Does anyone? like for over bait hunting or stand hunting or even sight and stalk?any info would be much appreciated

Rock

Why would anyone?

Hey, wait. I have a bazooka in the garage. Let's go hunting!

Using a 50 BMG on something big like bear is not silly, people on this forum post of using 375's and 416's on whitetail. But a 50BMG on bear or anything else would be just silly right?

Rock

Sure its a real stopper, but if you wanna carry a 30 lb rifle through the woods go right ahead.

mike's stalked with his 22# beast... and took a pig with it.... I wasn't in the same county (litterly, our favorite ranch spans 2 of them) with that tank brake

jeffe

The last two issues of Very High Power (FCSA) had an article or two about hunting with a BMG in Alaska and Africa. The current issue cover displays a hunter with her BMG and game taken in Alaska.

Lets see a .50 BMG with a 750 gr bullet at 2700 fps vs a 585 Nyati with a 750 gr bullet at 2500fps. Ones a hunting rifle and the other ISN'T?-Rob

Actually, a 500 A2 can move a 750 grain bullet out at 2250 fps and be close to a foot shorter and fifteen to twenty pounds lighter that some of the "sporty" 50 BMG rifles. Why would I want to lug a 50 BMG around to hunt with?

Nope.It isn't big enough.Haha...Ed.

Wyo Joe-- I live in rock country,Would be neat to have one of those to bust rocks out on the back fence.Some are about 6 ft in diameter.That would get the attention of the neighbor a 1/2 mile away,
as he want to shoot too.Ed.

Rock,
Start a new thread asking about the 50BMG necked up to 70 cal or so and theories on its energy levels and you will be recieved with a fair deal of positive discussion.

But the 50 itself, and for hunting! its just ridiculous!

In the articles I have read it has been used for hunting much as any target style rifle. Set up and varminted with.

Fcsa has articles on hunting with the 50 I believe.

Also try www.biggerhammer.net and go to the 50cal discussion forums.

Karl.

The only problem with the .50 BMg for hunting is most people who only read about them think they have to be heavy non-portable bench guns. Not so! Yes the cartridge is big, but so what. how much more does a McBros repeater action weigh than a granite mountain or johansen? WWII GI's didn't complain about carrying BAR's and a light .50 BMG can be built in that weight range. It will get the job done though! I'd definately use one for African Dangerous Game. It will kick alot less than a hot 45-70 or .50 Alaskan in a Marlin Guide gun!-Rob

i would like to shoot something with a 50 BMG. I'm not sure it would be hunting due to the circumstances of moving the gun etc. But it would be fun to examine a wound channel through something real big.

well I know a guy that belted a yote that came into our shooting "area" with his bmg, the results were well for lack of a better word impressive, it was a tracer round so it was kinda cool to see the trace reach out and flatten him, kinda like watching a laser

In Idaho it is illegal to hunt with a rifle that weighs more than 14 pounds. They don't want guys shooting elk at 1000 yards with the 50 BMG. I suppose if you could take the recoil of a 13 pound 50 BMG then it could be used.

I Used a recoil calc. to figure out the recoil on a 13 pound BMG moving a 750 grain slug at 2700 FPS and it came out to be 201.77 Ft. Lbs. All I got to say is OUCH.

Rock:
You hit on the Holy Grail. "You shall not use mil caliber rifles for hunting, for some stupid fucking reason, even though,as Rob has pointed out, similar ballistics are avaliable through
hunting cartridges."

Possible reasons why this prejudice exists here:

1 The 50 is cheap to shoot
2 Can't brag about your elitest Nitro 50 caliber BMG, with factory ammo that costs 100 bucks a round.
3 History: Old British hunting cartridges equal nostalgia. A Divinely inspired design, by the greatest gun and cartridge designer that ever lived, not British, not good?
4 "It's not sporting? Niether is the 600 OK."
5 More practical, real reasons not to hunt africa with a 50 caliber. Makes one hell of a sniper rifle, and if I was Mugabe, I would pick em all up at the airport, and shoot em myself.

Seriously, the 50 BMG is a VERY powerful round,
and, for those situations where a true stopper was required, I'm sure Robgunbuilder could build you something that would work.

However, keep in mind, the 50 was designed to work out of 38-48" barrels, and while shorter barrels work, the guns do tend to be rather large, and ungainly, or, the muzzlebrake will kill any local friends in the area, as well as killing the animal.

I love this round: great choice.
For a dollar a round, it has to be THE best value in heavyweight rifles avaliable, anywhere.
What fun is being an elitest asshole if everyone can buy, and shoot, the caliber you use?

Let's get real. Would you rather pay 110 dollars for 20 rounds of 416, or 110 dollars, for 110 rounds of 50 BMG? these are current, real prices in our area.

s

[ 06-28-2003, 00:29: Message edited by: Socrates ]

If you want to add them to the list dont forget everyone who has used the M2 50 cal mg....

[ 06-28-2003, 19:02: Message edited by: Dark Paladin ]

Carlos Hathcock popped two at 2500 meters so much for that. Now a .50 with a soft point Hmmmm what a Brontosauras rifle! Kind of like using a 3" Pariot Rifle for deer during the Muzzle loading season up here in Maine, I would like to try that, the Pariot Rifle that is.

