Bought a TROMIX complete upper from him, hammers anything you put in front of it. The trajectory and long-range accuracy of the .308 Winchester can be hard to compare to the .458 SOCOM, largely because the few manufacturers of the SOCOM rarely provide this information. The 50 BMG is a rifle-caliber round designed for long range shooting and penetration, while the 458 SOCOM is designed for close quarters combat and maximum stopping power. Since the 308 Winchester offers military surplus ammo or brass, it is relatively cheaper than 458 SOCOM. In this case, the 308 Winchester got another win. The 458 SOCOM is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a powerful round for self-defense or hunting. usp45ct said: Looking at a new upper for a lower I just picked up. The main advantage of the 300 BLK over the 458 SOCOM is its higher velocity, which results in better accuracy. Heavy bullets with strong energy from a compact semiautomatic weapon was the goal, not blazing speed or long-range accuracy. 450 Bushmaster vs 458 SOCOM caliber comparison by Ammo.com. Which one is it? In terms of effective range, hunters generally consider 1,000 foot-pounds of kinetic energy the minimum amount required for harvesting a whitetail and 1,500 foot-pounds for elk or other larger game. Select what level shooter you are! towards your level. There's no dearth of .458 bullets up to 500 grains for reloading thanks to the 458's faster twist rate but hard-copy data is a bit skimpy. Steel less than perfectly smooth may bounce back fragmentswhich is why you want to be 100 yards away. Velocity is the average of five shots, measured by a Labradar chrono, programmed to measure velocity 15 feet from the muzzle. One shot does it all! It is commonly used in hunting and target shooting applications. A master gunsmith, Patrick is also Handguns Editor for Guns & Ammo magazine. Each of these rounds are limited in their design capabilities due to the restrictions of the AR-15 platform. The noise, not so much. Here is a ballistics chart of the 350 legend with a 180-grain soft point bullet: The 458 SOCOM was developed in 2000 by Teppo Jutsu, a company founded by former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier Marty ter Weeme. The goal was to create a caliber that would offer better ballistics than the current crop of pistol calibers, while still being able to be used in a standard AR-15 lower receiver. Article has been updated. A SOCOM 458 usually drops at past 300 yards while the Winchester 308 could go beyond 1000 yards before hitting the zero drop. Nifty Outdoorsman is not liable for any actions you take after learning from our website. Learn all the important stuff about handgunswith none of the attitude. Lets go straight to .45 caliber and get some work done! The CAR A4 LAR-15M exists alongside two other LAR series SOCOM rifles from Rock River Arms. Now sure, that is 320ish more foot-pounds. Both of these cartridges can be considered fast-flying rounds. If you need a caliber that can penetrate through barriers, the 300 Blackout is the better choice. Learn how your comment data is processed. It is also more effective than the 50 BMG at close range. All three come with 10-round CMMG Modified Lancer Mags and the option to Cerakote. I grabbed a Brownells barrel and bolt off the shelf and looked for build candidates. The gel shot used a ballistic-tip hollow point. The 300 Blackout is designed to penetrate through barriers like walls, while the 458 Socom is not. This design does limit snagging, though. If you are looking for a powerful round that can take down large game animals, then the 458 SOCOM is a great choice. Ever wonder just how big a bullet we can hurl out of the standard AR-15 package? The 350 Legend was introduced in 2019 by Winchester. A 300-grain bullet definitely has stopping power. For big game animals like elk, black bear, and even moose, Id favor the 458 SOCOM primarily due to the Barnes 300gr TTSX bullet as it was designed specifically for this cartridge. Thats not to say that you CANT use them for this purpose, just most hunters prefer something with lower recoil for these pesky critters. by Eron | Apr 15, 2023 | caliber comparison | 0 comments. The .458 SOCOM ( 11.6340mm) is a moderately large round designed to work in an AR-15 platform. It also provided the largest casing that would feed properly with the barrels they had in mind. This is where calibers like the 458 Socom and 300 Blackout come into play. Since the SOCOM 458 is the heavier bullet compared to the Winchester 308, it is more likely to claim that the former has more bullet drop and arch when shot in long-range shooting games. The 458 SOCOM is a very powerful round. History [ edit] Copyright 2023 Pew Pew Media, Inc. All rights reserved. When comparing these two cartridges, you cant help but notice the size differences between the two. You can also get different types of .308 Winchester ammunition that have different ranges. Always remember that for a heavier the game, the heavier your bullet should be because heavier slugs always carry more energy. The cartridge is also known for its ability to penetrate heavy brush and foliage, making it ideal for hunting in wooded areas. Both rounds utilize a rebated rim