The 50 Action Express (50 AE) and 50 Beowulf are two centerfire rounds that are known for their massive size, bone crushing kinetic energy, and extremely high recoil.
Although the 50 AE is the parent case for the 50 Beowulf, each round was designed with different goals in mind. The 50 Beowulf (or 50 Beo for short) was developed as a rifle cartridge to enhance the stopping power of the AR-15 carbine while the 50 AE is the classic chambering for the Desert Eagle handgun.
Although these two cartridges are extremely similar, there are some key differences to consider when deciding on purchasing one of these heavy hitting self-defense rounds.
In this article, we will evaluate the 50 Beowulf vs. 50 AE to help you understand the differences between the two and give you a clearer idea of which cartridge is better for your shooting needs.
What is the difference between 50 Beowulf and 50 AE?
The obvious difference between 50 Beowulf and 50 AE is that the 50 Beowulf has a slightly longer case length than the 50 AE. Furthermore, the 50 Beowulf was designed to be used in a standard AR-15 and is considered a rifle cartridge, while the 50 AE was conceived as a handgun cartridge.
Cartridge Specs
When evaluating centerfire cartridges, it’s a good idea to analyze their specs to gain more knowledge of both.
The 50 Action Express (50 AE) was developed in 1988 by Evan Whildin, then vice president of Action Arms, Ltd. The goal of the cartridge was to dramatically increase the power level of semi-auto handguns. It now serves as the primary chambering for the Magnum Research Desert Eagle. The 50 AE is a unique design without a parent case.
In contrast, the 50 Beowulf round was developed to increase the ballistics of the standard AR-15. Designed by Alexander Arms in 2001, not much is known about the genesis of the 50 Beowulf as Bill Alexander is known for keeping company matters a closely guarded secret.
The Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf was developed using an elongated 50 AE as the parent case.
The 50 Beo was the first cartridge known as a “thumper round,” designed to take down big game with a single shot per specs laid out by American shooting legend Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper.
To read more about big bore AR thumper rounds, check out this article: 450 Bushmaster vs 458 SOCOM vs 50 Beowulf.
One major similarity between the two cartridges is that they fire diameter 0.50” bullets. This means both rounds are capable of firing extremely heavy bullets.
The 50 Beowulf cartridge typically fires bullets weighing between 200 and 600 grains, with 335, 350 and 400 grain bullets being the most common. In contrast, the 50 AE can fire loads between 230 and 380 grains, with the 300 and 325 grain bullets being the most popular.
Both rounds utilize a straight-wall case design (with a slight taper to increase feeding reliability). A straight-walled case is necessary for deer hunting in Midwestern states like Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan.
Both rounds have a rebated rim design, meaning their rims are narrower than their bases. The Beowulf has a 0.447” diameter rim (which is the same as another round made by Alexander Arms: the 6.5 Grendel). In contrast, the 50 AE has the same rim diameter as the 44 Remington Magnum at 0.514”.
One major difference between these rounds is their case lengths (and by extension their overall lengths). During development of the 50 Beo, Bill Alexander elongated the 50 AE case to meet his ballistic specifications. As such, the 50 Beowulf measures nearly half an inch longer than the 50 AE at 1.65” and 1.285”, respectively. Overall length follows the same trend with the 50 Beowulf being longer at 2.25”, compared to 1.61” for 50 AE.
The longer case length of the 50 Beowulf allows it to hold a considerable advantage over the 50 AE in terms of case capacity. The Beowulf can pack in nearly 65.8 grains of propellant, compared to 47.2 grains for the Action Express.
The final difference between these cartridges is their maximum chamber pressures. The 50 AE is rated to handle 36,000 psi per SAAMI specs; however, the 50 Beowulf is not a certified cartridge. As the “50 Beowulf” name is trademarked by Alexander Arms, SAAMI avoids potential trademark litigation by abstaining from certifying the cartridge.
To squirm around this potential legal issue, some ammo manufacturers brand their 50 Beowulf ammo by its metric designation: 12.7x42mm.
Recoil
Recoil is an important consideration when purchasing a new rifle, as a round with heavy recoil will be more difficult to control and will slow your rate of follow-up shots.
Free recoil is determined by muzzle velocity (fps), propellant weight, bullet weight, and firearm weight.
It will be impossible to provide a pure “apples to apples” comparison of both rounds, as the 50 AE is fired from a handgun while the 50 Beo is fired from a heavier AR-15 carbine. For this comparison we will consider the test firearm for the Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf Tactical AR-15 (9 pounds). The 50 AE firearm will be a Magnum Research Desert Eagle (4.8 pounds).
The rounds to be compared will be the Underwood 350 grain XTP load for 50 Beowulf with a muzzle velocity of 1,775 fps and the 50 AE Underwood Ammo 325 grain bonded jacketed hollow point (JHP) leaving the muzzle at 1,475 fps.
Continue reading 50 Beowulf vs. 50 AE: Extreme Semi-Auto Stopping Power on Ammo.com