Socrates,
Not the Dangerous game angle again.

No one is arguing the 50BMG can't fill roles as any heavy target rifle(varminting, ultra long range from prone position etc.) or even made to work as a stunt, but it isn't the best choice for other roles, especially DG.

Originally posted by Socrates:
Rock:
You hit on the Holy Grail. "You shall not use mil caliber rifles for hunting, for some stupid fucking reason, even though,as Rob has pointed out, similar ballistics are avaliable through hunting cartrdiges

223 rem, 6.5 x55, 6.5 x54, 308win,7.62x 54,7.62 x39,30-06, 45-70.

All military calibres,in use because they 'fit the role'.

Possible reasons why this prejudice exists here:

No prejudice. You don't sem to realise most of the guys here either own or have used the 50BMG. Check out the guys above. There are at least three there who own 50BMG's themselves.

As to

History: Old British hunting cartridges equal nostalgia. A Divinely inspired design, by the greatest gun and cartridge designer that ever lived, not British, not good?

378 wby,416rem,416wby,458win,460wby, 470capstick, 495 A2,500A2, 577 TREX, 585 Nyati etc.

Not british either you may notice.

Seriously, the 50 BMG is a VERY powerful round,and, for those situations where a true stopper was required, I'm sure Robgunbuilder could build you something that would work.
However, keep in mind, the 50 was designed to work out of 38-48" barrels, and while shorter barrels work, the guns do tend to be rather large, and ungainly,

So you cut 18" off the barrel and make it around 18lbs so you can actually fire it from the shoulder.

Here's a post from when we adressed this very same thing with youwith you back in 2001 on the African forum.

"Socrates,
With such a butchered 50(22-26" bbl) you are now recommending a rifle that wastes a large amount of its powder charge,(or a lot of its case capacity),is still very heavy, requires the largest action, has shit balance, and now has LESS stopping power than a 577 T REX, 585 Nyati or 530 Mcdonald"

For BMG ex mil ammo you will also have to pull projectiles and replace with expensive hunting solids anyway, since spitzers do not penetrate reliably in fluid(ie animals bodies).

Ever priced a BMG press and dies?
or how much powder it takes?
You are looking at higher costs than one of us with a 'working mans' DG rifle anyway.

Karl.

[ 06-29-2003, 06:57: Message edited by: Karl ]

Hunting with a .50BMG can be done. But its like when guys hit Prarie dogs with a .270---
You really screw up the pelt, and there isn't much left to eat.

.50BMG bolt guns have found their place for long range target shooters, and like me- a big toy that is just a hoot to shoot.
I find myself gathering neat things to shoot with it. Frozen milk jugs, a running washing machine, old dead car engines
Cinder blocks, painting targets on big rocks and making gravel, all sorts of stuff.

As far as expense;
Like any other toy-- They're workable if you really want one. Its a matter of priority.

For example:

I needed a new truck last year. My '84 had almost 350,000 miles on it, and I was just getting tired of looking at it. I didn't go down and buy a new loaded Silverado for $35,000.
No, in October, I found a 97 Chev. full size 1/2 ton with a 6cyl/5 speed for 4 grand. And, its a great truck.

That left some room in the budget for toys.
Like a new 26" barrel .45-70 Marlin CB and all the 'stuff' you need to go with one; bullet molds, tang sights, 500 new brass, etc.

About 3 years ago, and it took over a year or so to do it, I put together a Serbu BFG 50.

The rifle was about $2,000. It is more stripped down and basic looking than a Barrett, or whatever, but it does have a match barrel.
Mark Serbu sort of makes the 'Savage 110' of that industry.

Several months later I found a discontinued Leupold 8.25 x 25 for about $400, a month or so later I grabbed a pair of Mk 4 rings. A year later, I got the loading gear for it, here and there I buy a few AMAXs, a few gallons of powder, a few hundred pull down bullets, some surplus ammo, etc. etc....

2 or 3 times a year, I'll spend a hundred or 2 hundred getting some sort of supplies for it.
I reload a reduced power GI bullet for it. The factory load is 230 grains of powder, I load 210.
Its quite accurate, and should keep down throat erosion to extend the life of the barrel.
Or I'll put together a few 750AMAXs that will hold to about a 3" group at 500 yards.
..

As for total expense in relation to other rifles:

What does a new 700 Sendero, or Varmit Special cost by the time you get ready to fire it?
About a Thousand or so,,,,,,,,,

What is all your reloading stuff worth? Another grand maybe...
Its about $400ish to set up to reload .50s.
Not to far from starting up to reload anything else with a decent press, or maybe even a progressive.

$125 or so for 100 rounds of surplus .50BMG ammo?
That isn't too far away from buying premium factory ammo for a .30-06 or something.

Or reloading Nosler Partitions--- What does that run?
About $40 for the bullets, almost $20 for the powder to make about a hundred of most other calibres.... primers- a couple bucks.
------- For another 50 cents a round, you can drop the hammer on a .50BMG and everyone can hear it sing its song for about 2 miles.

