As the 50 BMG bullet has a high ballistic coefficient, it is used for powerful sniper rifles. It saw service with the military in both Afghanistan and Iraq and is still in use with military personnel today, but it has also found a loyal following among civilians. Access features of the Reloading Handbook on your mobile device with the Reloading App. [39] However, .50 BMG rifles registered prior to the enacted bans remain lawful to possess in California[37][40] and Connecticut. 50 Caliber ITEM NO: 50A BULLET TYPE: FMJ-BT WEIGHT: 660 grain BALLISTICS (barrel length: 36 inches) VELOCITY (feet per second) Muzzle: 3080 100 Yds: 2854 200 Yds: 2639 300 Yds: 2444 400 Yds: 2248 500 Yds: 2061 ENERGY (foot-pounds) Muzzle: 13688 BULLET PATH (inches) Muzzle: +1.50 100 Yds: +3.10 200 Yds: +3.90 300 Yds: +4.70 400 Yds: +2.80 500 Yds: 0 .338 Lapua Mag vs .50 BMG Cartridge Comparison. Subscribe to our newsletter and get gun deals, educational content, hand's on reviews and news on law changes! This is roughly the same as saying that the projectile in question possesses low drag, although some meaning is lost in the generalization. "[5], The round was put into use in the M1921 Browning machine gun. Before we get into the meat of the article with our comparisons, we want to briefly touch on how these two cartridges look up next to each other. 50 Cal 647 Grain Ball pulled bullets. Recoil is also a component to accuracy though most will deny it has any effect on them. Be aware you may consider some of them unusable. This shows most dramatically in the case capacity where the .50 BMG can hold nearly 200 more grains of powder than the 338LM. There are various types of weapons used for 50 caliber bullets. While Glock is a master of simplicity and reliability, Walther has gone for a more elaborate design. Ammunition is sold in 80-round cases. Best Mossberg 500 Heat Shields [Ultimate Buying Guide], Best 9mm Ammo in 2021 [Self-Defense & Target], 6.5 Creedmoor vs .243 Win Cartridge Comparison. However, Los Angeles banned this bullet round. And besides, were talking a .5 diameter wound size; you dont need a whole lot of expansion anyway if you want any meat left over. Out to 400 yards, there is little to no difference between the two cartridges. You might be asking yourself if the velocities shown here are enough for proper expansion of such a large bullet such as the .50cal. The Kel-Tec Sub 2000 features a lightweight design and unique features that make it the perfect choice for anyone looking to take their shooting game to the next level. Firearm Setup. The BC of a round also plays a large role in the trajectory of a round, which we will look at next. From a hunting perspective, the advertised ballistic data confirms that all three cartridges have both the necessary sectional density (SD) and initial muzzle energy for both medium and large game hunting applications. It has a thick casting of under 4 inches long with a primer end of 0.75-inch diameter. The bullet type and powder make the recoil force different between bullets. Under STANAG 4383, it is a standard service cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. ShootersCalculator.com is in the process of being massively overhauled. For further comparison, you'd be hard pressed to find a 5.56 load recipe that hits 1,400 ft-lbs. Thus, to begin zeroing on an optically centered scope, you have to come down 30 minutes at the start. Contrary to a persistent misconception within the United States Armed Forces, using .50 BMG directly against enemy personnel is not prohibited by the laws of war. The minimum SD for hunting large game is .250. As we mentioned earlier, the velocity has a lot of influence on other aspects of the bullets behavior such as expansion. anti-tank rifle" and that then "Ordnance contracted with Winchester to design a .50-cal. The Federal Ballistics Calculator lets you quickly determine the trajectory for any rifle or handgun load, and save data for an unlimited number of loads. The following improvements will be made: Please sign up for our newsletter so that you can be alerted the moment these new features are launched! The .50 Browning Machine Gun (.50 BMG) was developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s as countries began producing armored vehicles leading up to WWI. A wide variety of ammunition is available, and the availability of match grade ammunition has increased the usefulness of .50 caliber rifles by allowing more accurate fire than lower quality rounds. Both of these cartridges have found a place in the long range shooting. Please let me know how it can be improved upon. If youre looking to choose between heavy, hard hitting, and far flying cartridges such as the .338 LM and 50 BMG we are pretty confident that you are well aware of the ballistic coefficient. With two decades of chasing all manner of upland game, hooved mammals, strutting gobblers, and any small game that can fit in his Dutch oven, he hopes to offer new ideas and viewpoints on hunting and firearm concepts and traditions. In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient is used to measure the ability of something to withstand air resistance. If you're looking at doing match ammo, you could be paying $5/round just for the bullet, nevermind the