That bullet you posted would be illegal in most states for big game hunting.
Yes. I understand that. The point of the picture was to show that there is an affordable, easy to put together cartridge for what the OP specified.
The trick, though, is to find a legal .50 cal bullet that will do a humane job and work at 900 fps.
I am wondering if there is a mold available that would cast a soft lead bullet with enough weight and a high enough BC so that it retains velocity and energy the way that the BMG boattails do,
I wonder about the 600 and 700 grainers that Rick Gibson used to sell for the 500 S&W. They were cast lead. \
Perhaps the suggestion to use a rifle chambered for the 500 Smith along with very heavy lead bullets is an avenue to pursue.
500 grain loads out of a .50 won't do it at 1050 fps, you'll have about 980 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards. .338 or .30 calibers would be the most economical way to do it, but they will lack adequate energy for use on elk. Doesn't mean it won't kill them, just that the OP better be close and hone his tracking skills. Plus I think a bullet made/cast of soft lead will perform better than a jacketed rifle bullet, that is why I suggested a muzzle loader.
When I said 500 grain I was thinking .458 caliber.
at 1050 fps at the muzzle this bullet http://www.hornady.com/store/45-Cal-.458-500-gr-RN/ has 1224 FPE. At 100 yards it has 1060 FPE. At 150 yards it has 1000 FPE.
so it would pass the minimum energy at 100 yards and technically is an expanding bullet through I doubt it would expand at that speed.
That would work! But a bullet that wouldn't expand would be the problem. A non expanding bullet isn't going to result in a quick kill unless it is a CNS shot. Realistically this would only be 100-200 yard shot at the maximum because of what he is attempting to do anything beyond that the performance would be to iffy to try ethically.
But I also agree with the quoted text. A muzzle loader would be a great option. I have a hard time wrapping my brain around a suppressed muzzle loader.
it would have over 1000 ft.lbs remaining at 200 yards and one could be reasonably sure of some expansion/deformation
I was thinking some thing at least 44 caliber. I would like to try some thing not super tacticool. I was think some thing more traditional looking with wood and iron sights.
I like the idea of the 50 Alaskan but I dont think I could put those pointy 50BMG bullets in a tube magazine could I? Is there a Magazine fed 50AK out there? The only ones I have ever seen is Conversions from lever actions. I guess making a single shot would be a pretty simple conversion for a decent gun smith.
I like the Idea of a suppressed lever action. The 45/70 talked about earlier sounds like a fun project. Though I guess a 50AK may prove more effective because of the larger possible bullets.
Lever guns in 50 AK? You bet. Magazine fed...not that I know of.
The 50 AK and its older brother the 450 AK (by Harold Johnson of Cooper's Landing in a Model 71 Winchester) are both lever friendly.
See Wild West Guns in Anchorage for Marlin Guide Gun conversions.
I have been lusting after one of their Alaskan Co-pilot take downs for years.
See:
http://wildwestguns.com/copilot.html
Pete