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BWA 10x100

Here is the issue blackwater was claiming and hoping for 3500 fps with a light per csliber .408 bullet please note a light per caliber 408 bullet would have a shitty bc. So end results would perhaps be no better past 2500 yards then a high bc 375 cheytac going 3000 fps. Second issue claims of some one shooting the round at 4200 fps with a heavier bullet is way beyond that of the projected velocity that blackwater was hoping for and has produced nothing to the public as to ever exceeding it. So if they had trust me we all would have heard about them bragging about it by now. The cartridge case used by lou was a lathe turned Rcc case. And trust me if any one knows about limits of lathe turned cases in 272 alloy your speaking to him. In short. Its not going to happen by that design. His barrel was not long enough . Even If the case was beefed up to handle the pressures there are many other issues like the action not being designed to handle pressures needed to have his claimed results he also claimed special extra slow powder that would have a negative out come with his barrel length. There is no free lunch when it comes to performance based results and designs
Thank you for such detailed information, so I assume a good design should look somewhat close to a 60 inch barrel with a big case having the similar capacity as the Russian 50 cal case but neck it down to 416? That will probably given lob a heavy 416 very fast :)
 
Thank you for such detailed information, so I assume a good design should look somewhat close to a 60 inch barrel with a big case having the similar capacity as the Russian 50 cal case but neck it down to 416? That will probably given lob a heavy 416 very fast :)
It wont handle the pressure
 
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Thank you for such detailed information, so I assume a good design should look somewhat close to a 60 inch barrel with a big case having the similar capacity as the Russian 50 cal case but neck it down to 416? That will probably given lob a heavy 416 very fast :)
Necking down a cartridge is not always the answer. When you neck down a 50 caliber to .416, you have to stay within the pressure limits. There is no way around it. Slower burning powder is needed and a much longer barrel to gain muzzle velocity. The other option is to develop cartridges and systems that can handle more pressure. No need to go crazy on barrel length. Pressure allows you to gain all the muzzle velocity you want. Let me give you an example. 416 barret, 525 grain bullet at 3100fps compared to 416 colossus, 525 grain bullet at up to 3400 fps. No need for 60 inch barrel , has to do with operating pressure. But here comes the most important recommendation. I see from your questions that you are still in the beginner phase (no offense). Please please please never do crazy pressure experiments. Most actions can not handle high pressure. It will explode in your face.
 
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Necking down a cartridge is not always the answer. When you neck down a 50 caliber to .416, you have to stay within the pressure limits. There is no way around it. Slower burning powder is needed and a much longer barrel to gain muzzle velocity. The other option is to develop cartridges and systems that can handle more pressure. No need to go crazy on barrel length. Pressure allows you to gain all the muzzle velocity you want. Let me give you an example. 416 barret, 525 grain bullet at 3100fps compared to 416 colossus, 525 grain bullet at up to 3400 fps. No need for 60 inch barrel , has to do with operating pressure. But here comes the most important recommendation. I see from your questions that you are still in the beginner phase (no offense). Please please please never do crazy pressure experiments. Most actions can not handle high pressure. It will explode in your face.
Thanks for the kind advice man. No offence taken, yeah I did start loading about 7 years ago, so indeed, I have much to learn but I'm just fiddling around with the loads for those rounds that I'm used to, and I'm pretty familiar with those. I've never really got to spend enough time with any 50 cal bolt face wild cats or other ELR rounds, so I just wanna hear from experienced guys like you and people in this forum to learn and test things that I didn't really have my hands on. I'm just wondering if it is physically possible for any round to achieve those numbers in a system that is still portable lol. Lobbing a 400gr bullet at 4200fps really sounds amazing and can make a 2-mile shoot really easy, so that's why I was excited about this around when it was first announced. But I guess in order to do that you need a sabot round like those apfsds that tanks shoot.
 
Expected, so are there any ELR rounds that you would recommend that have a 50cal bolt face? I know there are tons of good rounds like Hellfires warlords, and vestals but they are all cheytac bolt face😊
I personally no longer make standardized cases that use parent cases that use existing bolt faces. If I'm going to design something from scratch it's going to be different so that it cannot be copied without my technology and designs and the proper platform no one can claim. "Look what i did " if some one wants what i have itonly comes from me . Currently I am not producing any of my custom cartridges and currently RCC is gone. But very shortly I will step back into full production and some of them will be available through our company.
 
Expected, so are there any ELR rounds that you would recommend that have a 50cal bolt face?
If I had to recommend something based on the BMG then 460 Steyr. But honestly why the BMG ? Think about it this way. The BMG was designed in 1910. Would you like to drive a car that was designed in 1910? I say there are better cartridges on the market.

So your 4000 fps Question.
Sending ultra light bullets at 4000 fps is not the best option. Take a look at a ballistic program. The BC of very light bullets is very low. Heavy high BC bullets always win when it comes to extreme long range.
 
To answer all your questions. For example, is it possible to shoot a very light 300-350 grain bullet from a .416 caliber at 4000 fps? I say yes. How useful this is for ELR shooting is different story...
 
