50 bmg ballistic coefficient
Thread starter remrifle333; Start date Apr 23, 2011; Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum Become a supporting member. The Barrett Mk. Hornady's original goal: "Ten bullets through one hole.". The projectiles are high quality hand pulled 647 grain M8 API projectiles which have been cleaned, resized, and inspected before loading. Thank you. It possesses the ballistic performance to reach out to game at a distance and still carries the energy needed to aid in bringing down big game cleanly. Like all Federal American Eagle ammunition, the 50 BMG provides reliable feeding and great ballistics. Us has made 50 BMG the standard as the largest bullet round in terms of shell size. While Glock is a master of simplicity and reliability, Walther has gone for a more elaborate design. . With two decades of chasing all manner of upland game, hooved mammals, strutting gobblers, and any small game that can fit in his Dutch oven, he hopes to offer new ideas and viewpoints on hunting and firearm concepts and traditions. Get gun deals, hand's on reviews, educational content and updates on law changes daily! Seriously, these are heavy duty rounds that fill a very specific niche in the shooting world. 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. 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. Hornady Match rifle ammunition is loaded with the most accurate, consistent match bullets in the world, featuring our AMP bullet jackets. To use either of these rounds, muzzle brakes and other support is needed to use rifles chambered for these cartridges. In context of the 338 Lapua vs 50 BMG where both are popular long distance rounds and to a smaller extent hunting rounds, velocity is a key component to our comparison. It has velocities that compete with the 50 BMG rounds, one of the flattest trajectories when compared to other .338 LM factory loads, and a ballistic coefficient of nearly .8. 500 yds. You might be asking yourself if the velocities shown here are enough for proper expansion of such a large bullet such as the .50cal. The surface is dirt and water-resistant. This ammunition usually contains Swedish brass and perfect military specifications. We hope that this article has highlighted these differences and provided you with a reliable source for making your own decision of which cartridge better fits your needs. [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. [36][37] California prohibits the private purchase of a rifle capable of firing the .50 BMG through the .50 Caliber BMG Regulation Act of 2004. Description: Lake City 50 BMG ammunition consists of Lake City brass, boxer-primers and 660 Grain projectiles. During wartime, especially WW2, the US coast guard, and military used 50 BMG rifles towards helicopters. The 408 CheyTac is a relatively new rifle caliber for sharpshooters. I was also surprised with thebackground. The Army then returned to John Browning for the actual gun. Machine guns use it as a continuous belt of rounds. For the 50BMG, we are not going to give a specific round. No extra bullets are sent. And this is simplifying the topic since we are leaving out expansion, which is also going to play a role in penetration. We will shortly look at the averages of these cartridges, but want to point out again that while some of the numbers might seem like drastic differences, and technically they are, its critical to observe the individual rounds, specifically the .338 LM. This graph should give you a good idea about the major differences we are looking at here. The .50 Browning Machine Gun (.50 BMG, 12.799mm NATO and designated as the 50 Browning by the C.I.P. It can shoot up to ranges of 330 yards and floats in the air for about seven seconds, before dropping to the ground. In this way, the user can know how much recoil the 50 BMG round has due to impact. It has a large cartridge used in anti-material for longer ranges. There are several variants of this 50 caliber round. [11] Before that, a British sniper in Afghanistan held the record at 2,475 meters (2,707yd; 1.538mi) using a .338 Lapua Magnum (8.5870mm) rifle. 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. Thus, to begin zeroing on an optically centered scope, you have to come down 30 minutes at the start. I highly recommend him and his product. Steel armors can also stop it from entering. .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. Ballistic Coefficient - BC of 0.364 seems to be way low, standard BC for Ball Ammo should be in the 0.650-0.670 range. Retail Price: $478.50. Its really the only way either of these rounds can be fired accurately. The following improvements will be made: Please sign up for our newsletter so that you can be alerted the moment these new features are launched! It is strong enough to hold a large volume of pressure. Military Requirement: due to the rounds being from Lake City Ammunition . Your email address will not be published. Most people who are using a .50 BMG are not hunting and are looking at extreme distance shooting. 12.7 x 99mm, APEI, M 02, "Advancements in Lightweight .50 Caliber Ammunition", "DoD Wants Bullet That Can Change Direction After Being Fired", "EXACTO Guided bullet demonstrates repeatable performance against moving targets 2904152 | weapons defence industry military technology UK | analyse focus army defence military industry army", "EXACTO Guided Bullet Demonstrates Repeatable Performance against Moving Targets", "Metal link M9 for cal. 