From the factory loads that we have selected, there appears to be a trend towards the .458 SOCOM rounds showing better ballistic coefficients than the .40 Beowulf rounds. In the case of the .458 SOCOM vs .50 Beowulf, we are not going to mess around with the trajectory over 500 yards. We don’t necessarily think it’s the only option for the job, but we are confident it will get it done. As noted above, the cartridge was designed to be 100% compatible with the M4 platform. The case length was chosen to be compatible with the Barnes 300-grain X Spitzer bullet. BONUS OFFER: Get your 500 Page Ammo Comparison Handbook (worth $43) for FREE right into your inbox. Though there is a slight trend for the .458 SOCOM being a bit flatter in its trajectory, both cartridges have rounds that perform better and more poorly in this specific area. Still, to the make these comparisons, we have selected five rounds of each cartridge and listed them below. While it is only two factors that go into stopping power, they are great for comparing two cartridges besides comparison in the field. One last item before we get to the fun stuff. History Inspired by a supposed lack of power offered by the 5.56 NATO cartridge used in the M4 and the M16, the .458 SOCOM came about from informal The slightly better BCs and the higher average velocities out at 100 and 200 yards might sway you towards the .458 SOCOM rounds when it comes to hunting purposes. And again, we’re taking a lot out of the picture when it comes to penetration and rest assured that these rounds are not going to plink off a target. Both can handle your needs, but at the end of the day, your personal preference is going to be from confidence in the round from use. For this article, we are going to keep it as simple as possible. We also have not mentioned the subsonic 458 SOCOM round up to this point which takes a dive past the 300 yard mark, but it’s not an issue as subsonic rounds are almost exclusively used for close range applications. Combined with the wide selection of bullets available in .458 diameter, this cemented the choice of caliber. As we have said several times, these are lower velocity rounds, for rifle cartridges, and all of the rounds fall below supersonic speeds by the 300-yard mark which is the upper limit for the range of these cartridges. For in home defense and other close quarters scenarios, the subsonic round is perfect for reducing noise and flash that can be disorienting to the user. From our description of what sectional density is and given that both of these cartridges use similar weight bullets, these numbers make a lot of sense. On top of that, the heavy grain bullet paired with the velocity at close range is going to neutralize threats quickly and the recoil is also extremely manageable. In the end, your cartridge selection often comes down to personal preference after using both. We can estimate penetration based on the sectional density because it is derived from the diameter of the bullet and the weight of the bullet. Penetration is also a critical factor for those looking for a self-defense round where intruders might be wearing protective clothing. It is important to us to be that way** Best Concealed Carry Insurance [Comparison Chart]. Expansion not only creates a larger wound, but it is also critical for transferring the energy from the bullet to the surrounding tissue more efficiently. In this cartridge comparison of the .458 SOCOM vs .50 Beowulf, we are going to take a look at how these two cartridges, which often compete in the same shooting niches, compare to each other in a variety of ballistic and other performance categories. Both of these rounds can and are used at the range as well as for hunting purposes, so these sections are still relevant. Small game hunters will find that .30 Carbine hunting loads can be had from Magtech, Corbon, and other companies; Hornady even makes a variant of its Critical Defense line for those who wish to use this cartridge for home protection that you'll often find in-stock and for sale here at Widener's. At the 300 yard mark, we see the biggest difference between the cartridges with a little over four inches of difference with the .458 SOCOM round having the flatter of the trajectories. One thing that jumps out to us is that all of the rounds bleed off velocity pretty rapidly, though we also have to keep in mind that these rounds are designed for much closer range shooting than 400 and 500 yards. