Any 50 AE reloaders on the forum?

[DE MAN]

I'm setting up to start loading for the 50AE. I do load for other 500 calibers but with a semi-auto I think the DE will be more sensitive to pressures. The pressures on the big 500 are actually lower than one would think. My understanding is that plated lead bullets will result in lower pressure because the bullet is softer than a Jacketed bullet. I'd like to find out what minimum pressure the DE 50AE was designed to function at. Maybe MR can fill us in. My experience with the DE in 41 and 44 is that it functions better with loads in the mid to upper range of charge weights. I pretty much use Win 296 and H110 for Mag loads and make sure that my crimp and bullet tension is tight.With the 50AE it will head space on the edge of the shell so shell length will be more critical than OAL.

[MrBlackCat]

Magnum research is very resistant to providing anything technical about engineering on these gun in my experience. They also don't condone/suggest reloading in general. From a business/liability standpoint, this is understandable.

It is my opinion that the original Samson 50AE was much more tame than most rounds of the day. Legend has it (read this on the internet years ago) their powder was a tri-mix.

From my personal experience with these guns and a chronograph, I have seen factory ammo with equal bullet weights in which the higher velocity round would not reliably cycle the slide as the lower velocity round. I just mean that there is more to it than "pressure"... the pulse timing must be critical. Pressure over time must make the volume necessary to make these guns work as designed.

I don't reload by the way. (yet)

When I get a chance, I will run some Samson across the Chronograph anyway just to give an idea of where these rounds fall. I am thinking they were between 1150 and 1250 (300gr, yeah, low)... but I can't remember where that came from. It isn't from my own Chronograph and gun however. I do think Samson is a very comfortable round to shoot compared to some of the high powered loadings of today.

Good luck, and thank you for sharing your experiences.

MrBlackCat

[Bawanna]

In an earlier life when I was experimenting with reloads for my 30-30 contender I got a hold of a nice fella at Winchester.
I'm sure they are all nice but this guy was really helpful.
I found that I could only match the accuracy of factory ammo regardless of what efforts I made to improve it.

Back in those days I thought I could always do better than factory.

Anyhow after much prodding and cajoling this guy finally told me that the powder they used was indeed a mixture of 3 or more different powders. Begging and bribing could not get the recipe out of him. He said it was mixed in such large quantities that I could never duplicate it. I tried to get him to send me a few pounds and I think he was actually pondering that but in the end it was a no go.

[lockhart]

Although this is an old thread, I thought I would provide my go-to load for my XIX .50. I wanted a load that would function the gun, but would not be hard on it. I settled on 22.7 grains of Alliant 2400 propellant. This came from the Hornady 8th edition reloading manual. The actual starting load was 22.9 grains, but I used a Lee dipper that was listed at 22.7 grains. Unlike H-110 and Winchester 296, 2400 is a very forgiving powder, so I wasnt worried about that miniscule difference. Shooting over my Oehler model 33 chrono, the load averaged 1114 feet per second, worked the guns action with no jamming, etc. To my delight, it also shot clover leaf groups at 25 yards. The bulllet was the Speer 325 grain hollow point. So, if you want a soft shooting load that is not hard on the pistol and also accurate, try this one out.

[JakeG91]

Steamdonkey, i am new to reloading for the 50ae ive owned a desert eagle for 5 or 6 years i love shooting it great gun. Ive recently started reloading and i have had the same problem with the bullets spinning easily with 2 fingers. I have the lee non carbide reloading dies. I got the dies all set according to the instructions. I am running 24 grains of alliant 2400 with hornady 300 gr xtp hollowpoint. Im running them at 1.575 OAL as it recommends in my hornady 11th edition reloading book. I loaded a couple up messured them thought i was good to go then just for the hell of it i tried to spin one of the projectiles and it spun very easily. I adjusted the crimp to the point where it was actually putting a groove in the copper jacket of the bullet and i could still turn the bullet by hand. I tightened the crimp to the point that it started crushing the case like an accordian even still i could spin the bullet. I obviously backed it back off so it wouldnt ruin the case im just stumpted as to why the bullets are loose did you find a solution

[deagle]

@jakeg91 I had the same issue with loose projectiles using Lee dies. Setback was a huge issue after several firings. Talked to Lee, got some advice, not much improvement if any. Decided to try other dies. RCBS die (P/N 22262) fixes the problem. Took out the seating stem and use it for crimp only. Lee is adamant they can't make a 50AE factory crimp die, yet they have one for the S&W 500. They call it a collet style "rifle" die. I assume it makes headspacing off the case mouth an issue or the taper is wrong. Maybe. Should have named that pistol the honey badger. It doesn't give a... That, and it attacks your face.