The .50 Alaskan is a
wildcat cartridge
A wildcat cartridge, often shortened to wildcat, is a custom cartridge for which ammunition and/or firearms are not mass-produced. These cartridges are often created in order to optimize a certain performance characteristic (such as the power, si ...
developed by Harold Johnson and Harold Fuller of the
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula ( Dena'ina: ''Yaghenen'') is a large peninsula jutting from the coast of Southcentral Alaska. The name Kenai (, ) is derived from the word "Kenaitze" or "Kenaitze Indian Tribe", the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan trib ...
of
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U. ...
in the 1950s. Johnson based the cartridge on the
.348 Winchester in order to create a rifle capable of handling the large bears in Alaska.
Design
Harold Johnson necked out the
.348 Winchester case to accept a .510" diameter bullet, and Harold Fuller developed the barrel, marrying a .50 caliber barrel to an old
Winchester Model 1886 rifle.
Harold Johnson made the first 450 Alaskan in 1952, and continued to make them in the 1950s and 60s. The rifle was based on the Winchester Model 71 in .348 caliber. Bill Fuller made the reamers. John Buhmiller made the barrel. Frank Barnes made the bullets. The "50" came later.
Since the rifle was designed for use on Alaska’s great bears, Johnson cut boat-tail
.50 BMG bullets in half, seating the rear half upside down in the fireformed .50-caliber case. It didn’t take Johnson long to find out that the truncated-shaped "solid" would shoot through a big brown bear from any direction, claiming in 1988, "I never recovered a slug from a bear or moose, no matter what angle the animal was shot at."
Performance
Harold’s favorite load in the .50 Alaskan was of IMR-4198 with a Barnes flatnose, jacketed bullet for about and just under of muzzle energy..
The Alaskan is shorter than the
.510 Kodiak Express and produces about 10% less energy or 33% less energy than the 50-110, out of a 71 Winchester re-barreled to chamber the 50-110 WCF 6,000 foot-pounds.
Availability
Rifles for .50 BMF Bullet are available from some specialty gunsmiths and also conversions from
Marlin
Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to deriv ...
and
Winchester
Winchester is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is south-west of Lo ...
lever-action rifles.
Reloading dies are available from
Hornady
Hornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition cartridges, components and handloading equipments, based in Grand Island, Nebraska.
History
The company is currently run by Joyce Hornady's son, Steve Hornady, who took o ...
. Brass is available from Starline Brass. Although it is considered a wildcat cartridge, loaded ammunition is available from Buffalo Bore.
See also
*
Thumper concept
*
List of rifle cartridges
List of rifle cartridges, by primer type, calibre and name.
File:Cartridge Sample 2.jpg, 350px, From left to right: 1 .17 HM2,2 .17 HMR, 2.5 .17 wsm, 3 .22LR, 4 .22 WMR, 5 .17/23 SMc, 6 5mm/35 SMc, 7 .22 Hornet, 8 .223 Remington, 9 .2 ...
*
.458 SOCOM
*
.450 Bushmaster
*
.50 Beowulf
*
12.7×55mm STs-130
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:50 Alaskan
Pistol and rifle cartridges
Wildcat cartridges