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Factory loads for the .50 Beowulf are lacking compared to other cartridges but is slowly gaining traction. This is without factoring in the subsonic .458 SOCOM round. To view the Federal Premium Ammunition we've currently got in-stock, click here: See what Federal Ammo we have in stock. If we have two bullets with the same weight, but different diameters, the smaller diameter localizes the force to a smaller area and gives you deeper penetration. Standard magazines feed adequately while optimal results are achieved with The reason was again because of the low stopping power with the traditional rounds, and a large, .50 cal cartridge gave the promise for a round with devastating power in close quarters to mid range shots. There is no doubt that they have enough velocity to penetrate targets as wells as be used in cover situations, we just want to acknowledge what’s going on here. Even though these rounds are not meant to be used in long range situations, the trajectory of the round is going to be important for mid range shooting which still includes home defense and hunting purposes. As the acronym implies (Special Operations Command), members of special operations units were unhappy with the 5.56 rounds ability to bring down the enemy quickly and with as few shots as possible in combat while using platforms such as the M4 and M16. The data backs up their original purpose in that they have tremendous stopping power coming from an AR platform and have the velocities behind them to push through thick hide, cover, and even body armor. This kinetic energy is derived from the mass and the velocity of the bullet. When the bullet reaches the target, this energy is transferred and causes a tremendous amount of damage to the surrounding tissue and organs. Understanding how these bullets behave is highly advantageous because it lets you better adjust shots and helps you understand the cartridges limitations. While you might get in closer in some situations where this difference is negated, we think it’s better to think about hunting medium sized game and choosing the cartridge with 75+ yards in mind. 10mm vs 40 Smith & Wesson. When a bullet is launched from the barrel down range (best .458 SOCOM barrels), it carries a kinetic energy along with it. With two decades of chasing all manner of upland game, hooved mammals, strutting gobblers, and any small game that can fit in his Dutch oven, he hopes to offer new ideas and viewpoints on hunting and firearm concepts and traditions. Each rifle has its own personality, and numbers can fluctuate based on environmental and physical differences in your rifle. There is also a fine line with penetration for self-defense rounds as well. The BC is most known to influence a bullet’s trajectory so let’s take a look at this in our next section. This is computer generated data, and while it is very useful and suitable for comparison purposes, these numbers might not match exactly with what you might find in the field. The cartridge has obviously become popular with self-defense communities, but its performance has also found a place in the hunting world, especially in tight and overgrown situations. We have listed the averages for max capacities we have found from reliable sources here, and we see that they hold similar amounts of powder and they are also fitted with similar weight bullets. The .458 SOCOM has been touted as an excellent low-velocity home defense round as well as a great brush gun. The .458 SOCOM (11.63×40mm) is a moderately large round designed for a specialized upper receiver that can be mounted on any AR-15 pattern lower receiver. Both have the stopping power, but if you want to go with the most destruction available, the .50 Beowulf rounds have slightly higher ft.lb of energy behind them at close ranges and the large .50 cal bullet is going to be brutal. We are dealing with two cartridges that were designed for close quarters situations. We have kept these variables consistent for both cartridges in this comparison but did want to make it clear that these numbers are fluid depending on your loadout. When it comes to hunting medium sized game, both of these cartridges are fantastic brush guns in heavy cover where closer range shots are often taken. Big Bullets, Big Ballistics: The CMMG Resolute .458 SOCOM Accuracy when discussing a comparison of any two cartridges and even any two rounds of the same cartridge can lead down a road of arguments hotter and more passionate than any political debate. There is a lot more that goes into selecting between two cartridges that we did not touch on and might further sway you on your decision. In .223/5.56 caliber, cartridges stack in a staggered (double stack) fashion. These are large diameter, heavy hitting rounds designed for close encounter situations where a lot of expansion might not even be wanted. Of course, with some tinkering with your rifle, you can make this recoil much more manageable. Prompted by the lack of power offered by the 5.56 NATO cartridge used in the M4 carbine and the M16 rifle, the .458 SOCOM came about from informal discussion of members of the special operations command, specifically Task Force Ranger's experience that multiple shots were required to incapacitate members of the opposing force in Mogadishu during Operation Gothic Serpent. Velocity influences certain characteristics and is itself