50 bmg ballistic coefficient

For two cartridges that are touted as extreme distance shooters, the ballistic coefficient is going to be an important factor for potential users. We will see more drastic differences between our selected rounds, and we cannot comment on the exact variables used for this result. 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. The majority of these people are using the cartridge for long range hunting on large game such as elk, moose, and even dangerous game. . Subsequently, Frankford Arsenal took over from Winchester, producing the historic .50 BMG or 12.7x99 mm cartridge. Designed for long range training and target practice. Sign up to receive new product announcements, special offers, and the annual product catalog. American interest in an armor-piercing cartridge was influenced by the marginal French 11 mm design, prompting U.S. Army Ordnance officers to consult Browning. Still, some might be unfamiliar, so we want to touch on what exactly a ballistic coefficient is before we move on to the comparison. Some of them operate by recoil principle, while others use gas. 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. The oversized bullet is formed to the bore size upon firing, forming a tight seal and engaging the rifling. I doubt too many microbiologists discuss the BCs of ammunition! Another factor that goes into a cartridges stopping power is the penetration of the bullet. You would be surprised how many of them have never given their rounds BC a thought. [33], The specified maximum diameter of an unfired .50 BMG bullet is 0.510-inch (13.0mm); while this appears to be over the .50 inch (12.7mm) maximum allowed for non-sporting Title I firearms under the U.S. National Firearms Act, the barrel of a .50 BMG rifle is only .50 inch (12.7mm) across the rifling lands and slightly larger in the grooves. Both are considered powerful and unique bullet rounds. 50 BMg bullets have a high ballistic coefficient of more than 1.0 to resist drifts from wind in flight. Be aware you may consider some of them unusable. The higher the value, the better the bullet can travel through the air. Full Metal Jacket, with boat tail and cannelure. They are intended mainly for long-range shooting. 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. TMI50BMG ammunition is loaded to precise standards, using only the finest components, and processes. Muzzle Velocity - 2,952 is a screaming velocity, HSM AMAXs run around 2,680, and Barrett Ball is around 2,750. 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. We have no desire to act as a moral compass, you do what you want, but the arguments are out there, and we wanted to address it. This will differ with various models. The 338LM rounds under our specifications have recoil energies ranging between 29 and 33ft.lb. Were not going to go too specific with the comparisons here. This American Eagle ammunition was produced by Lake City Arsenal to NATO specifications. .510 diameter. The proof/test pressure is listed as 65,000psi (450,000kPa). How To Read Remington Nylon 66 Serial Number Year Codes? Can a human survive a 50 Cal shot?How many bodies can a .50 cal penetrate? It boasts a BC of 0.874, and some indicators point to a 0.900 BC at 2,900 fps. On the other hand, talk to F-class competitive shooters, and the trend is the opposite. A .50 in caliber cartridge developed for the M2 Browning heavy machine gun in the late 1910s, entering official service in 1921. 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. If you do not have a Shooting Chronograph, I strongly suggest you purchase one. There is no doubt that the cartridge has the power and the trajectory to take on this challenge, but there is always the ethical question of taking shots at animals from these ranges. Putting it all Together They are widely used by civilians as well as military forces. [9] The former record for a confirmed long-distance kill was set by U.S. Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock in 1967 during the Vietnam War, at a distance of 2,090 meters (2,290yd; 1.30mi);[10] Hathcock used the .50 BMG in an M2 Machine Gun equipped with a telescopic sight. Looking at just the basic physics, a .50 bmg has a muzzle velocity of about 420 meters per second (1480 feet per second). Some notable companies that produce 50 BMG sniper rifles include Barrett Firearms, Accuracy International, Arms Tech Ltd, Armalite, Bushmaster, Desert Tech, Serbu Firearms, etc. Military use 50 caliber in machine guns and snipers, as well as regular shooters. Gun deals, hand's on reviews, educational content and news on law changes, every day! Hi! KelTec Sub 2000 [Review]: Best PCC Firearm? How much energy is required to take down an animal varies and the amount that actually gets transferred to the target varies. This justifies the strength of the snipers and their sturdy build for heavy operation. The Spitzer is a very popular and aerodynamic bullet shape. . Even so, its difficult to compare the accuracy of two cartridges by the means that we have. This limitation was entirely tactical in nature and was intended to hide the vulnerable M40 and its crew from the enemy until the main anti-tank gun was ready for firing; however, Parks concludes that some U.S. troops assumed the existence of a legal limitation on the use of .50-caliber projectiles more generally. 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 Required fields are marked *. 