Altering a 50 Caliber Bullet Mold Presented by Larry Potterfield | MidwayUSA Reloading

Published on February 7, 2014
Duration: 3:03

This video demonstrates how to modify a Lee Precision .50 caliber bullet mold to cast lighter bullets suitable for the obsolete .50 Remington cartridge. Larry Potterfield explains the process of milling off grease grooves to achieve a 290-grain bullet from a mold originally designed for 450 grains. He also details how to adapt .50-70 Government brass for use in Remington Rolling Block firearms and loads the custom ammunition with black powder.

Quick Summary

To reload for the .50 Remington, modify .50-70 Government brass using a lathe to adjust rim diameter and case length. Additionally, mill a Lee .515-450-F bullet mold by removing grease grooves to cast 290-grain bullets. Load with 20 grains of black powder.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Intro: Remington Rolling Blocks & 50 Remington Cartridge
  2. 00:51Modifying .50-70 Brass for .50 Remington
  3. 01:22Selecting & Modifying a 50 Cal Bullet Mold
  4. 02:06Milling the Bullet Mold
  5. 02:28Casting & Loading 50 Remington Ammunition

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I reload for the obsolete .50 Remington cartridge?

To reload for the .50 Remington, you can modify .50-70 Government brass by turning down the rim and shortening the case length. You'll also need to modify a .50 caliber bullet mold, like the Lee .515-450-F, to cast lighter bullets around 290 grains.

What modifications are needed for a .50 caliber bullet mold for .50 Remington?

For the .50 Remington, standard .50 caliber molds cast bullets that are too heavy. You can modify a mold like the Lee .515-450-F by milling off the bottom two grease grooves to reduce the bullet weight to approximately 290 grains.

How do you make .50 Remington brass cases?

You can create .50 Remington brass by using a lathe to turn down the rim and shorten the overall length of readily available .50-70 Government cases to match the required dimensions.

What is a suitable load for a modified .50 Remington cartridge?

A recommended load for the modified .50 Remington cartridge, using a 290-grain bullet cast from a modified mold, is 20 grains of black powder. Custom dies are recommended for seating the bullets.

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