The Heat Shield tip on the ELD Match bullet creates the perfect meplat and outperforms BTHP bullets. 50 BMG Ballistic Coefficient | Long Range Hunting Forum Users can easily use them for personal use. Spitzer. PMC X-Tac Match .50 BMG Ammunition 10 Rounds 740 Grain Solid Brass Projectile 2830fps 50XM. For further comparison, you'd be hard pressed to find a 5.56 load recipe that hits 1,400 ft-lbs. This is the best ballistic coefficient of any bullet to date. These are factory loads that are available for purchase. cartridge. Get my premium 550+ pages handbook that compares all cartridges, for free (worth $199!) .50 BMG Ballistics Variables Bullet Weight: 661 grain Ballistic Coefficient: 0.62 (G1) The term BMG means Browning Machine Gun. While this is important to understand, its equally important to remember that the SD, while a good means for comparing two cartridges, only tells part of the story when it comes to penetration. 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). Most hunters also want enough stopping power to be able to make a clean and humane kill of the animal with causing unneeded suffering and risk losing it in the field. Any armor with composite metal foam is strong to stop a 50 cal bullet. and the speed of the bullet. Both of these cartridges have found a place in the long range shooting. PMC X-Tac Match is developed around several award winning loads replicating performance down to a tee. You will be sent the quantity of bullets that are ordered. They wanted a heavy projectile at 2700 feet per second (f.p.s. The minimum SD for hunting large game is .250. somehow. Even so, its difficult to compare the accuracy of two cartridges by the means that we have. 500 yds. The bigger the ballistic . Encased in Barrett head-stamped brass, every cartridge is loaded with noncorrosive powder and primers as well as a 661 gr projectile using state-of-the-art machinery. Stringent quality control ensures proper bullet seating, consistent charges and pressures, optimal velocity, consistent overall length and repeatable accuracy. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 1 in 15in (380mm), with eight lands and grooves. . This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it does include some of the more popular rounds for each cartridge. [3], In response to the need for new anti-aircraft weaponry during World War I, John Browning developed the .50 BMG. Hi! It is used mainly in machine guns for various shooting and personal uses. Think of it paired with the energy of the bullet. Huge bullets with enough powder to send them downrange at supersonic speeds are going to produce enough kick to knock you down. 50 BMg bullets have a high ballistic coefficient of more than 1.0 to resist drifts from wind in flight. In regards to ballistics, the .50 BMG has a bigger, heavier bullet that delivers a reliable killing shot at ranges up to 3300 yards and take down medium-sized game at these incredible ranges.. Both cartridges have the velocity needed for long range shooting though the 50BMG seems to show slightly higher velocities and this gap between the cartridges widens as the rounds move downrange. Within the United Kingdom, it is legal to own a bolt action .50 BMG rifle with a section 1 Firearms Certificate. This data was taken from the standards used by the ballistic calculator for the .338 LM and the .50 BMG rounds. This Federal American Eagle 50 BMG ammunition is perfect for target shooting, competition shooting, long-range hunting, and long-range shooting. Price Per Round: $2.90. The cartridge itself has been made in many variants: multiple generations of regular ball, tracer, armor-piercing (AP), incendiary, and saboted sub-caliber rounds. You can find an email form and contact information here. 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). Description. This bullet is 0.50 in diameter and typically 2.25-inch long. The surface is dirt and water-resistant. The primary military use of this round is in the M2 Browning machine gun and anti-materiel rifles such as the Barrett M82. [citation needed], The .50 BMG round was used as a sniper round as early as the Korean War. 50 Cal is generally known as the bore and the nominal bullet diameter. 12.799mm Technical data", "Technical Manual Small-Arms Ammunition, TM9-1990, U.S. War Department", "SHOT Show 2006 New Rifles, Shotguns, Pistols Offer Enhanced Performance", "Weaponry: .50 Caliber Rifle Crime," GAO Office of Special Investigations letter", "CHAPTER 943 OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC PEACE AND SAFETY", "Are .50 BMG rifles legal in California? Designed for long range training and target practice. Get gun deals, hand's on reviews, educational content and updates on law changes, daily! The AccuBond bullet used is perfect for the proper expansion needed while not sacrificing penetration for large game animals. The higher the value, the better the bullet can travel through the air. Tactical Manufacturing, Inc. This justifies the strength of the snipers and their sturdy build for heavy operation. Machine guns use it as a continuous belt of rounds. The Bullet Has a Superb Ballistic Coefficient compared To Other 50 Caliber Bullets That Have separately Formed driving bands . 