PDA

View Full Version : Casting for the Beowulf



Avery Arms
01-10-2009, 02:48 AM
Buddy of mine loves shooting his .50 AR but wants to shoot it cheaper.

I told him to buy me a mold and I would give him some boolits...

Any idea what mold to have him buy? Plain base or Gas check? 50/50 lube or maybe carnuba red?

IIRC he loads a 350g bullet to like 1600FPS.


PP

missionary5155
01-10-2009, 06:17 AM
Good morning
In this case I would say YES GC ! IT is not just the velocity... but the pressure you have to develope to get that BIG slug moving.
God Bless you !

Lloyd Smale
01-10-2009, 08:33 AM
look in the group buy section and theres a 501 mold up right now that i helped get going with the 50 beowulf in mind. Its a gas checked 380 grain lfn. Id stick to a gas checked bullet in a gas operated rifle. Weve fooled a little with my buddys beowulf (mines still not been to the range) and with his desert eagle in 50 ae and found that if you use a hard alloy like lino. and a gas check and use a hard lube fouling is minimal.

TRX
06-02-2009, 10:38 AM
I ordered the Lee .500-360M "Improved Minie, Traditional Design" mould. I'm still waiting for my brass to get here, so I don't know how the forward grease groove will line up with the case mouth.

rockrat
06-02-2009, 11:28 AM
You could try the Lee 440gr mould, but unsure if the large meplat would feed in the AR. Don't have mine together yet, so can't help there.

TRX
06-02-2009, 09:17 PM
I looked at the 440, but I wanted something closer to the middle of the range to start off with, and the 360gr falls neatly within the 300-335-400gr factory load range.

Besides, I think it will be cool to shoot "Minie balls" in an autoloader...

The die set showed up today, but Lee back-ordered the mould.

BD
06-03-2009, 08:37 AM
I'm currently playing with a .450 Bushmaster. One thing to keep in mind with the big bore AR platforms is "boolit jump" on chambering. A real crimp of some kind is needed. In these short , fat cases any variation in OAL as a result of boolit jump has a drastic effect on velocity. I'm seeing as much as a 200 fps velocity variation with the condoms. I cut down a 45-70 lee factory crimp die to put a "body crimp" into the lube groove for the .450 B, I don't know what would be available to accomplish that on the Beowulf. Does it headspace on the case mouth?

Good news is that my 200 round condom "break in" is complete and it's on to the Boolits!

BD