50bmg

[Medic08]

Any plans to make a die set for making .510 bullets for the 50BMG?

[nhrifle]

That would be great but I think they would have to be dies dedicated to an actual swage press. Making those in a reloading press may over stress the frame.

[BT Sniper]

Got a line on a nice McBros single shot. All it will take is a little time and money on my part but the ball is rolling on the big BMG!

Brian

[BT Sniper]

Check out my 50 BMG test platform!



Should be here in a week or two. Maybe I'll be shooting my own bullets by end of year!


Brian

[nhrifle]

Brian, that is much classier than my BMG and I am about to experience a case of jealousy. Please share a thorough range report after you fire it. Be sure and get yourself a nice long eye relief scope, trust me you don't want to get a scope eye from that round (don't ask how I know!).

[midnight]

Brian: If you begin making 1½ inch 50BMG dies for use with the Walnut Hill or Richard Corbin's HydraSwage, let me know. I will be in for the first set. I believe a jacket maker to make 50 BMG jacket from any of the belted magnums would also be in order.

Bob

PS: An early iteration of my 50 BMG is my avitar.

[BT Sniper]

I think I'll be able to do it with the 7/8-14 threaded dies. It will take a bit of testing but I am pretty confident.

Probably start out with a simple, cheep SS 16X scope with 3.9" of eye relief. Obviously want as much as possible but what is minimum you suppose?

BT

[BT Sniper]

This is indeed an awesome looking gun. I picked it up unfired (new) condition for a heck of a deal. It will represent a good deal of fun and excitement on my part but will also benefit greatly as an investment for future potential BTSniper business in the potentially upcoming 50 cal swage die offerings. I wish I was doing well enough I could just go out and purchase a benchrest quality 50 BMG any time I liked but that just isn't the case, had to offer the family 44 Auto Mag Pistol up for sale to cover the funds. Oh well..... I still got a marlin 44mag lever action to test 44 cal bullets with if need be.

[midnight]

You are probably right about a copper tubing jacket maker. Using belted magnum brass would probably cost even more. I think I have probably perfected using drill bushings to draw jackets down to the size I want. I found a source of bushings. I can specify the ID, OD, & length to 4 decimal places. Just got a couple 0.2756 to make jackets for the 270.

Bob

[MUSTANG]

I'll be in for a set of .50BMG dies; both copper tubing jacket & .50 BMG bullet swage. I am getting ready to cast boolits for my AR-50 using an NOE Mold, but I need options for jacketed when I exhaust my supply of military surplus API.

I have a Corbin S-Press, Lee Classic Cast 50 BMG Single Stage Press & RCBS Rock Chucker. All robust for most tasks, but probably inadequate for the Task of .50BMG Swaging. Perhaps I'll have to build/have built a press similar to the Cast Boolits Swage press - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-a-Swage-press.



Mustang

[BT Sniper]

I am going to attempt success using my SeaGirt press in the same manor as how the Corbins use their dies, forming bullet in die positioned in the ram and base punch in the top. I am certain I will be able to make some very good bullets. I will be ordering a few Hornady 750 grain A-Maxs and will be copying it for the most part including the ballistic tip. Not sure if I'll stick with secant ogive of the a-max or go with a tangent? I am pretty certain I will be using some sort of balistic tip and may try to use a 22mag or 22lr jacket formed in a ballistic tip to match. It will be Awesome! But will take me a little time. If and when I am able to offer any dies it will be into next year for sure but no doubt I will be making 50 cal bullets to shoot. Depending on my results, success and accuracy of the bullet it could be a pretty expensive set of dies. I'll keep you all posted. Should have the riffle here first of following week. Having trouble finding H50 powder at the moment. Whole new setup of reloading with the 50 BMG!

If any of you guys have some info to share regarding anything 50BMG with jacketed bulelts please feel to comment. I'm going for an accurate "match quality" bullet and set of dies here and price may reflect that. I want to shoot as good or better then the A-Max. We shall see.

Brian

[BT Sniper]

Mustang! You got the AR-50! I narrowed my 50BMG choices down to a McBros Single shot or the AR-50. I happened to find this McBros but read a lot of good accuracy reports from the AR-50. Have you shot any of the A-Max threw it? How's the accuracy with what you have shot? What reloading dies are you using? Is the lee dies any good? I need to get everything! Any info you can share?

