Anyone with a .458 Socom or .50 Beowulf?

[MilesTeg]

Looking for something new to mess around with. Anyone have one of these calibers in an AR platform?

Read More

 

[AMProducts]

Played with both, .458 socom is cooler... much better bullet selection, brass is made by starline and availible directly through them. No need to spend a lot of time looking around for someone to sell you ammo so you have brass to reload.

Frankly, I think both of these are really goofy ideas, I have one friend with a beowulf and one with a socom, I hear the wars between them all the time. Since I load the ammunition for each of them, the .458 socom is easier to reload, and you can play a lot more with different bullets, rather than just digging around to see who has a .500 pistol bullet to use. The socom can take .45-70 bullets, and I've loaded up to 500gr RN-Solids.

The 6.8SPC and the 6 or 6.5x45 wildcats are much more interesting IMHO. The 6.5 grendel is a kick in the pants.

 

[MilesTeg]

Just read up on the Grendal... may need to rethink now.

 

[strictlyRUM]

I have had and will be building a few 458 socoms. The "fun" in these is the versitility. You basically have a 45-70 in a 16-18 inch ar. Very usable hunting and you can load the 500-600 grain bullets subsonic and have one bad quiet hunting rifle. I am going to be building one bolt gun and one more ar upper for use with a suppressor. I built one bolt gun and it sounded like opening a big beer. The quietest and coolest sounding suppressed rifle I have fired.

Jason

 

[haythrower]

I considered both of these rounds as well as the .450 Bushmaster. In the end, I chose the .450 Bushmaster, mostly because of ammo support from Hornady (I think even Remington now offers a green box version). Anyway, I bought the gun about a year ago, & have not had problems getting ammo, the gun is really reliable, and a lot of fun to shoot. BTW, there is also a forum for .450 Bushmaster that has a really dedicated group of users that shares insights on reloading if you are into that.

 

[Mister_E]

I have the .458 SOCOM. Does exactly what I wanted it for. Shooting it isn't going to be an all-day event But recoil on I would compare to a 12ga. With only a 16" barrel on it and you doing your part, you should be able to hold 1-2 inch groups. If you reload, you'll find more recipes for the 458 SOCOM than for the Beowolf or .450 Bushmaster, or at least that has been my experience.

I also have uppers in 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel. If you need more range, flatter trajectory still, look into the 6.5 Creedmore. But you'll have to build that on the AR10 platform. Again, they both serve a certain purpose and range. Both will give you enough energy to take down most game animals, up to large deer. If you are going for something larger than that, you'll want to look into .308 and up. Not saying you can't take down something larger with smaller calibers, just that you'll have to be more accurate with shot placement and accuracy.

 

[sweetbeard]

the next project after the .300 whisper is .458.

 

[clearconscience]

They tested a 50 beowolf on future weapons I think and it was pretty bad A$$. Check it out on youtube.com

 

[AMProducts]

Yea, only problem is the .50 beowulf is stuck using pistol bullets. So if you were trying to get more performance out of your deagle this is the way to get it. If you want to shoot rifle bullets, go with the socom

 

[Ranb]

I chose the 458 over the 50. A rifle bullet in a rifle always beats a pistol bullet. I like shooting 500 grain subsonic cast loads. I made a suppressor for my 458, it is still rather noisy though. YouTube - AR-15 in 458 socom with silencer.

Ranb

 

[littlegsxr]

You could do a .50 upper

 

[jaminj]

I have a .458 and i like the bullet and round selection and I don't have to buy ammo from the supplier that made weapon like the .50...My oppinion the .458 rocks

 

[TheHammerMan]

I'm with everyone else about the .458 socom.. it does rock.

But,,,,

If you absolutely,positively, HAVE to stop a threat at 200 yards and under the .50Beowulf is what I reach for.

"the reason I said what I said above."

I was introducing a friend to the wonders of hog hunting. Fun right? Could have been very bad.

Usually when I play "guide" I carry 12guage. That day, for some reason I'm glad I grabbed the .50B. All was good until my buddy made his kill. Thick brush, kneeling shot under the branchs. No big deal.. until the boar's "girlfriend" came ripping out of the weeds.

one round.. one round only.. that's all I had time for.

Amazing what a 400gr hollow point bullet can do.


My experience to one side... for general purpose use.. the .458 rocks. The .50B IS a specialty round.

Choose accordingly.