Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Your thoughts on owning a 50 BMG?

I dont know if this is the correct forum for a theoretical question
I have a chance to make a good not great but good deal on a 50 BMG
On one hand I think how cool something unique and maybe not always available.Just kinda cool

on the other are you nuts? what are you going to do with it? A production any time you want to take it out storage

Any thoughts?
Hank

IMO, the .50 is like grandchildren...........lots of fun to play with, but also nice to send home with the rightful owner when you're done playing.

Very expensive to shoot and at all reasonable distances, you can achieve the same end (hitting paper or steel) with much more practical rounds, minus the more impressive whack on steel.

I've shot them. Can't say as I'd ever own one. Just not my bag.

I think that every home in America should have a paperless Barret model 82 semi auto 50BMG, but that is another topic for another forum....

Yeah, lots of fun, but useful? Can't pin that one on them. 338 Lapua would be a fun dual purpose toy gun.

I owned an Armalite AR-50 for about 3 years. I got a loading outfit for it and laid in a lifetime supply of components. I played with it a bit and had some fun. It was very accurate and always drew a crowd when I took it to the range. I let many people shoot it and there were lots of giggles.

One day I looked at it in the safe and realized I hadn't fired it for a year, because at ranges under 300 yards it didn't do anything on targets that a .270 would not do, and it was difficult to find places to shoot it at longer ranges. It was a major production number to haul it and all of the associated gear to the range.

Also, all that tracer, API and Spotter Tracer ammo I had loaded could only be fired in the winter or during a driving rainstorm, because I didn't want to start a forest fire.

On a covered firing range, even with both plugs and muffs on, it was LOUD, due to the clamshell muzzle brake, and I was afraid I was going to damage my already poor hearing.

Luckily I found someone who was interested in it and bought the whole outfit from me for what I paid for it.

.50's are alot of fun but not very practical. If I had never owned one, I'd want one. But I don't want another.

Sure means lots of $ for every "bang".

+1. A guy was shooting a 50 BMG at my range from a prone position behind a cement wall. With the clamshell muzzle brake it was loud as h*ll, and you could feel the concussion - through the wall! - on every shot.

Pretty badass, but for everyone else shooting that day it was pretty annoying.

________________
Eric

In my opinion it's kind of over the top unless you have a convenient place to shoot to 2000+ yards.

Expensive to buy, and shoot. Sort of like a trophy wife or girlfriend. High maintenance, but everyone will wish it was theirs (at least for a day.....grin).

. . . . . . as long as someone else is paying the bills.

The nice thing about a 50 BMG is that it makes the .375 H&H Magnum seem pretty mild.
You could do a lot of damage with 300 gr Sierra boattails if you were in that frame of mind.
whelennut

boat boy,
If you can afford it, buy it. You will have fun with it and can always sell it later when you develop a flinch or get tired of the muzzle blast.

Too f***ing expensive to shoot. 338Edge or 338Lapua, or Lapua-AI will take you just as far (1500 no sweat, 2000 not hard), and costs a third to shoot, plus weighs half. Now if you need to stop cars in their tracks, or shoot someone on the other side of a steel barrier, then yes, go with the Fifty.

Thanks for all the input. I like to have something few people have and as they say on storage wars the "Wow factor"
I agree that its a production and just seems like more of a pain than its worth. Here on one hand I bought a Kimber 1911
pro-carry in 9MM to save money over always shooting 45 and than this?? This will also take me out of the game when A nice #1 pops up or a 3rd gen S&W shows up that I need.

But you have to love my daughter a few weeks ago we were at Jays Sporting Good Clare MI and she seen one did some research and said "WE GOTTA HAVE ONE" so a few weeks later I find this one and send her a pic. She calls me the next day and said HONESTLY
Dad you know I just got that scholorship and I said yes. Well we dont have that much to pay next semister that will cover a chunk of the 50. I love that kid
She is in he second year at Ferris State U and just earned an academic scholorship. Maybe the apple does fall far from the tree!

Hank

I just shot my friends Barret 82 Wednesday and it had such severe muzzle blast that my friend could not tell whether I was hitting the 400 yd. gong or not because he was flinching from the blast and wasn't even shooting it. I think I was closing my eyes at each shot and that is something I never do unless I am shooting a fifty caliber. It is like shooting a 10 gauge magnum with goose loads only worse. JMO The trigger is not what I would want for a long range rifle either.
whelennut

If you can afford it BUY IT!!!

Your daughter does have her head in the right place. She's already learned the "I saved money on this, so now I can spend it on a gun I don't need" mentallity. A true rifle looney.

It's kinda a personal thing. Personally I have almost no desire for one, but if the oppertunity came up to get something really cool or a really good deal, I'd buy it. Probably sell it quickly and shoot it little, but that's me.

Enjoy it, if it becomes too much or you don't like it anymore, sell it.

Do you personally own a place to shoot it? Even when I lived in TX where a range might have a 600 yard berm they wouldn't allow .50's because they said it tore up the berm too quickly.

Another range you could shoot out to 1,200 yards but you had to qualify to shoot out there because they had issues with people who were trying to shoot out that far missing the backstop.

Just something to think about. Of course if you are going to be shooting at less than a 1,000 yards probably not an issue - but then again it really will lose it's appeal if you aren't.

