Just wondering if anyone has hunted with their 50???

I'd like to try it with cast bullets if I can find the right place to do it safely.......

quote:

I'd like to try it with cast bullets if I can find the right place to do it safely.......

From what I've heard, the BMG will destroy a lead bullet before it leaves the barrel. I'm sure I haven't seem molds for 500+ grain bullets in .511 Dia. And anything lighter is REALLY going to come apart. Remember you're looking at 144,000 RPM out of a 1-15 twist at 3000 FPS.

I've got a few gas checked bullets that a guy sent me.......my scale only goes to 500 grains and these are much heavier than that.......I haven't tried them, but see no reason that they wouldn't work if loaded down a bit????

What gun are they designed for?

Probably for one of those inline muzzleloader in .50 cal that has a slower twist rate than a .50 BMG.

btw, the best for those BP .50 is a saboted .44 HP bullet.

These bullets are NOT designed for a muzzleloader! They are designed for a 50 BMG........



In my 50 cal inline muzzleloader, I use a 250 grain .452 caliber polymer tipped bullet designed for muzzleloaders.......it is used in a Hornady black high pressure sabot and pushed to 2000+ fps (yes, I have chronographed it) with Hodgdon's 777 powder...... farthest kill so far was a whitetail doe at a lasered 204 yards......I know enough about muzzleloaders and BMGs to know which bullet goes where!!!

I haven't made a serious attempt but did fall down laughing watching a buddy try an off-hand shot at a running coyote with a 32 lb McMillan.

Needless to say the shot was never taken.

The situation I'm thinking about involves a wheat field with big sandhills on three sides......if it works out, I'd set up my shooting table on the top of one of the sandhills and wait for the deer to enter the field to feed........shots could be as short as 100 yards and as long as 700-800.....

If you want to do that, get some colored surveyor's tape and some 4' stakes. Use a different color combination for each increment of range you wish but leave enough tail for wind estimation. Put the stakes all over your field of fire and PRACTICE. You can probably get to a point where 600-800 yd shots are doable BUT...

The 50 is no magic tool to avoid wind drift and drop. If your range estimation is off 15 yds at 400 yds it won't matter too much; if its off 15 yds at 800 it can mean a clean miss.

I'm not new to the BMG, I've owned one for several years......I have a laser rangefinder for the distance, the wind is the biggest challenge......

I would do my best to set up for a shot under 300 yards......and this would be strictly for shooting does during an antlerless only season, so there would be no pressure to stretch the shot to shoot a big buck......there are plenty of does so it wouldn't be a big deal to wait for the right shot.......

It would be much easier to do the job with one of my other rifles......I just think it would be fun to try it with the BMG......

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
I haven't made a serious attempt but did fall down laughing watching a buddy try an off-hand shot at a running coyote with a 32 lb McMillan.

Needless to say the shot was never taken.

running coyote? what was the distance ?

quote:

Originally posted by GonHuntin:
These bullets are NOT designed for a muzzleloader! They are designed for a 50 BMG........



In my 50 cal inline muzzleloader, I use a 250 grain .452 caliber polymer tipped bullet designed for muzzleloaders.......it is used in a Hornady black high pressure sabot and pushed to 2000+ fps (yes, I have chronographed it) with Hodgdon's 777 powder...... farthest kill so far was a whitetail doe at a lasered 204 yards......I know enough about muzzleloaders and BMGs to know which bullet goes where!!!

Cool down, just trying to help, your blood pressure must be up!
I could not find a mould for this one in my catalogs and datas, custom made ?

My blood pressure is not up.....just don't like folks assuming that I don't know what I'm talking about......

I'm not sure who made the mould..........

About 400 yds, Edmond. A tough shot with a mountable gun. In Texas we shoot at any coyote, 40 yds or 1000 yds; in the country or on the court house steps. Anywhere except Austin they get it.

quote:

What diameter are these bullets? I'm asking because there's a good possibility there'll be a ban here in NY soon and I spoke with a couple folks about building a .458 bmg that would let me push those bullets at 3K. The consensus was that no commercial bullet would react well to that much force. I also cannot find gas checks in 0.511" Good luck with the project, keep us up to date...

.513"-.514" on the driving bands .510 gas check

quote:

Originally posted by GonHuntin:
.513"-.514" on the driving bands .510 gas check

If a cast bullet's gonna work, those look like the ticket

quote:

Originally posted by Collins:about building a .458 bmg that would let me push those bullets at 3K. ...

