Reloading 50 Action Express

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Lurch37

New member
I'm gearing up to load for the 50 Action Express and wondered if anyone had any pet loads or places to get loads as they are few and far between. I am using the latest Hornady manual, which covers only a 300gr XTP bullet. I will be using H110 for powder and the previously mentioned bullet. New brass from starline.

My only question right now is the primer as the Hornady manual denotes a WLP primer, the Speer info I found denotes CCI 350 which are magnum primers, the info off of the Hodgon site does not mention what type of primer. Both of these sites only have load info for 325gr. bullets. Lastly, a site which has several published loads denotes 300gr and 325gr bullets using either CCI 300 or CCI 350 primers, albeit, any load using H110 used a CCI 350.

I am aware that the Winchester Large Pistol primers are good for standard/magnum loads whereas CCI and Federal have standard and magnum primers. I have all 3 of the above mentioned magnum primers and just wondered if one might be better than the other.

Thanks.
 
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Shadow9mm

New member
In my experience with 357 and 44, h110 is a touch hard to light and really prefers magnum primers. When i tried LPP they gave me poor and inconsistent velocities, which indicated a poor or inconsistent burn to me.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
Loading .44 Mag, .44AMP and .45 Win Mag, I use either for magnum loads with 2400. With W296 I use the CCI magnum primer. Not because I ever had any trouble with WLP primers, just the way it worked out.
 
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Schlitz 45

New member
I use Xtreme 325gr or Berry’s 300gr for my “plinking” loads
https://www.xtremebullets.com/50-s/49015.htm
https://www.berrysmfg.com/product/50-caliber-500-300-gr-round-shoulder
The Hornady 300gr XTPs cost a bit more & I keep those for blowing stuff up when I want more of a show:)
I use H110 & have gone as low as 28gr & no issues functioning & haven't gone over 32.5gr with the 325s. I’d have to check my log book on velocities but I know they were well under the max 2000fps for the plated bullets.
 
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Lurch37

New member
I use Xtreme 325gr or Berry’s 300gr for my “plinking” loads
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I might have to give one of those a try. Do you like one better than the other? I am fortunate to be able to buy Hornady XTP "seconds" at a reduced cost but those are really decent prices, especially the Extreme brand. I have had good experience with Berry's as I use their 220gr 30cal. bullet for my 300blk load.

I have read about leading the gas ports on the Desert Eagle and was concerned about a plated bullet. I assume you've had no issues with that since your under the 200fps threshold. Is the Extreme bullet rated similar?
 
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dewcrew8

New member
I use wlp primers,or cci, if I can't find them, I use magnum (any type). for the powder for all eagles I use aa9 for (50), and aa7 for 44.mag, aa5 for 357. Used these powders for 30yrs never had any issues with them in eagles in 6 or 10 inch barrels. I like aa because it burns clean.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
A six inch Desert Eagle. Sorry I was unaware there was anything else that shot the 50 AE.
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I expected the DE, as far as I know there is nothing else in production shooting the .50AE, but custom chambered guns (single shots) are always a possibility, so I asked.

I've had DE's in .357 and .44Mag since they came out, and I would be hesitant to shoot any plated bullet in them. And, of course NO lead!!..

If you feed your DE reloads (and who doesn't?:D) or even factory ammo not on the list approved by the maker, repairing a clogged gas system is not covered warranty work.

I've seen it happen, and though the last time I personally saw it happen was over 20 years ago, I don't think they've changed their policy since then. Dumb guy clogged up a .44DE shooting lead bullets. Local smith couldn't fix it, gun want back to the factory. The factory REPLACED the barrel assembly and returned the gun, along with the bill, which was about 7$ less than half the cost of a new gun at the time.

SO, I won't shoot anything but jacketed in any of mine. No lead, no plated, no "coated" only jacketed bullets where the jacket covers the entire base of the bullet.

I'm sure there's folks out there who shoot plated in their DE's and say they're fine. They've never had a problem, and they might never have a problem, but IF they do, all repair costs are going to come out of their pockets.

I think that's a risk that is easily and sensibly avoided. I think its false economy to save some money on bullets, if doing so forces you to spend several times that much on repair bills, but, that's just me. :rolleyes::D

Good luck with you .50, they are awesome beasts. :D
 
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Lurch37

New member
Good luck with you .50, they are awesome beasts.
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It's an awesome chunk of iron for sure and I'm excited to shoot it and reload for it!

