User:Hubel458/.700 Hubel Express

The .700 Hubel Express is the name of multiple variations of a big-bore hunting cartridge. These cartridges are also known as 700HE, .700 Hubel Express 3.25, .700 Hubel Express Long, and .700HE 3.25. The cartridges were designed in the late 90s and early 2000s. The first test barrel in a weighted fixture was setup in 2006. The first test gun was setup in 2007. The case is based on .50 BMG brass cases, with a belt added for headspacing, and the cases have straight sides and a large case capacity.

Case design
A slight belt step is started on the .50 BMG case, then the case is sized. This makes belt and base of case at the right size. Then top of the case is annealed, and expanded by fire forming, or expanders in a large reloading press. The newly formed case still works with the standard BMG shell holder. Reloading presses that work with 50cal BMG works with all these cases.

700HE
The "Long" cartridge is 3.87 in long and is designed to fit .50 BMG sized actions. "Hubel Cartridges". The International Ammunition Journal 470: 10–11. Also large break actions, and large falling block actions. The rim for the 700HE is .790 in.

The 700HE has a hunting and target load using a 1000 gr bullet. Another bullet weight used is 1125 gr. The regular loads are most useful for target and hunting use. Rifles for the 700HE round have the most manageable recoil when weighing 18 - 22 lb, with a super thick pad. This gives recoil similar to the 700H 325 in a 13 - 17 lb rifle, about 8 times a .308. As with other calibers that have strong recoil, a muzzle brake or porting can moderate recoil.

700H 325
The 700H 3.25  is a shortened 3.25 in version  that will fit Montana Rifle Company "Professional Hunter" action, large break actions, large falling block actions, the large, strong Savage 210 bolt action. The rim on the 700H 3.25 is rebated to .770 in and the belt is .790 in. It uses a BMG shellholder for reloading. Dies are made by CH4D, Reamers made by Manson reamers. In bolt actions being used(not the big BMG ones), the 700H 3.25 being shorter than the 700HE makes it possible to set it up to feed from magazines.See picture of case feeding below.

The 700H 325 has a hunting and target load using a 1000 gr bullet. Another hunting and target load uses a 825 gr lighter, more streamlined bullet. Recoil with 700H 3.25 in light rifles (12 lb or less) is heavy, at approximately 10 times that of traditional rounds such as the .308 Winchester. Heavier guns of 14 - 17 lb with thickest recoil pads help moderate the recoil, making it about 8 times as much as the .308.

Hunting
These cartridges are suitable for hunting dangerous game, and as stopping cartridges with heavier constructed full jacket bullets, like or similar to A-Square Monolith going on to the soft bullets like or similar to A-Square soft Lion Load bullets only larger diameter. Due to their good velocities they can make use of pointed bullets to extend their range for lighter game, due to better ballistic coefficient. They also can be set up in bolt actions, with less cost and time compared to traditional, large double rifles.