Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .50 Beowolf with .500 | 325gr | Barnes XPB bullet and 5 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ReloadSwiss RS 14 and Hodgdon TrailBoss.
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>> | 88% | 28,631 psi | 86% | 1808 fps | 96.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,843 psi | 65% | 1129 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 20,537 psi | 62% | 1148 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,730 psi | 77% | 1627 fps | 96.6% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 98% | 30,168 psi | 90% | 1759 fps | 96.6% |
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>> | 86% | 26,571 psi | 80% | 1765 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | 10.5 gr | 80% | 15,664 psi | 47% | 1007 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 10.7 gr | 80% | 14,852 psi | 45% | 1027 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 23,235 psi | 70% | 1572 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 94% | 26,919 psi | 81% | 1696 fps | 95.3% |
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 6 powders for .50 Beowolf loaded with the .500 | 325gr | Barnes XPB. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,808 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,129 fps to 1,808 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 6 of the 6 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (230 MPa), the top charges use 62–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 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. ReloadSwiss RS 14, Hodgdon TrailBoss rank at the top here: for .50 Beowolf with the .500 | 325gr | Barnes XPB they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Lovex S040 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.