powder, primer, brass and other components. somehow. Hi! Both of these cartridges are going to produce a tremendous amount of recoil. [36][37] California prohibits the private purchase of a rifle capable of firing the .50 BMG through the .50 Caliber BMG Regulation Act of 2004. kilojoules). But it differs from other types of 50 caliber bullet rounds. This limitation was entirely tactical in nature and was intended to hide the vulnerable M40 and its crew from the enemy until the main anti-tank gun was ready for firing; however, Parks concludes that some U.S. troops assumed the existence of a legal limitation on the use of .50-caliber projectiles more generally. For the 50BMG, we are not going to give a specific round. Its range and accuracy, however, are superior to light machine guns when fixed on tripods, and it has not been replaced as the standard caliber for Western vehicle-mounted machine guns (Soviet and CIS armored vehicles mount 12.7108mm NSVs, which have similar dimensions to .50 BMGs). Of course, looking at averages might not be fair as there are .338 LM rounds that carry similar or even higher velocities than some 50BMG rounds. . It runs on all modern Windows (Win98 and greater) computers. In some cases you might be surprised. . When comparing the 9mm handguns available, two models that always top the discussion are the Walther PPQ and the Glock 19. The .30-06 Springfield, the standard caliber for American soldiers in both World Wars and a popular caliber amongst American hunters, can produce muzzle energies between 2,000 and 3,000 foot-pounds force (3,000 and 4,000J). Mostly the twist rate of the rifling of 50 BMG is 1 in 15, with eight lands. Each cartridge is loaded with either Hornady A-MAX bullets, our high-performance boattail hollow points, or the new, radically superior ELD Match bullets. In regards to their BC a spitzer bullet has a high coefficient and is suitable for long-range shots, and the boattail spitzer is even superior making it one of the best bullets for long-range targets exceeding 1,000 yards. [43] Writing for the Marine Corps Gazette, Maj Hays Parks states that "No treaty language exists (either generally or specifically) to support a limitation on [the use of .50 BMG] against personnel, and its widespread, longstanding use in this role suggests that such antipersonnel employment is the customary practice of nations." To test the power, we see that a .50 BMG cartridge can cross the .9 mark, with a flat projectile motion. Due to the high ballistic coefficient of the bullet, the .50 BMG's trajectory also suffers less "drift" from cross-winds than smaller and lighter It is strong enough to hold a large volume of pressure. Military use 50 caliber in machine guns and snipers, as well as regular shooters. Lake City 50 BMG Ballistic Data. The ability to hit distant targets is . By doing this, perhaps we can tease apart in which situations one cartridge might be better suited over the other. What you might be looking for is how these rounds behave in flight, which is what we will look at next. The 50 BMG rounds are quite impressive with BCs all above the .7 mark and one round coming in with a 1.05BC. There is a very small circle of people out there who have turned to the 50BMG for hunting purposes. With modern firearms, the majority of centerfire rifle cartridges can be tolerated with regards to the recoil. It has a sectional density around 0.44, a ballistic coefficient around 1.13, and it's carrying less than 15,000 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle. Well discuss this topic more in the applications section. As you notice, the .50 BMG has nearly double the recoil energy than the .338 LM. Your email address will not be published. The average chamber pressure in this round as listed in TM43-0001-27,[18] the U.S. Army Ammunition Data SheetsSmall Caliber Ammunition, not including plastic practice, short cased spotter, or proof/test loads, is 54,923psi (378,680kPa). This includes the velocity, the BC, and the trajectory of the round. This is the best ballistic coefficient of any bullet to date. Now, in this section, we are not looking technically at the actual felt recoil but instead at the recoil energy(ft.lb) that is generated when firing these rounds. Again, this conclusions and estimates are based solely on the factory loads we have been examining here and the data that accompany them. A.50 Caliber is a large bullet round with a 12.7mm diameter. With that, you have a better chance at running into .338 LM rounds than a box of 50 BMG. Users can easily use them for personal use. ), but the ammunition did not exist. Can a 50 cal rip your arm off? No spam. 2023 Optics Bible - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP, 50 Cal Vs. 50 BMG : Which One To Choose [ Know Differences], 223 vs 3006: What to Choose After In-Depth Comparison. Unsubscribe at any time. Customer Reviews. A common way of comparing ammo power is checking their muzzle energies. Sight Height (in) Must be a number greater than 0. To be able to push such large bullets to speeds that make them useful is going to take a good deal of powder and both have the casings to hold it. The rounds intended for machine guns are made into a continuous belt using metallic links. There are two to three