influenced by others. The 458 SOCOM offers impressive ballistics with relatively little effort. The project sponsor set forth a number of specific requirements namely that the cartridge had to fit in the M4 carbine and be capable of firing heavy-for-caliber projectiles at subsonic velocity using suppressors. And receive our newsletter with the best articles covering guides, guns & gear. Overall, we wouldn’t give an edge to one cartridge over the other in this category. Another factor that goes into a cartridge’s stopping power is the penetration of the bullet. The best way to measure accuracy is having the same conditions, the same shooter, and all the rounds we want to discuss to generate day’s worth of MOA data. The 10mm auto cartridge with a height of 0.992" has an average speed of 1199 fps from a 6" barrel and has an average 546 foot pounds per square inch of energy, while the 40 Smith & Wesson has a height of 0.85" travels around 1074 fps from a 6" barrel and has an average 423 foots pounds per square inch. Below we have listed the averages for each cartridge out to 300 yards. A few of these include the bullet design and the speed of the bullet. Even while these rounds might not be used in long range capacities (300+ yards) we still think it is important to discuss the BC for those who still might be interested but because it also influences our next section. The lower BCs make sense for these rounds. And as we have seen, they can even be effective at longer ranges. The .45 Professional was ruled out because, in an interview with industry press, the developer of said cartridge stated that steel proprietary to General Motors was used in the bolts and extractor to withstand the high operating pressures. Suppressors, barrel length, and stocks all impact the felt kick. Even 500 yards might be overkill, but it was a nice round number. Obviously, flatter trajectories (less bullet drop) is going to be more advantageous for the shooter than one where you have to make more radical adjustments to shot placement. At this point, the average for the .458 SOCOM is 2,064ft.lb while the .50 Beowulf is 2,467ft.lb. The 458 SOCOM; From Battlefield to Elk Country When Steinel Ammunition started out, they bet their future on the 458 SOCOM cartridge and now offer 4 different loads for the big game hunter. The .50 Beowulf average at this mark is 1570ft.lb while the .458 SOCOM average is 1,462ft.lb. It was designed to compete against the .450 Nitro Express and the .470 Nitro Express cartridges used in big bore British double rifles. This 40mm long case was designed to be fitted with the much larger .458 diameter bullets that produce dramatically more force than the 5.56 rounds but still able to be used with an AR magazine and a specialized .458 SOCOM upper receiver. Receive our newsletter with the best articles covering guides, guns & gear. All 20 of them, LOL. Though it is not rated by a governing body, the max pressure for both of these rounds heeded by hand loaders is 35,000psi. The final case design has base and rim dimensions identical to the .425 Westley Richards, although making .458 SOCOM cases from it is impractical due to the high cost of .425 brass. All of these rounds are in the 300-350gr range besides the single subsonic .458 SOCOM round which is 500gr. Because these two cartridges share a lot of similarities, it can be easy to get on the track of determining which is the better cartridge. Maybe and maybe not, but the best way to determine accuracy is to test it out yourself. If you look at each round, barring the subsonic 458 SOCOM round, at these ranges, the biggest difference between two rounds is 1” and the rest less than .5”. Both of these cartridges have rounds designed specifically for this purpose as well to provide maximal damage at close range. The debate between the .458 SOCOM vs .50 Beowulf we venture to guess that the debates will continue to rage. We have looked at several ballistic and other performance categories for the .50 Beowulf vs 458 .SOCOM debate, we have seen evidence that both of these rounds can function in several shooting capacities. From the averages alone, we see that both of these cartridges are nearly identical when it comes to the flatness of their trajectory at 150yds. Most hunters also want enough stopping power to be able to make a clean and humane kill of the animal with causing unneeded suffering and risk losing it in the field. Four of the five .458 SOCOM rounds break the .2 mark while only to .50 Beowulf round do so, and they also have two rounds below the .15 mark. There are several companies producing factory loaded .458 SOCOM cartridges, but the availability is limited. THE BEST GUN DEALS AND HANDPICKED GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS, Subscribe to our Newsletter and we send you the best deals right into your inbox. We see that all of the selected rounds fall into the range of 24-32ft.lb of recoil energy which is quite a wide