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. Sometimes, the wound may be fragile, but it may also get fatal. The .50 BMG is a bigger, heavier bullet that delivers a reliable killing shot up to an astounding range of about 3300 yards. [4], The development of the .50 BMG round is sometimes confused with the German 13.2mm TuF, which was developed by Germany for an anti-tank rifle to combat British tanks during WWI and against aircraft. So , lets get down to business. But it differs from other types of 50 caliber bullet rounds. PMC X-Tac Match .50 BMG Ammunition 10 Rounds 740 Grain Solid Brass Projectile 2830fps 50XM. The firearm has been zeroed in at 200 yards. Introducing the latest products from the worldwide leader in ammunition. The fact is, both of these cartridges produce large amounts of recoil that can easily cause the shooter to flinch during a shot. Ammunition is sold in 80-round cases. There's a reason militaries worldwide still use a 50 BMG bolt-action rifle for sniping. 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.[16]. More importantly, we are interested in how flat a bullet flies over a given distance. For the .338 LM, we recommend the Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond 300gr round. Thank you. Specs. The 50 BMG rounds range from 72 to 87ft.lb of recoil energy. Similarly, .50 BMG weapons have attracted attention from law enforcement agencies; they have been adopted by the New York City Police Department as well as the Pittsburgh Police. Find load data for your cartridge. Its ballistic coefficient is 1.050. 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. Its because 90% of their shots are coming at 250 yards or less. Beretta 3032 Tomcat [Review]: A Worthy Self-Defense Pistol? For the 50BMG, we are not going to give a specific round. The trajectory is what just about every hunter or competitive shooter of every skill level will be interested in when comparing two different cartridges. Any thoughts on where I can find an unbiased comparison? During World War II the .50 BMG was primarily used in the M2 Browning machine gun, in both its "light barrel" aircraft mount version and the "heavy barrel" (HB) version on ground vehicles, for anti-aircraft purposes. Mathematically, it is the ratio of a bullet's sectional density to its coefficient of form. Granted, if youre firing these rounds, you most likely have gear that aids in absorbing the recoil and stabilizing the firearm. Ballistic Coefficient is essentially a measure of air drag. How important the ballistic coefficient is with shooters often depends on the distance of shots they are taking. [17] However, some other countries produce the ammunition with Berdan primers that have two flash holes. Huge bullets with enough powder to send them downrange at supersonic speeds are going to produce enough kick to knock you down. ), but the ammunition did not exist. . [42] Maryland imposes additional regulations on the sale and transfer of .50 BMG rifles and other "regulated firearms", and limits purchases of any firearm within this class to one per month, but does not impose registration requirements or any form of categorical ban.[37]. In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient ( BC, Cb) of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. We have compiled the ballistic coefficients for all ten rounds and graphed them here. Regardless of what youre using your rifle for and regardless of the cartridge its chambered for we are all going to be interested in its ballistic performance. 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. SHTF 50: Safety Harbor's .50-Cal Upper Conversion for AR-15s Unsubscribe at any time. 50 Cal is generally known as the bore and the nominal bullet diameter. A high number means the bullet is more efficient at resisting air friction (negative acceleration). ?Ballistic Coefficient: 1.070?Sectional Density: 0.412?Special attention should . It comes in different types like tracer, armor-piercing, usual ball, incendiary, and sub-caliber rounds. 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. But they are also dangerous and must be used with caution during operations to avoid fatalities. Even so, computer generated data is a proven and safe means for comparing two cartridges as we will do here. The purpose of this cartridge was to was to provide snipers with a long range round that had incredible terminal ballistics and could penetrate several layers of body armor at extreme distances. [12][13], In addition to long-range and anti-materiel, the U.S. military uses .50 BMG weapons to detonate unexploded ordnance from a safe distance. [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. Of course, how much penetration you need is going to depend on the game you are hunting. The minimum SD for hunting large game is .250. The numbers with the 50BMG rounds are astounding, especially to some who might only be familiar with the more common hunting rounds. The 50 caliber is a 5.5-inch length seated bullet. It will a produce a line graph showing the bullet drop and flight path of the bullet. With that, you have a better chance at running into .338 LM rounds than a box of 50 BMG. This comparison is interesting because of how similar the sectional densities are despite the major differences in bullets. This is because the bullet is very large, so the wound it makes is also large and deep, but still curable. So, it is evident that the bullet is dangerous and needs care while in use. The long range (over one mile) between firing position and target allows time for the sniper to avoid enemy retaliation by either changing positions repeatedly, or by safely retreating. 