Sounds like a good idea! I was thinking the same thing :)
I'll see how the full power beast does first.
BT
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Sounds like a good idea! I was thinking the same thing :)
I'll see how the full power beast does first.
BT
I'm thinking a Lott like compressed load of tac pushing the 500gr xtp's. At least to break it in. Then I'm planning to go paper patched cast for subs.
I use Trail Boss for subsonic loads.
Dean
PS: 500s ouch, I started with 300s, and an not sure if I want to go any heavier,
I need some specs on the short action version...I am wanting to build one on a DPMS 308 platform. The mini thumper that is .223 length should be able to be loaded a lot hotter than a beowulf due to the crappy severly rebated rim that will colapse on itself.
For the short action one, based on lets say a 308 rig internal box or detachable mag 2.800 coal, the brass would have to be 2.20" to 2.25" and that would still leave plenty of room for seating depth for the bullets, and case capacity would only be reduced from 100gr to 80gr respectively, which is still a lot by any standards.
Dean
Here are a few examples, of what can be done with various coal's for the Thumper family, left to right 223, 308, 30-06, Rum, [IMG]http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/...ps07618c9d.jpg[/IMG]
Im going to need one Dean...Thanks for all the help. I think I want the MR BIG Thumper since you can down load it so much if I so desire.
Luke45-I have 2 50AE AR-15 that I love to play with. This .50 cal is right up my alley since I already have a stash of .501 bullets and dies that will work. Looking for/hoping to find and then finally paying top dollar for .458 socom brass isnt for me.
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?
Picked up the Hornady 375 basic brass and a set of Redding carbide dies. The carbide die is taking the mouth of the brass down to about .521ish od. IIRC, problem is I can push the bullets into the case by hand with a little effort. Think I'll be trying to reduce the case mouth just a little more to get a good grip.
Also had to bore out the top threads of the Redding FL die. It was only designed to resize the 500 S&W. To size all the way to the base of the thumper I had to open up the threaded top half of the die.
Just got the barrel today. Looks pretty fricken cool!
BT
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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 ?
Very cool. Thanks for posting the info. I need one. Brass has be ordered.
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/u...ps520684c2.png
Life is good in the valley, lol
Dean
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.