[4] The Barrett M82 rifle was developed during the 1980s and, along with later variants, has upgraded the anti-materiel power of the military sniper. Well discuss this topic more in the applications section. The 338LM rounds under our specifications have recoil energies ranging between 29 and 33ft.lb. Zero Range (yd) You can find an email form and contact information here. 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 calibers, making the .50 BMG a good choice for high-powered sniper rifles. "[5], The round was put into use in the M1921 Browning machine gun. The TSX has gained worldwide recognition as one of the deadliest, most dependable bullets you can buy. 400 yds. 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. It has the velocity, the BC, and the trajectory to make shots of even 1,500 yards. 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. Like most cases, there are better performing rounds for each cartridge type, but on average, the 50 BMG rounds excel in this category, and that distinction becomes clearer the greater the distance. For further comparison, you'd be hard pressed to find a 5.56 load recipe that hits 1,400 ft-lbs. [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. I was also surprised with thebackground. 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. How important the ballistic coefficient is with shooters often depends on the distance of shots they are taking. Besides military and police organizations, the .50 BMG has gained popularity in some civilian circles. These are excellent speeds for long range shooting, especially when shot from a rifle with the proper twist rate to stabilize them in flight. Usually with the sniper comes some accessories to clean and use effectively. Ammunition is sold in 80-round cases. Velocity fps: 2940: 2806: 2677: 2551: 2428: 2309: Energy ft lbs: 12666: 11541: 10499: 9534: Muzzle 100 yds. Ballistic Coefficient: 0.572 Diameter: 0.51" Material: Copper Length: 1.892" Features. Muzzle Velocity - 2,952 is a screaming velocity, HSM AMAXs run around 2,680, and Barrett Ball is around 2,750. This weapon was used by other snipers, and eventually purpose-built sniper rifles were developed specifically for this round. Within the United Kingdom, it is legal to own a bolt action .50 BMG rifle with a section 1 Firearms Certificate. Lets first take a look at the recoil energy (ft.lb) of these two rounds in general. somehow. Similar to snipers, 50 BMG pistols are also made of hard materials to support the powerful cartridge. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 1 in 15in (380mm), with eight lands and grooves. A high number also means that the bullet will retain MORE velocity as it moves down range. A 50 cal bullet has the power to cut through a human body with ease. 50 BMG is one of the types of 50 caliber cartridges used for 50 BMG machine guns. The cartridge itself has been made in many variants from armor piercing to tracer rounds, though most factory loads that can be accessed by civilians are the typical bullets. Dont let the comparison to the 50BMG throw off your judgment as to what this cartridge can do. It should already be clear that the difference just from the bullet diameter is quite dramatic. The higher the ballistic coefficient, the better the bullet can resist wind drag and wind drift which would make the bullet less likely to be pulled off of its flight path and, in theory, be more accurate. Beretta 3032 Tomcat [Review]: A Worthy Self-Defense Pistol? .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) Full Metal Jacket, with boat tail and cannelure. The cartridges have two separate links of the machine gun selected. We also know that this bullet can enter very tough materials easily. 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. .30/06 165-gr./.490 ballistic coefficient 5.56x45 mm 55 gr./.246 Ballistic coefficient Usually the higher the ballistic coefficient the greater the effective range of the round. These have the strength to destroy materials with a collection of ammunition. When it comes to hunting, there are great options for the .338 LM. It is still a good idea to check legality before making a purchase. This shows most dramatically in the case capacity where the .50 BMG can hold nearly 200 more grains of powder than the 338LM. It couldnt be more clear that the 50BMG carries exponentially more kinetic energy with it than the .338 LM rounds. Cartridge dimensions The 50 BMG 12.7 99 NATO cartridge has a capacity of 290 grains H2O (19 ml). This is roughly the same as saying that the projectile in question possesses low drag, although some meaning is lost in the generalization. In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient is used to measure the ability of something to withstand air resistance. While the muzzle energy of popular bullets such as 30-06 Springfield is less than 300-foot pound-force, the muzzle velocity of 50 BMG ranges between 10000 to 15000-foot pound-force. Those values would be correct if you were shooting the ammo out of a "military weapon system" at the upper end of the velocity spectrum in the 3,000 fps range. Hornady Manufacturing makes the best cartridges for 50 BMG Ammunition 10 Rounds. For two cartridges that are touted as extreme distance shooters, the ballistic coefficient is going to be an important factor for potential users. The cartridge itself has been made in many variants: multiple generations of regular ball, tracer, armor-piercing (AP), incendiary, and saboted sub-caliber rounds. To be effective, a bullet must be able to penetrate through sometimes very thick hide and bone to reach vital organs. You will be sent the quantity of bullets that are ordered. Spitzer. Now I am curious about the comparison between the LM 338 and the 30-378 weathering magnum. a 50 caliber bullet weapon is considered violent. The TSX was introduced in 2003 and has become Barnes' most popular hunting bullet. ", "How Will Illinois Law Banning Some Firearms Affect Gun Owners? It has an aluminum color tip with a heavy build. Find load data for your cartridge. Trajectory follows a similar trend where both show very flat trajectories, though the 50 BMG excels in this category as well. It might not compete with some hand loaded cartridges, but you cant get much better when it comes to a factory load. This can be useful in comparing cartridges or loads. 