.50 BMG questions

[BlkHawk73]

Ok, got some $ to spend and in thinking of ways to spend it, the idea about buying a .50 BMG crossed my mind. From reading and handling them, I'd proberly go with a Serbu or State Arms made one. What I'm kinda wondering about is just how much punch is there gonna be against my shoulder. Can the recoil be compared to any more common cartridge?
What scopes can withstand the abuse? I've only got at most 200 yrds at my range. Is the .50 BMG realy any fun at this short of a distance?

 

[Slimjim]

Most High quality (Expect to spend more than 400 bucks) Scope will handle the recoil. And its compareable to a .20 gauge slug out of a pump gun.

 

[Fumbler]

With no muzzle brake, a .50BMG out of a 30 lbs gun will feel like 3 times the recoil of a 30-06 in an 8 lbs gun.

 

[50 Shooter]

Personally, if all you have is 200 yards I would say no. If you just want it to say that you own a .50, then go for it. If there's ever a possibility that you'll be able to shoot it at longer distances it would be a plus.

I have a place where I can shoot mine out to 2000+ yards and I also shoot it at a range that goes out to 700 yards. So I'm not limited, what I am limited to is match rounds at the range but the desert is open for everything (kali legal).

 

[Double Naught Spy]

A couple of points/corrections:
First, comparison of recoil of a .50, a Serbu .50 isn't going to come easy. I have not fired a Serbu but have shot a Barrett 99 and 82A1. Neither one felt too much like a shotgun blast to me. I take it that the Serbu is a single shot like the 99. If so, then the recoil, to me, was a good bit more powerful than that of a 12 ga. shotgun, but seemed spread out over more time. In other words, there wasn't the same sort of sharp recoil I get with my 870 and full power loads. Maybe it is the weight of the gun mitigating/dampening some of the recoil such that the recoil actually ends up being spent for a slightly longer period of time. The result being a more powerful push instead of a sharp sensation.

I fully do not understand why folks seem to think that .50 BMGs are more or less fun at given distances. At 200 yards, a lot of rifle calibers are not all that difficult to shoot, be it .223 or .50 BMG. With that said, the .50 BMG doesn't know how far it is being shot, nor does any other caliber. A .50 BMG is plenty fun to shoot a short range. In fact, it feels just like when you shoot it at longer ranges. Why? Because the recoil is the same regardless of distance. If you enjoy shorter range shooting, the .50 will be plenty of fun. Contrary to what I have read and been told, the .50 does not "need to be shot a longer ranges." It doesn't care. If you like what the .50 can do to things a many hundreds of yards, you will be really impressed at what it can do at 200!

With that in mind, there are a lot cheaper rounds to shoot than the .50 BMG that take less of a toll on your body and that work well at 200 yards. Where the .50 shines is by being about to shoot 800+ yards quite well, something most rifle calibers don't do.

What I am saying here is that you should not decide against the .50 BMG just because you are shooting it mostly at 200 yards. You won't be taking full advantage of the gun's capabilities, but then again, most shooters don't take full advantage of their guns' capabilities. For example, I most often shoot my AR at distances of 25-100 yards, urban rifle stereotypical distances, but I can hit targets at 300 and 400, so I am not taking full advantage of the gun's capabilities. That doesn't mean it isn't a blast to shoot at shorter ranges.

 

[Zak Smith]

I've shot the AR-50, the LAR Grizzly, the Barrett M99, and the McMillan Sporter. With a good brake, they feel more or less like a shotgun shooting slugs to magnum slugs. The AR-50 had the least recoil of that bunch.

-z

 

[BlkHawk73]

thanks guys! Also considering the State Arms stuff (40 lbs )
I don't need a .50 but I don't have one so...

I have plenty for my hunting purposes in both handgun, rifle and shotgun. Plenty of plinkers in each category also. I just kinda have an itch to buy something and I'm not into the common, everybody-has-it stuff. Still thinking...

 

[30Cal]

I've shot an AR50. The recoil isn't bad at all. The muzzle blast is comperable to being smacked between the eyes with a rubber mallet.

Ty

 

[Sunray]

Think about the on-going cost of the ammo before you shell out for a rifle. 50 Shooter, what's it cost to shoot one these days? Last price I saw, up here, was long ago. Six bucks Cdn a shot for PMC. Reloading is an option though.

 

[50 Shooter]

Sunray,
If I shoot surplus it's about $1.20 a round, match rounds can be bought anywhere from $3-5 a round. Depends on where your buying your ammo.

I reload my own so it keeps the price down, I can reload surplus for less then a buck. For match stuff I can keep it under $2 depending on the components.

 

[50 Freak]

Well I shoot a Ultramag 50 and that in it's current configuration (stock, scope, bipod & mag) is about 18 pounds. Recoil is managable and I would compare it to a 12 guage (shooting magnums).

I would not recommend shooting a 50 without a muzzle break. My first 50 was 25 pounds and had no muzzle brake. I could only shoot about 2 or 3 rounds in one outting and even that always sent me home with a huge bruise on my shoulder. It used to feel like someone kicking me really hard in the shoulder when I shot that thing and I'm not a small guy. Gives you a bad case of the flinches but on the flip side, everything else feels like a 22 in comparison.

 

[taliv]

i have a serbu BFG 50. i bought one after shooting a friend's. I agree completely with double naught spy. recoil is substantially more than shotgun, but not at all painful because it pushes you instead of a sharp crack. i can shoulder fire it comfortably, but it sure feels good to set it back on the pod after a few minutes

while the serbu is relatively inexpensive it's on my list of manufacturers i wouldn't buy from again.


oh, and the best thing about shooting a 50 is APIT ammo at hard targets which you can easily do at 200 yrds. don't let range keep you from buying one.

one last thing... check out the 30 cal sabots. shooting a 30 cal bullet from a 50BMG is a hoot

 

[artherd]

I would not recommend shooting a 50 without a muzzle break. My first 50 was 25 pounds and had no muzzle brake. I could only shoot about 2 or 3 rounds in one outting and even that always sent me home with a huge bruise on my shoulder. It used to feel like someone kicking me really hard in the shoulder when I shot that thing and I'm not a small guy. Gives you a bad case of the flinches but on the flip side, everything else feels like a 22 in comparison.

HOLEY S_IT!!!! I am surprised you lived or did not detach a retina!!!

Barret's brake eats approx 70% of the recoil, the heavy gun does the rest. THEN it is like a magnum slug gun. I can't imagine shooting over 3x that. OUCH man!