Today HogKiller and I tried out the 510 Wells for the first time, loaded with Jeffe's 530gn cast gas checks and 650gn APIs. The loads were relatively mild but plenty enough to shake my 155 lb frame. Here's Jeffe's bullets propelled by 50gn XMP5744 estimated at about 1650fps (felt like more than that):

Here's the penetrator from a 650gn API loaded mildly with 85gns 4895 (maybe 1900fps?) protruding from hardened rail road steel. By the way, there is quite a flash and puff of smoke when the bullet hits the steel plate:

Here's the "exit wound":

And here's a bullet that traveled through the dirt birm, exited out the top and came back down on top of the birm! :

All in a day's fun.

looks like TOO much fun...

Kieth wouldn't let me kill that plate!!

heh
jeffe

The API's are a HOOT to shoot.

I highly recomend them to any and all with a .510 bore rifle. They flash and smoke at both ends. The flash on impact is about the size of a soccer ball. fla3006 is going to load'em a little heavier next time, may be they will get through that hard plate.

Hog Killer

I have shot a lot of 50 cal, but all through machine guns. The API is way cool on hard targets. Try it sometime at just about dusk. The visible target flash will go from soccerball size to more than double that.

I am really anxious to hear the results of the 50 cal sabots using 30 cal bullets.

It looks like you guys had a blast. Literally!!!

M1,

It was some fun stuff alright. Of course I would love to get some more double spade grip time on a MaDuce. The one thing about turning on one of John Browning's greatest creations (in service 85+ years, and counting) loose, is the power in your hands. Awsome But my class 3 buddy sold his, so who knows when the next time will be.

Hog Killer

I am heading back to Ft Hood sometime later this year, once I finish UAV flight school. I can probably arrange it for you to get your hands on one again and do some serous lead spitting if you are willing to make the drive.

M1,

Consider me pack and ready. I will eagerly shoot ANYTHING they got @ Ft. Hood. 5.56mm to 203mm, and gladly clean them.

Back in June of '78, I was passing thru that area, (Ft. Hood). I found the 1st Cav's EOD unit and got a tour of their stuff. For a while I collected ord. ammo, .50BMG up to 8". All total there where 180 different types in the collection. This did not include any variations of loadings.

Thanks for the offer,

Hog Killer

quote:

I am heading back to Ft Hood sometime later this year

M1,

Will you be just visiting or are you going to be stationed there? I hunted for a couple of years around the metropolis of Flat, Texas, and the guns from Fort Hood could keep you up at night.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

I am heading back to Ft Hood sometime later this year

M1,

Will you be just visiting or are you going to be stationed there? I hunted for a couple of years around the metropolis of Flat, Texas, and the guns from Fort Hood could keep you up at night.

I am going to be stationed at Ft Hood. I am going to 4th BDE of 4th ID. I was stationed there with 1st CAV for the las half of the 90's and loved it. If you were in Flat and heard the guns then you were hearing us tankers over on Sugar Loaf Range blsting away with our 120mm main guns. Straight line distance is only a few miles between the 2.

quote:

Originally posted by M1Tanker:
If you were in Flat and heard the guns then you were hearing us tankers over on Sugar Loaf Range blsting away with our 120mm main guns. Straight line distance is only a few miles between the 2.

That might explain the flashes of light at night as well. At the time I put it down to artillery, but tanks would be essentially the same but mobile. I hunted there for the 88-89 and 89-90 seasons, so probably missed your time there by a bit.

I forgot to add -- welcome back to Texas (in advance).

fla3006,

Great photography on those bullets. It's funny how the first one looks almost like the slug got stopped by a bale of cotton!


What's the twist rate in your Wells? The barrel on my .500A2 is 14" twist and I wonder if it would stabilize those long and heavy BMG slugs?

As best I can measure, my twist rate appears to be 1 in 15". I'm pretty sure my barrel is a turned down surplus BMG barrel. It will sure stabilize the 530 gas checks better than any cast load I've ever played with, and it does the same with the 650gn MG bullets. Your barrel should work fine too. You can order all manner of surplus BMG bullets for just under $30/100, they're a blast to shoot (figuratively and literally) but must be single loaded. I'm gradually working up to stronger loads, went to 95gns 4895 today which is still not near the top of the case (I think somewhere around 120 is max!).

