Looking at a Barrett . . .

I want a single shot, bolt action, 50 BMG. Scoped for long range bench shooting/targets.

Do I custom build or just get something "off the rack" ??? Barrett???

Let' s pretend that money is no object here. Because for this rifle it's not.

Depends on what you will use it for.......

for instance.....if you are just going to use it to shoot cats......then the Barrett should work fine

If you plan to do some serious competion, then you should probably go with a full custom.....

I got in on some USMC testing of various .50 caliber rifles in the late 1980's before the Corps adopted the Barrett. McMillan's single shot bolt gun was superbly accurate, but slow for repeat shots. Would be a lot of fun to own one now!

Also, at a more modest price, the Armalite AR-50 single shot. Just talked to a fellow last week who did real well with his in a match held in Nevada this month. He paid attention to his handloads and to the shooting conditions and did fine against some much more expensive rifles. Guy

I've seen 50 BMG uppers that fit on the AR lower.

The lower is NOT designed for that sort of stress. I think a Barrett bolt action. I just wanna shoot paint buckets at about a mile off.

Genghis,
I agree about the ar lowers and the 50 cal. I have however shot one and it shoots well. But the AR-50 is not that animal. It is single shot bolt gun that for the money is a great deal. I have fired an AR-50 and it shot great. I Hope this helps.

Here is a link to the AR50
http://www.armalite.com/sales/catalog/rifles/ar50.htm

Go to biggerhammer.net & fcsa.org

Biggerhammer is comprised mostly of guys who like to shoot things and see them blow up & start on fire. There are also some REAL target shooters there.

FCSA (Fifty Caliber Shooters Association) is more of the target minded crowd.

Look at http://www.aaa-ammo.com/fcsa5.htm where it gives the gun stats of the winners in each class. The top-top people are using the same stuff, because it wins.

Genghis,
I have owned both an AR-50 and a Barrett M-99.

The Barrett was prettier and lighter. The AR-50 shot better. I sold the Barrett and kept the AR-50. My AR-50 has a 3.5 pound trigger pull and shoots sub-0.5 MOA at 300 yards, out of the box. Triggers can be worked on.

I really have not found a best load for this gun, but will someday. The data BMG showed is very interesting. I noted one of the top shooters was using a 3.5 pound trigger, though most were at 8 ounces.

Glad to hear above that someone did well at a match with an AR-50. I knew it was a good gun.

If you want a shooter, get the AR-50. Then if you are really nuts about the sport, get a McBros built to your specifications.

It seems that ordering 50 BMG factory guns has been tough to do lately because the US military has scarfed up production for the war on terrorism. Are you guys seeing many Armalite or Barrett guns sitting idle in gunshops, or have they all vanished as it seems to me? I wonder if the US government is using any AR-50's and M-99's along with the Barrett semi-autos?

I want one too! But for me...money counts. First Africa (next Wednesday) then maybe a 50 when the bills are paid

genghis go with the mcbros bolt action i think youd see that is the best. a .357mag can be your best friend......

My AR-50 holds sub 3" groups with IMI M33 ball ammo at 500 yards, 5 shots. With my handloads using H50 BMG powder and Hornady A-Max bullets, I have shot a few groups of less than 2" at 500 yards, again 5 shots. Not bad for an out of the box rifle. The only thing I did to my rifle was replace the trigger arm so I could get a decent 3 pound pull. For the money, you would have a very hard time beating the AR-50. Recoil is almost non-existent. About like a light weight 243 or heavy weight 270. Muzzle blast is something else though, but you will have that to deal with on any .50 BMG, and for those guys who don't like brakes, I'd like to see them shoot one of these without one

Big Bore,

I have a 42 pound State Arms "Dicke Berta" that has a removable brake. Now one day at the range I guess I was getting a little bored and decided to see what the recoil felt like without the brake. The load was a 647gr. bullet in front of 220 grains of H5010, and I am happy to say that the recoil was not at all bad. Worse than my .416 Remington, but not so bad as to be painful.

Jesse

For an affordable alternative there is the Serbu BFG.
www.serbu.com
Note: I do not and haven't owned one, just tossing the address out there.

What about the Hesse? I just bought one, and am in the process of rounding up some ammo and a scope. I have no idea how it will shoot.

As a active FCSA 1000yrd compeditor ( getting better all the time), I can unequivocably tell you to not waste your time on anything but a custom .50BMG bore-rider gun built on a SS McBros action with a K&P barrel/brake/jewell trigger and Mcmillan heavy stock. Nightforce optics are mandatory although a boosted Leupold may be OK! Nothing else will come even close to this Rig in absolute accuracy assuming the gunsmith who builds it knows what he's doing. It's not that simple, but not that different than a scaled-up benchrest gun. The gun should be capable of a repeatable <1 MOA at 1000 yrds under ideal conditions. Don't believe the BS from the wannabe's. There are lots of companies claiming to make really accurate .50's and for the most part their claims are BS. A true repeatable <1 MOA .50 BMG is a rare bird and very few exist! Even if you have one, remember that you have to know how to dope the wind and mirage at 1000 yrds to shoot a <1 MOA group! It takes time, money and practice to learn this skill! Just look at what's winning the matches and duplicate it,assuming money is no object! That's what I do! Expect to also spend big bucks on front and rear windage adjustable rests and custom loading gear.-Rob