.....

Back to hunting:

I've hunted turtles with mine.

I set up a Black & Decker workmate on a high bank of a decent size common country stock pond for a benchrest. (You want to be shooting at a steep downward angle to avoid ricochets off the water)

When a snapping turtle sticks his head up, shoot under him a few inches.

The shot doesn't kill the turtle, it just flies up in the air several feet.

Then, a hour or so later, you can do it to him again, over & over.-----they never learn. LOL.

But, at a workable expense if your prioritys are so inclined-- A .50 is perhaps more reachable than a high end Whetherby, and not too much more expensive than a really good .308---

And gosh,, are they fun to shoot.

Ed.

[ 06-29-2003, 10:38: Message edited by: Winger Ed ]

He's the only one I've heard of with a confirmed kill with the .50 BMG.

/////////////

Souls liberated that far away is pretty rare.

But bad guys getting shot with shoulder fired .50 isn't.

I think it was a either a SEAL or a Ranger who got a headshot on a fella in Kandahar a year or so back with a Barret .50 at I think they reported either 1300 or maybe it was 1700 yards.
I forget the details of the story, but basically it was a hostage situation at a hospital over there, and when a bad guy looked out the window, he got nailed right between the running lights. I've got the photo, but haven't looked up & refreshed on the particulars.

Tony Barret was selling a couple hundred trade ins of his Semi auto 5 shot a couple years ago.
They were re-built and all, But much cheaper than a new one.

The Marine Corps had traded them in for new ones since they'd pretty well worn them out in Gulf War I.

The Marines in Viet Nam cobbeled together a 10x scope onto a M2 chain gun. That is what set up Carlos Hathcock and others used on a few bad guys.

The British BOYS Rifle is in .50BMG. This thing looks like a small 20mm anti-aircraft weapon, but the Brits used one during WWII out the Pacific to hit bad guys at a long range.

The story has that they were on different islands from the Japanese.

They could barely see each other, and neither was supported by heavy weapons or Air craft.

They just looked at each other, out of range from rifle fire.

The Brits drug up a BOYS rifle, and as they said, "A few Japanese soldiers had their beach priveleges recinded".

Ed.

Karl:
Even considering the expense, on the foot pounds for dollars scale, the 50 BMG is, I think, the best value on the market, as for a pound for pound approach, as well.

You have mil supp at a buck around, that will go through a foot of concrete. Tracers, and, the steel spiked armor piercing stuff is REAL scary.

Ask all the Kalifornia wachos that are trying to constantly ban the 50 BMG.

That said, with a number of bolt action rifles, around the 3 g range, you get a super accurate, super hard hitting round, in, well, it's not a 458 22 inch barrel type of gun.

This is the round that really gives meaning too,
"Reach out and touch someone."

It's not only hard hitting, but it's by nature, a very accurate long range round.

Is it ideal? No. Requires a serious brake, and or a heavy rifle, but, for the buck, it's bang is hard to beat.

Would it be my favorite choice for my gun bearer to carry around? Sure, if it's on a leash, so he can't fall behind, or run off with it.

S

Ed

A chain gun is a "whole 'nuther animal" ....a chain gun uses an electric motor driving a chain to cycle the bolt, it does not rely on gasses or blowback to cycle.....a misfire or dud is simply cycled through the action and does not cause a stopage.....

Here are a few links to chain guns:

http://www.atk.com/productsPrecision/descriptions/products/GunSys/30mmChainGun.htm

http://www.sfu.ca/casr/101-m242.htm

A chain gun is a "whole 'nuther animal" ....

//////////

I stand corrected Sir.

At the next reunion of HMM-164, or the mechanics of HMX-1 who served back in them days....

I will tell my old shipmates of this, and hopefully enlighten them also.

Thank you,

Ed.

Some day, a liberal Democrat congressman will ridicule the notion that anybody who calls himself a hunter would ever "need" a rifle in 50 BMG. Chances are, it will be a moderate Republican president who will sign the bill. No 50 BMG's "because they have no legitimate sporting purpose".

H. C.

I really would like to have a 50BMG, I would hunt volkswagens with it. I figured I could go down every few months and buy a junk car from the local wreckers, take it out and shoot it up, then take it back. :-)

Red

I too see hunting with a 50 BMG as silly, but it has nothing to do with the case and caliber. It is the packaging, ie gun itself. Even if one builds a relatively light gun, it simply won't be one that can be fired effectively offhand.

I think "tactical" rifles, 15# bull barreled contraptions with celestial telescopes on top of them are also abominations in the hunting fields, and silly to use.

A 300 win mag is a fine hunting round, but when chambered in a fine hunting rifle. The 50 bmg based on the numbers would be a fine hunting round, but due to it's size and the size and weighht of a rifle to use it in, you won't end up with a fine hunting rifle.

Paul:
You live in Alaska. What about really big bears, at very long range, that are hard to get close too?

What about these new fangled muzzle brakes that keep the recoil flat, and straight back?

If you can make an argument for a long shot, 375 Ultra-mag, I think any shot you would take with that would be better served with a even 29 inch 50 BMG round.

I'm with Robgunbuilder on this one...

s