With the trend to shorter, fatter cases, has anyone considered necking down a .50 Spotter Tracer cartridge? A case of that size and volume would be interesting pushing a .458 caliber bullet, or perhaps a .470.

Urodoji,

The problem is that you need a huge action, like the McBros to house that round. Those are not inexpensive, nor are they light.

They are also single-shots, with little utility for hunting.

George

Actually, I meant it in reference to a single shot target rifle. As a .50 BMG owner, I know how massive the actions have to be to suit. But, a shorter, fatter cartridge with a large case volume driving a smaller lighter bullet could be interesting, but it would be very expensive to satisfy my own curiousity.

I am trying to imagine the 6mm benchrest crowd suddenly feeling that there is an absolute necessity to have a .458 PPC (Palmisano-Pindell Cartridge (?)), based on the shortened, necked-down, turned-neck, small-primer-pocketed, undersized-flash-hole .50 BMG case, in order to win the heavy gun (is it 12 lbs.?)division...one can only laugh at them until one is required to make groups as small, but one wonders how well they would do with a .500 A-Square.

A waist is a terrible thing to mind (75 in. tall, 190 lbs.).

Unodoji,

It is very interesting to think about what kind of toys we could make on a 50 BMG case. I to am a 50 BMG shooter and know full well the ballistic performance of this round.

At this time there is a project going called the 408 Chey-Tac. I believe they use a 505 Gibbs case necked down to .408".

Your project would accomplish basically the same thing except that it would be alot more expensive. There are a couple problem with shortening a 50 BMG case and blowing it out for less body taper.

First off, the body walls under the neck are extremely thick and alot of brass would have to be turned off to make a usable case neck.

Second, the case walls near the case head are to thick to fireform out without a huge amount of pressure. This much pressure on this size of a case head could be a bad thing.

I often dream of a 50 BMG IMP. But then I think, why? We don't load the 50 much over 50,000 psi if even that. With the case capacity we have, we could easily increase performace just by loading to 65,000 psi, but again, with the diameter of the case, bolt thrust would be amazing.

What can we really improve on with a 750 gr match bullet at 2750-2800 fps.

Why not build a 50 Peacekeeper. JD Jones made it for a light rifle with somewhat close to 50 BMG performance. In a standard rifle it will drive a 750 gr A-Max to 2250 fps. Basically its a 500 A-Square but loaded with 50 BMG bullets.

Would be a much cheaper and logical to use a case like this. Your biggest problem will be finding quality .458" VLD bullets without morgaging your house to get a box.

Good Luck though.

Good Shooting!!!

50

I meant to use the .50 spotter tracer brass as a starting point, not .50 BMG brass. Different animal alltogether.