.50 BMG bullet on a 458 WM case? You're a bit optimistic with the 3000 fps, no way you can reach this speed more than one time, I mean explode the rifle every round. It is not possible to reach this speed with the case volume and the necessary burning rate without getting huge overpressure.
But that's a neat concept to make a silent round à la JD Jones.

I think he is talking about 458 bullets in a 50 BMG case..........If I'm reading him right, he thinks they will ban the 50 BMG, so he is thinking he will sidestep the ban by building a 458 BMG

1/2" copper freeze plugs make pretty good 50 cal gas checks. You still will have to use a special twist to get any velocity from cast bullets. The mass of the projectile is so high that the material fails before the inertia is overcome. Same reason lead doesn't work in ball ammo. It slips inside the jacket as the RPMs ramp up.

quote:

Originally posted by GonHuntin:
I think he is talking about 458 bullets in a 50 BMG case..........If I'm reading him right, he thinks they will ban the 50 BMG, so he is thinking he will sidestep the ban by building a 458 BMG

Correct, JD's the guy I was talking to about it. But considering the winters here I think I'll side step the ban by moving back south. Bigger guns longer shooting season, no salt on road!

I use molds made by NEI (775 grain) and CBE in Australia (950 grain). Accuracy it not any better than the surplus bullets, but they are cheap. They also work in my 510 whisper.

Ranb

As mighty as the 50 bmg is, it doesn't magically destroy cast bullets vs any other smaller caliber.

There are some basics of shooting cast bullets that will help to get decent accuracy and prevent leading. Try and keep your velocity at 2200 fps or less. There are folks that can get accuracy at higher velocities, but alloys and lubes become more critical. You will want to use a gas check. Best accuracy is tyipcally had when the bullet dia matches the throat, or .011-.002" over bore size.

My 500 Jeffrey has a 1-15 twist 50 bmg barrel, and my 600 gr cast bullets when fired at 2200 fps did not self destruct. I could even get them going out the tube 2400-2500 fps if I desired.

I know NEI makes several 50 cal molds, and there are also the lighter 400-450 gr pistol bullets that are quite fun to shoot @ 1000-1200 fps.

Gonhuntin: If your scale only goes to 500 grains just weigh them twice. The bullets looks pretty good to me. And I like gas checks.

Copperhead custom swaging

Custom made hunting bullets for the 50 BMG

Ive shot all kinds of critters with my 50. usually cats, dogs, coyotes, chucks ...the usual suspects. ball ammo makes a mess but isnt as inpressive as i hoped destructionwise...the 750 amax however out past 75 yards makes one hell of a mess....Happy Hunting

Hunting?

My advise is that you get a .50-110 Sharpes rifle.

Been playing with cast in my AR50. May be too long a throat to get decent accuracy. only about 2.5" at 100yds (LAR did MUCH better--under an inch-lot shorter throat). Right now I am running a 735 gr bullet from a custom Hoch mould at nearly 2300fps with 8/2 ratio- WW/Lino- water quenched.. I have found that with a 1-9" twist, the rotational stress is too much at 2000fps with the same bullet, but the 1-15" seems OK. About 8000 ft-lbs energy

I heard of a guy that shot a brown bear up in interior Alaska with his .50 BMG. It was off the Denali highway. He took it at 800 yards across a river and up hill from the lodge he was staying at.

I plan to take a moose with my 50 when I can find someone to pack it into the field for me.

If you are serious about hunting with a BMG rifle I would recommend this projo:
Barnes "X" bullet: catalog#51064
It is .510" diameter, boat tail construction...
647gr. grains in weight
BC of .592
Just like Barnes "other" X bullets, it is MADE for taking game...

Holy data chips Batman!
Those are some BIG hollow points on those hollow points!
They look more like flying ashtrays... LOL...
Have you tried 'em Dan? Do they fly straight?

Personally I find the 50 BMG a little light for my hunting needs. I prefer something like a 120 mm. Considering that it is slaved to a ballistic computer and a laser rangefinder and other sensors, I no longer have to allow for wind drift. The only down side is that amount of photo opportunities after the shot. Nothing left but the nose and a bit of the tail. My longest confirmed kill was a wild hog at 1600 meters!

Regards,
BB

We had one in bear camp this spring. We were baiting for griz and had a couple of baits set out at 600yards in various spot in the valley.

When my buddy showed up with the 50, not a bear showed his face, maybe next year we will knock one on its snotlocker.

if you need some hunting bullets try here,
www.copperheadcustomswaging.com

Sure it's done , just pick an appropriate big animal to shoot !! www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296185,00.html