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+--- Thread: Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? (/showthread.php?tid=1885)
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Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - Grendel-Gene - 01-05-2012
I honestly dont mean to disrespect the forum format, but since the beowolf is an Alexander Arms product, i am hoping there will be some expertise here that can assist me.
Last night on "sons of guns" they built a 458 Socom rifle to kill hogs with. It was very impressive. One shot, one dead hog.
So I am considering building such a hog gun myself and am wondering if it would not be better to go beowolf.....
Does anyone here know the pros and cons of each round???
Thanks
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - bwaites - 01-05-2012
They are very close ballistically. The Socom is a bottlenecked cartridge which headspaces on the shoulder, the Beowulf headspaces on the case mouth. There are no REAL advantages either way. People will say the shoulder head spacing is better, but that ignores the fact that virtually EVERY semiauto pistol round headspaces on the case mouth, just like the Beowulf!
All three of the big bores, including the Beowulf, Socom, and .450 Bushmaster give you essentially 45-70 performance out of an AR. Last weekend some friends and I completely destroyed a half dozen bowling pins with a Beo, giving each pin about 3-4 shots apiece to turn them into splinters. Bowling pins are TOUGH, I've seen them shot hundreds of times with handguns and .223's before being as torn up as these were after just a few shots.
Loaded Beowulf ammo tends to run a bit cheaper on the low end, with the specialty rounds comparable between the two. However, all three are essentially handloader rounds, because few stores stock them. I've seen Beowulf ammo at Cabelas a time or two, but never either of the others. (Though I'll admit I don't look as often for them!)
I'm biased, and love the Beowulf. I regularly shoot 100 rounds or so at the range, and tolerate it pretty well, but its about like shooting a 12 gauge slug gun.
The only place to get a Beo is from AA. Be careful buying barrel/bolt combos elsewhere, because you may find it hard to get appropriate gas blocks, etc.
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - Grendel-Gene - 01-05-2012
So if i do go Beowulf, AA would be my only real supplier of both ammo and parts? Hmmmm.
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - StoneTower - 01-05-2012
I personally have none of the three, but being that Hornady loads for the 450 Bushmaster, it might be easier to get the loaded ammo at more places. The problem with the Bushmaster is that they use a special powder that is not available to the public to get the published velocities (or so I have read).
The third of the group uses the same bullet that the 45-70 uses which opens up some reloading choices.
If I was going to get one, I would look at bullet choices and see which was the most available and had a bullet choice that I could afford to shoot. Many guys get one of these large calibers and run 40 rounds through them only to find out that they cannot afford to shoot them and then they sell them.
YMMV
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - Grendel-Gene - 01-05-2012
Hmmmm........
Not pretty..... i will have to really do my homework it seems.
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - bwaites - 01-05-2012
The Beowulf really isn't that expensive to load for, powder costs are about the same as the Grendel, bullets are a little more or less depending on what you shoot. Its twice as much copper and lead, so that makes it somewhat more expensive, but comparable to the 123 Lapua, not as cheap as 123 Hornady's.
The only proprietary parts is the barrel, and maybe the gas block. Everything else is the same as the Grendel, including the bolt and BCG. Since you only buy the barrel and gas block once, having replacement parts is not a big deal. Barrels should last forever, low pressure, big bores are that way.
It's a low pressure round, so brass lasts a long time.
There are plenty of bullets available for all three, including some neat solids.
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - Kikn - 01-05-2012
I have the .50 Beo and some of the same issues you'll have with it you'll have with the 458 SOCOM and the 450 Bushmaster is finding ammo. I've seen beowulf ammo at midway and a few other places online. AA generally is the least expensive of them all.
In dealing with AA there is a bit of a wait for the ammo I think the last batch I had received took upwards of a 3+ months to arrive. Considering I generally only shoot the wulf at hogs ammo lasts a relatively long time.
It is my understanding that the .50 Beowulf is basically a a 50AE projectile and you should be able to use any manufactured 50AE projectile in the beowulf. I haven't started reloading this round yet as I am still pretty well stocked with ammo for now.
I can attest for the lethality of the weapon it has enough umph to stop 3 150+ hogs with one shot and still have the round pass all the way through (350XTP)
I can also attest to it being EXTREMELY loud with a bit of a kick like a mule on fire! You will definitely want to wear good hearing protection if you don't you risk going deaf almost immediately (Don't ask me how I know, BTW it wasn't me just my friends GF that wanted to shoot it)
The gun is fairly accurate groups around 1 MOA @ 100 it could probably be better if you weren't so worried about dotting your eye.... but with that round you don't really have to be accurate just on target, I have yet to hit anything with it that took another step. Bullet goes in this big | 1/2" | comes out like a size 3 soccer ball pushed its why through. Gaping wound cavities absolutely devastating!! not for the squeamish.
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - Deezil - 01-05-2012
after watching the show last night I thought about building a monster upper too... subscribing!
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - Kikn - 01-05-2012
Also from what I understand the 458 SOCOM you have to modify your lower receiver for it to fit, where as the .50 Beowulf you can just drop it into any mil-spec lower
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - Costa - 01-05-2012
The 450 bushmaster seems to have the best factory ammo variety that is in stock, followed by the Beowulf. I had a hard time, finding any ammo available for the .458 Socom, so that kinda throws that one out.
