials and heat treating, etc. match the purpose. Now that others are opening bolts for their own 6.5 Grendel rifles, we hear of bolts breaking sometimes, and especially when they are opened way up for an even larger case head, the likelihood of a bolt breaking is much higher.

Oly Arms' system was pretty good - blowback with a dedicated bolt for the pistol cartridge conversions. I used to use their parts to make .45 ACP ARs sometimes. Some didn't like their ejector design, but it worked fine.

Still, almost always better to design the cartridge for the gun or the gun for the cartridge than to try to custom fit the two together. With .50 Beowulf available with proven reliability, great cartridges and available ammo, I would not consider messing with trying to get .50 AE in an AR, cool as it might be.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:38 pm

Rusty wrote:There seems to be a lot of people writing about subsonic loads with silencers for hog hunting. I don't see a subsonic load fro the Beowolf. The SOCOM uses a 600 grain bullet for subsonic. I wonder how heavy a .50 would have to be to go subsonic and still function?

I don't know, I can ask Bill Alexander - he will know.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:47 pm

7.62 Precision wrote:For most people the 6.5 would be the most practical chambering for a 5.56.

I have often thought a bag with a lower, 6.5 grendel upper, .50 Beowulf upper, and a .22 LR upper would be an excellent survival kit to keep ready on a boat. Maybe a little on the heavy side and needing to be trimmed down to only one or two uppers for a plane.

How about a 300 AAC Blackout...? They seem pretty versatile, too. http://300aacblackout.com/

According to Advanced Armament Corp ("AAC"):

[b]Advanced Armament Corporation[/b] wrote:"This system was developed to launch 30 caliber projectiles from the AR platform without a reduction in magazine capacity and compatible with the standard bolt.

Full power 115-125 grain ammunition matches the ballistics of the 7.62x39mm AK, and eclipses 5.56mm with much higher-mass projectiles for a more dramatic effect on the target. Or choose subsonic cartridges for optimal use with a sound suppressor - 220 grain Sierra OTM (open-tip match) bullets vastly outperforms a 9mm MP5-SD in penetration and long range accuracy.

Ammo and brass prices are low - Remington 115 grain UMC ammo is $12.99 a box MSRP - and it is not bare bones. It has waterproofed primers, crimped and cannelured open-tip match bullets, and a low-drag design.

At 300 meters, 300 BLK has 16.7% more energy than 7.62x39mm. Max effective range, using M4 military standards for hit probability, is 440 meters for a 9 inch barrel, and 460 meters for a 16 inch barrel. 300 BLK from a 9 inch barrel has the same energy at the muzzle as a 14.5 inch barrel M4, and about 5% more energy at 440 meters - even though the barrel is much shorter.

For hunting - think of it as like a 30-30 but from an AR. After you are done, you can remove your 5-round magazine and put in a 30 for plinking or home defense. For ammo, Remington has you covered with the Premiere AccuTip 125 grain. Want industry-wide support? Over 60 companies have already announced or sell products.

Due to the high efficiency of the cartridge, less powder is used than 5.56mm, which results in a rifle that is a comfortable to shoot - even with a short barrel. "

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:56 pm

AJMD429 wrote:
7.62 Precision wrote:How about a 300 AAC Blackout...? They seem pretty versatile, too. http://300aacblackout.com/

Great cartridge, similar in performance to a .30-30, with lighter bullets if you prefer, or heavy. Not a long range cartridge, but in a lot of hunting long range isn't a consideration. How many deer have been killed over the years with .30-30s? One or two, I reckon. Cases are easily made from 5.56 cases, and bullets are easy.

For me, I would rather use a 6.5 Grendel for anything I would use a .300 Blackout for, so it would be my preference, but there is a good reason for the increasing popularity of the .300 BLK. I have a .300 BLK barrel here I should do something with, probably sell, before it costs me any money.

m.wun · Post by **m.wun** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 12:25 pm

For us poor slobs in Ca. a 50 Beauwolf 10rd mag is legal and just happens to hold 20rd of 5.56!

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:00 pm

I have a .300 BLK barrel here I should do something with, probably sell, before it costs me any money.

