Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .50 BMG with .510 | 647gr | Barnes X BT bullet and 23 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ADI AR 2218, Alliant Reloder-50 and Norma 217.
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: 29"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 8700 | <<locked>> | 96% | 46,108 psi | 86% | 2661 fps | 98.1% |
| ADI AR 2217 | <<locked>> | 86% | 46,499 psi | 87% | 2641 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2218 | <<locked>> | 90% | 46,151 psi | 86% | 2753 fps | 98.8% |
| ADI AR 2225 | <<locked>> | 88% | 46,296 psi | 86% | 2677 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-25 | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,210 psi | 88% | 2638 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-33 | <<locked>> | 88% | 48,109 psi | 90% | 2743 fps | 98.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-50 | <<locked>> | 90% | 45,730 psi | 85% | 2697 fps | 98.1% |
| Bofors RP30 | <<locked>> | 84% | 47,427 psi | 88% | 2664 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon H1000 | <<locked>> | 84% | 47,384 psi | 88% | 2654 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Retumbo | <<locked>> | 82% | 46,427 psi | 87% | 2720 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,319 psi | 71% | 1719 fps | 100% |
| IMR 7977 Enduron | <<locked>> | 84% | 48,298 psi | 90% | 2569 fps | 96.1% |
| IMR 8133 Enduron | <<locked>> | 90% | 46,267 psi | 86% | 2671 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S071 | <<locked>> | 82% | 48,022 psi | 89% | 2549 fps | 100% |
| Norma 217 | <<locked>> | 90% | 47,427 psi | 88% | 2690 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,450 psi | 74% | 1762 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 76 | <<locked>> | 82% | 46,195 psi | 86% | 2703 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 80 | <<locked>> | 84% | 46,035 psi | 86% | 2687 fps | 99.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 13 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,399 psi | 90% | 2674 fps | 98.2% |
| Vihtavuori 20N29 | <<locked>> | 98% | 45,455 psi | 85% | 2648 fps | 96% |
| Vihtavuori N170 | <<locked>> | 84% | 47,921 psi | 89% | 2615 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N568 | <<locked>> | 84% | 46,789 psi | 87% | 2687 fps | 99.5% |
| Vihtavuori N570 | <<locked>> | 86% | 47,863 psi | 89% | 2749 fps | 98.6% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 29"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 8700 | <<locked>> | 90% | 37,855 psi | 71% | 2493 fps | 95.8% |
| ADI AR 2217 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,334 psi | 71% | 2484 fps | 99.4% |
| ADI AR 2218 | 225.1 gr | 82% | 35,447 psi | 66% | 2503 fps | 95.3% |
| ADI AR 2225 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,911 psi | 67% | 2477 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-25 | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,309 psi | 83% | 2592 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-33 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,637 psi | 68% | 2510 fps | 96.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-50 | 234.1 gr | 84% | 37,391 psi | 70% | 2523 fps | 95.7% |
| Bofors RP30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,858 psi | 78% | 2562 fps | 99.8% |
| Hodgdon H1000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,553 psi | 77% | 2546 fps | 99.9% |
| Hodgdon Retumbo | <<locked>> | 80% | 43,468 psi | 81% | 2667 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,950 psi | 54% | 1535 fps | 100% |
| IMR 7977 Enduron | <<locked>> | 82% | 45,455 psi | 85% | 2516 fps | 95.3% |
| IMR 8133 Enduron | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,895 psi | 63% | 2418 fps | 98.4% |
| Lovex S071 | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,310 psi | 84% | 2507 fps | 100% |
| Norma 217 | 203 gr | 80% | 34,505 psi | 64% | 2444 fps | 99.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,805 psi | 56% | 1575 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 76 | <<locked>> | 80% | 43,062 psi | 80% | 2651 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 80 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,176 psi | 75% | 2572 fps | 98.9% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 13 | <<locked>> | 88% | 37,710 psi | 70% | 2464 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori 20N29 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,656 psi | 79% | 2592 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N170 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,322 psi | 79% | 2510 fps | 96.1% |
| Vihtavuori N568 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,046 psi | 76% | 2575 fps | 98.6% |
| Vihtavuori N570 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,175 psi | 73% | 2575 fps | 96.5% |
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 29 powders for .50 BMG loaded with the .510 | 647gr | Barnes X BT. ADI AR 2218 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,753 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,719 fps to 2,753 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 29 of the 29 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (370 MPa), the top charges use 71–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 647.0 gr projectile in 0.51" calls for a 1:22.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. 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. ADI AR 2218, Alliant Reloder-50, Norma 217 rank at the top here: for .50 BMG with the .510 | 647gr | Barnes X BT they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Hodgdon 50BMG, Hodgdon US 869, Ramshot LRT burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.