Looking for advice on a .50 BMG

[SigMatt]

Lots of .50BMG options but the main issue I'd be looking into first is where you will shoot it. There aren't a lot of options out there where you can take advantage of the Light 50's range. It isn't a fun round until you're out around 500 yards and beyond. It is a very expensive way to get a smile at ringing the steel or punching a hole in a target at shorter ranges when cheaper options are available.

A lot of ranges are banning .50BMG. I am down to one range in the area, Quantico, where I could shoot .50BMG at distance. 300 yards and below isn't worth the effort. Other ranges have banned it citing safety issues or actual range excursions.

It's your money and choice. I've wanted a Light 50, either a Barrett single shot (I want to feel feeding those dollar bills into the chamber) or a McMillan Tac-50 (when money is no longer an object), but I've turned away from the caliber in favor of lighter, more palatable options. I'd favor .338 Lapua or .300 Win Mag now for long range power and even then, I'm heading smaller into stuff like 6.5 Creedmoor to give me the excitement of long range performance without the wallet inducing punishment the .50BMG will deliver.

Unless I owned sufficient land to let the .50BMG stretch its legs, I wouldn't bother except to say I had one and bring it out for impressing people with an expensive rifle. And if you're not reloading, you better have deep pockets to keep the gun fed beyond a few token shots when it comes out. Even reloading .50BMG is a seriously expensive proposition. Not a lot of rounds out there where you can empty the powder measure before you can fill the box with loaded ammunition!

 

[j_h_smith]

Lots of .50BMG options but the main issue I'd be looking into first is where you will shoot it. There aren't a lot of options out there where you can take advantage of the Light 50's range. It isn't a fun round until you're out around 500 yards and beyond. It is a very expensive way to get a smile at ringing the steel or punching a hole in a target at shorter ranges when cheaper options are available.

A lot of ranges are banning .50BMG. I am down to one range in the area, Quantico, where I could shoot .50BMG at distance. 300 yards and below isn't worth the effort. Other ranges have banned it citing safety issues or actual range excursions.

It's your money and choice. I've wanted a Light 50, either a Barrett single shot (I want to feel feeding those dollar bills into the chamber) or a McMillan Tac-50 (when money is no longer an object), but I've turned away from the caliber in favor of lighter, more palatable options. I'd favor .338 Lapua or .300 Win Mag now for long range power and even then, I'm heading smaller into stuff like 6.5 Creedmoor to give me the excitement of long range performance without the wallet inducing punishment the .50BMG will deliver.

Unless I owned sufficient land to let the .50BMG stretch its legs, I wouldn't bother except to say I had one and bring it out for impressing people with an expensive rifle. And if you're not reloading, you better have deep pockets to keep the gun fed beyond a few token shots when it comes out. Even reloading .50BMG is a seriously expensive proposition. Not a lot of rounds out there where you can empty the powder measure before you can fill the box with loaded ammunition!

I have not shot my 50bmg at any target longer than 200 yards and I've had a ball shooting it. Giving folks their first shot with a 50 is priceless. To see the smile come on their face before they break the cheek weld on the rifle is great to see.

I've only been able to shoot mine on private property. Ranges don't like this round and I wish they would change their minds. But if not, then it's private property.

Some 338L ammo is just as expensive as 50bmg ammo. I buy PMC Bronze 660gr ammo and I can find it for less than $4 a round. That's not that expensive in the scheme of things. Most will not shoot more than 10-12 rounds. I see no reason to reload for the type of shooting I'm doing. It's not worth it when I can buy 10 rounds for as cheap as $38 when I can find it on sale, not on sale it's only $41 for the same box of 10.

I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to own one. If you shoot it 2-4 times per years, that should be good enough. This isn't the 5.56 round where you can dump 500 rounds downrange every time you take it out.

You are more than welcome to shoot whatever you desire, but once you shoot the 50bmg, you will be hooked.

 

[willtill]

Lots of .50BMG options but the main issue I'd be looking into first is where you will shoot it. There aren't a lot of options out there where you can take advantage of the Light 50's range. It isn't a fun round until you're out around 500 yards and beyond. It is a very expensive way to get a smile at ringing the steel or punching a hole in a target at shorter ranges when cheaper options are available.

A lot of ranges are banning .50BMG. I am down to one range in the area, Quantico, where I could shoot .50BMG at distance. 300 yards and below isn't worth the effort. Other ranges have banned it citing safety issues or actual range excursions.

It's your money and choice. I've wanted a Light 50, either a Barrett single shot (I want to feel feeding those dollar bills into the chamber) or a McMillan Tac-50 (when money is no longer an object), but I've turned away from the caliber in favor of lighter, more palatable options. I'd favor .338 Lapua or .300 Win Mag now for long range power and even then, I'm heading smaller into stuff like 6.5 Creedmoor to give me the excitement of long range performance without the wallet inducing punishment the .50BMG will deliver.