BTDT...sometimes I find myself with a box of ammo and no gun chambered in that round...you know what I have had to do then, of course...!

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:01 pm

m.wun wrote:For us poor slobs in Ca. a 50 Beauwolf 10rd mag is legal and just happens to hold 20rd of 5.56!

That is a good strategy...!!!

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:34 pm

m.wun wrote:For us poor slobs in Ca. a 50 Beauwolf 10rd mag is legal and just happens to hold 20rd of 5.56!

According to Bill Alexander, it sound like E-Lander magazines work with 50 Beowulf without modification to the feed lips, as long as the legs on the follower are cut off or maybe if an old-style USGI follower is used. I need to do some testing, but I will probably mod some followers and re-mark some mags for .50 Beowulf. The bodies will be the same dimension, but the followers will not be anti-tilt, so not as reliable with .223.
http://www.7-62precision.com/magazines/

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 4:29 pm

My Beowulf upper came with only one magazine, but I've had a couple of steel 20 rounders I've tried that worked just fine, then later I bought one more Beo one from Alexander Arms. I figure I won't be laying down a barrage of Beowulf fire so a couple or so magazines is enough.

I do have one of those MWG 90-rounders though...

Saw on YouTube a guy using one on a three-shot-burst lower and I think he fired ten bursts.

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:11 pm

I've been reading off and on all weekend about the Beowolf round and rifles.

I just want to thank you enablers for giving me another rifle to obsess over!

Now I have to figure out what I want to part with.

jb

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:16 pm

2ndovc wrote:I've been reading off and on all weekend about the Beowolf round and rifles.

I just want to thank you enablers for giving me another rifle to obsess over!

Just watch these videos, and I'm sure you will be cured. . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN6uvd1GeSs

http://alexanderarms.com/index.php/prod ... video.html

. . . or maybe not. . .

You might want a pistol-version instead. . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... VtTJqWlxJc

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:59 pm

Rusty wrote:There seems to be a lot of people writing about subsonic loads with silencers for hog hunting. I don't see a subsonic load fro the Beowolf. The SOCOM uses a 600 grain bullet for subsonic. I wonder how heavy a .50 would have to be to go subsonic and still function?

Sounds like this feller figured one load out at least... http://www.beyond556.com/bboard/showthr ... ad-project

hayabusa · Post by **hayabusa** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:13 pm

With the .50 upper that I bought new from Cabela's several years ago I have shot at two deer once each and each one was killed very quickly.

I do not find the recoil very stout, nowhere like a 12 gauge shotgun.

I shot it with just a tee shirt on, plus jeans, and no bruises.

I like it a lot.

hayabusa

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:29 pm

I was reading on the Alexander Arms website and they state there that the recoil level is about equal to a 20 ga shotgun.

cas · Post by **cas** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:51 pm

I had a 50 Beowulf for a while. Recoil always reminded me of shooting slugs in my 20ga 1100.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:44 pm

With the pepperpot brake and the GL-SHOCK stock http://www.7-62precision.com/recoil-red ... -15-stock/ recoil is very mild - less noticeable than most .30-30s or .308s for me.

I have cycled tons of media through shooting a Beowulf, and demoed them to people all over Alaska, and the most common comment I get, after people being impressed by the power, is astonishment at how little recoil there is. It is a great choice for small children to use for bear hunting.

cas · Post by **cas** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:27 am

2ndovc wrote: I just want to thank you enablers...

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:29 am

cas wrote:

Interesting use for a Rock chucker...

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:33 am

7.62 Precision wrote:It is a great choice for small children to use for bear hunting.

Is this the girl you are referring to...

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=48904

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:15 pm

Yes, that's her.

The rifle she is using is the same one that you see in the picture with the coho salmon earlier in this thread. I lent her that one because it had the brake on it. I gave her father 325 gr. hollowpoint Speer ammo that she practiced with and she shot the bear with either the 385 gr. brass solid HP or the 350 gr. brass solid spritzer. I don't remember which, but I gave them both and recommended the 385 brass HP since the 350 spitzer has a much sharper recoil. I think it was the 385 brass HP that she used.

