50 bmg ballistic coefficient

In this Article: RecoilBallisticsTrajectoryStopping PowerAccuracyPrice & AvailabilityPriceApplicationsBest Rounds In this cartridge comparison, we are going to take a look at the 6.5 Creedmoor vs .243 Winchester. You can find an email form and contact information here. It has a ballistic coefficient of .730. [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." If you're looking at doing match ammo, you could be paying $5/round just for the bullet, nevermind the powder, primer, brass and other components. The bottom line is this. It is a great investment if you want to get into long range shooting and will be especially useful if you handload. They can easily enter through light armors and hit targets. We will see more drastic differences between our selected rounds, and we cannot comment on the exact variables used for this result. The oversized bullet is formed to the bore size upon firing, forming a tight seal and engaging the rifling. Encased in Barrett head-stamped brass, every cartridge is loaded with noncorrosive powder and primers as well as a 661 gr projectile using state-of-the-art machinery. 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. kilojoules). There are two to three inches difference between the highest performing 50 BMG round and the highest 338 LM round. However, the strength depends on the sturdiness and power of the rifles used for this bullet. Some of them operate by recoil principle, while others use gas. 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. Almost all rounds have a ballistic coefficient of less than 1.0, but large rounds like the 50 BMG can exceed this normal BC. [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. Thank you. The.50 BMG is quite legal for buying without the need for a special license or process. It can disable most unarmored and lightly armored vehicles. [citation needed], The U.S. Coast Guard uses .50 BMG rifles onboard armed helicopters to disable the engines on boats during interdictions. For simply comparing two different cartridges, we are going to omit it for the sake of clarity. As for powder charges, we used conservative numbers for each round based on the hand loading specifications from Nosler. A.50 Caliber is a large bullet round with a 12.7mm diameter. A 50 cal bullet has the power to cut through a human body with ease. 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. For the 50BMG, we are not going to give a specific round. There are several variants of this 50 caliber round. 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 is because the bullet is very large, so the wound it makes is also large and deep, but still curable. You might be strictly a hunter or strictly a competition shooter, but the majority of us are a mixture of both. A common way of comparing ammo power is checking their muzzle energies. Three distinct and non-compatible metallic links have been used for .50 BMG cartridge belts. To begin, these selected rounds all have excellent BCs that most would be more than happy with. 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. Maybe even more so when looking at these two rounds. Gun deals, hand's on reviews, educational content and news on law changes, every day! If you have any feedback or question about my articles, please submit it here, it's always appreciated! 50 Caliber has different types of rounds, while 50 BMG is a particular one. Now, in this section, we are not looking technically at the actual felt recoil but instead at the recoil energy(ft.lb) that is generated when firing these rounds. Muzzle 100 yds. This includes the velocity, the BC, and the trajectory of the round. Love Ammo? 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. 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. .338 Lapua Mag vs .50 BMG Cartridge Comparison. When comparing the 9mm handguns available, two models that always top the discussion are the Walther PPQ and the Glock 19. But, if you need the performance, its just something you have to deal with, especially if you dont reload. The 7.62 is the "screw you way over there" round. anti-tank rifle" and that then "Ordnance contracted with Winchester to design a .50-cal. Designed for long range training and target practice. If the bullet passes through cleanly, remaining relatively intact, not all of the energy is transferred to the target. . Powder is matched carefully to each specific load for optimal pressure, velocity and consistent accuracy. 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. 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. Us has made 50 BMG the standard as the largest bullet round in terms of shell size. R. remrifle333 Member. So, it is evident that the bullet is dangerous and needs care while in use. All data created using our free ballistic calculator. We also want to note that while we are taking each category and looking at them independently, all of these categories are interwoven with each other, including recoil and stopping power that we will look at shortly. Weapons such as machine guns, rifles, and regular hand pistols are easily compatible with this bullet. The .50 BMG cartridge is also produced commercially in a wide range of specifications, including armor piercing, tracing, and incendiary. Looking at just the basic physics, a .50 bmg has a muzzle velocity of about 420 meters per second (1480 feet per second). It has the velocity, the BC, and the trajectory to make shots of even 1,500 yards. 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. The surface is dirt and water-resistant. 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. But it differs from other types of 50 caliber bullet rounds. 