Unless I owned sufficient land to let the .50BMG stretch its legs, I wouldn't bother except to say I had one and bring it out for impressing people with an expensive rifle. And if you're not reloading, you better have deep pockets to keep the gun fed beyond a few token shots when it comes out. Even reloading .50BMG is a seriously expensive proposition. Not a lot of rounds out there where you can empty the powder measure before you can fill the box with loaded ammunition!

I have not shot my 50bmg at any target longer than 200 yards and I've had a ball shooting it. Giving folks their first shot with a 50 is priceless. To see the smile come on their face before they break the cheek weld on the rifle is great to see.

I've only been able to shoot mine on private property. Ranges don't like this round and I wish they would change their minds. But if not, then it's private property.

Some 338L ammo is just as expensive as 50bmg ammo. I buy PMC Bronze 660gr ammo and I can find it for less than $4 a round. That's not that expensive in the scheme of things. Most will not shoot more than 10-12 rounds. I see no reason to reload for the type of shooting I'm doing. It's not worth it when I can buy 10 rounds for as cheap as $38 when I can find it on sale, not on sale it's only $41 for the same box of 10.

I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to own one. If you shoot it 2-4 times per years, that should be good enough. This isn't the 5.56 round where you can dump 500 rounds downrange every time you take it out.

You are more than welcome to shoot whatever you desire, but once you shoot the 50bmg, you will be hooked.

Both good posts... Pro and Con...

When I was reloading for my Barrett, it was costing me roughly $1.25 per round. Not bad and I bought much of the reloading components from Pat's Reloading. Look up his website.

http://www.patsreloading.com/patsrel3/Items.aspx

You can shoot a .50 at 100 yards or 200 yards (eg: AGC) and still have a ball of a time. There is also a range up in PA that goes out to 1000 yards or so... I forget at the moment but it's like a 5 hour drive from central Maryland. Stay the night in gun friendly country and visit it.

And they allow .50's

On edit. Found it: http://www.mifflincosportsmens.com/default.htm


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[Sundazes]

One of the women (she had to one up the boys) over at the Club had an earlier Barrett bolt. It was a sweet shooting gun. It had recoil but not unpleasant. Chris

We can shoot 50 big at the club? COOL!

 

[Slimster22]

Serbu. Singles are $1199 to $2400. You'll jump up in price for a semi if you need that. Bushnell Elite mildot is a good option. You'll want very solid rings.

 

[Doctor_M]

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[protegeV]

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good point.

 

[j_h_smith]

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I think you made an excellent point.

Congrats!

 

[Doctor_M]

I miss the delete button :-)

 

[REDavid]

I own the Barrett Model 99 and love it. It's legal in Maryland and is certainly fun to shoot. I try to take it out monthly to my farm and throw some serious metal down range. I could easily be convinced to sell it (if the price were right). I've not tried the other models mentioned. Since the Barrett shoots so well and since I've shot them when I was on active duty (before I retired), I rather love the Barrett and thinks it's as serious as it gets compared to other manufacturers. Happy Hunting (using a Barrett is the only way to kill and butcher your deer at the same time).

 

[j_h_smith]

I miss the delete button :-)

Here, you can have mine.

 

[steveh326]

I can't find a decent range to shoot my 50bmg, I'd have to go to Arizona to shoot that 20mm.

target in Arizona, shooting from bench in MD

 

[protegeV]

I miss the delete button :-)

yeah, me too. It made a brief appearance for a few weeks but seems to be gone again .


https://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=5053361&postcount=97

 

[j_h_smith]

yeah, me too. It made a brief appearance for a few weeks but seems to be gone again .


https://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=5053361&postcount=97

Did you break it again? We can't have anything nice around here without you breaking it. Now go to your room and there will no supper for you young man..........

 

[fabsroman]

No takers on explaining how a M107 is a copy of the M82?

The M82 isn't specifically banned, only thing that is banned is:

(ix) Barrett light .50 cal. semi–auto;

Question is whether anybody wants to explain what a Barrett LIGHT .50 cal semi-auto is.

Think I would prefer to go with a Serbu and just avoid the headache/stress if I was going to go semi-auto on a 50 BMG. However, I am leaning toward McMillan and a bolt gun when I win the lottery. Maybe a Surgeon bolt gun.

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

The M82 isn't specifically banned, only thing that is banned is:

(ix) Barrett light .50 cal. semi–auto;

Question is whether anybody wants to explain what a Barrett LIGHT .50 cal semi-auto is.

Think I would prefer to go with a Serbu and just avoid the headache/stress if I was going to go semi-auto on a 50 BMG. However, I am leaning toward McMillan and a bolt gun when I win the lottery. Maybe a Surgeon bolt gun.

Look up McBros