I agree with your sentiments on the plated bullet as I would be worrying about that every shot I take. I suppose maybe the risk might be worth it if perhaps one was going thru 200-300 rounds every time you shot it, like you would if it's an AR or some Wondernine. I seriously doubt I will be shooting it that much. :)

Also I'm going to have to eat my words on the Desert Eagle being the only thing chambered in 50AE, check the link below. I don't think they're in production anymore but still, it's not a DE, and it was once in production.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...50ae-excellent-condition.cfm?gun_id=102234104
 
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Lurch37

New member
Just to add a little more info. I was looking around the Buffalo Bore website and noticed a couple of his FMJ loads for the 50AE used Berry's Bullets.

One is a 300gr FMJ-FN running 1461fps out of a six inch barrel and the other is a 350gr FMJ-FN running 1355fps out of a six inch barrel. He also loads a 380gr hard cast gas checked bullet running 1202fps out of the six incher as well. And from his article he states has had no lead fouling after several hundred rounds in either pistol.
 
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Shadow9mm

New member
Lead fouling, and things building up in a gas port (hold in the barrel where things can accumulate and get blown into the mechanism of the gun) are a bit different.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
Also, Berry's has both regular and heavy plated bullets kind of like a Gold Dot. The 50's are not labeled Thick Plate, but their 2000 fps velocity rating certainly suggests they are. I would call Berry's and ask about this and explain your concerns. I note that the 350 has w crimp cannelure, also suggestive of a thick enough plate.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
A bit of background for those not familiar with the Desert Eagle gas system. It is like and unlike other gas systems.

Gas is ported from the barrel slightly ahead of the chamber, and runs in a tube under the bore, to the gas "cylinder" near the muzzle. Expanding gas in the cylinder pushes on the piston, which is mounted on the forward end of the slide, and pushes the slide back, operating the action.

SO, it has the relatively long path for gas to travel, similar to that found in some DI gas operated rifles, and the gas cylinder and piston system found in "piston" guns.

Complicating matters is the fact that the chamber, bore, gas port, gas tube, and gas cylinder are made as a single unit (the barrel assembly),and cannot be disassembled for cleaning.

DE's come with a tool for reaming carbon deposits out of the gas cylinder, and the piston can be cleaned even scrubbed, but there is no way to clean the gas tube or port other than with chemical solvents and no way to apply pressure or scrub them.

SO, while lead bullets can be run in most other gas operated systems, and if the system plugs up from lead, powder residue and especially bullet lube, those systems allow partial or complete disassembly so proper cleaning is possible. The DE system does not. Which is why not even the factory will try and clean one with a plugged gas system.

In order to scrub or scrape the gas system anywhere but the gas cylinder area, you have to literally cut the barrel assembly apart, and even if you did that, you couldn't get it back together unless you were the factory, and they simply won't even bother trying that. What they will do, to return your plugged DE to full function is replace the entire barrel assembly and charge you for it. Clogging the gas system is NOT covered warranty work.
(and just fyi, back in the 90s, the last time I personally saw it happen, the cost of the replacement barrel assembly was just barely under half the MSRP for the gun)

DE is very specific about that in their instruction manuals. SO, not only do I NEVER shoot cast bullets in my DEs, I don't use plated slugs in them either, just in case.

I also have the other magnum gas operated pistol, the Wildey (in .45 WinMag) and its gas system can be disassembled and cleaned so I could run lead slugs in it, if I chose to, but I choose not to, simply to avoid the possibility of an issue, and even though more expensive, I find jacketed bullets entirely satisfactory for what I do.
 
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Lurch37

New member
Also, Berry's has both regular and heavy plated bullets kind of like a Gold Dot. The 50's are not labeled Thick Plate, but their 2000 fps velocity rating certainly suggests they are. I would call Berry's and ask about this and explain your concerns. I note that the 350 has w crimp cannelure, also suggestive of a thick enough plate.
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Thank you for that suggestion. I did call Berry's today and spoke with 2 very friendly and helpful people. Both said the 2 50's are plated heavier than the more standard bullet and that both were also developed with the Desert Eagle in mind. I was also told that under 2000 fps there would be no issues with fouling/plugging the gas system.

I do question the loading of the 350gr as I like the idea of a cannelure but I'm concerned with the bullet length and once loaded if it would exceed the 50AE C.O.L. I have not been able to find any load data for a 350gr 50AE, only 300gr and 325gr. Any load data for a 350gr is geared towards the 500 S&W. I will keep looking.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
According to the data I found, the max COAL of the .50AE is 1.610", exactly the same length as the .44 Magnum.

Generally speaking bullet makers put the cannelure in a place on the bullet where, when seated to the cannelure, the round will not exceed the Max COAL for the cartridges it is intended to be used in.

If you don't have the bullet to measure, ask the maker.
 
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