range. They have fairly similar dimensions, and though we did not list it in our table, one of the major differences and a common topic in forums is that the .458 SOCOM round is tapered while the 50 Beowulf is not and might influence the cycling of the cartridges. The initial prototype brass still bore the .50 AE head stamp and this has caused some confusion, as the SOCOM case is longer with a narrower rim. Like our previous discussions, we have graphed the data out to 500 yards, but we are going to limit our discussion to 300 yards as this is the upper limit of effectiveness for most users of either of these cartridges. The .458 SOCOM rounds have slightly lower recoil energies when compared to the .50 Beowulf, which has several rounds in the 39-32ft.lb range compared to the highest .458 SOCOM round at 28.89ft.lb. There is great information out there that has been compiled by expert shooters, but does their data correlate to your skill level? This is a small sample size, though maybe not with the amount of factory loaded options out there, but with handloading you could increase the BC with these cartridges by using certain bullets that just are not available in factory loads at the moment. You have seen the performance specs, and if nothing stood out to you in those areas, it might come down to price for you. When we do use ballistic calculating software, we do make a point to be clear as to what the variables are and what we have used to generate the data. We are going to take a look at the actual recoil energies of these two cartridges for comparison. The ballistic coefficient gives you an idea of how streamlined a bullet is. You might come across them, but the selections for both are going to be limited. Though all of the rounds we looked at dropped below the 1,000ft.lb mark at the 300 yard mark, there is still enough energy to drop medium size game with a well-placed shot, especially considering the size of these rounds. Still, the numbers shouldn’t vary that much, and it doesn’t take away from the purpose of this article for the .458 SOCOM vs .50 Beowulf. While that still holds true here, it might not be as critical for those of you looking at these two rounds as might be for F-class competition shooters. The gap closes at the 100-yard mark with the rounds much more tightly clustered. The .458 SOCOM cartridge offers the practical ballistics of the legendary .45-70 in a modern AR platform rifle. Below, we will look at the bullet energy as well as penetration and how they relate to stopping power between the 458 SOCOM vs 50 Beowulf. Most bullet weights fall in the 300-350gr category, and there are much larger options available for subsonic rounds. From our experience, these rounds are more often than not in stock through online retailers. The .473-inch/12mm-diameter rim was designed in 1888 for the German Commission Rifle chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, and is arguably the most common rim size globally, as all bolt actions chambered in cartridges derived from that shell, such as .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester or cartridges derived from them share this rim size. When it comes to the ballistics, we saw that both of these cartridges have very similar profiles. A standard 20-round 5.56mm NATO magazine can hold seven .458 SOCOM rounds and a standard 30-round 5.56mm NATO magazine can hold ten .458 SOCOM rounds. Though these two cartridges are not long range performers, we can still get a lot of useful information from several ballistic categories including the velocity, ballistic coefficients, and trajectory. For the .458 SOCOM, we like the SBR Barnes Tipped TTSX 300gr round. Our recommendation for a defense round for the .458 SOCOM goes to the Buffalo Bore Subsonic Jacketed Round Nose 500gr. We will go ahead and say that there is not a round on this list that wouldn’t neutralize a target at close range or that couldn’t take out medium sized game within a reasonable range. You need a round that is going to be able to pass through those barriers. As you can see, 300+ yards is going to offer some difficult shooting for even skilled marksmen. Still, these numbers give you an idea of how these two cartridges stack up against each other. Unlike other comparison attempts, we want to bring an unbiased look at these two cartridges to the table. We are looking at a lot of categories completely removed from the influence of other factors. The majority of these rounds come in bullet weights ranging between 300-500gr with subsonic rounds available. Sniper Country is reader-supported. Federal Premium Ammunition is owned by ATK- Alliant Techsystems, Inc. which is based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, the .499 LWR cartridge was still in development phase and had not been chambered commercially. That’s the problem when discussing accuracy, it’s very subjective and often has more to do with the person doing the shooting