inches difference between the highest performing 50 BMG round and the highest 338 LM round. Although 50 cal is a very penetrating bullet, research has found something to stop it. Even so, computer generated data is a proven and safe means for comparing two cartridges as we will do here. It has a diameter of .50 inches, with a casing length of 99 mm and an overall length of 138 mm. So there is a fine line a lot of hunters try to walk when it comes to penetration. . The higher the number, the less drag the projectile will experience. The email address you entered is not valid. To handle these rounds in the field, youre going to have to haul around a 30+lb rifle. This weapon was used by other snipers, and eventually purpose-built sniper rifles were developed specifically for this round. It has the power to disable the engines of vehicles and penetrate concrete walls. This line of ammunition is 100% Lake City made. They have various models for different cartridges. Most importantly, they are designed to reduce the bullets recoil. I was also surprised with thebackground. As time goes, they are becoming more popular among shooters and hunters. It has an aluminum color tip with a heavy build. [12][13], In addition to long-range and anti-materiel, the U.S. military uses .50 BMG weapons to detonate unexploded ordnance from a safe distance. This is why it is used in heavy-duty shootings. Subsequently, Frankford Arsenal took over from Winchester, producing the historic .50 BMG or 12.7x99 mm cartridge. The caliber depends on the barrel diameter bore of the bullets guns. The majority of its use in these circles is through extreme distance shooting though there are small circles that utilize it for hunting purposes, mostly for large or dangerous game at extreme distances. The round is a scaled-up version of the .30-06 Springfield but uses a case wall with a long taper to facilitate feeding and extraction in various weapons. He wanted the round to be used in a machine gun, and wanted the machine gun to be based on a scaled-up version of the M1917 Browning. This graph should give you a good idea about the major differences we are looking at here. This American Eagle ammunition was produced by Lake City Arsenal to NATO specifications. The increased interest in the .338 LM in civilian circuits has resulted in more round options though still limited compared to other competition and hunting rounds. The Bullet Has a Superb Ballistic Coefficient compared To Other 50 Caliber Bullets That Have separately Formed driving bands . For simply comparing two different cartridges, we are going to omit it for the sake of clarity. This is because the bullet is very large, so the wound it makes is also large and deep, but still curable. At present, some US law enforcement use 50 BMG weapons, as well as snipers. By adding trajectories to the panel on the right you may produce charts and graphs that show the different trajectories side by side. The higher the value, the better the bullet can travel through the air. New reloading data must be opened as a PDF document in an up-to-date compatible PDF viewer. Well, for 50 BMG, you're looking at $11-$16/round for military surplus ammo. Find load data for your cartridge. About the previous point, a clean kill means you are not going to have to track a wounded animal sometimes a couple hundred yards and possibly in the dark and cold. Different 50 caliber bullets are used for various purposes that have individual compositions. This is the web home of Modern Ballistics: the world's most sophisticated small arms exterior ballistics program for the personal computer. This cartridge can easily take shots at 1,000+ yards just as the 50BMG, but there might be more dramatic adjustments needed to be made for these shots when compared to the 50 BMG. Both are going to penetrate just about any hide or armor that is out there, its what they were designed to do, and we have seen from the velocities that they are going to speed and power behind them to get the job done. For hunters, stopping power is a critical factor in choosing a certain cartridge. The .50 BMG is a bigger, heavier bullet that delivers a reliable killing shot up to an astounding range of about 3300 yards. Loaded specifically for precision big bore rifles, a wide variety of ammunition is available, including ball, tracer, armor-piercing, incendiary, and A-MAX rounds, with accuracy being priority number one. Gain a deep knowledge of ballistic science and access our improved ballistic calculator. The bottom line is this. For this article, we are going to explain the BC in the simplest of terms. What we hope you draw from this is that both of these cartridges have a BC that corresponds with highly streamlined bullets. The energy is only part of the equation to stopping power, but it is an important one to examine nonetheless. .510 diameter. With its trajectory and energy and bullet design options there are no limits to the type of hunting you can do with it. [citation needed], The .50 BMG round was used as a sniper round as early as the Korean War. In addition, these snipers will have less drift from the winds of the bullet. Again, these numbers can vary based on the variables, but with our consistency, we think the comparisons are more than