50 BMG Match bullet from 308win!

[BT Sniper]

That time of year again when I get out the big 50s. I'm also working on a set of 50 BMG dies for a potential customer. Here is a look at what I was able to come up with using my/his dies.

An 820 grain match 50 BMG bullet made from a scrap Berdan primed 308 case. I think the process would be easier starting with a scrap 8mm or 30-06 cut off at the shoulder, I lost about 1/2 the 308s due to split necks when necking up to .505". Probably just need to tweak the expanding mandrel a bit but I still think a cut off 30-06 would be better.

Don't yet know how these will shoot? I expect good things! My BMG barrels have a 15 twist but that is a relatively thin jacket compared to the usual .030 thick jacket or thicker that is commonly used in making these bullets. Only concern is if the bullet comes apart the instant it leaves the barrel and hits the muzzle brake. Any thoughts? think it could happen? and if it did? I shall see soon enough.



308win, necked up and the final 820 grain bullet!




308 jacket on left, RCE jacket on right, both 820 grains.



























Good shooting and swage on!


Brian

[BT Sniper]

Customer wanted to make some heavy .510 bullets for shooting subsonic in his 50 Alaskan so I made some 1,000 grain bullets to show him what is possible with these dies. With a nice lead tip and the thin 308 win jacket it should make for an impressive round!


820 grain bullets pictured on outside and 1,000 grain bullets on inside.

[ilikec2]

Those look awesome, can't wait to get my hands on those dies

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

[Pipefitter]

My shoulder hurts just looking at those beautiful bullets, but it does not stop me from drooling all over the keyboard. Good work!!!

[kc3ak]

Very nice, Brian. An impressive bullet to say the least. I'd like to see you shoot that sectioned one, though....

[bullet maker 57]

I have close to 100 berdan primed 8mm scrap if you want them.

[BT Sniper]

Sure! I can make good use of them. Send you back a few sample bullets in return. Sound good?

Brian

[bullet maker 57]

They will be on the way tomorrow.

[BK7saum]

What press requirements are required to swage those?

[BT Sniper]

Any of the RCE or the Aneat press. Hydraulic is even better. Basically anything with more power then a reloading press. I did use my Lee Classic Cast to make some 50s but it was really pushing it.

Brian

[monmouth]

Those are just awesome. I'm really interested in this setup, PM sent.

[BT Sniper]

Thanks! I'm just finishing up machine work on a few of these 50 BMG die sets. Didn't receive any new PMs from monmoth yet but I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Good shooting and swage on!

BT

[rockrat]

Did you purchase those aluminum tips or machine them yourself?

Also, how much for the dies??

Thanks

[OS OK]

BT...just for my own curiosity...for just one round---How many pulls on the press arm are involved, start to finish? I don't mean to count all the incremental partial strokes, urging it in all the way, but if it were one clean pull per step/progressively, how many pulls? How many different dies?
What beautiful results, you must be very proud of the results!

Talking about a 'cruise missile!'

[BT Sniper]

Tips are from Corbin. I did come up with a die to make my own from a harder lead and initial results look good but not quite perfect yet.

Initial price I am working on but initial offered price looks to be about 1.5 times my standard die prices. There is a lot of additional tooling that is specific to what exact 50 BMG bullet the customer wishes to make. I'll make a 50 BMG thread in my vendor page when I have prices finalized.

Number of pulls on the press........ well lets see...... this is what I do....

Commercial jackets

1. form the boat tail in empty jacket (easy, might not be required but I do it)
2. swage core to exact weight
3. seat core
4. form bullet
5. seat tip

I don't think this is any more steps then forming a typical bullet with ballistic tip.

With bullets from scrap 308 or 30-06 cases....... I still have to perfect the process but I'll list the extra steps in prepping the case to get to step one of that listed above. I haven't tried the 30-06 case yet but I assume it will be easier to simply cut off the neck at the shoulder so you eliminate the need and challenge of expanding the neck.

Scrap Brass Jacket (pulls of the press, of course there is time in annealing and cleaning)

1. I think by using 30-06 brass cut at the shoulder it will only take one additional pull of the press to expand the cut 30-06 case to be used for the 50 BMG jacket. Then you simply follow the 5 steps as listed above.

I'll keep everyone posted. It is a long process of perfecting the technique of using scrap brass for jackets before I feel the process is ready to pass on to customers. I still have to shoot a few of these bullets threw the big 50 to be sure everything holds together. When messing around with experimental bullets in the big 50 with upwards of 250 grains of powder one needs to be certain of safe results.

BT

[Faret]

Well how do they shoot?

[ohnomrbillk]

Did you anneal the 308 brass and successfully form that boat tail?

or did you have to lathe turn the base of the bullet?

either way, I'm really impressed

[BT Sniper]

Annealed and then formed/swaged.

Thanks

Brian

[Faret]

Any updates?

[BT Sniper]

What kind of updates you looking for? I eventually shot a few 700 grain pills made from 7.5x55 brass with great success.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...e-primed-brass!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...50-BMG-Success!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...000-yrds-video!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-yrd-fun-shoot!

Got a couple of these die sets all machined. Haven't shot any of the 50 BMG pills made from 308 brass yet but I am certain they would do just as well or better then the results I got with the bullets made form 7.5 brass.

Swage on!

BT