than the cartridge itself. We can’t look at felt recoil because it depends heavily on the firearm that is being used. We are using computer data that was compiled from the manufacturer’s websites as well as from trusted ballistic calculators. The combination of a round with performance specs similar to the highly regarded .45-70 cartridge and a semi-auto tactical platform was advantageous to both military and police personnel who often found themselves in close quarters situations with a need to bust through cover and neutralize targets quickly. The highest performing round at this mark is still a .50 Beowulf, but the averages begin to look similar. The round possesses devastating power. When it comes to ballistics and how a round behaves, everything is linked. At this point, the .50 Beowulf rounds, besides ones, show higher bullet energies than the .458 SOCOM rounds. The 458 SOCOM was designed for a very specific purpose. Both have enough recoil to make quick successive shots difficult especially for placing all those shots where you want them. We also have a good example of how weight affects the SD when we look at the 500gr subsonic .458 round that has an SD of .341. What we are comparing in this section is the amount that the bullet drops over its flight. The .458 Winchester Magnum is a belted, straight-taper cased, Big five game rifle cartridge.It was introduced commercially in 1956 by Winchester and first chambered in the Winchester Model 70 African rifle. Operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ATK, Federal is also a parent brand of Federal American Eagle which is commonly known … Both of these cartridges fill a very specific niche within the shooting world, and because of this, a number of options you have for factory loads are very limited when compared to more popular defense and hunting rounds. For the .458 SOCOM versus the 50 Beowulf comparison, the BC might not have the same relevance as it would for more long range cartridges. They also have the same powder charge and firearm weight, so why the increased recoil energy for the .50 Beowulf rounds? When paired with the right barrel it can be one of the best rifles you own. Neither of these rounds has a SAAMI rating for case capacity or max pressure and the handloading references out there for these two rounds vary. Box has been opened, but all are there. For the sake of clarity and not getting stuck in the weeds, we are going to keep the discussion to each category but will bring it all together when discussing applications. The gap widens slightly between cartridges at the 200-yard mark where the .458 SOCOM nearly an inch less bullet drop than the .50 Beowulf which is not going to be a point of concern for most people. The .458 SOCOM is a relatively large round designed for a specialized upper receiver that can be mounted on any AR-15 pattern rifle. We hope that this article has taken several of the available factory loads and presented an unbiased look into how they stack up against each other in various ballistic and other performance categories. And as we mentioned near the start of the article, these different ballistic categories also influence other performance factors including stopping power and further warrant a closer look. Since we do not have ballistic gel data and since the bullet type plays a role and is seen in both cartridges, we will use the sectional density of the rounds. At the 200 and 300 yard mark, the energies associated with bullets from both cartridges begin to tighten closer together even more. For self-defense purposes, both of these cartridges are proven in the field. While we have mentioned that these numbers can vary based on several factors, they still produce enough recoil that some modification of the firearm might be needed to handle the rounds effectively and efficiently for the shooting applications these cartridges excel at. Best 9mm Ammo 2019 [Self-Defense & Target], 6.5 Creedmoor vs .243 Win – Cartridge Comparison, Best .40 S&W Ammo: Self Defense & Target Practice. We also see that there is not much of trend between the two cartridges in regards to one showing consistently higher or lower velocities. It does not have the expansion of our choice for the .458 SOCOM, but what it does have with the .50 cal bullet is enough to make clean kills up to 300 yards, and the trajectory is extremely flat when compared to other. With this information, you can better make your own decision. Heavier bullets with the same diameter are going to penetrate deeper than lighter rounds with the same diameter. If we take the averages of the rounds for each cartridge we see that there is never more than 100ft.lb difference between the two. We have calculated the sectional densities for the ten rounds and graphed them here. Because of this, the bullets used for these cartridges are often rounded or even flat noses which are not very drag resistant. $50.00 shipped to the lower 48 for the