458 SOCOM vs. 450 Bushmaster vs. 50 Beowulf - Page 2

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 458 SOCOM vs. 450 Bushmaster vs. 50 Beowulf (Page 2 of 2)

Posted: 1/10/2010 5:07:35 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Kinda hard to measure and be sure what I'm getting, but do think I know where it has gone.

Look at this pic, the bands start as rounded over, it looks like it might have just squared off the top side a little.

So it started as the black area, and some material moves into the red area.

http://www.goobage.com/pics/temp/barnes_bands.jpg

Oh, and glad the brass helped.

Yup, agree on the "square off". That is where logically it would have gone. I figured there would have been more material displaced and it would have filled the shallow bands, but given their relative width, not enough material moved to fill them in. Still curious about the grooves and lands on the .450 barrel. Thanks for the pictures!

Posted: 1/10/2010 8:20:01 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Kinda hard to measure and be sure what I'm getting, but do think I know where it has gone.

Look at this pic, the bands start as rounded over, it looks like it might have just squared off the top side a little.

So it started as the black area, and some material moves into the red area.

http://www.goobage.com/pics/temp/barnes_bands.jpg

Oh, and glad the brass helped.

Yup, agree on the "square off". That is where logically it would have gone. I figured there would have been more material displaced and it would have filled the shallow bands, but given their relative width, not enough material moved to fill them in. Still curious about the grooves and lands on the .450 barrel. Thanks for the pictures!

I'll see if I can figure out a way to measure them. I wonder if Bushmaster would just tell us if we asked.

Posted: 1/10/2010 9:29:45 AM EDT

[#3]

Thought I would help out a bit here,

I resized a Barnes 250 gr. TSX 45-70 bullet using the Lee Dies. The dies used were .454 and .452.

Here are the measurements:
1. Diameter –– .457" to .451"+
2. Length –– .916" to .925" (this is where your material is going. The slugs grow a little)
3. Groove on bullets –– .444" to .442"

Also, based on recoved bullets, the bore on the 450B is .452" and the groove is .444".

Posted: 1/10/2010 10:02:44 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Thought I would help out a bit here,

I resized a Barnes 250 gr. TSX 45-70 bullet using the Lee Dies. The dies used were .454 and .452.

Here are the measurements:
1. Diameter –– .457" to .451"+
2. Length –– .916" to .925" (this is where your material is going. The slugs grow a little)
3. Groove on bullets –– .444" to .442"

Also, based on recoved bullets, the bore on the 450B is .452" and the groove is .444".

Since I hadn't bothered to measure length before and after I just went and did a couple more and here are my results

Before = 1.056

After = 1.067

Oh, and the reason I didn't bother to include groove depth info before and after is that the groove on my bullets is anywhere from 0.437 - 0.444 depending on where you measure them so it would be very hard to measure the same spot both before and after and be sure of the results.

Posted: 1/13/2010 6:07:03 PM EDT

[#5]

First off, I don't reload at this point. I went with the 450B because 1. it was on the shelf at my local gun shop. 2. I could buy legitimate hunting ammo for $1.35 a round (on the shelf locally as well) 3. Bushmaster and Hornady backing 4. Ballistics of factory ammo were more appealing for my type of hunting over a longer range.
My second choice would be the 458 due to RRA making them. It is truly a gun I love to shoot. Now if I could get some factory plinking loads...(or plunking loads when they are this big)

Posted: 1/14/2010 6:15:31 AM EDT

[#6]

I went with the .450 Bushmaster for these reasons:

1. Upper was on sale
2. Ammo availablity at local shops
3. Already had a BM lower from my old Predator w/2 stage trigger

Posted: 1/14/2010 3:43:58 PM EDT

[#7]

I went with the 458 cuz its the biggest number.
50...450...458 YAAAAA!!!!!!!
If they woulda said 500beowolf I woulda had to go with that

Posted: 1/14/2010 10:10:10 PM EDT

[#8]

Seems 458 Socom is winning out. I don't have any but would lean to 458 because I understand it takes unmodified mags. Is that true? What about the others?