I have the video which will go into a larger Beowulf video I am making.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:36 pm

7.62 Precision wrote:Yes, that's her.

The rifle she is using is the same one that you see in the picture with the coho salmon earlier in this thread. I lent her that one because it had the brake on it.

I happen to be one of those guys who isn't particularly recoil-sensitive even though I'm scrawny, although I really dislike handgun recoil above a stout-44-Mag-with-Bisley-grips level. I realize that some dudes, even 'big, tough, burly' ones who could kill me with one punch, are just somehow more sensitive to recoil. Nonetheless, I can't help but snicker when I see a petite little girl (with such a big grin on her face) shooting a gun that many of my friends say "Man, that looks cool. . . but how much does it recoil. . . ?"

The recoil of the 50 Beowulf (in that platform at least) strikes me as about like a 240 grain factory load from my 1894 Marlin; you know you're shooting a real gun, but certainly not uncomfortably-so. Still I have (big, tough, burly) friends who dislike shooting my 44 Mag Marlin, so I suppose it is all relative.

I think the gun's inherent weight, semiauto mechanism, and 100% straight comb all make it a pussycat, compared to something like my breakopen 12 gauge 'slug gun', which I'll admit I really dislike shooting any more than necessary. My 375 Ruger, on the other hand. . . now THAT is downright exhilarating. . . !

piller · Post by **piller** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 6:59 pm

I am going to save my money for an upper for my AR. I don't need anything more, but I think I want a .50 Beowulf upper. That and a 6.5 Grendel upper, and I will have to thin the herd just to be able to shoot most of what I have.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 3:41 am

AJMD429 wrote: The recoil of the 50 Beowulf (in that platform at least) strikes me as about like a 240 grain factory load from my 1894 Marlin; you know you're shooting a real gun, but certainly not uncomfortably-so. Still I have (big, tough, burly) friends who dislike shooting my 44 Mag Marlin, so I suppose it is all relative.

In many ways its very like shooting a pistol caliber carbine. Without a brake they are very quiet, the recoil is very low for the size and speed of the projectile, and it is designed to really shine in a short barrel, with no real advantage in a barrel longer than 16" or so.

Recoil is funny. As a former sniper, I firmly believe that recoil will affect your shooting, heavy recoil more than light, and everyone shoots a light recoiling gun better than a light recoiling gun. Period.

Now a skilled, experienced shooter may be affected by recoil so little that the difference is hard to see, but the fact remains that recoil will affect your shooting. This is why I usually try to talk less experienced shooters out of magnum-type chamberings. A guy who is a shooter, I say fine, because I know he can shoot and he may have his reasons for going with the caliber other than, "All my buddies say you can't kill a moose with anything less than a .300 Win Mag."

Its funny though, when I have the macho-type guys who won't shoot my Vaquero with bear loads because they are afraid of the recoil, and then my pretty small wife shoots it without even thinking about it. I have had big guys with no injuries seriously ask me how to reduce the painful recoil of a 5.56 AR.

piller · Post by **piller** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 6:59 am

86er may remember when he had a Merkel Double rifle he was testing a few years ago, and a 19 year old 105 pound girl shot it and liked it. The rifle was in 9.3x74 of something like that. Recoil sensitivity is a very individual situation. I have a 12 gauge I shoot without any trouble, but one uncle had a 20 gauge years ago that just plain hurt to shoot. I think it was the stock design.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 8:33 pm

piller wrote: I think it was the stock design.

Most painful recoil I have ever experienced was from a beautiful little Winchester 70 .243 youth carbine. They only made a couple, and I think I know why.

In a different stock, the same rifle is fine.

3leggedturtle · Post by **3leggedturtle** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:07 pm

7.62 Precision wrote:
piller wrote: I think it was the stock design.
Most painful recoil I have ever experienced was from a beautiful little Winchester 70 .243 youth carbine. They only made a couple, and I think I know why.

In a different stock, the same rifle is fine.

Friend had a lightweight bolt in 243WSSM, recoil was sharp and nasty, Tho shot a 3 group at 100 yards of 1/2" with it.

Post by **Old Savage** » Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:27 pm

Well now I can cross bear hunting off my list .... Never could out do the little girl now