Full Metal Jacket, with boat tail and cannelure. Ballistic Coefficient: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know This shows most dramatically in the case capacity where the .50 BMG can hold nearly 200 more grains of powder than the 338LM. Each cartridge is loaded with either Hornady A-MAX bullets, our high-performance boattail hollow points, or the new, radically superior ELD Match bullets. 400 yds. These are used by both civilians and military forces for various purposes. The longest recorded kill using a .50 BMG was over 2 miles away. This is why they fit perfectly to any automatic or belt-fed snipers, machine guns, or pistols designed for this cartridge. Apr 23, 2011 #1 Does anyone know the B.C. You can find an email form and contact information here. Description. [1]) is a .50in (12.7mm) caliber cartridge developed for the M2 Browning heavy machine gun in the late 1910s, entering official service in 1921. This Ballistic is so strong that it can literally obliterate the point it touches within its effective shooting range. The 50 caliber is a 5.5-inch length seated bullet. Lake City: 50 Bmg M33 Ball 660 Gr Fmj - 150 Ac These are factory loads that are available for purchase. What is the best scope for a .50 BMG and what is the strongest 50 BMG? Gun deals, hand's on reviews, educational content and news on law changes, every day! How much energy is required to take down an animal varies and the amount that actually gets transferred to the target varies. Bullet Battle: .338 LAPUA VS .50 BMG (Which Is Deadlier?) The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 1 in 15 in (381 mm), with 8 lands and grooves. 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. Just from first glance, we see that the various rounds of each cartridge are pretty varied and a general trend for one cartridge over the other doesnt jump out right away. .50 BMG Archives - Ballistic Magazine Coming up on wounded animals, especially if they are predators, can be dangerous and being able to drop them cleanly takes this risk away. Velocity is key for proper penetration and expansion, which is critical for hunting. 12/70 makeshift .50 BMG slug - Tarkov Ballistics [citation needed], In June 2017, a McMillan Tac-50 was used by a sniper with Canada's Joint Task Force 2 to kill an Islamic State insurgent in Iraq, setting the new world record for the longest confirmed kill shot in military history at 3,540 meters (3,870yd; 2.20mi). . I want this to be the best ballistic trajectory calculator out there. Some big, heavy, and efficient bullets like the .50 BMG can have a ballistic coefficient greater than one, but that topic is for another day. Similar to snipers, 50 BMG pistols are also made of hard materials to support the powerful cartridge. 50 BMG is one of the types of 50 caliber cartridges used for 50 BMG machine guns. Military Applications: Note: We have selected two different 50 BMG loads to demonstrate here. Besides military and police organizations, the .50 BMG has gained popularity in some civilian circles. It is when we move out from this marker that we begin to see a general trend between the 338 LM vs 50 BMG. Usually, these can leave a severe wound. This is the Ferret .50; a top-end attachment to an AR15 lower. A sniper consists of the bipod, handle, brake, and removable magazine. And seeing the stopping power in action, we leave that to you. Other than armed forces, civilians use this bullet round for target shooting and sports. PMC X-Tac Match combines all the performance of world class ballistics with a price point that is friendly for your wallet. The two most important variables are the Initial Velocity and the Ballistic Coefficient. 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. Find load data for your cartridge. 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. The SD comes from the diameter of the bullet and the weight of the bullet. 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 It is strong enough to hold a large volume of pressure. 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. If the bullet passes through cleanly, remaining relatively intact, not all of the energy is transferred to the target. .50 BMG Ballistics Variables Bullet Weight: 661 grain Ballistic Coefficient: 0.62 (G1) Scope Height: 3 inches Ambient Conditions Temperature: 59 Pressure (absolute): 29.92 inHg Cross Wind (90 or Full Value): 1 mph MODEL 82A1 .50 BMG (29 BARREL) MODEL 82A1CQ .50 BMG (20 BARREL) DOWNLOADS Since the mid-1950s, some armored personnel carriers and utility vehicles have been made to withstand 12.7mm machine gun fire, restricting the destructive capability of the M2. For testing your limits on the range, we dont think you can go wrong with the .338 LM Hornady ELD Match 285gr. We suppose it all depends on the type of hunting you do, but if you plan on doing any spot and stalk, you better be in shape. It runs on all modern Windows (Win98 and greater) computers. What is ballistic coefficient (BC)? The email address you entered is not valid. In this cartridge comparison, we are going to take a look at two cartridges, the .338 Lapua and the .50 BMG, two rounds that separate the men from the boys. TMI50BMG ammunition is loaded to precise standards, using only the finest components, and processes. With its trajectory and energy and bullet design options there are no limits to the type of hunting you can do with it. It is used mainly in machine guns for various shooting and personal uses. Ammunition is sold in 80-round cases. [4] A skilled sniper can effectively neutralize an infantry unit by eliminating several targets (soldiers or equipment) without revealing his precise location. It is still a good idea to check legality before making a purchase. The price for both is about equal per 20 rounds, though the 50BMG factory loads often come in boxes of ten rounds. So the damages can be huge, depending on the surface it will hit. Apart from machine guns, snipers and anti-materiel rifles use this cartridge. 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). 