Who's shot a rifle chambered for the .50 BMG?

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There seems to be quite a lot of .50 BMG experience here.



I'm surprised to read your comment re the .50 BMG accuracy limitations. I wouldn't want to own any rifle that's not capable of sub moa performance with handloaded ammunition out to the effective range of the projectile. I haven't done much in the way of research into the .50 BMG and handloading, but large caliber bullets are typically very stable and capable of excellent accuracy. I like Accuracy International rifles and an AX50 or AW50 would complete my collection. I'll contact Zak to get his thoughts on his AW50.

i'd expect the AW50 to be a lot better than barrett or serbu or any of the novelty guns. the EDM windrunner is supposedly fairly accurate.

on the positive side, it's a lot easier to get 3 holes touching with .5" dia holes than .243" haha
 
The glamour has worn off the 50 for me. I only own half the rifle as I alone could not afford the whole thing. MY son in law and I went halfies on it. I started reloading for it and spent more than I will admit on supplies, tools, ammo.
I have more ammo loaded than I will ever shoot and more bullets than will ever send downrange..
One big drawback is the lack of shooting space in Michigan. Right now I can shoot at a buddies farm about 30 miles away or go to an NRA range which is safer, but still 30 miles away.
I always let everyone shoot it for free. That fulfills most people's dreams of shooting one without the cash outlay of buying one.
I am proud of my skills at 100 yards with the rifle, but my old eyes are not so good at longer ranges.
I suggest you buy one if you really want one even though you might tire of it later on. YOU only go round once in life so live it the way you want.
 
Does MA 2 count? Or the sight in .50 that's mounted on the 106 mm Recoilless Rifle? Done those two, but never a shoulder fired. .50.
 
I built one using a Walther chambered barrel blank, 4130, 4140, 8620 and Ti, from Maddi Griffin plans. It doesn’t recoil as bad as my 45-70 with “marlin” loads but no one has ever volunteered to shoot it without the brake and it’s very heavy.

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The only thing I have found it good for, other than putting smiles on faces, is blowing holes in 1 inch plate steel.

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Accuracy wise I've not been able to hit engine blocks stood on end with the first shot at 1200yrds but since getting the scope repaired I usually can do it within 3 shots.
We had a veterans get together and I let everyone that wanted to shoot it and keep the brass, it was a hit but so was the Garand and 8mm Mauser, another hit was a O/U shooting clays and those are cheaper to purchase and shoot than the 50.
 
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jmorris said:
I built one using a Walther chambered barrel blank, 4130, 4140, 8620 and Ti, from Maddi Griffin plans. It doesn’t recoil as bad as my 45-70 with “marlin” loads but no one has ever volunteered to shoot it without the brake and it’s very heavy.

What's the 4lb hammer for, and no budget for a trigger guard? :D
 
The glamour has worn off the 50 for me. I only own half the rifle as I alone could not afford the whole thing. MY son in law and I went halfies on it.

Oh I gots to know, so does the gun stay at your house or his??? Or do one of you get the bolt & scope and other get the body to keep at home.. Have tried to buy guns with friends or family using a Tontine trust. But its never happens.
They will not let me keep the gun (Safely I may add) at my house. I do not think they trust me... :)
 
Indy, I have it at my house now. It goes back and forth. When I kick the bucket, it belongs to him. Ya can't take it with you, but where I'm going I will probably need a gun. :)
I'm still going to be buried with my Hi-Point 995 and have requested a 1/2 barrel of beer for my funeral services, just to make sure someone shows up.
 
another had one, sold it. pretty unless you have a dedicated long range that allows it. I would say you need at least 600 yards to realize any ballistic advantage it offers. bob
 
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Another M2 shooter here. A lot of fun when uncle sam is footing the bill.

Really liked shooting it off the ring mount on the M113. Shooting it from the TC position on an M1 Abrams was always awkward
 
I have a BOHICA with a ~30" barrel sitting in the safe, that I picked up with a couple hundred rounds of ball ammo for $800. Haven't shot it yet, but at the time figured, I'll never have the opportunity to have a .50BMG anything for that price, and it's not like i'm going to be doing mag dumps with something that costs between $3 and $8 a round to shoot. :D
 
What's the 4lb hammer for, and no budget for a trigger guard? :D

To try and drive stakes into the ground to keep the 3 ft x 3 ft x 1 in thick steel plate from flopping around with every shot.

Never did do a trigger guard, but intended it to be a 1/2” thick 1/8” strip of metal. Having folks “bit” by contender trigger guards made me forget about it though (some have wanted to shoot hogs with it but none have wanted to carryit). It’s a single shot and the only way to ensure you have last time shooters is to make the first time hurt. Also why no one starts with the 50 BMG.
 
To try and drive stakes into the ground to keep the 3 ft x 3 ft x 1 in thick steel plate from flopping around with every shot.

Never did do a trigger guard, but intended it to be a 1/2” thick 1/8” strip of metal. Having folks “bit” by contender trigger guards made me forget about it though (some have wanted to shoot hogs with it but none have wanted to carryit). It’s a single shot and the only way to ensure you have last time shooters is to make the first time hurt. Also why no one starts with the 50 BMG.
I wonder what a soft point 500gr bullet driven at max would do to a porker......
I'd lug that thing to see that......
 