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. It is used mainly in machine guns for various shooting and personal uses. It should already be clear that the difference just from the bullet diameter is quite dramatic. The proof/test pressure is listed as 65,000psi (450,000kPa). To begin, these selected rounds all have excellent BCs that most would be more than happy with. A high number also means that the bullet will retain MORE velocity as it moves down range. We also hope that we have made clear that the BC is not a point for comparing which bullet is better or worse than others. Usually with the sniper comes some accessories to clean and use effectively. . [37][41] In Illinois, it is legal to possess a .50 caliber rifle only if it was acquired by January 10, 2023, and it is registered with the state police by January 1, 2024. Its a culmination of several factors including bullet energy, penetration, bullet expansion, and shot placement. SHTF 50: Safety Harbor's .50-Cal Upper Conversion for AR-15s Your information will never be shared and you can unsubscribe with one click at anytime. The SD comes from the diameter of the bullet and the weight of the bullet. The max I have ever seen anyone run is around 3,000 and that is considered to be hot. The numbers with the 50BMG rounds are astounding, especially to some who might only be familiar with the more common hunting rounds. Some of them operate by recoil principle, while others use gas. With extremely tight tolerances and strict quality control, all Hornady Match ammunition features superior lot-to-lot consistency. Military use 50 caliber in machine guns and snipers, as well as regular shooters. An upgraded variant of the M2 Browning HB machine gun used during World War II is still in use today. 50 caliber bullets can easily enter through a thick, concrete, or brick wall, a large tree, or even a person from a long distance. It has the power to disable the engines of vehicles and penetrate concrete walls. So , lets get down to business. 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. kilojoules). .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 With a degree in Microbiology and several years of doctoral work manipulating bacterial genes, he attempts to merge the rational and unbiased thinking of scientific research with the passions of hunting and fishing. This calculator will produce a ballistic trajectory chart that shows the bullet drop, bullet energy, windage, and velocity. Your email address will not be published. Still, we think that we can get some valuable information by examining the kinetic energy associated with our various rounds as the move from the muzzle down range to 1,000 yards. This weapon was used by other snipers, and eventually purpose-built sniper rifles were developed specifically for this round. Beretta 3032 Tomcat [Review]: A Worthy Self-Defense Pistol? This is because the bullet is very large, so the wound it makes is also large and deep, but still curable. The bullet type and powder make the recoil force different between bullets. Some notable companies that produce 50 BMG sniper rifles include Barrett Firearms, Accuracy International, Arms Tech Ltd, Armalite, Bushmaster, Desert Tech, Serbu Firearms, etc. 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. It boasts a BC of 0.874, and some indicators point to a 0.900 BC at 2,900 fps. They all can kill any game animal in the world. 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. They wanted a heavy projectile at 2700 feet per second (f.p.s. 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. 50 BMG Ballistic Coefficient. [citation needed], The U.S. Coast Guard uses .50 BMG rifles onboard armed helicopters to disable the engines on boats during interdictions. To test the power, we see that a .50 BMG cartridge can cross the .9 mark, with a flat projectile motion. In certain aspects and certain situations, sure, there are cartridges better suited to the task than others. These include heavy stopping power that can be carried over incredible ranges. These are extremely large rounds that require heavy weapons as well as other equipment to shoot accurately. The round you choose for hunting should be based on the type of game, and this is perfect for the largest animals with the thickest hides. What is ballistic coefficient (BC)? 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. The 50 caliber is a 5.5-inch length seated bullet. The 50 BMG is another caliber with . Use this ballistic calculator in order to calculate the flight path of a bullet given the shooting parameters that meet your conditions. They are easily portable to shoot at great ranges with destructive forces. [35], In the United States, Washington, D.C. disallows registration of .50 BMG rifles, thus rendering civilian possession unlawful. The bigger the ballistic . Videos published by DARPA show the guided bullet diverting to strike a moving target.[26][27][28][29]. Instead, we want to take an unbiased look at the data in several ballistic and other performance category and compare them. Sign up to receive new product announcements, special offers, and the annual product catalog. FMBT bullets. For example, the G1 BC of a standard 5.5645 55gr FMJ roundusually falls at around 0.243. Barrel Lengths & Velocities for the 50 BMG. [17] However, some other countries produce the ammunition with Berdan primers that have two flash holes. Please let me know how it can be improved upon. Obviously, this would be an advantage for shooting round out at 1,000 yards or more. The term BMG means Browning Machine Gun. To gain more knowledge and quick learning, a comparison table is always the best form. This is near impossible to handle accurately unless accessory gear is used to help absorb and stabilize the rifle. As for powder charges, we used conservative numbers for each round based on the hand loading specifications from Nosler. 