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. A .50 BMG round will penetrate most commercial brick walls and concrete cinder blocks. The email address you entered is not valid. Brands like Smith & Wesson, Magnum Desert Eagle, Magnum Research, Guncrafter Industries, Ruger Super, Safety Harbour, etc create the best pistols for 50 BMG. 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. Still, by comparing the recoil energies, it will translate loosely into what you feel. A very interesting and well written article by an educated man with a surprising background. A bull moose needs a bullet that can hold together and penetrate deeper than a bullet that is going to be used for whitetail. I enjoyed reading it. 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. While it travels in the air, it causes a shockwave which is equally dangerous to make a severe wound. Barnes Solid Bore Rider Bullets 50 BMG (510 Diameter) 750 Grain Spitzer Boat Tail Box of 20 Developed to reduce pressures and allow higher velocities, this bullet is constructed of a homogenous metal throughout with no lead core or jacket to separate on impact. This is the best ballistic coefficient of any bullet to date. Some notable companies that produce 50 BMG sniper rifles include Barrett Firearms, Accuracy International, Arms Tech Ltd, Armalite, Bushmaster, Desert Tech, Serbu Firearms, etc. Machine guns use it as a continuous belt of rounds. . [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]. 50 BMG Ballistic Coefficient. 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. 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. Huge bullets with enough powder to send them downrange at supersonic speeds are going to produce enough kick to knock you down. Different 50 caliber bullets are used for various purposes that have individual compositions. Ballistic coefficient is typically measured with a 3 digit expression. They do have some pull marks. I'm Mike, one of the oldest writer of Sniper Country! 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. PMC X-Tac Match is developed around several award winning loads replicating performance down to a tee. 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. In some cases, it is used to detonate mounted guns or cannons. 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. These have the strength to destroy materials with a collection of ammunition. The .338 LM is no slouch when it comes to long range shooting. For comparison, a similar monolithic bullet in .50 BMG usually maxes out around 800 grains at 2,900 fps. Muzzle 100 yds. With its trajectory and energy and bullet design options there are no limits to the type of hunting you can do with it. It is still a good idea to check legality before making a purchase. This shows most dramatically in the case capacity where the .50 BMG can hold nearly 200 more grains of powder than the 338LM. It has a thick casting of under 4 inches long with a primer end of 0.75-inch diameter. For the .338 LM, we recommend the Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond 300gr round. Lake City 50 BMG Ballistic Data. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 1 in 15in (380mm), with eight lands and grooves. What is the best scope for a .50 BMG and what is the strongest 50 BMG? Though they also carry quite a significant amount more powder and as we saw previously, you pay for it with the recoil. When we look at the graph, it is quite a stark contrast between cartridges. Availability: Out of Stock. 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 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. With extremely tight tolerances and strict quality control, all Hornady Match ammunition features superior lot-to-lot consistency. Important: Since there are thousands of bullet shapes the Ballistic Coefficient calculations made below are not 100% accurate, if you are shooting out past 400-500+ yards your going to need to get the exact BC from the bullet's manufacturer. Ballistic Coefficient (BC) is basically a measure of how streamlined a bullet is; that is, how well it cuts through the air. The 338LM rounds under our specifications have recoil energies ranging between 29 and 33ft.lb. This line of ammunition is 100% Lake City made. Your information will never be shared and you can unsubscribe with one click at anytime. Ammunition is sold in 80-round cases. 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. The bigger the ballistic . 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. To measure the ballistic coefficient, we need the BC projectile that is equivalent to the ballistic coefficient in a point mass trajectory of below 20 degrees. It has a diameter of .50 inches, with a casing length of 99 mm and an overall length of 138 mm. Check TopScopesfor Barrett.50 Cal. TMI50BMG ammunition is loaded to precise standards, using only the finest components, and processes. Since 50 BMG cartridges are unique, these have a limited number of sniper rifles built with adequate quality. Some big, heavy, and efficient bullets like the .50 BMG can have a ballistic coefficient greater than one, but that topic is for another day. Thread starter remrifle333; Start date Apr 23, 2011; Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum Become a supporting member. 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. 