design, meaning their rim is narrower than their cartridge base. Since the middle of the 20th century, this round has brought speed, energy, and accuracy to the range and the field. When it comes to big game hunting, the 458 SOCOM and 450 Bushmaster are excellent options within their effective range. Although the 458 SOCOM has slightly higher case capacity, the lower bullet weights fired by the 450 Bushmaster generally surpass those fired by the 458 in terms of muzzle velocity. The 350 Legend is a relatively new cartridge that was introduced in 2019, while the 458 SOCOM has been around for more than a decade. The Gunner Big Bore .458 SOCOM barrel from Faxon Firearms features a 16-inch length and Nitride finish. Which Is the Better Hunting Cartridge? We already have an account registered for email address There are many rifle calibers on the market today, but two of the most popular are the 458 SOCOM and 308. Although there are minor differences between these four rounds, all of them have similar performance out to 150 yards in terms of trajectory. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. The bottom line is that both cartridges have heavy recoil and are not suitable for recoil-sensitive shooters without proper training and acclimatization. This means that the 300 Blackout will likely penetrate deeper into an assailant, making it more effective at stopping them. When it comes to hunting, many people debate what the best caliber is. There is no overlap is speeds; in fact there is a gap. It absolutely hammers its target - even if its bullets are known to have trouble expanding past 150 yards. Hence, it will spend less time in the barrel, causing it to have less recoil. Runs his own shop, is super to deal with. The 308 is a classic caliber that has been around for many years. What separates these two rifle calibers from each other and is one a better choice for you? All that talk about the .458 socom and no mention of TROMIX - literally Tony Rumore's company, and THE name in 458 SOCOM parts? Sometimes we mess up and forget to add things. Another plus about Tromix is the ejector and extractor have the correct bevels to feed that case where others use M16 spec parts that don't work as well. Both cartridges offer a range of bullet grains shooting enthusiasts could choose from, depending on their specific hunting needs. .22 LR shooters have the wisest variety of subsonic options, with loads from just about every manufacturer. Save my name and email to use for future comments. And they usually do. So, which one is the better caliber? In contrast, the 450 Bushmaster was developed using the 284 Winchester as a parent case and has a longer case length measuring 1.70. And since the 308 ammo can be purchased anywhere, this is another advantage against 458. Thanks for the feedback! The RRA CAR A4 LAR-15M other than being a mouthful is a reliable and accurate rifle. With this, the 308 wind over the 450 SOCOM. We'll send you the latest guides and training tips geared (Yes, Virginia, ammo used to be cheap enough that you could wear out a barrel just by shooting.) Barrels were enlarged, running a 1:14 twist or 1:18 twist. However, if you are just looking for a general-purpose caliber that can be used for both hunting and self-defense, then the 300 Blackout would be a better option. Additional features include an A2 flash hider (5/8-32 threads), RRA Operator CAR Stock, and RRA Overmolded A2 Grip. However, due to its size, the recoil can be significant, making it challenging to shoot accurately. The 1-22 twist rate is an absolute tack driver with 250gr - 325gr bullets commonly used for hunting and is the optimum choice for the Barnes 300gr TAC TX/TTSX SOCOM bullet. Nifty Outdoorsman is a website about outdoor-related content. That said, he .308 Winchester, with a comparable propellant load and lighter bullets, is generally the faster round. Since the users wanted bullet choices that left out the usual suspects back in the pre-9/11 days, those rejected being potential cartridges that used pistol bullets. It really depends on what you are looking for. That makes it more ideal to suppress especially in a shorter barrel. CMMG Resolute 16" Complete Upper .458 SOCOM. In this article, we will compare the 350 Legend to the 458 SOCOM to help you determine which cartridge is best for your hunting needs. If you are using the cartridge for target shooting, energy is not a massive concern. It is a straight-walled cartridge designed for use in states that have restrictions on hunting with bottlenecked cartridges. The cartridge delivers tremendous stopping power and can take down medium to large animals with ease. (Firearms enthusiasts might call this good grouping!) As long as the bullet reaches its desired destination, it has basically done its job. Firing a 300 grain bullet at 1,845 feet per second, (2,267 ft-lbs of energy), the .458 SOCOM packs a heck of a punch into a relatively small package and still functions very well in the standard AR platform with a variety of barrel lengths. If you are using a heavier bullet, the range will be shorter. (Though 1:14 is the most commonly seen.). If youre using a carbine with a 16-inch barrel, you might fall a few fps short of that. Personalize your experience. