50 Bmg cast loads

[leadhead 500]

Got a rain day from work and decided to head to the range to shoot a few Noe cast through my Armalite 50 Bmg. These are cast from a 3:1 mix of wheel weights to Linotype and water quenched. Lubed up with carnuba red lube, bullets was hand poured and kept within a 1/2 grain. Final weight on these with my lead mix using Gator checks is 875 grains. This was my first 3 shot group at 100 yards. Group was just under 1 inch for 3 shots

[onelight]

I would be in trouble if I had to make it shoot better than that ! And that is a b b big boolit.
Very nice first group.

[leadhead 500]

I believe that this is a design that rockrat worked on with Noe. It’s a outstanding design for the big 50! Looks like a oversized Lyman 311299

[Winger Ed.]

Way cool.
When I was shooting my Serbu BFG and State Arms Big Bertha, I always wanted to get a mold for a 750 gr. but never quite did.

[Drew P]

Looks great! What powder? Did you size them? Any idea what FPS?

[leadhead 500]

Not put any through a chronograph yet, waiting on the new one to get here. They are sized to .513 and loaded over surplus 860 powder in Lake City brass and dacron filler over the powder

[Cherokee]

Outstanding ! Love the big 50.

[Faret]

About how much powder did you use? I had luck with 195gr of 872.

[Reverend Al]

Don't mean to hijack your thread, but do you (or anyone else?) recognize this .50 BMG mould? No maker's mark, but stamped 900 512 GC ... single cavity (of course) but a 900 grain spitzer with a gas check. Anyone know the history on this mould? Likely a group buy or custom run?

Thanks!

Rev Al

[leadhead 500]

I used a start load of 175 grains of 860 and stopped at 180 grains. The brass looks great, no blackened necks and the primers look good! I do know that 860 varies greatly from lot to lot. My new chronograph just showed up today and can’t wait to see what the velocity is on this load. I have shot over a dozen rounds and so far this load has been the most consistent

[rockrat]

Reverend Al

Its an NEI mould. Was a regular listing in their catalog back around 1989 or so.

Probably a pretty rare mould

[leadhead 500]

Made a quick trip to the range and fired 3 rounds through the chronograph and here is the results, chronograph was set at 75 feet away

[rockrat]

Good "plinking" load!!!

[leadhead 500]

It should be a outstanding load for deer!

[cupajoe]

Without a doubt, that would go "through" a chronograph. Good on you. Good plinking load. Ha Ha You guys crack me up.

[GregLaROCHE]

Looks like great fun !

[Drew P]

75 FEET!? wow. That’s impressive!

[kevin c]

Any closer and the shock wave would kill the chrono, just like the round can kill just by passing close to a soft target.

I thought everybody knew that?

[Drew P]

Lol you had me going for a sec there lol!

[midnight]

The OP seems to have gotten the velocity sweet spot right on the first try. I found that 195gr of WC872 under a 833gr CBE linotype bullet gave 2100 fps and < 1 inch groups. Increasing velocity to 2300 fps resulted in groups opening up to about 4 inches. Probably exceeded the strength of the alloy. I have NOE & a NEI molds with shorter noses. I may be able to up the velocity slightly. Also will try these bullets powder coated & see if that makes a difference.

Bob