Anyone load 50 BMG?

[FlashAndPoof]

What powder, bullet, and load do you guys use?
All the older threads I searched recommended WC860, but it looks like affordable and available surplus WC860 dried up a few years back.
Pulldown WC870 and WC872 seem to be available, but I keep finding worrisome reports of pulldown powder being very inconsistent. At this rate, I'm starting to contemplate getting much more expensive modern powders like US 869.
And are the days of cheap and available FMJ Ball bullets over?
Planning on shooting the ammo out of a semiautomatic Barrett so match accuracy isn't the most critical thing for me right now.

 

[diverdon]

Most of my friends who load for the .50 use Hodgdon H50BMG currently in stock at https://www.powdervalleyinc.com

 

[jet_lagged]

Might see if Pat's still has some WC-860. Otherwise, for semi-auto use, I would just get one of the other mil-surp powers and adjust the load to suit your needs.

http://patsreloading.com/patsrel/prices.aspx?category=Powder

 

[samnev]

I've used 5010 for a number of years.

 

[FlashAndPoof]

Might see if Pat's still has some WC-860. Otherwise, for semi-auto use, I would just get one of the other mil-surp powers and adjust the load to suit your needs.

http://patsreloading.com/patsrel/pri...ategory=Powder

So I've been asking around. Seems every place just has pulldown powder so hopefully the quality is consistent. Guessing I'll have to play it really safe on the loads since I'm guessing there may be some variation in all of that.

Do you guys recommend paying $50 per jug of WC872 or should I pay 28% more at $64 per jug of WC860?
Going to be used on the 29" barrel length Barrett M107A1 both suppressed and unsuppressed.

 

[AZgeek]

WC860 is a faster burning powder and works well with the lighter 50BMG bullets. Tested 220 gr with 647 API's and they shot well but forgot my chrono. I also use RL50 extensively for all bullet weights up to and including the 750 Amax. RL50 is supposedly a slower burning powder but 250gr of this stuff sends 650gr ball projectiles out of my M82A1 at 2956 fps. That load is a bit on the hot side for this rifle. May be backing it down a bit assuming I can fine ball ammo. Seems like the surplus m33 projo's are really drying up.

 

[FlashAndPoof]

Hmm, ya I think I'm going to do my best to scrounge up some M33 projectiles. Seems like $0.80 is the going rate. I can't shoot anything incendiary or tracer at my shooting grounds so it has to be ball/FMJ. Guess WC860 is optimal for M33 ball then?

 

[AZgeek]

Its been a while since researching this but either WC857 or WC860 are optimal for 50BMG. One source for this information can be found at http://www.gibrass.com/gunpowder.html. Always good to cross reference and double check! FYI the last place I found that had bulk M33 in stock was Graf & Son's but that was a month ago. I like the brass match M33 from Lehigh Bullets but those are like a $1.20 ea. plus shipping.

 

[biffj]

I've been running WC872 for years and it works quite well. You'll have to work up loads for each lot of powder but 215gr is a good place to start. I've averaged about 225-235 depending on lot. I've also run IMR5010 but there are some lots that seem to be self destructing from age or storage now and its hard to find. The ball powder seems to cause less throat erosion too. In addition there was a lot of WC868 some years back and I've got a bit to load the 50s. It works as well as the 872 and at about the same charge weights. My 868 is new and not pulldown. There are a wide variety of surplus powders out there that you can use especially if you're not tack driving with it. We've run all of the above through a number of barret semis and never had any problems.
As for bullets I can't help with that. I've always run the API for blasting because they were cheap and spent the money on Hornady 700gr AMAX bullets when I needed accuracy. The military bullets aren't all that great for punching paper. Too bad you can't shoot the reactive stuff.
Frank