Posted: 1/14/2010 10:34:23 PM EDT

[#9]

sig556 mags work with 450 Bushmaster, no mods......
http://450bushmaster.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23&start=70

Posted: 1/15/2010 5:44:52 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Seems 458 Socom is winning out. I don't have any but would lean to 458 because I understand it takes unmodified mags. Is that true? What about the others?

beowulf uses unmodified mags. I'll prove it to anyone who wants to bring a pile of mags on over.

Posted: 1/19/2010 2:08:21 AM EDT

[#11]

I've had a Bushmaster 450 for two years, don't reload and wanted the quality of the Horandy ammo available for it, absolutey love it, have whacked two deer with it that went down hard, it puts rounds in the same hole at 100 yards with the Horandy ammo, 16" barrel.... I did a RRA two stage trigger, love it... love the gun.

Posted: 2/1/2010 3:46:44 PM EDT

[#12]

I went with the Beowulf.Reasons: count down...
3. Reloading...Shoulder blah blah blah (Most people are only shooting these things under 300 yards, accuracy is good enough, if you are reloading correctly you should not have other issues). Reloading is easy to set up with the Beowulf. Brass is harder to find, but they are making brass everyday, and you CAN find it.
2. Bullets. The game changer was when S&W came out with the .500. New .500 bullets are poping up every month. Again, moderate velocities, under 300 yards. Pistol bullets work great.
1. Most will agree the ballistics are pretty close (it is like comparing which tank to own, when everyone in your neighborhood has a Honda Civic) So the biggest reason you buy a Wulf is that you can tell someone you own a FIFTY CAL! That gets their attention where they are gun guys or Obama lovers! 45 cal just doesn't get it.
RR

Posted: 2/1/2010 3:54:09 PM EDT

[#13]

+1 on that luecman!! I'll join in that fun! I have exactly ONE AA mag for the .50Beo. Oh wait, three, as I have two of the 4rd hunting mags. I use the 10rd one but the 4rd ones suck for feeding. I use 10 or 20rd .223 mags and they work 100% all the time for hunting. If I want them to stick out the bottom, I use longer ones and make a mag block installed in the bottom to get the round count to where it is legal. Every 30rd .223 mag I have used has worked for me. Only thing I have ever done is file the underside edge of the feed lip to keep it from scratching the brass and to increase feed velocity (less resistance).

Posted: 2/2/2010 7:07:54 AM EDT

[#14]

I love my Beowulf upper - its accurate, kicks less than a 20 gauge shotgun and has plenty of power. However, if you don't reload like me, good luck trying to find ammo for it. By the way, yes - regular AR mags will work with .50 Beo w/o modifications.

Posted: 2/2/2010 8:44:51 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Only thing I have ever done is file the underside edge of the feed lip to keep it from scratching the [Beowulf] brass and to increase feed velocity (less resistance).

Hey.... would plastic mags like the Sig 556 work well for the Beowulf? They wouldn't scratch the valuable brass.

Posted: 2/2/2010 8:51:24 AM EDT

[#16]

I went with the Beowulf because it's a "Fifty cal" and there's just something about those extra few hundreths of an inch. And it rounded out my other Fifty collection (Hawkens, Magnum, AE, and BMG).

Plus "Beowulf" just sounds cooler. " I AM BEOWULF!"

Posted: 2/3/2010 12:03:26 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Only thing I have ever done is file the underside edge of the feed lip to keep it from scratching the [Beowulf] brass and to increase feed velocity (less resistance).

Hey.... would plastic mags like the Sig 556 work well for the Beowulf? They wouldn't scratch the valuable brass.

Depends on the bullet. 334gr Rainiers work fine in standard pmags. Jump to bigger bullets, and they don't (I can tell you Remington 385gr and Hornady 500gr don't fit.)

Posted: 2/3/2010 12:44:37 PM EDT

[#18]

That sucks about the Rem385grCLHP's not running in the Magpul mags! I shoot a ton of those! Love 'em.

Posted: 2/3/2010 7:15:03 PM EDT

[#19]

I had the same problem with the Pmags, they are really well made and I liked them a lot but my beowulf rounds wouldn't clear the stop for the follower. A friend was happy to hear that sold them to him at a good price. He picked up a couple of the sliding open face mags but the feed lips wouldn't hold the round right, every one nosed down when trying to chamber a round. I wouldn't trade the beowulf for anything though.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 458 SOCOM vs. 450 Bushmaster vs. 50 Beowulf (Page 2 of 2)

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