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 . and long-range bullets generally range from 0.5 all the way up to 1.0 with the .50 BMG! So, here is a table below: During the war, 50 calibers were used against light armor vehicles and aircraft due to their penetration power. Required fields are marked *. The range and terminal ballistics of the .338 LM were such that its use could fill several niches in civilian use including long range precision shooting and big game hunting. Teamed with Colt, he produced prototypes ready for testing and, ironically, completed them by Nov. 11, 1918the Great War's end. Even so, its difficult to compare the accuracy of two cartridges by the means that we have. Join 212,000 avid gun enthusiasts and claim your print-at-home shooting drills. They do have some pull marks. Regardless, a round with a higher BC is going to maintain a higher BC than a second bullet since both would be effected in the same way. The term BMG means Browning Machine Gun. Is it better to have a high or low ballistic coefficient? Informative, interesting and well written. The following ins a 500 yd 270 Win ballistic trajectory and drop chart that follows a 130gr Winchester Silvertip with a ballistic coeddicient of .337 from the time it exits the muzzle until it hits the 500 yard mark. It also has a strong recoil force as the cartridge is filled with powder. If you do not have a Shooting Chronograph, I strongly suggest you purchase one. The Ballistic Coefficient of tangential ogive jacketed bullets traveling at velocities above the speed of sound can be calculated to a reasonable degree of accuracy if careful measurements are made to determine the actual radius curve of the nose portion and the boat tail (if any) dimensions. And this is simplifying the topic since we are leaving out expansion, which is also going to play a role in penetration. Both of these cartridges are capable of accuracy at extreme distances, and both have enormous stopping power. While these two cartridges might overlap in some shooting applications, we think there are niches where they stand apart as well. Its because 90% of their shots are coming at 250 yards or less. It has a thick casting of under 4 inches long with a primer end of 0.75-inch diameter. 500 yds. . . Maybe even more so when looking at these two rounds. Even so, computer generated data is a proven and safe means for comparing two cartridges as we will do here. In all aspects of the case proportions, the .50 BMG is much larger than the .338, which is a big round when compared to other popular hunting /shooting rounds. Your email address will not be published. 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. In this section, we will take a look at bullet energy and penetration for comparing the 50 BMG vs 338 Lapua Magnum. 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. The primary military use of this round is in the M2 Browning machine gun and anti-materiel rifles such as the Barrett M82. 50 BMG Ammo Identification Chart | Survival Monkey Forums These rounds are listed below. Firearm Setup. Receive exclusive gun deals once a week and all our great reviews right in your inbox. Machine guns use it as a continuous belt of rounds. After four seconds, the bullet will have dropped around 256 feet. They wanted a heavy projectile at 2700 feet per second (f.p.s. What is 'Ballistic Coefficient'? Fundamentals of the G1 and G7 Standar .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. Lake City 50 BMG Ballistic Data. Going the Distance - Shooting Times They should show closer accuracy between each other however, because the form factor is constant. The proof/test pressure is listed as 65,000psi (450,000kPa). [17] However, some other countries produce the ammunition with Berdan primers that have two flash holes. For this article, we are going to explain the BC in the simplest of terms. 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. While Glock is a master of simplicity and reliability, Walther has gone for a more elaborate design. 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. Since 50 BMG cartridges are unique, these have a limited number of sniper rifles built with adequate quality. The 50 BMG rounds range from 72 to 87ft.lb of recoil energy. Unsubscribe at any time. DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) contracted with Teledyne Scientific Company to develop the EXACTO program, including a .50-caliber guided bullet. Steel armors can also stop it from entering. It is a great investment if you want to get into long range shooting and will be especially useful if you handload. .50 BMG Flechette rifle - The Firearm Blog All in all, 50 BMG is the best cartridge with great ballistic coefficient, diameter, and other features that expanded its use. 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. MARK WATNEY MEMORIAL CRATER : This is the 14.9x102mm SOP, a wildcat Dont let the comparison to the 50BMG throw off your judgment as to what this cartridge can do. Even after the differences between 50 Cal vs 50 BMG, we see that they are quite similar in various features. The max I have ever seen anyone run is around 3,000 and that is considered to be hot. Looking at it another way, if one is off by 5%, they're probably all off the same amount, making our comparison valid. Since a .50 caliber bullet is manufactured with a solid metal surface and core, it is very powerful. 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. 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. On the other hand, 50 BMG is designed for machine gun operations, which belongs to 50 Cal. On the other hand, a 50 BMG is a type of 50 Caliber round. Price Per Round: $2.90. But a higher ballistic coefficient doesn't necessarily mean it is a better bullet. Most people who are using a .50 BMG are not hunting and are looking at extreme distance shooting. Description: Lake City 50 BMG ammunition consists of Lake City brass, boxer-primers and 660 Grain projectiles. 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). 338 Lapua vs 50 BMG - Long Range Cartridge Comparison