valid. The primer type specified for this ammunition is Boxer primer that has a single centralized ignition point (US and NATO countries). To put this into perspective, the 750 gr A-MAX load has essentially the same kinetic energy at 1,500 yards as a 300 Winchester Magnum has at the muzzle. The .50 BMG was developed during World War I when looking for an effective anti-aircraft round. Important: Since there are thousands of bullet shapes the Ballistic Coefficient calculations made below are not 100% accurate, if you are shooting out past 400-500+ yards your going to need to get the exact BC from the bullet's manufacturer. As we mentioned above, firing these rounds often requires heavy firearms and other pieces of gear that help negate this recoil. Still, we think that we can get some valuable information by examining the kinetic energy associated with our various rounds as the move from the muzzle down range to 1,000 yards. It has a large cartridge used in anti-material for longer ranges. Its really the only way either of these rounds can be fired accurately. Copyright 2023 ShootersCalculator.comALL rights reserved. Price Per Round: $2.90. This bullet weighs much less even with the large size. Generally, the heavier the projectile the better the BC, so most .22 pellets will have a better BC than .177, and most .25 pellets better than .22 and so forth. And this is simplifying the topic since we are leaving out expansion, which is also going to play a role in penetration. It is made a standard bullet for important army forces. Designed for long range training and target practice. Answers to Top Questions", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=.50_BMG&oldid=1139367557, Winchester Repeating Arms Co. and Frankford Arsenal, Serbu Firearms BFG-50a (magazine fed semi-automatic), Serbu Firearms RN-50 (single-shot modified break-action), This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 19:38. In this Article: RecoilBallisticsTrajectoryStopping PowerAccuracyPrice & AvailabilityPriceApplicationsBest Rounds In this cartridge comparison, we are going to take a look at the 6.5 Creedmoor vs .243 Winchester. We also want to note that while we are taking each category and looking at them independently, all of these categories are interwoven with each other, including recoil and stopping power that we will look at shortly. Basically, BC is a measure of how . 50 BMG is one of the types of 50 caliber cartridges used for 50 BMG machine guns. Within the United Kingdom, it is legal to own a bolt action .50 BMG rifle with a section 1 Firearms Certificate. From over 4,000ft.lb of energy out of the muzzle to between 1,000 and 2,000ft.lb at 1,000 yards, it too has incredible range when it comes to having the energy needed for most game animals in the world. heres what ive seen on a ballistic calculator Trajectory Input Data Manufacturer: Hornady Description: A-Max Caliber: 0.510 in Weight: 750.0 gr Ballistic Coefficient: 1.050 G1 Muzzle Velocity: 2700.0 ft/s Distance to Chronograph: 10.0 ft Sight Height: 1.50 in Sight Offset: 0.00 in [34], A 1999 Justice Department Office of Special Investigations briefing on .50 caliber rifle crime identified several instances of the .50 BMG being involved in criminal activities. And even then, the options you have for 50BMG factory loads is extremely limited, even when compared to the .338 LM. . Since 50 BMG cartridges are unique, these have a limited number of sniper rifles built with adequate quality. Thank you. Caliber Multi: .50 BMG Application: Hunting . Usually with the sniper comes some accessories to clean and use effectively. Check TopScopesfor Barrett.50 Cal. The higher the number, the less drag the projectile will experience. The longest recorded kill using a .50 BMG was over 2 miles away. And seeing the stopping power in action, we leave that to you. Ballistic Coefficient is essentially a measure of air drag. Still, with the categories we have examined so far, we can infer some information in a roundabout way when it comes to the potential accuracy between the 338 Lapua Mag versus 50 BMG. As we have done in previous sections, we are going to look at our ten selected rounds. Another factor that goes into a cartridges stopping power is the penetration of the bullet. As you can imagine, the bigger the game, the more energy you are going to need to cause enough damage for a clean kill. This ammunition usually contains Swedish brass and perfect military specifications. To do this, we have selected several rounds for each cartridge we are comparing. Think of it paired with the energy of the bullet. Some of them operate by recoil principle, while others use gas. This Federal American Eagle 50 BMG ammunition is perfect for target shooting, competition shooting, long-range hunting, and long-range shooting.This American Eagle ammunition was produced by Lake City Arsenal to NATO specifications. Doppler radar measurement results for a lathe turned monolithic solid .50 BMG very-low-drag bullet (Lost River J40 .510-773 grain monolithic solid bullet / twist rate 1:15 in) look . The .50 BMG is an impressive long-range cartridge, especially when paired with a high-quality bolt-action or semiautomatic rifle and a good optic.
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