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 calibers, making the .50 BMG a good choice for high-powered sniper rifles.[16]. Designed for long range training and target practice. The Heat Shield tip on the ELD Match bullet creates the perfect meplat and outperforms BTHP bullets. On 14 April 2001, 19-year old Senior Airman Jennifer Donaldson, from the Illinois Air National Guard, made history. If you check the Internet, it is very common to find 50 BMG Ball Ammo BC values in the 0.65 to 0.67 ranges. Seriously, these are heavy duty rounds that fill a very specific niche in the shooting world. The 50 BMG is the winner of this section..50 BMG vs .50 Beowulf: Stopping Power. Shots traveling 1,000 yards are much more prone to these environmental factors, and we would bet that 99% of them are very aware of the BC. Still, by looking at the sectional density (SD) of the rounds, we can get an idea of how well these different bullets can penetrate and gives us a basis for comparison. It boasts a BC of 0.874, and some indicators point to a 0.900 BC at 2,900 fps. 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 .338 Lapua Mag vs .50 BMG Cartridge Comparison. Get my premium 550+ pages handbook that compares all cartridges, for free (worth $199!) The higher the number, the less drag the projectile will experience. G1 projectiles are flat based bullets such as spritzer bullets, where G7 projectiles are going to cover boattail spitzers. It is when we move out from this marker that we begin to see a general trend between the 338 LM vs 50 BMG. Try these all-copper . There are several variants of this 50 caliber round. According to the American Rifleman: "Actually, the Browning .50 originated in the Great War. [35], In the United States, Washington, D.C. disallows registration of .50 BMG rifles, thus rendering civilian possession unlawful. It has a large cartridge used in anti-material for longer ranges. A high number means the bullet is more efficient at resisting air friction (negative acceleration). 50 BMg bullets have a high ballistic coefficient of more than 1.0 to resist drifts from wind in flight. Copyright 2023 ShootersCalculator.comALL rights reserved. R. remrifle333 Member. 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. Decades later, the .50 BMG was chambered in high-powered rifles as well. Its really the only way either of these rounds can be fired accurately. While there are parties who will place one cartridge over the other, we are not looking to do that in our comparisons. . This is why their weapons are hard to find and limited in number. Since a 50 cal bullet can slice through a body without protective armor, it can also kill someone. 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. Ballistic Coefficient is essentially a measure of air drag. Firearm Setup. In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient (BC) of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. Looking at it another way, if one is off by 5%, they're probably all off the same amount, making our comparison valid. Can a 50 cal rip your arm off? Both of these cartridges have found a place in the long range shooting. [3], In response to the need for new anti-aircraft weaponry during World War I, John Browning developed the .50 BMG. A .50 BMG round can effectively disable a vehicle when fired into the engine block. It has a thick casting of under 4 inches long with a primer end of 0.75-inch diameter. 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. 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. DPMS LR-308 [Review]: The AR, Back to Basics. and the speed of the bullet. 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. [1] It is inversely proportional to the negative acceleration: a high number indicates a low negative accelerationthe drag on the body is small in proportion to its mass. Lets take a look at the velocities of each round from the muzzle out to 1,000 yards. Stringent quality control ensures proper bullet seating, consistent charges and pressures, optimal velocity, consistent overall length and repeatable accuracy. Specs. Usually, a 50 cal round has a diameter of 12.7 mm diameter. As for powder charges, we used conservative numbers for each round based on the hand loading specifications from Nosler. Hornady's original goal: "Ten bullets through one hole.". This is the Ferret .50; a top-end attachment to an AR15 lower. The projectiles are high quality hand pulled 647 grain M8 API projectiles which have been cleaned, resized, and inspected before loading. 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). 50 BMG was designed for anti-aircraft weapons during World War I. It is a bit much for medium size game at short ranges, but it would give you a huge advantage at long range if you believe that hunting ethical. All data created using our free ballistic calculator. We dont have a single set of data we can look at to determine stopping power. Think of it paired with the energy of the bullet. 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. The price for both is about equal per 20 rounds, though the 50BMG factory loads often come in boxes of ten rounds. The 50 BMG does have several rounds that break the .9 and even 1.0 mark, but the 338LM is nothing to scoff at either. Different 50 caliber bullets are used for various purposes that have individual compositions. Joined Feb 9, 2010 Messages 6. Like all Federal American Eagle ammunition, the 50 BMG provides reliable feeding and great ballistics. That all said, there are deals out there. [17] However, some other countries produce the ammunition with Berdan primers that have two flash holes.