My 50 AE

[TaosGlock]

Desert Eagle..what a shooter too! These are accurate and powerful. Easy to handload as well. 10mm round and bullet shown for comparison.
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/590/50aeim1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Baldy]

Good looking pistol for sure. Good luck with it.

[TaosGlock]

Thanks! May take it bear hunting this fall.:)

[JohndeFresno]

Taos Glock,
How does that monster recoil compared with, say, a .44 Mag loaded up with 300 gr hog killers? I am curious if the semi-auto mechanism, grip and compensator help to tame the monster, or if you must use shooting gloves and limit your daily practice to keep from getting the shakes (or needing a bag of ice at the end of the day!

:confused: Is this a 50 shot-a-week piece or something you can fire steadily?

[versifier]

Welcome John,
I don't know about the .50AE, but the .44Mag DE is a pussycat to shoot, like a Kframe revolver with target loads - the recoil impulse is longer, but the weight of the whole pistol and the gas operation took all the unpleasantness out of shooting it. A recent session with a compensated .500 S&W revolver was surprisingly pleasant - much less abusive than a M29 of the same size. Not one to jump on a bandwagon without a lot of thought and experience, I am thinking that .50cal handguns may really be practical hunting rigs for Elk, Moose, and big Bears. I think they're still way overkill for deer, and the (relatively) flatter trajectory of the .44 gives you a greater practical range for deer.

[JohndeFresno]

Thanks for the welcome, Versifier!

I do indeed enjoy the benefits of a modernized large caliber handgun. My first introduction to the .44 Mag, having been a handgun and rifle shooter for several years, was the Ruger Blackhawk with some very stiff handloads. I was told that it rolled in the hand and relieved some of the recoil, as opposed to the classic Smith "Dirty Harry" handgun. But I found it to be "interesting."

I eventually purchased my beloved Taurus Stainless 6" wheelgun that tames the magnum loads with its advanced design rubber handgrips, adequate weight and compensator. I can shoot the stiffest factory 300 gr. loads for extended periods of time without problems. In fact, shooting standard 240 grain loads, I don't really feel much difference between that and my .45 ACP model 1911 Series 70. I can run through several boxes without worrying about the ol' wrist bones.

On the other hand, I don't push the handgun's limits or overload past recommended specs, since this is not the "Raging Bull" model, and if I feel the need for more power, I will probably look into purchasing a .454 Casull or similar monster that takes more moderate loads for normal use, such as target practice or dispatching pesky crows :) (just kiddin').

But I like the thought of a portable handcannon that is lighter and smaller than the huge super Rugers and their ilk, like the 50 AE. Should I ever be fortunate enough to go hunting for truly large game, it would be nice to be able to carry a hand mortar without dragging it behind me on wheels!

The other handgun that intrigues me of late is the .460 Rowland, which (as you probably know) is a drop-in barrel and spring assembly for a standard (high quality) 1911 type frame - for .44 mag punch and almost 9mm recoil. I fired one, recently, and was absolutely amazed. It was awfully loud, but didn't buck much, making quick repeat shots feasible.

I guess I'm still looking for something that is mid-power, accurate, and that doesn't shake the handgun's screws loose, like a .45 or larger caliber that has a little more energy than the good ol' .45 Long Colt - that is portable, weighing not much more than a 1911. There are hundreds of wildcats out there, but I'm looking for something that is off the shelf and affordable (which, of course, the Desert Eagle ain't). I've seen some excellent Clark handguns (and others) of various exotic large bore calibers, but the $1,500 variety of handguns is just too steep for this humble farm boy.

[versifier]

Then maybe you ought to look at a single shot. An Encore, a Contender, or one of the rotary breech pistols will do what you want, accurately, without breaking the bank. I wouldn't want to be toting a DE around all day, but a single shot will do the trick. Though I might think twice for dangerous game, we don't have grizzlies, browns, or polar bears in New England.

[Tom W.]

Looks nice! How far does that thing fling brass?

[TaosGlock]

Thanks JohndeFresno for reminding me I need to check in more often!

Recoil from the 50 AE is less than my Redhawk loaded with 300 gr. XTP's loaded w. 21 grains of H110 at 1350 fps. The DE gun weighs more and the semi-auto action helps tame recoil. Still, 20 rounds is enough for me. My wife is holding the DE in her hand and is about ready to fire a couple. Note the massive gun and tremendous bolt that looks more like an M1A or AR15. This is a serious gun and well built.
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/9043/gill50ae2kk0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

My wife, who shoots a lot, shot it 3 times but that was enough for her. I have an extra barrel I swap out in the Desert Eagle in 44 mag too. Recoil is about like a 357 magnum. Even newbies can have fun shooting the DE. The pic below shows the location of the ejected brass from the 44 load/barrel combo. Note the heavy DE is allready down and ready to go "bang" again. This is where we shoot in Taos, NM.
The view is towards 13,068' Wheeler Pk, NM's highest. Elevation here is 7200'
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/1364/gill50aeys5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

But remember, recoil is subjective. Get a bunch of us together and opinions will vary on what constitutes monster recoil.

The 50 AE would be a real hog smasher. It has been used by one hunter in Africa with a 325 Speer HP to take an Eland.

The 335 grain plated Raniers at 1340 fps or so will actually look like a perfectly mushroomed bullet when fired into the very fine sand dunes we have down here on the border.:confused: Speer 325 gr. HP at 1440 fps. fired into the same media look like classic mushrooms and are tough enough to actually stay together.

I posted the load data over in the Pistol reloading section for each of these bullets.
Below is the 335 gr. Ranier plated bullet before and after the sand dune tests:
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8695/50aeplatedja0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

It flings brass about 10 feet straight over my head...just missing my scalp.

What is interesting and annoying is that the DE's fixed sights shoot about 7-8" high at 25 yards. They are pretty close to right on at the 300M Ram. IIRC, I don't have to milk the front sight much at all. It does have a scope for hunting purposes though..as you can imagine.
Regards,
TG

[JohndeFresno]

Great posts! Forget about the AutoMag .44 - I gotta get me one of these .50 caliber Desert Beagles!