Any big bore AR fans out there? After picking up my AA 50 beowulf upper i have a new level of respect for AR's. Im thinking about another big bore. 458 socom or 450 bushmaster? Decisions Decisions
Big bore AR's
- Thread starter SamBlankenship
- Start date
you want better performance and versatilty (socom). or cheaper more plentiful factory ammo (bushmaster)? But I'm a big fan of big bore AR's.
If you reload or plan to shoot subsonic there is a much larger selection of .458 bullets.
I went with Beowulf due to straight wall cartridge. Much less work to reload.
I'm not sure I'd get another big bore, that's just me now, because they have damn near the same performance and the .50 makes a bigger hole. They make plenty of bullets for it too. The plated .335's and plated 9mm 124's are the only two Rainier plates to jacket thickness. It's not the normal thin plating at all on these. They expand to about the size of a silver dollar and keep most of the weight. I tested this for my unit way back when and got to keep the upper afterwards which was custom fitted with a rifle length KAC FF tube. It's pretty accurate and good to about 100m and at 200m it's falling fast and not much good after that, has to be fired like a mortar. It's very hard to fire on burst, but fun to watch someone else try it. It's hard on rims and brass is good for 2-3 loadings usually. If it's not the rims, it's something else. I sure wouldn't want one of those things separating, that's a fact. But I imagine any big bore AR caliber is gonna have that problem to one degree or another, short brass life and all. Easy solution: get more brass.
The Beowulf was capable of penetrating through quite a bit of shit we setup for it, I was amazed. That's why I still have it and why I'll always keep it, it can do shit no other weapon that size can. I don't get it out much, but knowing that beast is in there makes me feel good. There ain't much that'll stop it and 335gr. FMJ's will go completely through a 3A vest and it's occupant. One test was a 3A skirt on a gallon jug of water with 2 cinder blocks and a thick railroad tie behind. It was recovered in about 10" soil and the size of a silver dollar. Still have the 3 slugs we fired and they look brutal; much of the weight was retained.
They make suppressors for it and I'm sure there are subsonic loads for it, probably using BMG bullets, but I'm can't say for sure. I'd call AA and ask them if you can't find one.
If you want one more powerful, get the Smith and Wesson .500 revolver. It can handle loads even more powerful than the Beowulf. No lie. I was amazed.
But I couldn't see getting another big bore when you really need that money for brass and bullets for the one you got! Adopting a new round and outfitting a good rifle ain't cheap, and you're not getting anything in performance you don't already have. That's my take anyway. If you didn't have one and wanted one though, I'd say take a pick, but I'd still go with the Beowulf. If I needed a second one, I'd still get another Beowulf so they could share ammo. I did do that with 6.5G and 5.56 and .300BLK. Shit, get a .500BLK --I know those DO use BMG bullets to go subsonic and an integral bolt gun firing those would be worth it. 750gr. solid brass with no more than a pop? Oh yeah. Or an M107. Or M2HB (so I'll have a buddy!). Those are a lot of fun. A LOT.
BTW, my unit didn't buy any, they said the M2HB on the Strykers was good enough! A bit overkill, but yeah, it worked, and it stops cars running barricades much faster too. We demo'd it for the War College and some Coast Guard people were there and they ended up buying Beowulfs to take out small boats and outboard engines and for boarding, which it's great for.
Good luck either way you go!
The Beowulf was capable of penetrating through quite a bit of shit we setup for it, I was amazed. That's why I still have it and why I'll always keep it, it can do shit no other weapon that size can. I don't get it out much, but knowing that beast is in there makes me feel good. There ain't much that'll stop it and 335gr. FMJ's will go completely through a 3A vest and it's occupant. One test was a 3A skirt on a gallon jug of water with 2 cinder blocks and a thick railroad tie behind. It was recovered in about 10" soil and the size of a silver dollar. Still have the 3 slugs we fired and they look brutal; much of the weight was retained.
They make suppressors for it and I'm sure there are subsonic loads for it, probably using BMG bullets, but I'm can't say for sure. I'd call AA and ask them if you can't find one.
If you want one more powerful, get the Smith and Wesson .500 revolver. It can handle loads even more powerful than the Beowulf. No lie. I was amazed.
But I couldn't see getting another big bore when you really need that money for brass and bullets for the one you got! Adopting a new round and outfitting a good rifle ain't cheap, and you're not getting anything in performance you don't already have. That's my take anyway. If you didn't have one and wanted one though, I'd say take a pick, but I'd still go with the Beowulf. If I needed a second one, I'd still get another Beowulf so they could share ammo. I did do that with 6.5G and 5.56 and .300BLK. Shit, get a .500BLK --I know those DO use BMG bullets to go subsonic and an integral bolt gun firing those would be worth it. 750gr. solid brass with no more than a pop? Oh yeah. Or an M107. Or M2HB (so I'll have a buddy!). Those are a lot of fun. A LOT.
BTW, my unit didn't buy any, they said the M2HB on the Strykers was good enough! A bit overkill, but yeah, it worked, and it stops cars running barricades much faster too. We demo'd it for the War College and some Coast Guard people were there and they ended up buying Beowulfs to take out small boats and outboard engines and for boarding, which it's great for.
Good luck either way you go!
I went 458 socom since I had a hybrid suppressor, otherwise I would have considered the .50.
I would be interested in seeing those slugs you recovered. I loaded some 440gr solid lead rounds and recovered one of them that was fired into a soft dirt bank about 16" deep thats it pictured beside a 350gr hornady XTP which was my go to hunting round for the Beo. Not anymore ill use the 440's everytime.
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Hey Sam, just wondering exactly what blue coating is that on the rounds you have pictured? I have a 458Socom upper in progress right now. Went with a Tromix 14.0" barrel and bolt. Tony is great to deal with in my experience. So I'm collecting brass and bullets as funds allow. Just curious what that blue coating is on the rounds you have pictured above and its purpose? Sorry if that's a newb question this is my first foray into Big Bore small frame caliber.
My 458 is going to be an all purpose, HD/Hunting round. I've shot feral hogs multiple times with 130gr Speer HPs in 300Blk, I handloaded those specifically for hunting. I've watched those 130gr HPs blow holes in pigs as big around as pop cans and they still fight and keep coming. Here in WV the area is steep and it's hard to always get away from a pig that's looking to shred you. So I'm thinking the 458 may take a little more piss out of the pigs when shot.
So I'm getting together my reloading components now and was just wondering what that blue coating was and its purpose? Thanks in advance.
My 458 is going to be an all purpose, HD/Hunting round. I've shot feral hogs multiple times with 130gr Speer HPs in 300Blk, I handloaded those specifically for hunting. I've watched those 130gr HPs blow holes in pigs as big around as pop cans and they still fight and keep coming. Here in WV the area is steep and it's hard to always get away from a pig that's looking to shred you. So I'm thinking the 458 may take a little more piss out of the pigs when shot.
So I'm getting together my reloading components now and was just wondering what that blue coating was and its purpose? Thanks in advance.
First of all hey neighbor WV here also.! And that is a blue powdercoat from harbour freight the reason its coated is to allow it to be pushed faster than traditional lead non coated bullets and it produces way less smoke on ignition compared to a non coated bullet. Plus keeps lead out of the gas port in the barrel if your interested in trying the powdercoated bullets shoot me a PM.
Got ya, that's what I was thinking but didn't know for sure. Good to see another mountaineer around the hide. I'll drop you a PM on those bullets. Appreciate the info.
