My New 50 Cal Wildcat

[BTSniper]

The 308 length looks pretty well balanced and still a lot of power. I'll see soon enough what the full on thumper can do.

BT

[scope eye]

Dean has shot 60% loads in the big thumper, I wonder... would a filler wad between the powder and bullet help? hurt? Make no difference?

I don't know if I need to but I did anyway, that is a big case.

The 308 based Thumper is so it fits in a short action, not based on power although it fits the bill.

I want to see pics of these things or I will think you are making this stuff up.

Dean

[SUTTERERMAN85]

Dean,

Will the fullsize one fit in a standard long action mag? Or only the 30-06 length one work? I have a WIN mag action I would like to use as a repeater.

[BTSniper]

So you did use a filler wad with your 60% reduced load?

I'll have plenty of pics soon..... got the errorder barrel today, those McGowan's look pretty good on the inside!

BT

[scope eye]

Dean,

Will the fullsize one fit in a standard long action mag? Or only the 30-06 length one work? I have a WIN mag action I would like to use as a repeater.

Yes it will that is what I am using.

Dean

[scope eye]

So you did use a filler wad with your 60% reduced load?

I'll have plenty of pics soon..... got the errorder barrel today, those McGowan's look pretty good on the inside!

BT

I have tried with and without no difference, reduced load is 60gr of H4895 and the most I have been able to fit is 90gr of H4895.

Dean

[BTSniper]

Got the 50 thumper all put together. Loaded up some plinking rounds with a full load of Trail boss powder, was about 26 grains. and filled the case. I have had a pound of this stuff and never used it, figured this would be a good gun to burn up a bit in. I'll be interested to see how close we get to 500 S&W power with Trail boss.

I'll have quite the review as to what it takes to use the 375 ruger basic brass.

BT

[BTSniper]

Playing with "quick load." Entered data for the 50 thumper using 26 grains of trail boss showed estimated 1550 fps with a 300 grain bullet where the 500 S&W data I research shows 1975fps potential with the 300 grain bullets.

Pretty interesting.

BT

[scope eye]

Playing with "quick load." Entered data for the 50 thumper using 26 grains of trail boss showed estimated 1550 fps with a 300 grain bullet where the 500 S&W data I research shows 1975fps potential with the 300 grain bullets.

Pretty interesting.

BT

I am sure you will be faster than that, you have 12" more barrel and, don't be afraid that the bullets will come apart, the S&W is an 18 twist and yours is a 20 twist.

Dean

[BTSniper]

Just got back. Had a kick :)

Oh I'm not afraid the bullets will come apart.

Here are some good starting numbers. 20" barrel using H-335 powder, RP mag primers, Hornady FTX 300 grain bullet, COL=2.652, OAL=3.180

84 grains = 2256fps
86 grains = 2283fps
88 grains = 2314fps

Numbers in quick loads as well as the primers showed I still had plenty of room to play as far as pressure. If quick load data is to be trusted I should be able to get over 2800fps using H-335 and the 300 grain Hornady. I'll work my way there slowly.



The trail boss worked great for a "reduced" load in the 50 thumper and the 300 grain Hornady

26 grains (max load) = 1488fps

[sixonetonoffun]

Interesting to see the quick load data was very close. Thanks for posting. I have a little work to go before I can try mine. I think there will be a plethora of powder charges before long.

Any chance you could run a 500gr bullet with 105 % compressed load of tac through Q/L ?

[SUTTERERMAN85]

Very cool. Thanks for posting the info. I need one. Brass has be ordered.

[BTSniper]

I'm still a novice when it comes to quick loads program. Still figuring out how to input the correct and most precise data for a given case. The 50 Thumper isn't exactly in the data base, what I was able to enter, or modify, was the 500 S&W. The program allowed me to lengthen the 500 S&W case to 2.65 and list the H2O capacity at 110 grains. I got between 110 and 112 grains water capacity in my two readings.

So when I entered the data as precisely as I could as listed above quick loads spit out 1520 fps for a 26 grain load and the 300 grain pill. my crony showed 1488, pretty close but I'll need a lot more convincing before I "blindly" trust a computer program.

so a 500 grain pill with 105% of TAC..... stand by....

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/50thumperTAC_zps520684c2.png (http://s636.photobucket.com/user/BTSniper/media/50thumperTAC_zps520684c2.png.html)

[scope eye]

Life is good in the valley, lol


Dean

[BTSniper]

One thing I forgot to change was the seating depth of the bullet. The 3.18 seating depth listed above was what I used for the 300 FTX bullets. The quick load program increases pressure as you seat the bullet deeper if I am interpreting the data correctly, it doesn't seem to account for the amount of free bore or how close you seat the bullet to the lands. Maybe it does? and I haven't figured it out yet????


p.s. looks like that 105% charge of TAC behind a 500 grain bullet as the potential to be a bit HOT! Notice the pressure in red of 64292!

To compare that to something..... my 88 grain load of H335 behind the 300 grain pill...... Quick Load spit out a pressure of 36948 and I compared that to my 375 H&H in terms of felt recoil. Been a year since I shot the 375 so........ who knows but it was fun to shoot and although I wasn't shooting for accuracy yet I felt it had some very good potential. I was putting some 335 grain home made bullets threw the same hole at 50 yrds with the reduced Trail Boss load.

[BTSniper]

Regarding the TAC load above.... a 90 grain load (only 2 grains less) shows a pressure of 59,500 and 50 FPS less compared to the 91.91 grain load.

BT

[sixonetonoffun]

Thank you BT. Will let ya know how it comes.out. I think it would be hard.to get over.pressure.with this powder. From what I've.read a.compressed load.is safer with the.medium burn rate in these huge cases, lessens the chances of miss fires/hang fires. Maybe campfire folk tales but makes.some sense.as.well.

[BTSniper]

the only reduced load worries I read about is with the long stick powders, I read that ball powder may actually be better at less then full loads (at least that is what I read about in riffle calibers, I know this isn't the case with H110 or W296 in pistol cals). What size/type ganuals powder is TAC? H335 is ball and seemed to work fine for me today. Did notice a pretty good flame of out the end of the barrel at higher loads :)

[sixonetonoffun]

Its ball like. Yeah reference was to stick powders specifically imr4064. Again thanks should get me near 2450-2500 give or take. Anything close I'd call good enough.

Spitting fire like a Russian Dragon? No suprise there.

[sixonetonoffun]

Since Barnes Busters are as elusive as Varget right now. Can anyone source some .500 solids ? Found brass ones but can't afford $3 each bullets for work up and experimenting with.