50 BMG 750 gr A-MAX Match Item #8270 | 10/Box We carefully select every component to ensure uniformity, then load to exacting specifications to provide pinpoint accuracy. Almost all rounds have a ballistic coefficient of less than 1.0, but large rounds like the 50 BMG can exceed this normal BC. This can be useful in comparing cartridges or loads. But a higher ballistic coefficient doesn't necessarily mean it is a better bullet. 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. Other than armed forces, civilians use this bullet round for target shooting and sports. As far as the BCs go for these two cartridges, both show phenomenal numbers. 400 yds. . [32] Applications requesting firearms in this caliber are assessed by the same criteria as smaller calibers; with the applicant having to prove they have a valid reason for owning such a weapon. What we hope you draw from this is that both of these cartridges have a BC that corresponds with highly streamlined bullets. The .338 Lapua Magnum has a much shorter history than the other cartridge we will be examining in this article. 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. anti-tank rifle" and that then "Ordnance contracted with Winchester to design a .50-cal. 50 BMG was designed for anti-aircraft weapons during World War I. MARK WATNEY MEMORIAL CRATER : This is the 14.9x102mm SOP, a wildcat We also see that all rounds for both cartridges leave the muzzle at more than 2,500fps and maintain supersonic speeds out to the 1,000-yard mark. The .50 BMG cartridge is also used in anti-materiel rifles. With the .338 Lapua Magnum vs .50 BMG, recoil takes on a bit more of an important role. Its ballistic coefficient is 1.050. We are measuring the bullet drop (inches) from 100 out to 1,000 yards. .50 BMG Archives - Ballistic Magazine Tag: .50 BMG GM6 Lynx: Testing the Semi-Auto, .50 BMG Anti-Material Bullpup Rifle The saying goes that 5.56 is the "screw you" round. To test the power, we see that a .50 BMG cartridge can cross the .9 mark, with a flat projectile motion. This is useful to get a legalized firearm with licenses. Mathematically, it is the ratio of a bullet's sectional density to its coefficient of form. Barnes Solid Bore Rider Bullets 50 BMG (510 Diameter) 750 Grain Spitzer Boat Tail Box of 20 Developed to reduce pressures and allow higher velocities, this bullet is constructed of a homogenous metal throughout with no lead core or jacket to separate on impact. Ballistic Coefficient: 0.62 Bullet Weight: 661 gr Initial Velocity: 2750 fps Sight Height : 3 in Shooting Angle: 0 Wind Speed: 0 mph Wind Angle: 0 Zero Range: 100 yd Chart Range: 2600 yd Maximum Range: 7169 yd Step Size: 50 yd International Standard Atmosphere Altitude: Sea Level (0 ft) Barometric Pressure: 29.92 Hg Temperature: 59 F The 408 CheyTac is a relatively new rifle caliber for sharpshooters. 50 BMG - Barrett Firearms The 50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) is a large 50 caliber cartridge packing some serious long-range firepower in a 12.7 x 99mm NATO round. Of course, how much penetration you need is going to depend on the game you are hunting. At present, some US law enforcement use 50 BMG weapons, as well as snipers. Keep in mind this is an approximation and although it is quite accurate it should never replace first-hand experience of shooting your specific firearm and ammunition to determine the bullet drop and windage at different ranges and conditions. As we mentioned earlier, the velocity has a lot of influence on other aspects of the bullets behavior such as expansion. It has a diameter of .50 inches, with a casing length of 99 mm and an overall length of 138 mm. Obviously, this would be an advantage for shooting round out at 1,000 yards or more. A.50 Caliber is a large bullet round with a 12.7mm diameter. Ballistic Coefficient: 0.572 Diameter: 0.51" Material: Copper Length: 1.892" Features. Both 50 BMG rounds leave the muzzle with over 13,000 ft-lbs of kinetic energy compared to about 4,700 ft-lbs for the 338. Under STANAG 4383, it is a standard service cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. Its really the only way either of these rounds can be fired accurately. [4], The development of the .50 BMG round is sometimes confused with the German 13.2mm TuF, which was developed by Germany for an anti-tank rifle to combat British tanks during WWI and against aircraft. For two cartridges that are touted as extreme distance shooters, the ballistic coefficient is going to be an important factor for potential users. 