Ive shot a few Barrett's... The biggest detractor for me is ranges that will let you use them are few and far between.
 
Picked up a Barrett m99 earlier this year.
I've shot it 24x so far.

Already had about 500 rounds of m33 ball and a couple hundred rounds of API as well.
It's enough for a lifetime at the rate I go through It, and I've picked up about another various 40 rounds at shows as well.
 
Why do people talk about "need?" If you want one...buy one...most of my firearms does not involve the need factor. What other firearms are you getting AP/API/APIT? The answer is none, so why wouldn't you want a 50BMG is a better question.

I have a Lee 50BMG reloading kit, but I haven't started reloading for 50BMG.

Around me, many gun clubs won't allow 50BMG due to API/APIT ammo. I have access to private land to shoot, so it's not an issue for me.
 
Its not about need so much as it is about cost/benefit and opportunity cost. If I had unlimited money and time on my hands, I'd definitely have a .50 BMG, even if I didn't shoot it very much. As it is, with limited cash, small kids, investment goals, etc. disposable income is not unlimited, and while I enjoyed shooting .50 on someone else's dime, there are many, many other things I'd rather buy than a .50 rifle and ammo at $4 a pop. Personally I enjoy long range shooting, I'd much rather spend the money on something like an AIAX (I realize the OP already has a few) with a Razor 2 or S&B on top than a Barrett. I already take a pedestrian 6.5 to 1,000 yds regularly, if I wanted to shoot further I'd pick something like .300 PRC or .338 Lap long before a .50 that's not likely to provide anything extra other than destroyed target plates and huge concussion on the shooting line. I'd even buy something relatively useless like a transferable M11 before I spent the same money on a .50 because the fun per dollar and fun per minute spent is higher.

Basically, shooting .50s is fun, but it's not the most fun shooting related activity I can do with the same time/money, and the opportunity cost for getting into .50 shooting is relatively high. If money is no object and one has plenty of time to spare, I can't think of a reason not to get one.
 
Up to this point I haven't looked into the cost of reloading for the .50 BMG, but a quick search has given me a better idea of how much it might cost to shoot a quality "match" handload. Assuming the following components and omitting shipping charges...

750gr Barns TAC-LR BT bullet
Lapua .50 BMG new brass
225gr VV 24N41 powder
CCI No.35 primer

… and assuming five loads per piece of brass, here's an approximate average cost per shot.

50 rounds > $8.08
100 rounds > $5.43
150 rounds > $4.54
200 rounds > $4.10
250 rounds > $3.84
.
.
500 rounds > $3.31 (assuming 10 loads per piece of brass)

That would be about $960 to shoot 250 rounds. I don't know how many reloads are possible with a shoulder bump and neck anneal along with a good chamber, but if 10 are possible the average cost per shot drops to $3.31 with a total ammo cost of $1,653 and change. By the 4th loading the bullet is the most expensive component so a cheaper bullet would help to lower the cost. Powder Valley sells primed Winchester .50 BMG brass that is considerably cheaper than Lapua. Maybe that would be a good choice when "friends" come over to shoot!

The only .50 BMG I'd be interested in buying is either the AW50 or AX50 which are not cheap, but it sure would be fun to have one. I don't plan on buying a .50 BMG anytime soon, but it's always good to have some idea of what's involved. I've been reloading for a .338 Lapua Mag for 8 years or so and it's a lot cheaper to shoot.

Given the cost of handloads, it would be better to get a load worked up in as few rounds as possible. :D
 
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I wonder what a soft point 500gr bullet driven at max would do to a porker......
I'd lug that thing to see that......

A 750gr A-Max will remove the intestines when fired from front side shoulder to off side hip. Pigs are tough though and that 150 lb sow still covered a lot of ground before her intestines got tangled in a thorn bush.
 
I shot a single round through some guys match gun.

Bunch of us were on the 200 yard range in Raton NM, some guys pulls up in a Caddy version of the Suburban and pulls out this 50 cal rifle.

He was there testing handloads, got his testing done and noticed we had all gathered around to watch/experience " the 50".

He turns around and asks if any of us wanted to shoot it.....funniest thing I have seen, a bunch of grown men raising their hands and doing what looks like a pee pee dance at the chance to shoot a 50.

I shoot lefty and it was all linds of set up for right, so I used my right shoulder and fired it with my left ( gun was on bags as I recall ) recoil felt to me like a heavy 12 guage.
 
Just wanted to point out that the spotter gun on the 106 recoilless was not a .50BMG, round was shorter at the shoulder and to the best of my knowledge only ever used in that gun.

Yeah M2HB Ma Deuce was fun. if you ever got the chance to shoot it as a "single shot" you could certainly see the potential for sniping with it.
from a ground mount with the T&E mechanism attached you could get down right scary with it to way out yonder. Shooting it from an M113 was fun but for real Heavy Machine gun goodness sitting on the roof of a Sheridan Armored recon vehicle with your heels in front of the hatch….as long as Uncle Sugar is paying for the ammo.

I believe the commercial .50 BMG I shot was an Armalite single shot and it was brisk.... but so is shooting 12 gauge slugs from the prone. These days I would be concerned that Social Security benefits might not be enough to re attach a retina...….

-kBob
 
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