.50 BMG cast loads. Anyone have firsthand experience?

[armorer59]

I'm thinking of trying to work on some reduced cast loads for my .50 BMG bolt gun. I want some rounds I can shoot at my house without too much fear of a round escaping my property. My local club wont allow .50's. I searched .50 BMG and came up with nothing. Anyone have some firsthand experience they can share?

[dondiego]

armorer59 - I have a mold that I bought from NEI a long time ago. I made some boolets, gas checked and sized to 0.512. I have never loaded or shot any of them! I was told to use the data with 5051 powder that is used for spotter/tracer rounds which is a reduced charge. I forgot the charge. I kind of put it on the back burner when my club banned .50 BMG. I was hoping that someone would respond with some good data. I might just get back into it.

Don

[cpileri]

50BMG with cast bullets
600gr NEI 600-510GC IMR IMR-4064 150.0 1,900fps
Remarks: velocity from 36 inch barrel, RWS primers in LC cases

600gr NEI 600-510GC IMR IMR-3031 125.0 1,900 fps
Remarks: velocity from 36 inch barrel, RWS primers in LC cases

600gr NEI 600-510GC IMR IMR-4198 60.0 1,400fps
Remarks: requires black powder booster if using large rifle primers; velocity from 36 inch barrel, RWS primers in LC cases

[jonas302]

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=001951264366462437169%3Aggn3vg-bjum&ie=UTF-8&q=50+bmg&sa=Search&siteurl=www.google.com%2Fcse%2Fhome%3Fcx%3D0019512 64366462437169%3Aggn3vg-bjum&ref=&ss=1864j864186j6#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=50%20bmg&gsc.page=1

[Bullshop]

I never shot any but I sell some. I have an NEI 700 gn in the DD style.

[Bullshop Junior]

700grs on lead...thats 14 boolits for my 222.

[Cmm_3940]

Ten per pound??!? :shock:

[jonp]

Thats a lot of coww's

[jonp]

700grs on lead...thats 14 boolits for my 222.

14x the noise too!

[bbqncigars]

The fifty BMG can really mess with your perceptions. The 45-70 feels like a small round after you've been playing with the big one for a few hours.

[Bullshop Junior]

I have a friend here who was letting a friend shoot his 50 at his housr, bulldt riccoched and went two miles and killed someones prize hog dog. Cost the owner of the rifle 6000 bucks.

[dondiego]

Man, that is really "bringing home the bacon"!

[Chakta]

I remember once pulling up to the shooting range at our gun club. We stayed in the truck some 50 feet behind the bench area, while others were just gathered standing around. I wondered why so, then came the KA-BOOOOOOOM, it shook the windows of my 1 ton Ford truck. Everybody had their hands on their heads and after ward just shook their heads. Now I been around field artillery before some 50 years ago but never a rifle that had that much noise after the trigger was pulled. This weapon had a muzzle brake on it also. I think even with plugs & earmuffs, shooting that gun would soon cause one to loose their hearing. Now days, only certain times are given out to shoot such a shoulder cannon at our club!!!

[fastfire]

I had a Barrett 99 for 4 years that I loaded for. Shooting defiantly requires both ear plugs and good muffs. It was always a croud pleaser. Probably 1/2 of the rounds that went through it were shot by others so they could get the feel of it. Never hold your mouth open when shooting as it WILL ring your ears and the concussion was intense.

[NVScouter]

I miss my M2....I could rock that thing all day. AP Incindiary rounds would bounce off into never never land for sure

[armorer59]

Lol, she's my fiance and I've already test fired API loads into an old tree stump! She doesn't mind the noise. We shoot fairly frequently, albeit smaller calibers!



"I want some rounds I can shoot at my house …"
Wow. Your wife's gonna be pissed.

[armorer59]

The fifty BMG can really mess with your perceptions. The 45-70 feels like a small round after you've been playing with the big one for a few hours.

Recoil doesn't seem like it's going to be too bad. 12 gauge slug maybe! It has a very effective muzzle brake.

[armorer59]

50BMG with cast bullets
600gr NEI 600-510GC IMR IMR-4064 150.0 1,900fps
Remarks: velocity from 36 inch barrel, RWS primers in LC cases

600gr NEI 600-510GC IMR IMR-3031 125.0 1,900 fps
Remarks: velocity from 36 inch barrel, RWS primers in LC cases

600gr NEI 600-510GC IMR IMR-4198 60.0 1,400fps
Remarks: requires black powder booster if using large rifle primers; velocity from 36 inch barrel, RWS primers in LC cases


Thanks for the data! I'm likely going to go for 700-900 grn range.

[Finarfin]

Try accurate molds and call hodgdon about trailboss.

[armorer59]

Try accurate molds and call hodgdon about trailboss.

Thanks, Will check them out.

[armorer59]

armorer59 - I have a mold that I bought from NEI a long time ago. I made some boolets, gas checked and sized to 0.512. I have never loaded or shot any of them! I was told to use the data with 5051 powder that is used for spotter/tracer rounds which is a reduced charge. I forgot the charge. I kind of put it on the back burner when my club banned .50 BMG. I was hoping that someone would respond with some good data. I might just get back into it.

Don

Shoot me a PM if you decide to part with the mold. Do you recall what weight boolit it drops?

[armorer59]

Anyone ever try General Ordnance Development molds? They have some good looking .50 BMG molds.

[dondiego]

armorer59 - I believe it is a 700 grain mold. Not for sure.

I just went and checked and it is a 775 grain Bator style bullet with gas check.

[armorer59]

armorer59 - I believe it is a 700 grain mold. Not for sure.

I just went and checked and it is a 775 grain Bator style bullet with gas check.


Is this the mold?
http://www.neihandtools.com/catalog/510-775-GC-DD.jpg

[bbqncigars]

I should have specified that I was talking about the physical size differences in the loaded rounds. After a day loading 50BMG ammo, I was puzzled when I thought I saw a 5.56 round on the shelf. A mousegun round??! I picked it up, and it was a 7.62 round for my FAL.
My fifty doesn't recoil much at all, thanks to a damned good brake on a 38lb gun.

[armorer59]

I should have specified that I was talking about the physical size differences in the loaded rounds. After a day loading 50BMG ammo, I was puzzled when I thought I saw a 5.56 round on the shelf. A mousegun round??! I picked it up, and it was a 7.62 round for my FAL.
My fifty doesn't recoil much at all, thanks to a damned good brake on a 38lb gun.


The .50 DOES dwarf all other rounds I load as well! I used to thing the .45 X 2 7/8" round in my cartridge collection was huge! The .50 is a hungry bugger to load as well!

[cpileri]

Thanks for the data! I'm likely going to go for 700-900 grn range.

Sure.
Though if i ever find any of those 600grainers, i may load somemyself.
C-

[armorer59]

Sure.
Though if i ever find any of those 600grainers, i may load somemyself.
C-

I just found the mold that looks to be what I want. CBE makes it. 975 grn GC!