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. Unsubscribe at any time. With that being said, we wouldnt recommend hunting the majority of game on planet Earth with a 50BMG; it seems pointless with the amount of damage it would cause to perfectly good meat. This round is packaged in 150 CT Military Surplus ammo can. A .50 BMG round can effectively disable a vehicle when fired into the engine block. Both of these cartridges are capable of accuracy at extreme distances, and both have enormous stopping power. They should show closer accuracy between each other however, because the form factor is constant. Caliber Multi: .50 BMG Application: Hunting . Well, for 50 BMG, you're looking at $11-$16/round for military surplus ammo. It uses a boxer primer with a central ignition point. It answered a lot of my questions. In some cases, it is used to detonate mounted guns or cannons. Loaded specifically for precision big bore rifles, a wide variety of ammunition is available, including ball, tracer, armor-piercing, incendiary, and A-MAX rounds, with accuracy being priority number one. The Federal Ballistics Calculator lets you quickly determine the trajectory for any rifle or handgun load, and save data for an unlimited number of loads. 50 BMG basic cartridge dimensions-All sizes in inches (in). While it is one of the more expensive rounds on our list, you are paying for incredible performance that comes close to matching hand loaded rounds from the experts. The Hornady 750gr AMAX bullet has become popular with its very high ballistic coefficient and is typically the choice for extreme ranges beyond 1500 meters. Basically, BC is a measure of how . . Barrel Length inches 36 Ballistics Coefficient (G1) 0.707 Ballistics Coefficient (G7) 0.350 Sectional Density 0.362. [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. In this section, we will take a look at bullet energy and penetration for comparing the 50 BMG vs 338 Lapua Magnum. It comes in different types like tracer, armor-piercing, usual ball, incendiary, and sub-caliber rounds. There is no doubt that both are designed exclusively for successful performances in the field. My first deer at the age of 45 I joined the deer hunting fraternity a little late, but the desire to hunt has always been there. To be effective, a bullet must be able to penetrate through sometimes very thick hide and bone to reach vital organs. Well discuss this topic more in the applications section. Unsubscribe at any time. Inside the cartridge consists of a core made of manganese molybdenum steel, a point filler, and a seal of the lead-antimony base. The .338 LM is no slouch when it comes to long range shooting. The.50 BMG is quite legal for buying without the need for a special license or process. Factory loads for civilian purchase are limited with most of the available rounds coming with bullet weights between 650 and 750gr. Properties. Its tough for us in this situation because the 50 BMG is such as unique round and it makes it seem as if the .338 LM falls short in most categories and this is not the case. They are intended mainly for long-range shooting. Best Mossberg 500 Heat Shields [Ultimate Buying Guide], Best 9mm Ammo in 2021 [Self-Defense & Target], 6.5 Creedmoor vs .243 Win Cartridge Comparison. According to the American Rifleman: "Actually, the Browning .50 originated in the Great War. It has an aluminum color tip with a heavy build. When this is the case, we will be sure to make it clear what we are doing. Customer Reviews. This justifies the strength of the snipers and their sturdy build for heavy operation. They are both quality handguns, but their makers have taken two very different approaches to the designs. Contrary to a persistent misconception within the United States Armed Forces, using .50 BMG directly against enemy personnel is not prohibited by the laws of war. Federal Ammunition 50 BMG Ammo Details. Some of them can also be semi auto-loading guns. Looking at just the basic physics, a .50 bmg has a muzzle velocity of about 420 meters per second (1480 feet per second). Cartridge dimensions The 50 BMG 12.7 99 NATO cartridge has a capacity of 290 grains H2O (19 ml). Since 50 BMG cartridges are unique, these have a limited number of sniper rifles built with adequate quality. . Still, by comparing the recoil energies, it will translate loosely into what you feel. Besides military and police organizations, the .50 BMG has gained popularity in some civilian circles. 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. AP (ARMOR PIERCING) M2 So the damages can be huge, depending on the surface it will hit. As we have done in previous sections, we are going to look at our ten selected rounds. These rounds are listed below. In the case of the 338 Lapua vs 50 BMG, we still feel the same. It is a great investment if you want to get into long range shooting and will be especially useful if you handload. We are not going to sit and mess around with the short range trajectory. Our .50 BMG ammunition is ready for action. If you do not have a Shooting Chronograph, I strongly suggest you purchase one. 200 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. As you can imagine, the bigger the game, the more energy you are going to need to cause enough damage for a clean kill. That all said, there are deals out there. For hunting, a lot of hunters want expansion to cause a larger wound and more damage. You can find an email form and contact information here. I want this to be the best ballistic trajectory calculator out there. Full Metal Jacket, with boat tail and cannelure. DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) contracted with Teledyne Scientific Company to develop the EXACTO program, including a .50-caliber guided bullet. [43] Writing for the Marine Corps Gazette, Maj Hays Parks states that "No treaty language exists (either generally or specifically) to support a limitation on [the use of .50 BMG] against personnel, and its widespread, longstanding use in this role suggests that such antipersonnel employment is the customary practice of nations." 50 BMG has a 12.7mm diameter and is also used in snipers and machine guns. And like the 50BMG rounds, we will revisit this shortly. 