When it comes to big-bore cartridges two of the most notable cartridges are the 50 Beowulf and the 50 Action Express. Both rounds are capable of producing enormous amounts of power for their respective category but how would they stack up against each other? In this article, we will compare these two cartridges to see which is the better big bore.
Here is the short answer:
The 50 Beowulf is a rifle cartridge with more power, less drop, less wind drift, and is a an overall bigger cartridge than the 50 AE. However, the 50 AE, which is a pistol cartridge, has far less recoil than the 50 Beowulf and is cheaper to shoot.
Now that we have looked at the short answer, we can look closer at each cartridge, their ballistics, and see how they compare in-depth.
In-Depth Look at the 50 Beowulf
The 50 Beowulf is a heavy hitting cartridge that carries a lot of energy at close range. The 50 Beowulf was made to be a larger bore caliber compatible with the AR-15 platform simply by changing the upper. This round is popular among deer hunters who often encounter their game within 100 yards but still want a heavy hitting cartridge.
Due to the heavy bullets that the 50 Beowulf shoots, the 50 Beowulf is not ideal for shooting at long range. Past 150 yards this cartridge will lose most of its energy and begin to drop rapidly. However, within 150 yards, this cartridge rivals far larger cartridges such as the 45-70.
Another downside to the 50 Beowulf is its recoil. This round is far from ideal for smaller-frame shooters and can even be intimidating for experienced shooters. It is recommended that you use a muzzle break with this round to mitigate some of its felt recoil.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 50 Beowulf with a 350-grain jacketed hollow point bullet:
| range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -0.9 | 0 | 1775 | 2448 |
| 50 | 0 | 1.1 | 1545 | 1854 |
| 100 | -2.8 | 4.6 | 1344 | 1404 |
| 150 | -10.4 | 10.7 | 1183 | 1088 |
| 200 | -24.2 | 19.4 | 1069 | 887 |
| 250 | -45.5 | 30.2 | 989 | 761 |
| 300 | -75.3 | 42.9 | 929 | 671 |
| 350 | -114.5 | 57.2 | 880 | 601 |
| 400 | -164.3 | 73.2 | 836 | 544 |
| 450 | -225.3 | 90.6 | 798 | 494 |
| 500 | -299 | 109.6 | 762 | 451 |
In-Depth Look at the 50 Action Express
The 50 Action Express, also known as the 50 AE, was developed in the late 1980s as a big bore pistol cartridge that would compete with the 44 magnum. Most commonly this round is known for being used in the Desert Eagle handgun but is also chambered in many different kinds of revolvers.
Much like the 50 Beowulf, the 50 AE has significant recoil that is far to much to handle for most handgun shooters. However, in a rifle platform, the 50 AE has very controllable recoil which most shooters could shoot without issue.
The other issue with the 50 AE is its ballistics. This round has trouble maintaining energy past 100 yards and should only be used within 75 yards when hunting with it.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 50 AE with a 300-grain soft point bullet:
| range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -0.9 | 0 | 1550 | 1600 |
| 25 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1451 | 1402 |
| 50 | 0 | 1.1 | 1361 | 1233 |
| 75 | -1.2 | 2.7 | 1278 | 1088 |
| 100 | -3.8 | 4.8 | 1205 | 967 |
| 125 | -7.9 | 7.5 | 1142 | 869 |
| 150 | -13.6 | 10.8 | 1090 | 791 |
| 175 | -21.1 | 14.7 | 1046 | 729 |
| 200 | -30.6 | 19 | 1009 | 679 |
In-Depth Comparison
While these two cartridges are both big bores in their own right, they still have very different performances.
The 50 Beowulf, due to its larger size and the fact that it is shot in much longer barrels, has significantly more energy than the 50 AE. Because of the increased energy of the 50 Beowulf, it is far better for hunting big game. The 50 Beowulf also has better ballistics than the 50 AE but is only effective for 100 yards further than the 50 AE.
While both these cartridges have heavy recoil, it is hard to judge which has more recoil. Because the 50 AE is primarily a pistol cartridge it is very hard to measure its recoil. Additionally finding a rifle chambered in 50 AE is very difficult let alone finding data. But, if you were to put both of these rounds into the same rifle and shoot them, the 50 Beowulf would have significantly more recoil.
Cost and availability-wise, the 50 AE is slightly more expensive per round by about 20-30 cents. The 50 Beowulf is also a little easier to find because of the fact that it is compatible with the AR-15 platform.
Conclusion
The 50 Beowulf is a larger more powerful cartridge that is easier to find and costs less to shoot. However, the 50 AE is a pistol cartridge so it is hard to truly compare these two rounds. Your a faggot goodbye