Yeah lou... i have been following his comments and posts for some time.
First 4000 fps
Then 4200 fps
Now 4200+ fps.
IMG_20231028_090000.jpg

Give him another year and he's talking 5000 fps🤣. He refuses to answer questions, he doesn't go into details, he even refuses to post pictures of the chnopgraph where these magic numbers are on it. Maybe he's doing a turtorial on how to properly fuck up his reputation.
 
Not saying if it’s true or false…

I want info as well but if he has a contract and a NDA for testing…he can’t give data out just yet.
 
If you want to see 6mm bullet holes at 600 yards you can buy a straight 40 power March scope. Lou Murdica called all my shots spot on using the first batch of March scopes he imported.
If you want to shoot high pressure rounds you need case heads made out of steel. The front can be brass because it doesn't do anything but hold the bullet.
They have been around for 70 years made by Oconnor steelhead cases. They offered them in 06 magnum and 50 bmg caseheads.
If you want to see detonation all you need is 10 grains under minimum charge weight in a 300 Weatherby in cool weather. If your standard load is a 210 Berger at 80 grains of powder just load it at 65 grains and it will blow out the primer pocket and lock the bolt. Hodgdon has light loads on there website and they warn you on which powders will detonate on you.
LOW RECOIL LOADS
One great advantage of handloading is adjusting the ballistics to suite a particular need. Wish you could enjoy that .375 H&H at the range for 50 shots instead of 2 or 3 before the recoil takes its toll? Or how about some extended practice on a plate rack with your “grizzly bear stopper” revolver? The Hodgdon Reloading Data Center has an option to do just this.
Unfortunately, creating a low recoil load is not as simple as just dropping the powder charge. For most cartridge / powder combinations, getting the powder charge low will cause ignition and ballistic problems. Low velocity, low recoil loading is possible, but as always, only with the correct reload data.
They only recommend H4895 and Trailboss for that reason
 
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Not saying if it’s true or false…

I want info as well but if he has a contract and a NDA for testing…he can’t give data out just yet.
Be realistic. First it was 3500 fps, then 4000fps, now 4200+. Even if I want to believe it, I only believe what I see. Why not a single video, with no cuts, from the load to the shot to the numbers on the chonorgraph. (Video without cuts and editing). Then I'm willing to seriously apologize. Until then, I remain skeptical, to put it politely.
 
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If you want to see 6mm bullet holes at 600 yards you can buy a straight 40 power March scope. Lou Murdica called all my shots spot on using the first batch of March scopes he imported.
If you want to shoot high pressure rounds you need case heads made out of steel. The front can be brass because it doesn't do anything but hold the bullet.
They have been around for 70 years made by Oconnor steelhead cases. They offered them in 06 magnum and 50 bmg caseheads.
If you want to see detonation all you need is 10 grains under minimum charge weight in a 300 Weatherby in cool weather. If your standard load is a 210 Berger at 80 grains of powder just load it at 65 grains and it will blow out the primer pocket and lock the bolt. Hodgdon has light loads on there website and they warn you on which powders will detonate on you.
LOW RECOIL LOADS
One great advantage of handloading is adjusting the ballistics to suite a particular need. Wish you could enjoy that .375 H&H at the range for 50 shots instead of 2 or 3 before the recoil takes its toll? Or how about some extended practice on a plate rack with your “grizzly bear stopper” revolver? The Hodgdon Reloading Data Center has an option to do just this.
Unfortunately, creating a low recoil load is not as simple as just dropping the powder charge. For most cartridge / powder combinations, getting the powder charge low will cause ignition and ballistic problems. Low velocity, low recoil loading is possible, but as always, only with the correct reload data.
They only recommend H4895 and Trailboss for that reason
You know the steel head cases are not the only way to run higher pressure but just out of curiosity, what is the pressure limit for the steel head cases you mentioned?
 
@cameljockey230
I think the steel head cases have some down sides. Look at the chain gun calibers. There would be so much room for improvement in terms of pressure. But the military doesn't use any special alloy cases or steel head cases for that purpose.
Edit:
To my knowledge, the military does not even use steel head cases for 5.56mm AR type rifles.
 
I ran the steelhead cases on a 300 Ackley back around 2000-2002.
I don't have a pressure number but when Norma brass would fail after 2 firings they would last 10 plus firings with ease and no bolt lift issues.
They where collector items when I bought them and cost $60 for 20 cases which is cheap today but back then it was expensive.
I tried to get Dave Tooley to make some but he was very busy at the time.
For those that don't know Lou Murdica has a tunnel to shoot in at his house in Palm desert with lights chronographs and a complete state of the art reloading room and makes videos in it all the time.
Someone could call him and ask him to post a video and if he isn't shooting a match he would most likely do it.
 