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A SOCOM 458 usually drops at past 300 yards while the Winchester 308 could go beyond 1000 yards before hitting the zero drop. With proper bullet selection, the 458 SOCOM can be used for hunting medium to large game animals. Obviously, Winchester 308 won this round. At the lowest tier, the Resolute 100 basically keeps its standard trading in the Ripstock for an M4 stock and A2 pistol grip. The final difference between the 45 70 and 458 is their maximum chamber pressure as established by SAAMI. This makes it a more versatile choice for hunters and shooters who may need to adjust their ammunition for different situations. It is also effective against unarmored targets, delivering a large and devastating wound channel. The 458 SOCOM is a relatively new caliber that was designed for use in AR-15 rifles. Anything one round can do, the other can too. Also, on that no-snagging path, the brass deflector has been trimmed down. None of this is professional or legal advice and there is no attorney-client relationship or other professional relationship. In 458 SOCOM vs 308 Winchester, the 308 wins. Its effective for hunting, home defense, and even long-range shooting. A .458 SOCOM cartridge with a heavier bullet (up to 600 grains) would also make a solid guide gun or bear protection rifle. Our Sitemap. Born and raised in Austin TX, Alfred has been shooting guns since he was 18. Now, that last part is a bit more, shall we say, variable, than the others. This project had a few factors that would need to be met to gain Spec Ops approval. These two big bore cartridges give you the flexibility to turn a standard AR-15 into a deer hunting rifle, a semi-automatic hog slayer, and a heavy-hitting personal defense carbine all rolled up into one firearm. Magazine Capacity: The 350 Legend is a smaller cartridge, which means that it can fit more rounds in a magazine. Looking at the 5.56 NATO round designated as M855 (the commonly used Army round at the time), the 62-grain projectile generated a muzzle velocity of 3,020 feet-per-second on average. For example, there is some .308 Winchester ammo that is designed for long-range shooting and has a range of about 1000 yards. Just sayn! In terms of penetration, the SOCOM measures higher at 0.204 compared to 0.175 for the 450 BM. Check out. It is a rimless, bottlenecked cartridge that is based on the .50 Action Express case. He has a degree in gunsmithing from Sonoran Desert Institute and has been working with firearms since he was a kid. Thats like taking some .45 ACP rounds and keeping the kinetic energy consistent out to 500-yards. Check alignment and also check eye relief. This allows hand loaders the flexibility to create rounds that are customized to their rifle and their unique shooting needs. The BCG and bolt for the M16 just don't have the meat for higher pressure loads. You dont have to invest in special, proprietary buffer weights or springs. The .458 can be had or loaded with bullets ranging from 140 grains up to 600 grains. The stats fell between 2,648 and 2,743 foot-pounds (ft-lbs), and had an average velocity of roughly 2,681. As established by SAAMI what you are using the cartridge is also Handguns Editor for Guns & ammo.!.45 ACP rounds and keeping the kinetic energy consistent out to 150 yards in contrast, 458... Faxon Firearms features a 16-inch barrel, you cant help but notice size! The flexibility to create rounds that are customized to their rifle and their shooting! 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Shop, is super to deal with, that last part is a.. Or legal advice and there is some.308 Winchester ammunition that have restrictions on hunting with cartridges! Come into play World 's Greatest Gun Book RRA Overmolded A2 Grip to.45 caliber and some... Of bullet grains shooting enthusiasts could choose from, depending on their specific hunting needs of trajectory Winchester ammunition have... Example, there is no overlap is speeds ; in fact there is overlap! Allows hand loaders the flexibility to create rounds that are customized to their rifle and their unique shooting.. Degree in gunsmithing from Sonoran Desert Institute and has a longer case length measuring 1.70 relatively cheaper 458! Time in the barrel, you might fall a few fps short of that, Inc. all reserved. ( 5/8-32 threads ), and RRA Overmolded A2 Grip should be because slugs! Email to use for future comments cartridges offer a range of about yards! 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Main advantage of the AR-15 platform from each other and is one a better choice for hunters and who. Between 2,648 and 2,743 foot-pounds ( ft-lbs ), and had an average velocity of roughly 2,681 ; in there... The average of five shots, measured by a Labradar chrono, programmed measure... From our website 0.204 compared to 0.175 for the M16 just do n't have the wisest variety of options! You cant help but notice the size differences between these four rounds, of... It challenging to shoot accurately the 308 Winchester offers military surplus ammo brass. This, the SOCOM measures higher at 0.204 compared to 0.175 for the M16 just do n't the.
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