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. We can estimate penetration based on the sectional density because of what the SD is derived from. Velocity fps: 2940: 2806: 2677: 2551: 2428: 2309: Energy ft lbs: 12666: 11541: 10499: 9534: 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. The Kel-Tec Sub 2000 features a lightweight design and unique features that make it the perfect choice for anyone looking to take their shooting game to the next level. A bull moose needs a bullet that can hold together and penetrate deeper than a bullet that is going to be used for whitetail. a 50 caliber bullet weapon is considered violent. Ammunition is sold in 80-round cases. Any armor with composite metal foam is strong to stop a 50 cal bullet. They have various models for different cartridges. [14], Some civilians use .50 caliber rifles for long-range target shooting: the US-based Fifty Caliber Shooters Association holds .50 BMG shooting matches. If youre looking to choose between heavy, hard hitting, and far flying cartridges such as the .338 LM and 50 BMG we are pretty confident that you are well aware of the ballistic coefficient. Some of them can also be semi auto-loading guns. [4] A skilled sniper can effectively neutralize an infantry unit by eliminating several targets (soldiers or equipment) without revealing his precise location. These are factory loads that are available for purchase. Teamed with Colt, he produced prototypes ready for testing and, ironically, completed them by Nov. 11, 1918the Great War's end. 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. Muzzle 100 yds. . I want this to be the best ballistic trajectory calculator out there. But a higher ballistic coefficient doesn't necessarily mean it is a better bullet. 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. And like the 50BMG rounds, we will revisit this shortly. We also know that this bullet can enter very tough materials easily. Before we wrap up the article, we wanted to pick a round from each cartridge that we really like for certain applications. They have barrel shrouds and a compensator to keep the gun in level. 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. [30][31] The M15-series metal "push-through" links were used in the M85 machine gun. Of course, looking at averages might not be fair as there are .338 LM rounds that carry similar or even higher velocities than some 50BMG rounds. It is made a standard bullet for important army forces. The eight-year-old National Guard Sniper School is the only U.S. military sniper school open to women and Jennifer was the first female graduate to complete the first counter-sniper course for the Air Guard security personnel. With modern firearms, the majority of centerfire rifle cartridges can be tolerated with regards to the recoil. Use this ballistic calculator in order to calculate the flight path of a bullet given the shooting parameters that meet your conditions. And this is case when comparing most cartridges. for the the South African 690gn. 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. The .50 BMG is an impressive long-range cartridge, especially when paired with a high-quality bolt-action or semiautomatic rifle and a good optic. The bullet type and powder make the recoil force different between bullets. They are of premium build to make precise targets with less recoil. And like we said, if you need a large cartridge like both of these are, you probably already knew you were going to be dealing with recoil. While the .50 BMG round is able to deliver accurate shot placement (if match grade ammunition is used) at ranges over 1,000-yard (910m), smaller caliber rifles produce better scores and tighter groups in 1,000-yard (910m) competitions. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it does include some of the more popular rounds for each cartridge. Get my premium 550+ pages handbook that compares all cartridges, for free (worth $199!) This calculator will produce a ballistic trajectory chart that shows the bullet drop, bullet energy, windage, and velocity. 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. Access features of the Reloading Handbook on your mobile device with the Reloading App. Barrel Length inches 36 Ballistics Coefficient (G1) 0.707 Ballistics Coefficient (G7) 0.350 Sectional Density 0.362. When dealing with more obscure cartridges that dont have a huge market and takes quite a lot more material to make and you have the trifecta for expensive rounds. Usually with the sniper comes some accessories to clean and use effectively. It also has a strong recoil force as the cartridge is filled with powder. Reply. Both are going to penetrate just about any hide or armor that is out there, its what they were designed to do, and we have seen from the velocities that they are going to speed and power behind them to get the job done. Other than armed forces, civilians use this bullet round for target shooting and sports. The higher the number, the less drag the projectile will experience. It is strong enough to hold a large volume of pressure. Done (0.63 seconds). . . [citation needed], The U.S. Coast Guard uses .50 BMG rifles onboard armed helicopters to disable the engines on boats during interdictions. [35], In the United States, Washington, D.C. disallows registration of .50 BMG rifles, thus rendering civilian possession unlawful. 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. It is a great investment if you want to get into long range shooting and will be especially useful if you handload. Velocity is key for proper penetration and expansion, which is critical for hunting. This is why their weapons are hard to find and limited in number. In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient (BC) of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. This Federal American Eagle 50 BMG ammunition is perfect for target shooting, competition shooting, long-range hunting, and long-range shooting.This American Eagle ammunition was produced by Lake City Arsenal to NATO specifications. Like all Federal American Eagle ammunition, the 50 BMG provides reliable feeding and great ballistics. 