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 mass is one of the bullets. Sight Height (in) Must be a number greater than 0. It saw service with the military in both Afghanistan and Iraq and is still in use with military personnel today, but it has also found a loyal following among civilians. . The 50 BMG is the winner of this section..50 BMG vs .50 Beowulf: Stopping Power. 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. When it comes to hunting, there are great options for the .338 LM. Because this is computer generated data and because each rifle has its own personality, the actual numbers that are going to come from firing one of these rounds from your rifle, the numbers shouldnt be too far off but we wanted to make it clear that these numbers are not set in stone. So when game time comes make sure you are ready and enjoy the accuracy of Federal American Eagle 50 BMG ammunition! Receive exclusive gun deals once a week and all our great reviews right in your inbox. Where there are variables, we try to keep them as uniform as possible, but for some cases, it only makes sense to change these variables based on the cartridges. Lets first take a look at the recoil energy (ft.lb) of these two rounds in general. Granted, if youre firing these rounds, you most likely have gear that aids in absorbing the recoil and stabilizing the firearm. 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. The difference between the two rounds is as followed with the 50BMG showing a flatter trajectory. This is useful to get a legalized firearm with licenses. There are various types of weapons used for 50 caliber bullets. For simply comparing two different cartridges, we are going to omit it for the sake of clarity. 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? The first 50 BMG ammunition was the 13.2mm TuF to attack against armored targets. This comparison is interesting because of how similar the sectional densities are despite the major differences in bullets. Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy; 647 gr (42 g) Speer: 3,044 ft/s (928 m/s) 13,310 ftlbf (18,050 J) 655 gr (42 g) ADI: 3,029 ft/s (923 m/s) Since 50 BMG bullets are powerful, they can enter through a body part with force. 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. Mathematically, it is the ratio of a bullet's sectional density to its coefficient of form. .50 BMG Ballistics Variables Bullet Weight: 661 grain Ballistic Coefficient: 0.62 (G1) With its trajectory and energy and bullet design options there are no limits to the type of hunting you can do with it. This bullet is 0.50 in diameter and typically 2.25-inch long. 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. When we look at the graph, it is quite a stark contrast between cartridges. 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. 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. What you might be looking for is how these rounds behave in flight, which is what we will look at next. They have various models for different cartridges. Your information will never be shared and you can unsubscribe with one click at anytime. And even then, the options you have for 50BMG factory loads is extremely limited, even when compared to the .338 LM. 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. Usually, a 50 cal round has a diameter of 12.7 mm diameter. . In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient (BC) of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. It is a great investment if you want to get into long range shooting and will be especially useful if you handload. Looking at it another way, if one is off by 5%, they're probably all off the same amount, making our comparison valid. Special Offer: Join our private community and get exclusive gun deals, handpicked gear recommendations and updates on law changes, every day! Both of these cartridges have found a place in the long range shooting. This will differ with various models. The guns that use these bullets were used to target troops to save from enemy guns. This large amount of force is very destructive to surrounding tissue and organs. This Ballistic is so strong that it can literally obliterate the point it touches within its effective shooting range. A very interesting and well written article by an educated man with a surprising background. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Copyright Hornady, Privacy Policy | CCPA Request | Accessibility Policy | Terms of Use, Designed and developed by IdeaBank Marketing. It is still a good idea to check legality before making a purchase. Today, there are various types of bullet rounds manufactured that are measured in 50 calibers. Military Applications: Note: We have selected two different 50 BMG loads to demonstrate here. The AccuBond bullet used is perfect for the proper expansion needed while not sacrificing penetration for large game animals. The cartridges have two separate links of the machine gun selected. Weapons such as machine guns, rifles, and regular hand pistols are easily compatible with this bullet. Recoil is also a component to accuracy though most will deny it has any effect on them. With that, you have a better chance at running into .338 LM rounds than a box of 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. only today ! 300 yds. The increased interest in the .338 LM in civilian circuits has resulted in more round options though still limited compared to other competition and hunting rounds. ShootersCalculator.com is in the process of being massively overhauled. The email address you entered is not valid. By adding trajectories to the panel on the right you may produce charts and graphs that show the different trajectories side by side. This gun was later developed into the M2HB Browning which with its .50 caliber armor-piercing cartridges went on to function as an anti-aircraft and anti-vehicular machine gun, capable of penetrating 0.9 inches (23mm) of face-hardened armor steel plate at 200 meters (220yd),[6] 1 inch (25mm) of rolled homogeneous armor at the same range,[7] and 0.75 inches (19mm) at 547 yards (500m).[8].
