Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .50 Beowolf with .498 | 355gr | Peregrine VRG-2 bullet and 5 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 and ReloadSwiss RS 14.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 16"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 82% | 28,631 psi | 86% | 1775 fps | 98.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,438 psi | 70% | 1129 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,379 psi | 67% | 1152 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 98% | 29,037 psi | 87% | 1667 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 90% | 28,834 psi | 86% | 1699 fps | 98.1% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 16"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,658 psi | 80% | 1736 fps | 98% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,781 psi | 50% | 1007 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 11.9 gr | 80% | 15,940 psi | 48% | 1024 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 29.2 gr | 82% | 18,927 psi | 57% | 1444 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 30.4 gr | 82% | 22,582 psi | 68% | 1572 fps | 95.6% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 7 powders for .50 Beowolf loaded with the .498 | 355gr | Peregrine VRG-2. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,775 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,129 fps to 1,775 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 7 of the 7 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (230 MPa), the top charges use 67–87 %, leaving at least 13 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for .50 Beowolf with the .498 | 355gr | Peregrine VRG-2 they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, ADI AR 2205, Lovex S053 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.