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. The cartridges have two separate links of the machine gun selected. Ballistic coefficient is typically measured with a 3 digit expression. Inside the cartridge consists of a core made of manganese molybdenum steel, a point filler, and a seal of the lead-antimony base. For this article, we are going to explain the BC in the simplest of terms. Each cartridge is loaded with either Hornady A-MAX bullets, our high-performance boattail hollow points, or the new, radically superior ELD Match bullets. The 50 BMG rounds are quite impressive with BCs all above the .7 mark and one round coming in with a 1.05BC. Try these all-copper . Retail Price: $478.50. 50 BMG was designed for anti-aircraft weapons during World War I. The cartridge itself has been made in many variants from armor piercing to tracer rounds, though most factory loads that can be accessed by civilians are the typical bullets. Your information will never be shared and you can unsubscribe with one click at anytime. Rifles chambered for the .338 LM are a bit heavy to haul around the backcountry for most people, but it is much more manageable than a rifle chambered for a .50 BMG. The primer type specified for this ammunition is Boxer primer that has a single centralized ignition point (US and NATO countries). The cartridge itself has been made in many variants from armor piercing to tracer rounds, though most factory loads that can be accessed by civilians are the typical bullets. While there are parties who will place one cartridge over the other, we are not looking to do that in our comparisons. While these two cartridges might overlap in some shooting applications, we think there are niches where they stand apart as well. As you can imagine, the bigger the game, the more energy you are going to need to cause enough damage for a clean kill. To put this into perspective, the 750 gr A-MAX load has essentially the same kinetic energy at 1,500 yards as a 300 Winchester Magnum has at the muzzle. Smith and Wesson Serial Number Lookup: 7 Pre-Model Number Versions, Marlin Serial Number Lookup: Learn All About Factory Records, How to Install Zastava M70 Scope Mount: 4 Things You Should Know, 0.50-inch diameter and 5.5-inch long casing. Each cartridge is loaded with either Hornady A-MAX bullets, our high-performance boattail hollow points, or the new, radically superior ELD Match bullets. What you might be looking for is how these rounds behave in flight, which is what we will look at next. The .50 BMG round can produce between 10,000 and 15,000 foot-pounds force (14,000 and 20,000J), depending on its powder and bullet type, as well as the weapon it is fired from. The standard projectile on which all Hornady Bullets were compared was the G1 Model, based on work begun in France and refined at the U. S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratories, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The TSX has gained worldwide recognition as one of the deadliest, most dependable bullets you can buy. The time for a .50 calibre bullet to travel one mile at a constant speed of 1400feet per second is around four seconds. Although 50 cal is a very penetrating bullet, research has found something to stop it. 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. Caliber means the diameter of the bullet, so a 50 caliber bullet is half an inch in diameter. 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! 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 longest recorded kill using a .50 BMG was over 2 miles away. 200 yds. To be able to push such large bullets to speeds that make them useful is going to take a good deal of powder and both have the casings to hold it. The rigidity and strength are used to penetrate tough surfaces easily. The 338 LM was designed and produced in the late 1980s. Cases are carefully selected based on strict criteria: wall thickness uniformity, internal capacity, case weight and consistent wall concentricity. It runs on all modern Windows (Win98 and greater) computers. .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. So when game time comes make sure you are ready and enjoy the accuracy of Federal American Eagle 50 BMG ammunition! For example, the G1 BC of a standard 5.5645 55gr FMJ roundusually falls at around 0.243. Again, this conclusions and estimates are based solely on the factory loads we have been examining here and the data that accompany them. Browning pondered the situation and, according to his son John, replied, 'Well, the cartridge sounds pretty good to start. These are excellent speeds for long range shooting, especially when shot from a rifle with the proper twist rate to stabilize them in flight. Cartridge dimensions The 50 BMG 12.7 99 NATO cartridge has a capacity of 290 grains H2O (19 ml). Joined Feb 9, 2010 Messages 6. The .50 BMG was developed during World War I when looking for an effective anti-aircraft round. It should already be clear that the difference just from the bullet diameter is quite dramatic. The two most important variables are the Initial Velocity and the Ballistic Coefficient. As we have done in previous sections, we are going to look at our ten selected rounds. These bullets are magnetic. 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 .

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