A friend of mine owns a Barrett 82. He has only shot it a few times. Like others have said, the concussion from the brake will rattle your teeth and everyone around you. There really is not a good place for him to shoot it. Also, the Barrett is minute of car at 1,000 yards. It's primary purpose is to take out vehicles. If you live in wide open spaces and had an old junker car to shoot, it would be a blast.

Very expensive to shoot. Far too heavy and cumbersome to lug around for any stalk hunting (unless the game comes closer to you). But you do have to get it there first.

Saw on TV a hunting show about 3-4 years ago, where a 50 BMG took out a bison at about 900-1000 yards or so. They just set it up on a ridge and waited. Grab the lounge chairs, some refreshments and set up the spotter.

But it does make for a great conversation piece when at the range and it`ll draw spectators over by your bench station as I`ve seen a few at the range and that`s what usually happens.

Other than for a collection, a conversation piece or for an ego boost, there is no practicality for a BMG.

Unless you have a private range there is no place around here that'll let you shoot it.

Terry

.....Well that`s true. Gotta have some place to take it.

The concussion is amazing. Mine does not have a clamshell style brake, it is more like a vias with holes in every direction. I shot it in my shooting room and it burst the florescent bulbs. Looked like it was raining glass. They are a hoot to shoot if yo have plenty of room.

Range near me lets me shoot my M82 Barrett. I hate ranges though, only went there to sight it in due to a new scope. Normally I shoot it at a MINIMUM of 600 yards. Also like to shoot at a rock mountain 1.5 miles distant, and watch the incendiaries explode. Now THAT is a hoot!! You can see the huge fireball and hear it hit a few seconds later. If I wasn't able to shoot it in wide open spaces on BLM desert land here in AZ, I probably wouldn't own it.

And BTW: If you're not loading match quality ammo, one can reload the .50 for about $1.10/round. Found a place that has pulled military bullets for 40 cents each, primers are about .25 cents, and for powder, WC872 or WC867 ball powder (new) is $50 for 8 pounds at Wideners (online); about 220-230 grains = about 30 loads per pound times 8 pounds = 240 rounds for $50 = about 25 cents a load. All this adds up to $1.10 per shot + my time. Not too bad when you consider that some premium bullets for lesser calibers are $1.10 each!

How many brush fires have you started with the incendiaries?

Zero.

Correction to my earlier post....Wideners just lowered the price today on an 8 pound keg of new ball powder to $39.99...so figure right at $1.00 a shot for .50 BMG!! Try that with your 338 Lapua or 416 Barrett!!

The .50 is a lot of fun. I've always enjoyed shooting .50's that belonged to other people, or to Uncle Sam.

Thought about buying one for maybe 30 seconds and decided it wasn't for me. Just don't have a practical use for it. I'm stretching things enough owning a .375 that I really don't need.

If you want it for fun, buy it. They are tremendous fun to shoot. All your shooting buddies will enjoy playing with your big .50 rifle...

I would get a long range .338 magnum custom. Like a 338 ultra,338 Lapua,338 edge,338-378 much more useful and extremely effective.

Since when was having a practical reason a requirement? That blast and concussion is the sound of Freedom!

"I think that every home in America should have a paperless Barret model 82 semi auto 50BMG, but that is another topic for another forum...." - Bingo!

One of the Canadian snipers in Afghanistan compared it (as any Canadian would) with "being cross-checked" - in the neck - from behind - while you are trying to concentrate.

I loved that description.

Seriously, if you asked a bunch of people that don't own a Lamborghini whether or not you should own one, then you are going to get a bunch of responses that explain why they don't. Go ask a bunch of people that own one.

If you have a place to shoot it and the money to feed it, give it a try. Nice 50s are easy to motor when you are done when shopped in the right places.

Boatboy, I own a barrette m107 50 with lupy and the boors. Ihave a place to shoot out to 1200 yards.....it's a blast...like any gun setup and cleaning are nessary....if you can afford it buy it ...I would only buy a barrette...just because it will hold it's value.....my next is going to be an m 82 in 416 ........

Buy one

The only .50 that would interest me would be a "Ma Deuce" belt fed! And yes, I would love to own one!

Since when does every toy need to make sense? If it did, Chevrolet would never have sold their first Corvette.

Buy it, have fun. If you don't keep it forever, sell it. Its all about the experience.

So, with that mindset, I just got my first .50 BMG. It arrives shortly. Can't wait. Fortunately, my property in PA has a few spots where I can shoot 1 mile +.

Does it make sense? Only in MY mind.

Remember, the man who dies with the most toys WINS!!!!!!! (or at least he had a little fun along the way)

:-)

To anybody that knows, I need to put a scope on my new .50 BMG. Given I don't know if I will even keep this thing, I want to start out a little "lean" with the costs. Question is, is there an inexpensive scope that I can use as a starter? Also, I will be shooting at ranges close to a mile away with this thing. What magnification do I need? Should it be a variable or are they more prone to problems with this sort of recoil?

Thanks. Learning here.

I have on my M82 Barrett a Super Sniper scope. I had the 10x first, then went to a 20x. I think I prefer the 10x actually. They also make a 16x, I may try that one. These scopes are well made for the $300-350 that they cost. For what I use my 50 for, this is all the scope I'll ever need (I'm not playing ninja sniper or anything like that). Here's the website where to buy them: http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-Rifle-Scopes-C187.aspx

And besides we still got Dictators out need shootin'!

i double that