Casting bronze bullets?

jones · April 19, 2000, 02:17 PM

I don't reload,but I have a question, There is a rifle that I saw some where, that shoots a .50 necked down to a .375. The ad states that it uses bronze bullets to achieve a speed of some 5,000 fps. It's called the Mach 5. Is this for real, or have I been fooled by a hoax?
How hard would it be to reload this round, if it is real? Would it take some kind of special tools?

Thanks,

------------------
jones
"permits, we don't need no stinking permits!"

Bill Hebert · April 19, 2000, 04:02 PM

A quick look through my reloading manual found the velocity of a 110 grain jacketed bullet in a 300 Weatherby Magnum to fly at 3829 feet per second using H4895 with a starting load of 67.6 grains of powder. The never exceed load is 76 grains. I can't imagine a jacketed bullet not fragmenting at those speeds...but I don't know. Even the 223 has loads reaching 3600 fps. There's a round called the BOZ that is in development for the military only that may be getting these hyper velocities? Interesting question....

Southla1 · April 19, 2000, 05:47 PM

I don't know for sure if that is true or not, but i do know this........I for one would not volunteer to pull the trigger on an arm slinging a .375 Caliber projectile at any velocity approaching 5000 FPS. OUCH!!! my poor shoulder!! (unless the firearm weighed 20 pounds and had one heck of a muzzle brake.)

jones · April 19, 2000, 11:08 PM

I found the web site, would one of you guys look it over and tell me if it's real or a hoax? Thanks,
http://www.statearms.com/mach5.htm

------------------
jones
"permits, we don't need no stinking permits!"

Bill Hebert · April 20, 2000, 10:22 AM

I checked it out and it looks legit to me. I would not purchase any high-value item without having preferably several independent parties evaluate what I'm buying. I have some questions - like it seems that at that speed the bullet would try push itself through the barrel causing the outside of the bullet to strip away fouling the rifling. After a couple of shots you would essentially be forcing an oversized bullet down an undersized barrel. Kaboom? I'll email the question to the manufacturer. That bullet must really whistle (1 mile/second).

jones · April 20, 2000, 03:36 PM

Thanks Bill, send me the reply you get, ok?
I appreciate your taking the trouble. Do you think that it would be quite hard to cast those bronze bullets? And would you need special tools?

------------------
jones
"permits, we don't need no stinking permits!"

Deathwish · April 20, 2000, 07:58 PM

WOW. I wonder what the powder charge is...

Wouldn't the solid bronze wear thw barrel after a few shos though? Maybe it is like remington golden sabres, with the bullet being .353 and having a slightly larger piece at the end which contacts the barrel....
DW

Contender · April 22, 2000, 05:53 PM

Can you say, "Overbore Capacity"?

Does it come with a handy mailorder form for replacement barrels?

DaHaMac · April 22, 2000, 08:45 PM

Yeah, but what does the deer look like when you hit with a bullet moving over 5,000fps.

------------------
Know Yourself, Know Your Weapon, Know Your Enemy; then Know Victory! ---DaHaMac

Southla1 · April 23, 2000, 09:01 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DaHaMac:
Yeah, but what does the deer look like when you hit with a bullet moving over 5,000fps.

[/quote]

The trick of it is to have the hog standing right next to the deer. The way I figure it one shot will get both the deer and the hog, gut both, clean the hog intestines, and stuff them with a good 50-50 mix of ground deer and pork. All you have to do is wrap it and put it in the freezer!

------------------
Carlyle

[This message has been edited by Southla1 (edited April 23, 2000).]

DaHaMac · April 23, 2000, 10:44 AM

I love it I love it Southla1; when do we eat

Mike / Tx · April 23, 2000, 11:10 AM

From what I gathered from the ad, is that during the development stage they were useing the bronze bullets. Possibly to find out what the top velocity could be without destroying the bullet in flight. With these velocities and normal bullets this would not be possible.

With the lower velocities listed for the different factory bullets listed this would be a really flat shooting varmit rig under 200 or more yds and I would think the varmits could be anything short of Elk.(G)

I personally can't see the need for such a round unless you are shooting further than you need to be in the first place, or had more money than you have places to put it.

As for the barrel wear, I would thing that the throat erosion and fouling would be horrible. But then I don't know all of the info on the barrels and twist. I do know that factory bullets would be softer than the bronze simply due to their construction but this might probably add to the fouling for the same reason.

It was bound to happen sooner or later that someone would be producing necked down versions of the 50 BMG and offering them as hunting rounds. I think that this is way on the extreem side personally and would rather have a short 50 yd shot that was a planned and executed stalk rather than a 500+ yd. pop shot.