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. As you notice, the .50 BMG has nearly double the recoil energy than the .338 LM. What is ballistic coefficient (BC)? Teamed with Colt, he produced prototypes ready for testing and, ironically, completed them by Nov. 11, 1918the Great War's end. Effect? Informative, interesting and well written. To do this, we have selected several rounds for each cartridge we are comparing. The .30-06 Springfield, the standard caliber for American soldiers in both World Wars and a popular caliber amongst American hunters, can produce muzzle energies between 2,000 and 3,000 foot-pounds force (3,000 and 4,000J). By understanding these different parameters, we can not only better adjust to specific shooting conditions and be aware of our limitations, but we can also begin to tease apart certain situations each of these cartridges might be better suited. It is a scaled up version of the venerable .30-06 (standard issue in infantry rifles for the U.S. in both World Wars). An upgraded variant of the M2 Browning HB machine gun used during World War II is still in use today. If we take a closer look at the averages of the round, we see that the 50BMG rounds carry from 200fps (Muzzle-700yds) to 300fps (800-1,000yds) more than the 338LM rounds, which is quite remarkable given how much heavier the 50BMG rounds. 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. 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. Before we wrap up the article, we wanted to pick a round from each cartridge that we really like for certain applications. But thats the case with just about every round and is one of the many reasons that a lot of us have fallen in love with the sport. I highly recommend him and his product. Customer Reviews. No extra bullets are sent. There is a very small circle of people out there who have turned to the 50BMG for hunting purposes. There are some options for bulk purchase which can save you some money in the long run. For example, the G1 BC of a standard 5.5645 55gr FMJ roundusually falls at around 0.243. The cartridge itself has been made in many variants: multiple generations of regular ball, tracer, armor-piercing (AP), incendiary, and saboted sub-caliber rounds. By adding trajectories to the panel on the right you may produce charts and graphs that show the different trajectories side by side. DPMS LR-308 [Review]: The AR, Back to Basics. 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. Most hunters also want enough stopping power to be able to make a clean and humane kill of the animal with causing unneeded suffering and risk losing it in the field. Apart from machine guns, snipers and anti-materiel rifles use this cartridge. . More importantly, we are interested in how flat a bullet flies over a given distance. [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. ?Ballistic Coefficient: 1.070?Sectional Density: 0.412?Special attention should . You would be surprised how many of them have never given their rounds BC a thought. Both of these cartridges have found a place in the long range shooting. The Barrett Mk. .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 No one knows who and why is producing these strange slugs in Tarkov, but they just work. It couldnt be more clear that the 50BMG carries exponentially more kinetic energy with it than the .338 LM rounds. We also see that all rounds for both cartridges leave the muzzle at more than 2,500fps and maintain supersonic speeds out to the 1,000-yard mark. Done (0.63 seconds). Barrel Length inches 36 Ballistics Coefficient (G1) 0.707 Ballistics Coefficient (G7) 0.350 Sectional Density 0.362. Most importantly, they are designed to reduce the bullets recoil. Just from first glance, we see that the various rounds of each cartridge are pretty varied and a general trend for one cartridge over the other doesnt jump out right away. 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 . 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) The 50 BMG is another caliber with . The AccuBond bullet used is perfect for the proper expansion needed while not sacrificing penetration for large game animals. Your email address will not be published. For two cartridges that are touted as extreme distance shooters, the ballistic coefficient is going to be an important factor for potential users. Under STANAG 4383, it is a standard service cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It can shoot up to ranges of 330 yards and floats in the air for about seven seconds, before dropping to the ground. The gathered data regarding the projectile deceleration can be derived and expressed in several ways, such as ballistic coefficients (BC) or drag coefficients (C d). These bullets are magnetic. 50 BMG ammo is a large, round sniper bullet. The firearm has been zeroed in at 200 yards. Out to 400 yards, there is little to no difference between the two cartridges. 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 .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. While these two cartridges might overlap in some shooting applications, we think there are niches where they stand apart as well. All in all, 50 BMG is the best cartridge with great ballistic coefficient, diameter, and other features that expanded its use. The longest recorded kill using a .50 BMG was over 2 miles away. The higher the velocity, the flatter the bullet will shoot, with less wind drift, more energy when it reaches the target, and an extended . DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) contracted with Teledyne Scientific Company to develop the EXACTO program, including a .50-caliber guided bullet. Browning pondered the situation and, according to his son John, replied, 'Well, the cartridge sounds pretty good to start. As we mentioned earlier, the velocity has a lot of influence on other aspects of the bullets behavior such as expansion. SHTF 50: Safety Harbor's .50-Cal Upper Conversion for AR-15s I agree with Michael. Re: 50 BMG goes subsonic at 1500 Yards? Ballistic coefficients were originally defined by Ingals as a number indicating velocity erosion due to air drag for a given bullet compared to a standard projectile of the same shape- 1 inch in diameter and weighing 1 pound. So there is a fine line a lot of hunters try to walk when it comes to penetration. And like the 50BMG rounds, we will revisit this shortly. The max I have ever seen anyone run is around 3,000 and that is considered to be hot. Lets first take a look at the recoil energy (ft.lb) of these two rounds in general. These are extremely large rounds that require heavy weapons as well as other equipment to shoot accurately. Introducing the latest products from the worldwide leader in ammunition. Just for comparison of how intense the recoil energy is for these two cartridges, some common hunting rounds such as the .30-06 and .308 are generating recoil in the 20-26ft.lb range when using a 7lb rifle with the same conservative powder loads. Although 50 cal is a very penetrating bullet, research has found something to stop it. 