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. We will take a brief look at the origins and histories of these two cartridges and then jump into categories such as stopping power, trajectory, and even price among others. 50 BMG Ammo Identification Chart | Survival Monkey Forums Caliber Multi: .50 BMG Application: Hunting . Done (0.63 seconds). Zero Range (yd) Best Sniper Ammo To Make Every Shot Count (Long Range Shooting) These have the strength to destroy materials with a collection of ammunition. [35], In the United States, Washington, D.C. disallows registration of .50 BMG rifles, thus rendering civilian possession unlawful. Any round from this bullet produces between 10,000 and 15,000 foot-pounds force muzzle energies. 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. What is Ballistic Coefficient? | AmmoForSale.com We have compiled the ballistic coefficients for all ten rounds and graphed them here. Retail Price: $478.50. The 338LM rounds under our specifications have recoil energies ranging between 29 and 33ft.lb. .50 BMG 100yd Drag Function: G1 Ballistic Coefficient: 1.050 Bullet Weight: 750 gr Initial Velocity: 2820 fps Sight Height : 1.5 in Shooting Angle: 0 Wind Speed: 0 mph Wind Angle: 90 Zero Range: 100 yd Chart Range: 200 yd Maximum Range: 10201 yd Step Size: 20 yd International Standard Atmosphere Altitude: Sea Level (0 ft) The higher the velocity, the flatter the bullet will shoot, with less wind drift, more energy when it reaches the target, and an extended . You might be strictly a hunter or strictly a competition shooter, but the majority of us are a mixture of both. It uses a boxer primer with a central ignition point. As far as availability goes for the 50 BMG vs 338 Lapua Magnum, both are going to be harder to come by then smaller, more traditional hunting and target cartridges. Load Data - Barnes Bullets 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. The BC of a round also plays a large role in the trajectory of a round, which we will look at next. Instead, we want to take an unbiased look at the data in several ballistic and other performance category and compare them. 50 caliber refers to the bullet of this size shot by a gun, and not the casing. Barrett Tillman, American Rifleman,February 23, 2017, Last edited on 14 February 2023, at 19:38, SaudiYemeni border conflict (2015present), world record for the longest confirmed kill, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2017/2/23/the-50-cal-browning-machine-gun-the-gun-that-won-the-war/, "MCWP 3-15.1 Machine Guns and Machine Gunnery", "Browning Machine Gun Caliber .50 HB, M2", "Canadian elite special forces sniper makes record-breaking kill shot in Iraq", "Hotshot sniper in one-and-a-half mile double kill", "British sniper Craig Harrison (The Silent Assassin) breaks record, kills target from 1.5miles away", NATO Infantry Weapons Standardization, Per G. Arvidsson, ChairmanWeapons & Sensors Working GroupLand Capability Group 1 - Dismounted Soldier NATO Army Armaments Group, "Army Ammunition Data Sheets for Small Caliber Ammunition", Cartridges for Long-Range Sniping Rifles by Anthony G Williams, Igman Ammunition Cal. During World War II the .50 BMG was primarily used in the M2 Browning machine gun, in both its "light barrel" aircraft mount version and the "heavy barrel" (HB) version on ground vehicles, for anti-aircraft purposes. And if you need the performance of the 50BMG, you are probably already aware of what you are in for and with todays modern gear, you are perfectly capable of using this cartridge efficiently. Cases are carefully selected based on strict criteria: wall thickness uniformity, internal capacity, case weight and consistent wall concentricity. This will differ with various models. Federal Ammunition 50 BMG Ammo Details. Ballistic Coefficient is essentially a measure of air drag. KelTec Sub 2000 [Review]: Best PCC Firearm? A high number means the bullet is more efficient at resisting air friction (negative acceleration). .338 Lapua Mag vs .50 BMG Cartridge Comparison. Ballistic Coefficient Calculator GunData.org But, if you need the performance, its just something you have to deal with, especially if you dont reload. Since the .50 BMG (23.00 23.33 g tungsten with muzzle velocity of 4,000 ft/s (1,219 m/s)) is very large it needs heavy weapons to support it. Subsequently, Frankford Arsenal took over from Winchester, producing the historic .50 BMG or 12.7x99 mm cartridge. For hunting, a lot of hunters want expansion to cause a larger wound and more damage. To make it as accurate as possible, it is important that you input the most accurate information that represents shooting conditions, your firearm, and cartridge. To measure the ballistic coefficient, we need the BC projectile that is equivalent to the ballistic coefficient in a point mass trajectory of below 20 degrees. The bullet length, shape, and weight all positively contribute to a much higher BC