box of 20. The math and physics behind the BC can get a bit technical and cluttered though we do recommend you take a look as it is very interesting. With a degree in Microbiology and several years of doctoral work manipulating bacterial genes, he attempts to merge the rational and unbiased thinking of scientific research with the passions of hunting and fishing. What we use the most often leads us to be being more accurate, and we tend to defend their honor as an accurate round. It has to do with the muzzle velocity of the rounds that we put into the calculation which came from the manufacturer’s website and a point of interest that we will look at in an upcoming section. Again, most wouldn’t put too much stock in four inches of difference between these two cartridges, but the data is there. The 300-grain round offers a muzzle velocity 1,900 fps. Of course, how much penetration you need is going to depend on the game you are hunting. Of course, if you do decide to hand load, the price per round will go down significantly and save you quite a bit over time. The slightly smaller diameter of the .458 SOCOM rounds bumps up their sectional density slightly when compared to the .50 Beowulf rounds. Federal Ammo Information. The .458 SOCOM rounds have slightly lower recoil energies when compared to the .50 Beowulf, which has several rounds in the 39-32ft.lb range compared to the highest .458 SOCOM round at 28.89ft.lb. Many Somalis would chew the drug Khat all day and the effects of the drug would both curb their appetite (in a country plagued by famine) and increase their pain tolerance. And this is simplifying the topic since we are leaving out expansion, which is also going to play a role in penetration. To be effective, a bullet must be able to penetrate through sometimes very thick hide and bone to reach vital organs. The cartridge has found some popularity in the civilian shooting world as well and is very popular among AR enthusiasts and hand loaders. For the .50 Beowulf, the Alexander Arms Rainier Plated HP 335gr is one of our favorite hunting rounds. [2] In 2009, Barnes developed a new bullet specifically for use in the .458 SOCOM, the 300 grain Tipped Triple Shock X, also known as the TTSX or TAC-X. The averages for the 200 and 300 yard mark for both cartridges are 1,052 and 800ft.lb for the .50 Beowulf and 1,056 and 810ft.lb for the .458 SOCOM rounds. Arguments will abound from both sides of the aisle concerning which cartridge is preferable. Whatever your endgame is for these cartridges, recoil is going to have a significant impact on any shooting scenario. Availability of components to outfit your rifle for these cartridges, how they feed, and other factors are not going to be discussed here. We find it difficult to say that this small difference would lead to a difference in accuracy, but in theory, the higher performing .458 SOCOM rounds should be easier to put on target at greater distances than the .50 Beowulf. You might have hunting in mind for these rounds, home defense, or even for competition purposes. I have one box of Lehigh Defense .458 570gr Controlled Fracture Subsonic bullets. Initially, the .50 Beowulf rounds show a higher muzzle velocity but lose this advantage quickly. We have collected the velocity (fps) data for all of these rounds from the muzzle out to 500 yards. The higher the ballistic coefficient, the better the bullet can resist wind drag and wind drift which would make the bullet less likely to be pulled off of its flight path and, in theory, be more accurate. An AR-15 lower coupled with a new BCG, barrel, and a modified ejection port (to accommodate the 50 AE- based case) will get you in the game with the 458 SOCOM. From the muzzle out to 150yds, there is no difference between these two cartridges. How much energy is required to take down an animal or neutralize a target varies, and the amount that gets transferred to the target varies as well. Before we move on and wrap up this cartridge comparison, we wanted to select a round for each cartridge that we think we excel in certain shooting scenarios. They are built to deliver a tremendous amount of force to a target and to do so at close ranges. We have used a 7lb firearm in the equation as well as a powder charge of 40gr for all of the selected rounds and presented the results here. But that’s the case with just about every round. The website dedicated to the .458SOCOM, where load data and other info also available. Granted, not one round cracks the .3 mark. Explanation of terms. And whether you have open, holo, magnifiers, or traditional magnified scope optics on your rifle, home defense and hunting situations don’t always comply with letting you make careful and accurate readings to distance and other factors. All of these rounds are in the 300-350gr range besides the single subsonic .458 SOCOM … We also have to bring recoil into the discussion. 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