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. But a higher ballistic coefficient doesn't necessarily mean it is a better bullet. Apr 23, 2011 #1 Does anyone know the B.C. Thus, to begin zeroing on an optically centered scope, you have to come down 30 minutes at the start. We are not going to sit and mess around with the short range trajectory. What you might be looking for is how these rounds behave in flight, which is what we will look at next. The SD comes from the diameter of the bullet and the weight of the bullet. 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. Pull-out cloth belts were also used at one time, but have been obsolete since 1945. Be aware you may consider some of them unusable. . .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. For further comparison, you'd be hard pressed to find a 5.56 load recipe that hits 1,400 ft-lbs. 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]. Subject to political controversy due to the great power of the cartridge (it is the most powerful commonly available cartridge not considered a destructive device under the National Firearms Act), it remains popular among long-range shooters for its accuracy and external ballistics. AP (ARMOR PIERCING) M2 Lake City 50 BMG Ammo Details. [14], Some civilians use .50 caliber rifles for long-range target shooting: the US-based Fifty Caliber Shooters Association holds .50 BMG shooting matches. 200 yds. This is especially true if that bullet also has a high ballistic coefficient. 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. How important the ballistic coefficient is with shooters often depends on the distance of shots they are taking. The Bullet Has a Superb Ballistic Coefficient compared To Other 50 Caliber Bullets That Have separately Formed driving bands . This Ballistic is so strong that it can literally obliterate the point it touches within its effective shooting range. The less a bullet drops during its flight, the easier it is to make adjustments for longer distance shots. You will be sent the quantity of bullets that are ordered. It excels in all of the ballistic categories that we have covered in this article. 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. In some cases you might be surprised. Price Per Round: $2.90. I want this to be the best ballistic trajectory calculator out there. The ballistic coefficient is derived from an equation that uses several bullet and cartridge variables. If we have two bullets with the same weight, but different diameters, the smaller diameter localizes the force to a smaller area and gives you deeper penetration. Bullet: 661 gr M33 Ball Bullet Weight: 661 gr Bullet Diameter: 0.510 It is when we move out from this marker that we begin to see a general trend between the 338 LM vs 50 BMG. 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. The minimum SD for hunting medium game is .210. Get My Cartridge Comparison Handbook! To gain more knowledge and quick learning, a comparison table is always the best form. Description: Lake City 50 BMG ammunition consists of Lake City brass, boxer-primers and 660 Grain projectiles. We are measuring the bullet drop (inches) from 100 out to 1,000 yards. That all said, there are deals out there. If we look at the sectional densities of the ten rounds we see that there is not a huge advantage to one cartridge over the other in this regard though the 50BMG cartridge does have two rounds above the .4 mark. Since 50 BMG cartridges are unique, these have a limited number of sniper rifles built with adequate quality. 50 BMG was designed for anti-aircraft weapons during World War I. Huston is a hunting enthusiast who believes your success in the field is directly correlated to the amount of preparation at home. Well, for 50 BMG, you're looking at $11-$16/round for military surplus ammo. However, sectional density, the relationship between . They have barrel shrouds and a compensator to keep the gun in level. At present, some US law enforcement use 50 BMG weapons, as well as snipers. While the .338 rounds have a much smaller diameter than the huge .50 cal rounds, the exponentially heavier bullet weights of the 50BMG rounds make up for the large size. Still, some might be unfamiliar, so we want to touch on what exactly a ballistic coefficient is before we move on to the comparison. Other than armed forces, civilians use this bullet round for target shooting and sports. Ballistic Coefficient is essentially a measure of air drag. This calculator will produce a ballistic trajectory chart that shows the bullet drop, bullet energy, windage, and velocity. Videos published by DARPA show the guided bullet diverting to strike a moving target.[26][27][28][29]. Within the United Kingdom, it is legal to own a bolt action .50 BMG rifle with a section 1 Firearms Certificate. The 338 LM was designed and produced in the late 1980s. 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. 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 caliber is a 5.5-inch length seated bullet.