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So, I recently purcashed a Raging hunter .500SW. A buddy of mine has a Desert Eagle (or as we call it, the Deagle). I picked up some rounds for my .500 and was comparing to 50AE... I was surprised when I weighed them and they were both 32 grams.... Huh?

Armscor .500 SW 300 gr XTP HP
Magnum Research .50AE 300 gr XTP HP.

Why would these two cartridges weigh the exacp same?

I know there is likely going to be a very obvious answer. But maybe not? Just looking for some education, ammo science is not my strong suit and I would love to learn more !
 
Also, I would like to note that I do know that there can be varying amounts of powder. I need to get one of those reloading books to understand the variations more I guess.
 
The 50AE is like buying the hot new sports car with the smallest engine available. Weird that the two cartridges weigh so similar, are they factory loaded?
 
Not sure Wiki is the best place to quote. I am sure plenty of pages are accurate, many are not as their editing is unrestriced and rarely validated by tru pros. Thanks though! Still a good read.
You would be surprised I think. They have very good information from what I've seen, especially on really unknown or wild or outdated cartridges.

I wouldn't take load data from it but these are all factory loads and the ones that you mentioned being the smallest weight is the lowest weight round for the 500.

Bullet mass/typeVelocityEnergy
300 gr (19 g) FTX Hornady2,075 ft/s (632 m/s)2,868 ft⋅lbf (3,888 J)
350 gr (23 g) XTP HP Underwood1,912 ft/s (583 m/s)2,842 ft⋅lbf (3,853 J)
700 gr (45 g) WFN Underwood1,200 ft/s (370 m/s)2,238 ft⋅lbf (3,034 J)
Test barrel length: 8.375 in
Source(s): Hornady,[1] Underwood[2]


VS the 50AE​

Bullet mass/typeVelocityEnergy
300 gr (19 g) XTP Hornady1,475 ft/s (450 m/s)1,449 ft⋅lbf (1,965 J)
300 gr (19 g) GDHP Speer1,550 ft/s (470 m/s)1,600 ft⋅lbf (2,200 J)
325 gr (21 g) UCHP Speer1,450 ft/s (440 m/s)1,517 ft⋅lbf (2,057 J)
400 gr (26 g) TII WFNGC1,200 ft/s (370 m/s)1,279 ft⋅lbf (1,734 J)
460 gr (30 g) TII WFNGC subsonic1,050 ft/s (320 m/s)1,126 ft⋅lbf (1,527 J)
Test barrel length: 6 in (152 mm)
Source(s): TII Armory[1]
Accurate Powder[2]
Speer[3]



The 300 in a 500s&w has almost doubled the muzzle energy of the 50AE.



I would say it is similar to the difference between a 9mm and 357mag.

You can get the same bullet weight and basically the same diameter but the 357mag has a heck of a lot more oomph behind it.



Food for thought but wiki is pretty well monitored by the community.
 
The weight of the powder is so minimal when compared to the weight of the lead and brass the differences in powder weight is insignificant to over all weight.

I would expect 500 S&W brass to weigh more than 50AE brass though. Next time I am in the reloading room I will weigh pieces of brass from each cartridge and see what the difference is.
 
Hodgdon Reloading Data Center

.50 Action Express with H110. For some reason pressure not shown for .50 AE

HodgdonH110


1.575"29.01,25032.51,431

S&W .500Magnum with H110. 10 more grs of powder equal 400 more FPS. 4 inches more barrel length plays into that velocity increase also.

HodgdonH110


1.985"39.01,71241,500 PSI43.01,87750,600 PSI
 
Hodgdon Reloading Data Center

.50 Action Express with H110. For some reason pressure not shown for .50 AE

HodgdonH110

1.575"29.01,25032.51,431

S&W .500Magnum with H110. 10 more grs of powder equal 400 more FPS. 4 inches more barrel length plays into that velocity increase also.

HodgdonH110

1.985"39.01,71241,500 PSI43.01,87750,600 PSI
A grain is .065 grams. So 10 grains is .6 grams. Not a significant amount of weight when you consider the total weight of the cartridge.
 
A grain is .065 grams. So 10 grains is .6 grams. Not a significant amount of weight when you consider the total weight of the cartridge.
It's not just the weight "I" would consider, it's also burn characteristics of the powder should be considered. Using a charge of H110 that is below recommended start load May be a complete dud when fired. Going a paltry 2gr over max recommended load could boost peak pressure significantly.
 
It's not just the weight "I" would consider, it's also burn characteristics of the powder should be considered. Using a charge of H110 that is below recommended start load May be a complete dud when fired. Going a paltry 2gr over max recommended load could boost peak pressure significantly.
I thought we were discussing the weight of a 500 S&W cartridge vs 50 AE cartridge???

So, I recently purchased a Raging hunter .500SW. A buddy of mine has a Desert Eagle (or as we call it, the Deagle). I picked up some rounds for my .500 and was comparing to 50AE... I was surprised when I weighed them and they were both 32 grams.... Huh?

Armscor .500 SW 300 gr XTP HP
Magnum Research .50AE 300 gr XTP HP.

Why would these two cartridges weigh the exacp same?

I know there is likely going to be a very obvious answer. But maybe not? Just looking for some education, ammo science is not my strong suit and I would love to learn more !
 

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