The ballistic coefficient gives you an idea of how streamlined a bullet is. With factory ammo prices usually starting around $1 per round and quickly going up from there, ammunition is pretty expensive for all three cartridges. They also have the same powder charge and firearm weight, so why the increased recoil energy for the .50 Beowulf rounds? I reloaded so after initial expense of brass, bullets, not a big deal except those 348 Grain pellets were not cheap. 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 .450 Bushmaster and .458 SOCOM have a .473″ rim diameter, which is the same as other popular cartridges like the .30-06, .308, and .270 Winchester. As a side note, the .50 Beowulf does have a little less recoil energy than the .450 Bushmaster and .458 SOCOM in the above table, but that’s due in large part to the fact that the .50 Beowulf load was being fired from a heavier rifle. 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. Not likely to hunt with it. 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. A few of these include the bullet design and the speed of the bullet. All of those companies still make very good quality firearms chambered in their respective cartridge. They’re all best suited for hunting situations involving shots at less than 250 (or even 150) yards. I sold my Beowulf to fund another project then went out and bought a .450 Bushmaster. All three cartridges are solid performers and there is quite a bit of overlap in their capabilities. I will probably eventually get a 300 Blackout. 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. 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”. 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. 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. 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. The M855 bullet incorporated a steel penetrator, which markedly improved the penetration capabilities of the round compared to the old 55gr M193 load. After deliberations and experimentation, the .458 SOCOM came to be in the early 2000’s. 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. The debate between the .458 SOCOM vs .50 Beowulf we venture to guess that the debates will continue to rage. Glad you enjoyed it Karl! 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. I reload and find that helps a lot. This comparison only matters depending on which types of games you are focusing on. However, many big game hunters had concerns similar to those shared by many in the military regarding the effectiveness of the .223 Remington cartridge on deer sized game. 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. and less that all three will perform similarly (with like bullet weights and types). Still, to the make these comparisons, we have selected five rounds of each cartridge and listed them below. I primarily use lighter bullets like the Barnes XPB 275gr, 240 leheigh (crazy speed & explosive), 300 gr Speer and Hornady. 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