than the 50 Beowulf bullet. This shows most dramatically in the case capacity where the .50 BMG can hold nearly 200 more grains of powder than the 338LM. This large amount of force is very destructive to surrounding tissue and organs. Is it better to have a high or low ballistic coefficient? Since 50 BMG cartridges are unique, these have a limited number of sniper rifles built with adequate quality. Trajectory follows a similar trend where both show very flat trajectories, though the 50 BMG excels in this category as well. The ability to hit distant targets is . With that, you have a better chance at running into .338 LM rounds than a box of 50 BMG. Just for comparison of how intense the recoil energy is for these two cartridges, some common hunting rounds such as the .30-06 and .308 are generating recoil in the 20-26ft.lb range when using a 7lb rifle with the same conservative powder loads. External Ballistics - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc A high number also means that the bullet will retain MORE velocity as it moves down range. .338 Lapua Mag vs .50 BMG - Cartridge Comparison - Sniper Country During operation or simply game shootings, it can make a significant wound in cases of accidents. Usually with the sniper comes some accessories to clean and use effectively. A 50 cal bullet has the power to cut through a human body with ease. Even if we had all of the rounds and a couple days to generate some MOA measurements it still might differ on another day in someone elses hands. (We'll get to the meaning of "G1" in a moment.) Our 50 BMG ammunition is ready for action. Not match ammo. Subject to political controversy due to the great power of the cartridge (it is the most powerful commonly available cartridge not considered a destructive device under the National Firearms Act), it remains popular among long-range shooters for its accuracy and external ballistics. Barrel Lengths & Velocities for the 50 BMG - Lilja : Lilja 50 BMG 750 gr A-MAX Match - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc [4] A skilled sniper can effectively neutralize an infantry unit by eliminating several targets (soldiers or equipment) without revealing his precise location. These bullets are magnetic. Today, there are various types of bullet rounds manufactured that are measured in 50 calibers. Excellent quality, and great customer service from Dave Moore of Spider Firearms. As you notice, the .50 BMG has nearly double the recoil energy than the .338 LM. Both of these cartridges are capable of accuracy at extreme distances, and both have enormous stopping power. It is when we move out from this marker that we begin to see a general trend between the 338 LM vs 50 BMG. 50 BMG is one of the types of 50 caliber cartridges used for 50 BMG machine guns. It has an aluminum color tip with a heavy build. This e-mail address is already subscribed. If you have any feedback or question about my articles, please submit it here, it's always appreciated! The primer type specified for this ammunition is a boxer primer that has a single centralized ignition point (US and NATO countries). 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). Muzzle 100 yds. 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 Ballistic Coefficient Tables - Fr. Frog's Pad Cartridge dimensions The 50 BMG 12.7 99 NATO cartridge has a capacity of 290 grains H2O (19 ml). Your information will never be shared and you can unsubscribe with one click at anytime. When dealing with more obscure cartridges that dont have a huge market and takes quite a lot more material to make and you have the trifecta for expensive rounds. Since 50 BMG cartridges are unique, these have a limited number of sniper rifles built with adequate quality. Join 212,000 avid gun enthusiasts and claim your print-at-home shooting drills. Hornady Match rifle ammunition is loaded with the most accurate, consistent match bullets in the world, featuring our AMP bullet jackets. With two rounds that are extremely popular in long distance shooting, accuracy is, of course, going to be a category that generated a lot of interest. The two most important variables are the Initial Velocity and the Ballistic Coefficient. So the damages can be huge, depending on the surface it will hit. This calculator will produce a ballistic trajectory chart that shows the bullet drop, bullet energy, windage, and velocity. The oversized bullet is formed to the bore size upon firing, forming a tight seal and engaging the rifling. Our .50 BMG ammunition is ready for action. It couldnt be more clear that the 50BMG carries exponentially more kinetic energy with it than the .338 LM rounds. A sniper consists of the bipod, handle, brake, and removable magazine. This calculator will produce a ballistic trajectory chart that shows the bullet drop, bullet energy, windage, and velocity.
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