April 19, 2000, 02:17 PM	#1
jones Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1999 Location: Perrysburg, NY, USA Posts: 107	I don't reload,but I have a question, There is a rifle that I saw some where, that shoots a .50 necked down to a .375. The ad states that it uses bronze bullets to achieve a speed of some 5,000 fps. It's called the Mach 5. Is this for real, or have I been fooled by a hoax? How hard would it be to reload this round, if it is real? Would it take some kind of special tools? Thanks, ------------------ jones "permits, we don't need no stinking permits!"

April 19, 2000, 04:02 PM	#2
Bill Hebert Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 1999 Posts: 180	A quick look through my reloading manual found the velocity of a 110 grain jacketed bullet in a 300 Weatherby Magnum to fly at 3829 feet per second using H4895 with a starting load of 67.6 grains of powder. The never exceed load is 76 grains. I can't imagine a jacketed bullet not fragmenting at those speeds...but I don't know. Even the 223 has loads reaching 3600 fps. There's a round called the BOZ that is in development for the military only that may be getting these hyper velocities? Interesting question....

April 19, 2000, 05:47 PM	#3
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	I don't know for sure if that is true or not, but i do know this........I for one would not volunteer to pull the trigger on an arm slinging a .375 Caliber projectile at any velocity approaching 5000 FPS. OUCH!!! my poor shoulder!! (unless the firearm weighed 20 pounds and had one heck of a muzzle brake.)

April 19, 2000, 11:08 PM	#4
jones Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1999 Location: Perrysburg, NY, USA Posts: 107	I found the web site, would one of you guys look it over and tell me if it's real or a hoax? Thanks, http://www.statearms.com/mach5.htm ------------------ jones "permits, we don't need no stinking permits!"

April 20, 2000, 10:22 AM	#5
Bill Hebert Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 1999 Posts: 180	I checked it out and it looks legit to me. I would not purchase any high-value item without having preferably several independent parties evaluate what I'm buying. I have some questions - like it seems that at that speed the bullet would try push itself through the barrel causing the outside of the bullet to strip away fouling the rifling. After a couple of shots you would essentially be forcing an oversized bullet down an undersized barrel. Kaboom? I'll email the question to the manufacturer. That bullet must really whistle (1 mile/second).

April 20, 2000, 03:36 PM	#6
jones Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1999 Location: Perrysburg, NY, USA Posts: 107	Thanks Bill, send me the reply you get, ok? I appreciate your taking the trouble. Do you think that it would be quite hard to cast those bronze bullets? And would you need special tools? ------------------ jones "permits, we don't need no stinking permits!"

April 20, 2000, 07:58 PM	#7
Deathwish Member Join Date: March 13, 2000 Posts: 79	WOW. I wonder what the powder charge is... Wouldn't the solid bronze wear thw barrel after a few shos though? Maybe it is like remington golden sabres, with the bullet being .353 and having a slightly larger piece at the end which contacts the barrel.... DW

April 22, 2000, 05:53 PM	#8
Contender Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 1998 Location: NY Posts: 680	Can you say, "Overbore Capacity"? Does it come with a handy mailorder form for replacement barrels?

April 22, 2000, 08:45 PM	#9
DaHaMac Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2000 Location: West Central Georgia Posts: 247	Yeah, but what does the deer look like when you hit with a bullet moving over 5,000fps. ------------------ Know Yourself, Know Your Weapon, Know Your Enemy; then Know Victory! ---DaHaMac

April 23, 2000, 09:01 AM	#10
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DaHaMac: Yeah, but what does the deer look like when you hit with a bullet moving over 5,000fps. [/quote] The trick of it is to have the hog standing right next to the deer. The way I figure it one shot will get both the deer and the hog, gut both, clean the hog intestines, and stuff them with a good 50-50 mix of ground deer and pork. All you have to do is wrap it and put it in the freezer! ------------------ Carlyle [This message has been edited by Southla1 (edited April 23, 2000).]

April 23, 2000, 10:44 AM	#11
DaHaMac Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2000 Location: West Central Georgia Posts: 247	I love it I love it Southla1; when do we eat

April 23, 2000, 11:10 AM	#12
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	From what I gathered from the ad, is that during the development stage they were useing the bronze bullets. Possibly to find out what the top velocity could be without destroying the bullet in flight. With these velocities and normal bullets this would not be possible. With the lower velocities listed for the different factory bullets listed this would be a really flat shooting varmit rig under 200 or more yds and I would think the varmits could be anything short of Elk.(G) I personally can't see the need for such a round unless you are shooting further than you need to be in the first place, or had more money than you have places to put it. As for the barrel wear, I would thing that the throat erosion and fouling would be horrible. But then I don't know all of the info on the barrels and twist. I do know that factory bullets would be softer than the bronze simply due to their construction but this might probably add to the fouling for the same reason. It was bound to happen sooner or later that someone would be producing necked down versions of the 50 BMG and offering them as hunting rounds. I think that this is way on the extreem side personally and would rather have a short 50 yd shot that was a planned and executed stalk rather than a 500+ yd. pop shot.