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Posted: 5/23/2004 4:42:22 PM EDT
| Sorry if I misspelled the caliber but I finally saw some of this ammo today at the range. Looked kinda intriguing, almost like a bit shorter 45/70 case. Ammo cost was about $2/rd according to the shooter. Clearly a marketing opportunity for an ammo maker. Shot out of an AR, I have no idea what the recoil is. |
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50 Beowulf. Ammo used to be $18/box of 20. It is currently around $27/box. Similar in ballistics to a 45-70. Available from Alexander Arms, Impact Guns, Competition Shooting Sports, and Cabela's. The recoil feels about like a 20ga slug gun. Maybe some of the heavier loads feel about like a light 12ga. It is similar to the 458 SOCOM and 499LW. Here's a few vids of the 458 SOCOM in action -- available from Teppojutsu: CMMG 458 SOCOM - Right Click "Save As" M16 458 SOCOM - Right Click "Save As" Intended purpose is not a marketing gimmick. Intended purpose is to deliver considerable energy on target at moderate ranges. ~2000fps from a 300gr projectile. 1000fps from a 600gr. Can you say OUCH??? |
As far as I have heard from a couple guys that load up they are having minimal problems getting the stuff they need. I believe that TX65 -- aka Competition Shooting Sports, Inc. stocks the stuff. However, I KNOW that Lee has the dies for the 458 SOCOM available with a simple call and Starline has brass on the shelf. You can find 458 projectiles in just about any gun shop, Midway, etc... FWIW.... |
I've been doing the same. I've emailed tromix to see if they will sell just the bolt assembly and barrel assembly. If they do, I will probabbly order one that day 
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The .50 Beowulf kicks like a mule. Make sure that you have plenty of eye relief!  We had a cheap scope and a friend was cut by his shooting glasses after it walloped him in the eye. We now have a Trijicon Reflex II on it with an ARMS mount. I had one heck of a sore shoulder after shooting it with Alexander Arms 334 gr. JHP. I thought it was more like a 12 gauge than a 20 gauge, and I have both. |
I remember that day, said name member looked like a man that had been hit in the head with a stray 22 round. Nasty little gouge. 
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50AE is way short of the OAL of the .223 mags. Tromix uses a polymer spacer that he has machined to fit the grooves of the front part of the mag. He also has special followers made that fit PERFECTLY in the mag area that remains. They are "long-legged" and act like the green followers (aka anti-tilt). He did lots of R&D to make it work. If you get a complete rifle from Tony Rumore it's the better way to go. He uses AWESOME barrels and if you can score some mags converted by Tony you are much better off. I used 20rd USGI mags as the spacers and followers seemed more likely to work for me in a straight wall mag body. Edited: I see you were just gonna get the upper, not build a 50AE upper.....I think Tony sells the mag conversions for ~$25/kit. Since you reload. Find the 440 Corbon upper and have a lower reloading cost 44mag bullets, 50AE brass. Same mags as the 50AE. Similar configurations. 440 CorBon Magnum – Tromix is the first to offer up the 440 CorBon Magnum chambered in any rifle. The 440 CorBon Magnum combines the large bullet selection of the 44 magnum, with the brutal power of the 50AE. This cartridge offers the best down range performance and deep penetration due to its greater sectional density over the 50AE. Launching 180gr bullets to 2400fps, 240 graines at 2050fps, and 300 grain bullets at 1850fps, this is truly a bad ass short range hunting machine. If you are a re-loader, the 440 CorBon Magnum is the way to go since you won’t find ammo at your local Walmart Superstore. |
458 SOCOM uses unmodified USGI mags. 50 Beowulf uses unmodified mags, but Alexander Arms recommends a little "tweak" to make them really bulletproof. FWIW..... 
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SHIVAN and Gotm4, thanks men I think that with all the mag inserts and such the BW or the 458 would be far better in the long run, Tony sent the email reply today and everything explained here is the same Tony had in his email. I see that there are honest gun builders still out there and that is refreshing to see today, I found one man that has a BW 16"upper for 619.00 plus 10.00 shipping. So far that is the best price on the upper I have found. Any better out there? |
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Now I found one 50 Beowulf upper for 599.00 |
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As a reloader I would wholeheartedly suggest the 458 SOCOM over the 50 Beowulf. 250gr - 600gr any 45-70 or 458 WIN projectile you can find will likely work so long as it matches the OAL. The necked 458 SOCOM case headspaces on the shoulder of the case, not the rim of the neck like the Beowulf. The necked case negotiates the curved 30rd mags better than the straight walled cases. You may be able to weasel in on the group buy -- if not I think I saw an upper for sale recently on the EE. Ed |
that is misleading....you simply need to know a few tricks to keep from ripping your $0.44 cases apart. Like use lots of case lube and some other things that don't really happen when you form other cases. This is more prevailent when the only brass available was long UNFORMED 50AE brass. Now that the brass is coming formed from Starline I have heard the tales of ripped caseheads go WAY down. I know at least 4 newbies to reloading who do it regularly and are no longer newbies. 
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