I will definitely give the big busters a try some day! Sir Samuel Baker is reported to have used exploding shells in his four bore. I must say I do wonder about the efficacy of these BMG projectiles against game.

I think AP rounds would shoot right through game, any game. We tried one on a green oak log about 20" diameter, didn't stop it. Next I plan to buy some ball bullets w/o the armour piercing cores and cut off the tips on a lathe to reduce the weight to around 600gns and so the loaded rounds fit into the magazine. Again, this is mainly a low-cost route for playing around, I'd use premium bullets for hunting.

I was wondering in particular about the AP incendiary's effect on big, heavy game, like elephant, hippo or buff.

Not that I'd ever use one for that--it's probably illegal anyway--but it seems to me the API slug might act something like one of Samuel Baker's old exploding shells.

Even if the API slug didn't have any more effect than a normal bullet, it would at least be a superpenetrating .510 solid, although with a spitzer point--which might affect stability. But 20 inches of green oak is a lot of penetration in anyone's book.

I'm going to have to get some of them some day and try them out.

I just received a box of .510 cal bullets from Extreme Shock Munitions to test on our .50 cal rifle. These are open tip, look about the same size as Hawk 700 gr Spitzer and feel to be about 700-800 gr. They are supposed to be tungsten-nytrillium (?? no idea what that is, and I have a M.Eng in Chem E ??) which is a heavy FRANGIBLE alloy. Should do a number on game .... The Hawk always has been a favorite, seems to do very well.

Jeffe gave me info on next time Houston crew might want to shoot but that day is out for me, else I could share "Lil Thumper" with y'all

Marty

I do not see the .510 cal. bullets from Extreme shock ??

http://www.extremeshockusa.com/cgistore/store.cgi?page=/new/product_info.html&setup=1&cart_id=9387817.1176


Cheers,

André

Call it a "gift", to see how they work in the .500 Phantom at subsonic velocity. They are interested in loading our .338 Spectre subsonic ammo with heavy frangible bullets

Don't think they are for civilian sale at this time

Forrest, FWIW the regular ball GI 50 cal will have a steel core too. For some reason I can't remember, the lead core distorts and slips in the jacket while traveling in the barrel so they went to steel. Doesn't mean they won't cut in a lathe, though.

fla3006

I got the bullets today
Thanks they are great.
You are on my A list



Cheers,

André

Andre' is that one of your 500 Jeff's ? Shoot it on a steel plate, make sure you have a backstop and fire extinguisher just in case.
Here's some sources for these kinds of components:
http://www.patsreloading.com/patsrel/prices.htm
www.gibrass.com

Andre`,

When you go to shoot those, get someone to stand about two meters to one side of you with a video camera. They will be able to see the flash at impact. You might also try them around dusk, low light. Of course where you live you may have to wait until winter for it to get that dark. They would give a whole new meanning to the term, Northern Lights.


Hog Killer

fla3006

Yes that is one of the .500 Jeffery cases. I just pushed one of the bullets into the case to see what it looked like.
Thanks for the site

Hog killer.
It gets dark in the summer just real late.
The range is closeed when it is dark and shooting at metal objects is out of the question.

I do have a private "range" where I will test the bullets

Where in the bullet is the Hard steel core located ?
Could I turn down the tip and make the bullet shorter and a semi expanding bullet with a hard core ? could that work ?

Cheers,

André

quote:

Originally posted by JefferyDenmark:

Where in the bullet is the Hard steel core located ?
Could I turn down the tip and make the bullet shorter and a semi expanding bullet with a hard core ? could that work ?

Cheers,

André

Andre`, the hard core (penatrator) is at the rear of the proj. The other stuff is in the front. DO NOT SHORTEN THE NOSE

The core will seperate on impact with a hard surface. Just load them and shoot them as they are. This bullet is ment to shoot things not critters.

Have fun,

Hog Killer

Hog killer

I will not modify them

Thanks

Cheers,

André

Andre' if you try cutting into the bullets, the friction might set off the incendiary component although I think it is the impact. I stupidly tried this before I knew they were incendiary and fortunately nothing happened (including not being able to cut the hard core with a hacksaw).