01-05-2012, 04:45 PM
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.
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.
You seek escape from pain. We seek the achievement of happiness. You exist for the sake of avoiding punishment. We exist for the sake of earning rewards. Threats will not make us function; fear is not our incentive. It is not death that we wish to avoid, but life that we wish to live. - John Galt