I ran the steelhead cases on a 300 Ackley back around 2000-2002.
I don't have a pressure number but when Norma brass would fail after 2 firings they would last 10 plus firings with ease and no bolt lift issues.
They where collector items when I bought them and cost $60 for 20 cases which is cheap today but back then it was expensive.
I tried to get Dave Tooley to make some but he was very busy at the time.
For those that don't know Lou Murdica has a tunnel to shoot in at his house in Palm desert with lights chronographs and a complete state of the art reloading room and makes videos in it all the time.
Someone could call him and ask him to post a video and if he isn't shooting a match he would most likely do it.
Any reloading issues with the steel head cases or just as easy as your reloading process with normal brass cases?
 
They actually loaded easier because the casehead doesn't swell so going into the die the only thing your doing is bumping the shoulder which on a Ackley is almost nonexistent.
Back then everyone was shooting custom 187 BIB flatbased bullets that had a pressure ring at the heel. We would run 0.004-0.005 of neck tension because the pressure ring would act like a mandrel and iron out the necks. The springback on the necks would keep the bullet aligned with the bore. If you used less tension and didn't get as much springback the bullets would rock around inside of the necks.
Couple that with 0.001 of clearance and you never touched the necks for the life of the brass.
 
They actually loaded easier because the casehead doesn't swell so going into the die the only thing your doing is bumping the shoulder which on a Ackley is almost nonexistent.
Back then everyone was shooting custom 187 BIB flatbased bullets that had a pressure ring at the heel. We would run 0.004-0.005 of neck tension because the pressure ring would act like a mandrel and iron out the necks. The springback on the necks would keep the bullet aligned with the bore. If you used less tension and didn't get as much springback the bullets would rock around inside of the necks.
Couple that with 0.001 of clearance and you never touched the necks for the life of the brass.
Good to know. I am curious to see what will win in the long term. I think high pressure is the way to go for ELR shooting in the future. For the new 416 and 458 Vestal, I can already find information on the recommended barrel length of 44-46 inches. That sounds ridiculous to me. Longer and longer barrels can't be the future. I mean, where does it end? 48"52"65" barrels? The only question is what will be the winner. Steel head cases like sig sauers 3 piece cases or regular cases, beefed up, made of stronger alloys.
 
My longest barrel is 45 inches long 2.5 inches straight cylinder and it weighs 65 pounds just for the blank
Think about it like this. How much lighter, easier to handle and nicer would it be if you could achieve the performance you want with a 38 inch barrel instead of a 45 inches. What I'm trying to say here. Ultra long barrels are not necessarily needed to achieve better performance if you can run higher pressures. Personally, I don't like it when rifles are longer and heavier than necessary. But some people may see it differently.

By the way, in what caliber will you chamber the 45" barrel?
 
The barrel was intended for a 50 caliber wildcat on a 20mm case but will now be built as a 50BMG Ackley Improved.
In the picture 7 RUM 26 inches plus brake then 36 inch 375 Snipetac then 45 inch 50 caliber barrel and next to typical elr rifle
 

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The barrel was intended for a 50 caliber wildcat on a 20mm case but will now be built as a 50BMG Ackley Improved.
In the picture 7 RUM 26 inches plus brake then 36 inch 375 Snipetac then 45 inch 50 caliber barrel and next to typical elr rifle

I have an idea what the receiver is going to look like.

OIP.TlAzdIUNcSd3yIGdUzn_sQHaG5
 
The gun pictured is not a rail gun it is a tensioned barrel gun.
If you look at the front rest the outriggers on the tensioning tube are sitting in edgewood bags.
A railgun doesn't use any bags front or rear.
The picture shows my railgun without any bags.
 

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Hi,

So some of you may or may not know that Blackwater Ammunition has a new ELR cartridge, projectile and powder combination they have been working on.

It is the 10x100 (with 420gr projectile) shown in photo below for comparison to their 375CT, 50BMG and 12.7x108
View attachment 7069267
Quick Update:
I just finished speaking with BWA in regards to public release of data and the below is what I got for now.
Hopefully I can release more ballistic data mid May........

Sincerely,
Theis

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are currently in the middle of our testing and soon we will be able to share a full ballistic report.

Same goes for the reamer, actually we do have one in the US already, so maybe we can cooperate on that too.

Please drop a line again after the 15th of May and we should be able to have updates.

Again thank you and

Best Regards.

Nicola Bandini.
64F98F6A-F84D-495E-A1F0-6A2690C14EBA.jpeg
I found OP specialist head gear.
 
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If I had to recommend something based on the BMG then 460 Steyr. But honestly why the BMG ? Think about it this way. The BMG was designed in 1910. Would you like to drive a car that was designed in 1910? I say there are better cartridges on the market.

So your 4000 fps Question.
Sending ultra light bullets at 4000 fps is not the best option. Take a look at a ballistic program. The BC of very light bullets is very low. Heavy high BC bullets always win when it comes to extreme long range.
Yep, well it's just that I have never tried 50 cal bolt face rounds before so just got curious about how they perform lol. Probably will go with vestals for my next project since they can use large rifle primers instead of 50-cal primers, and it looks like they can do just as well.