I plan on going with the following

Lee classic cast press
Lee reloading dies
??? don't know which case primer to get, lee?
H-50 BMG powder
CCI #35 primmers
IMI brass if I can find it, otherwise prepped LC. I have read RWS 50BMG is possibly the best?
Super Sniper 16X mil/mil scope with doubled Burris XTR rings

Think that is about it for now. I welcome anyone's coments or opinions regarding shooting and reloading the big 50!

Brian

[BT Sniper]

Yep the Aneat Swage Press might be a good choice! I'll see what I can do!

BT

[midnight]

Brian: Check out Widener's Shooting Supplies. They have 8 pounders of WC872 & WC867 for $46 ea in stock. I load 220gr of WC872 behind a 690gr South African ball and 190gr behind an 833gr cast linotype bullet. You can't beat a little over $8 a pound for powder when you only get about 30 - 31 rounds out of a pound.

Bob

PS: I believe WC872 is the powder used in the 20mm. This powder is surplus but not from pull downs.

[nhrifle]

Brian, get the Lee gear and don't look back. It's the setup I use when reloading for mine, and for the price you can't go wrong.

[BT Sniper]

Just joined FCSA and the FCSA forums. Lots of good info. Still researching. Most likely start with Lee Dies and the Classic cast. Some WC872 and cheap bullets for barrel break in and plinking WOW rounds, then go with H50 powder and A-Max for accuracy testing.

[monmouth]

This is one of the reasons why I don't want a .50, component availibility. My wallet needs to avoid this thread from now

[BT Sniper]

Yep! A lot more expensive then shooting 22 cal bullets made from 22lr brass. I have the advantage that I will not have to pay for the swage dies to make the bullets, well to a certain degree..... I'll still have to purchase nearly $1K worth of custom reamers to make the dies with. If I'm good I'll be able to make bullets as accurate as the A-max at a cost of 10-40 cents a piece rather then the nearly $2 ea for the A-max.

It's only money right! There are certainly worse things I could spend extra money on.

BT

[MUSTANG]

Brian:


I acquire 50BMG Brass when and where I find it available and $$ in the wallet. The first step is and will remain: Case Prep!

The 50BMG as you probably know has not benefited from SAAMI Specs. The .50BMG has earned a reputation in the last 80 years plus for reliability in military applications because of (1) a generous chamber and throat, & (2) adjustable head space. Reloading and shooting in today's .50BMG rifles requires effective case prep.

(a) Full Size case & deprime
(b) Swage primer pockets to get rid of the military primer crimp
(c) Use a .50BMG primer pocket reamer/uniformer (on each and every round).
(d) Trim case to size.

I had months of frustration with varying primer pocket depths (c), resulting in high primers/crushed primers/ok seated Primers due to varying primer case depths - not only between different case head stamps ; but also within the same head stamps and dates. Problem corrected when I acquired a .50BMG Primer Pocket Uniformer. All I can say is Locate and purchase a primer pocket uniformer, or build one with your machining skills. I do sort all brass by head stamp & date for reloading and subsequent shooting sessions.

Currently use a Lyman .50BMG trimmer for case length trimming, thinking about getting a WFT Big Boy Trimmer for the .50BMG. http://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/bi...20trimmer.html


I have been more than satisfied with WC860/WC867/WC872 from Pat's Reloading. I also purchase my CCI #35 .50BMG primers from there. http://www.patsreloading.com/patsrel...ategory=Powder

Mustang

[BT Sniper]

Thanks!

Finished ordering a good portion of what I need. Starting with SS 16X scope, Lee dies, primer, and factory crimp die in case I need it. Cleaning supplies, 60 A-max bullets, 600 RWS primers, Burris XTR rings. Need to get a trimmer and primmer pocket trimmer and uniformer. Gun comes with 50 rounds of brass, who knows what brand? I would like to find some RWS or IMI brass. Expensive stuff though. I saw wideners had the surplus powder for good price. I'm going to try and start with H50.

I should have new pics in a couple weeks.

Should be into this purchase for around or slightly under $5K for everything.

BT