Finally bought a Deset Eagle .50 AE

[cbmax]

Hi All,

So after accumulating a pretty good collection of handguns I felt that I was in the market for a big bore hand cannon. Biggest caliber in my colection to date is a Ruger Redhawk in .44 Magnum.

I purchased the DE on Saturday along with two boxes of Speer ammuntion in 300 grains and 325 grains.

Today I went out and shot a box of the 300 grain ammo. Recoil was stout but no where near unbearable. The grip is huge but it is not too difficult since you are holding on to the gun with two hands. The biggest issue I had was brass hitting me in the forehead. According to Magnum Research's website this is caused by allowing the gun to torque to the left while shooting. I will continue to work on my grip.

Next I will need to buy some reloading dies because buying factory ammo will cause me to go broke.

I know that lots of people say that this is one of the stupidest guns ever made, but I enjoyed it and it is far from my first purchase. One day I will add a Trijicon RMR red dot sight and take it deer hunting after I hone my skills!

CB

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[Jorg Nysgerrig]

No gold titanium tiger stripe finish? That's a shame.

 

[56hawk]

The manual has a section showing how to hold the gun. I have found that like they suggest a weaver stance with a really tight grip will keep the cases from hitting you. Relax just a little bit and you will get a case to the forehead.

I need to work on my loads a bit more, but it seems like mid range loads of H110 work the best.

 

[Geneseo1911]

Congrats. The Deagle is slowly moving up my list as well.

"...and a Desert Eagle...now that's one great big pistol...I mean 50 caliber...made by...badass Hebrews..."-Ray Wylie Hubbard-Choctaw Bingo

 

[gunnutery]

A while back I was about $200 short of buying a DE in .50ae, and then something went on the fritz and I had to spend the money on that instead (forget what it was exactly).

Have fun.

 

[WC145]

You'll be a hit a the range with that monster! I have an Automag V in .50AE, it's cool to shoot now and then but it's a brute. The 20oz weight difference between the Automag and the DE really makes a difference in felt recoil.

 

[floydster]

I have a DE 50ae, my range has a new rule now on the pistol range, can't shoot anything larger then a .45 ACP, but for the guys with the 45/70 Contenders--no prob, go figure

 

[PabloJ]

You'll be a hit a the range with that monster! I have an Automag V in .50AE, it's cool to shoot now and then but it's a brute. The 20oz weight difference between the Automag and the DE really makes a difference in felt recoil.

i would rather have Automag in factory original calibering as it has good handling characteristics unlike Desert Eagle which is basically big "lead brick".

 

[cbmax]

I kind of like have a "big lead brick" when I'm shooting .50AE!

 

[C0untZer0]

I had to wait 30 minutes at the LDG last week whille 2 guys coon handled a S&W 500 and a DE .50 AE.

I wanted to look at a pink Ruger 10/22 they had in stock, but I had to wait patiently while the clerk answered questions like "Is this the most powerfull gun in the world?" and "Would this like instantly kill someone if they got shot with it?"

There are some people who are fascinated by them and they bring in rental revenue like crazy.

I don't play golf but from talking with golfers, I think shootin is like golf for me. I can spend 4 or 5 hours at the range trying to get that really really tight 5 shot group at 50 feet, or that perfect score, and usually something goes slightly wrong each time and frustrates my efforts. Some days are very frustrating and occasionally I walk away with a target that makes me really happy, and that makes it worthwhile for me.

The people who rent these things aren't interested in applying the disciplines of marksmanship in any pursuit of shooting excellence. They just want to get up there and blast away, and that's OK.

I think every range should have these things to rent because there seems to be a steady supply of people who will pay to fire them.

 

[coalman]

I know that lots of people say that this is one of the stupidest guns ever made, but I enjoyed it and it is far from my first purchase.

I never care what meaningless people say. A hobby is supposed to be fun. If you are happy that's what matters.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Congrats, they're a lot of fun, and a fantastic hunting pistol if that interests you.