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - michaelmew - 01-05-2012
I was thinking about the exact same thing right after I saw the episode. I gathered info on the 3 (Beo/458/Bush) for the last year or so and had decided on a 458 SOCOM; BUT I knew factory ammo was a major negative. Now that I have a reloader, I don't have to be shackled by that. IMO, the 458 offers the most bullet options for reloaders. You can load between 250 and 600 gr. Also, (this may be true for the other 2) the 458 SOCOM is a great round to shoot subsonic and suppressed (from what I've read).
You can get alot from AA's website about Beowulf. You can get a ton from Teppo Jutsu http://www.teppojutsu.com. They have a whole forum & FAQ dedicated to the round.
I am a little pissed that the upper I was planning on building is now going to cost significantly more since it was featured on Sons of Guns.
michael
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - bwaites - 01-05-2012
Beo ammo from AA is mostly in stock now, depending on what you want. Varies depending on bullet from about $23-$48/box.
BUT...all of these are really best served by being a reloader. You can buy ammo, but reloading is cooler and cheaper. I really enjoy reloading it, because those bullets are so big and easy to hold on to compared to the other rifle stuff I do!
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - davesw - 01-05-2012
I put together a .458 socom a year ago with an eotech holo sight. I LOVE IT. I have killed 3 deer and at least 6 pigs. All were one shot and down except for one buck that ran a little. I still hunt in Southeast Texas woods, so its great to have a quick rifle and optic that performs that well inside of 100 yards. All you gotta do is hit 'em, it really doesn't matter where. Its real fun to shoot standing, off-hand, but brutal on the bench rest. After 10 rounds on the bench, you are looking for a towel to put between you and the butt pad. I have had no problem finding ammo. Mine loves 310 grain HPs which perform great. One of the recent 180 pound pigs I shot took one in the jaw from about 65 yards and both his eyes popped out. I had a stud 8 point run a little after being shot...amazing-both front legs were broken, both lungs punched out and a big chunk taken out of the heart. I have hunted with 30-06, 30-30, .270, but this rifle, with the handling of an AR and the eotech has been the most fun. I am building a 6.5G for something cheaper to shoot and to hunt down the long right aways we have.
I do wish the ammo was cheaper-20 rounds about $60 after shipping.
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - Drifter - 01-06-2012
I'm a former 458 Socom owner, and have some regrets for letting it go. If I go with a big bore AR again, it would still be the 458 Socom.
Part of my reasoning for choosing the 458 was because of the bullet options for reloading, and my own experience and familiarity with the .45/70 cartridge in a lever gun. The Socom uses the same bullets at similar velocities.
One very useful resource for bullet performance is http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/45-70-govt/ . Obviously, the forum on that link is geared towards the .45/70 in lever guns, but many participants there really know there stuff regarding bullet performance. Though reloading data for the two cartridges isn't the same, launching the same bullet at the same velocity will provide similar results.
The .45/70 has been around a long time, which means there is a considerable amount of information available regarding terminal effects of various bullets in hunting applications. This can be of great value to a hunter that loads for the 458 Socom.
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - JohnOD - 01-06-2012
Here's my 458Socom
.![[Image: 003-Copy.jpg]](http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll94/johnod2/003-Copy.jpg)
![[Image: 003-8.jpg]](http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll94/johnod2/003-8.jpg)
I purchased the upper from Marty at T.J. It has a 16 1/2" Pac nor barrel. Later I had the barrel turned down to take some of the muzzle heaviness out of it. Right now it weighs 8 1/4# with a 2-7x32 Leupold VXR scope.
I checked out the 50 Beowulf & 450 before I decided on the 458. I think that from a hunting standpoint any of the three would get the job done. Barnes makes a 300 grain TTSX that's specifically designed for the Socom... its supposed to expand down to 1,100 FPS or so.
These big bore AR's are a bunch of fun. My Grendel sat in the gun safe for nine months while I was nursing the 458 fever but I've since fixed that problem.
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - IndyGrendel63 - 01-06-2012
I am not a big bore owner (but I wanna be!
) but back in Indiana I knew a couple of guys that bought Rock River uppers in 458 SOCOM and they loved them. Besides the bullet selection the other thing that is nice about the socom is you can use a std. 223 AR magazine, nothing special or modified. I am not sure about the 50 Beo or 450 BM as far as mags go. If I ever get around to building or buying a big bore AR I will go with the 458 SOCOM, for now I am sticking with my Grendel.Over and out!
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - bwaites - 01-06-2012
Standard mags and followers work for all of them as far as I know. Why would anyone want a puny .458 when a .50 was available?
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - michaelmew - 01-06-2012
bwaites Wrote:Why would anyone want a puny .458 when a .50 was available?
Well played sir!
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - Sojorboy - 01-06-2012
search http://www.beyond556.com/bboard/forumdisplay.php?69-Big-Bore-Caliber-Specific-FAQs you could probably find more answers there...
Beowolf versus 458 Socom?? - fanofflyn - 01-06-2012
[ATTACH=CONFIG]697[/ATTACH]I shot my big pig with the .458 a couple of years before Red Jacket did it. I use 300gr TTSX, which they now have a specific bullet for the .458 socom. The brass is easy to get from Starlinebrass.com Same thing, one shot kill. Here is the pic of my pig and my .458 SOCOM. It uses regular .223 mags, but I use the Cammenga EasyMag because it is so easy to load the SOCOM cartridges with it.