I sold mine a couple years back to pay the mortage when I wasn't doing so well, haven't got around to replacing it yet. I will. Still have lots of .50 brass and loaded ammo.

biggest issue I had was brass hitting me in the forehead

Tighten up. Push-pull grip, emphasis on the push. You'll learn how to hold it properly to avoid that. At least until you go awhile without shooting it. Then you'll re-learn after a round or two

And don't tea cup the gun. Pressure on the magazine will induce jams, as it's a floating design.

The DE certainly has it's isms, but it is a very well made, very accurate and very powerful pistol. Despite the glam factor, it really is a very functional tool. It just has limited application (Basically expensive range blaster, silhouette gun or big game pistol)

 

[cbmax]

Hi again,

I am definitely interested in using the pistol for hunting. I will probably start with deer out in IL next season.

I cleaned the pistol again after its first outing. It is very difficult to remove the firing pin stop in order to strip the slide. I couldn't get it out with the 5 in 1 tool provided. I actually had to tap in out very carefully with a brass punch protected with a little masking tape. Took me a little while to figure out how to reassemble the slide. The written instructions leave a little to be desired in my opinion, but with the supplied instructional DVD I finally got. Now that I have the hang of it, cleaning should become much quicker.

I called Magnum Research on the slide stop issue and they told me it should loosen up with use.

I ordered 80 rounds of Hornady 300 grain XTP's at $25 a box of 20. I still have another box of Speers in the house. I am saving the brass until I can buy dies for reloading.

Can't wait to get out to the range again for more practice. I don't have the biggest hands but with a two handed grip I can get to a comfortable place. No tea cupping. I am determined to make the brass fly over / around my head instead of having it whack me in the forehead!

CB

 

[el Godfather]

Great buy.
I have one in 357 with 6" and 12" barrel. If you are a collector then DE is a must have.

 

[readyeddy]

I have one in 44 mag. It's a cream puff to shoot and my most accurate handgun. As for muzzle blast, it can't be any worse than all of those hunting rifles with muzzle brakes.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I am definitely interested in using the pistol for hunting. I will probably start with deer out in IL next season.

Well, if you're up to par, the pistol and cartridge are capable of .30-30 ranges on deer sized critters. Based on ballistics and my own accuracy, I set a 200 yard limit on deer and 150 on Elk for myself.

I never machine rested mine, but with a Burris 1.5-4x and a sandbag, I was able to reliably shoot 2-9/16" 5-shot groups at 100 yards. My handloads were a 325 gr. Speer JHP @ 1,510 FPS MV. At 200 yards, this load still carries more energy than the very hottest .357 magnum loads can produce at the muzzle of a 6" gun. Bullet drop is a major factor, though, just as it is with any slower moving, blunt bullet. With a 100 yard zero, I had an MPBR of 138 yards and had to hold over 20" at 200 (adjusted at 9,000 ft elevation).

I still have a 7.5" .454 Casull, which produces virtually identical ballistics to the hot .50 AE loads I ran. However, it's not nearly as pleasant to fire.

The .50 AE is still tied for 3rd place with the Casull among most powerful commercial handgun rounds; The .500 and .460 S&W eclipse them by quite a margin, though.

 

[gbran]

I am a handgun hunting nut. Took a fellow hog hunting a couple years ago. He dropped a 265 lb hog at about 60yds with his Deagle and a red dot.

 

[Jaymo]

I rented one once and enjoyed shooting it. The recoil was more of a slow roll than a kick.
I'd love to have one, but would need a grip reduction, because it's a bit big for my hands.
I'm a lefty, and every round or two, the slide would lock back. It seems like the slide stop was hitting my trigger finger.
Would make a great hog gun. After all, I shot Hogzilla with a DE, on a video game on my cellphone.

 

[MachIVshooter]

but would need a grip reduction

They are thick, but it's necessary. Unlike a Glock, there's no empty space in a Desert Eagle's grip.

I'm a lefty, and every round or two, the slide would lock back. It seems like the slide stop was hitting my trigger finger.

That's a common problem for Southpaws shooting the eagle. Unfortunately, there's no good way to remedy it besides adjusting your grip down.