Hiring a 50 bmg rifle in Arizona, Nevada or California

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vscorsa

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Hi All,

I am an Australian heading to the US for 5 weeks and was hoping to find a range that I can hire a 50bmg to shoot on. Where I live in Aus they are banned so we don't have access to this caliber unless we are in the army.

We are flying into LA then driving the loop through Vegas, upto San Fran then back down to LA. I am also considering driving down into Arizona if there is a range close to shoot at.

In terms of shooting I have shot pistols and rifles for about 16 years, at the moment I primarily shoot IPSC and hunt with the rifles.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
 
If you come up empty and feel like coming East, there is a private range that rents a Barrett in just south of Greenville, SC.
 
California banned 50 cal rifles. For some reason, they seem to think that they are the ideal gangsta gats, because before the ban, you only needed about $6000 and a clean record to get one. They were nice and compact; perfect for concealment, being all of five feet long, so they'd be perfectly inconspicuous in a duster or in your tank top. Ammo was cheap at $6 a shot. It was easy to run around and escape the police with them too, considering that they only weighed about maybe 30 pounds or so and lastly, they were great for drive by shootings because you fired the thing on a street, and something definitely got damaged, especially your hearing. I remember being in LA when I was 5. You couldn't stick your head out for some G's trying to snipe you.

In all seriousness, Arizona is the best bet and there are ranges in Nevada that will rent you fully automatic weapons.
 
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Big Sandy Machine Gun Shoot between Kingman and Wickiup, Airzona (1.5 hrs from Lost Wages, Nevada.)

There is one in October and one in March every year.

$25 for spectator fee, and $4 a round using a M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun.

Also M16, AK47, Thompson SMG, PPsH SMG, Wather MPK SMB, Uzi SMG, and M1919 MG for rent as a spectator.

http://www.mgshooters.com/
 
I'm a bit surprised that no one has simply offered you "visiting privileges" with a .50 rifle.

Let me, therefore, be the first:

If you can make it to my area of northern Nevada (train takes 3 hours from Reno, $about $65 round trip), you will be welcome to shoot my .50 with every round of ammunition you can round up. My local hardware stores sell commercial .50 BMG ammo for about $4 per round, but we may be able to do better than that. The rifle is a single-shot, but I assure you that you WILL "get the idea".

Our range has benchrests to 400 yards, but we could set up steel just about as far away as anyone could want.


Keep it in mind. I know this is out of your proposed route, but....?
 
ok, even though calfornia has banned us here from owning a rifle in .50BMG or even buying the ammo, apparently ranges that rent out firearms are somehow able to rent them, at least a few years ago they were. i went to a range somewhere in the sacramento area with some people i worked with in the army reserves at the time (around '06 or '07) and one guy rented a bolt action .50BMG at the range we visited. i honestly don't know if they still have them. it was pretty ridiculously powered though lol could feel the blast from the compression of the round exiting the barrel from 5 or 6 feet behind the shooter!
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions so far, I am trying to make contact with dprice's suggestion.

BruceB, thankyou very much for the offer. We are actually driving up from Vegas through Yosemite park into San Fran so I am not sure how far away your location that would be. Is there a method that I can PM you on this board in private?
 
VSCORSA

I would suggest contacting the FCSA, they are the 50 BMG authorities and have a lot of members in California and the western states, they have a visitors forum you can post to, the normal forum is a paid members only forum but some of us watch the visitors forum and will post inquires like yours to the forum, a lot of the California shooters use the 50DTC which is essentially a BMG rifle made just to get past the California ban and they compete right along side those of us with the BMG.

The members of Fifty Caliber Shooters Association (FCSA) are a great bunch and will surely help you to get the 50 Grin, let us know a approximate timeframe and maybe we can suggest a FCSA event you could attend and shoot and see some pretty amazing guns.

If you were going to be in Florida I would make sure you got the 50 Grin, I shoot a Armalite 50 BMG and really enjoy it when new shooters take up the offer to shoot the Big Gun, the Grin on their face is priceless, please don't leave the US without enjoying one of our greatest freedoms.

Keith
 
Hi Keith,

Thanks also for the info, I have posted and emailed the FCSA club to see how that goes. We arrive in LA on the 18th Sept then do the loop starting with Vegas and finishing back in the LA on the 28th Sept before be fly to New York.

It would be great if I can find one to shoot, their reputation precedes them in Australia. :)

Cheers

Dave
 
Vscorsa

I found your post on the visitors forum of FCSA and put it in the paid members forum, hopefully one of our members will respond soon, And you are in luck if you can swing by Raton New Mexico while out west, the FCSA is having a match at the NRA premier range Whittington Center on 23-25 September, This is one of the best ranges in the US and FCSA has a match during your dates, this is a bit of good luck, if you can fit it in I can guarantee you could not find a better range and better bunch to shoot with.

If you have to bypass losing money in Vegas and get that 50 Grin in Raton New Mexico at the NRA Whittington center. Good Luck.

Keith:)
 
Vscorsa

look for a pm, Bob from FCSA has responded to your post and hopes to be able to help you out, he is a great guy and will do just about all to make it happen, good luck and enjoy that 50 BMG grin.

Keith
 
Sorry to bump and old post, but does anyone know vscorsa went with this or has any newer info?
I came across this thread when googling for a range in Nevada that has 50cal rifles for hire.
Funny enough it showed up an Aussie from last year looking for the same info.

I am travelling from Oregon down through Nevada to Vegas and them onto LA in September.
Trying to track down a range that hires a .50cal (either Barrett or M2 would be ideal) that wont cost the earth.
Also wanting to shoot a few other icon guns if I can. AK47, M16, MP5, couple of hand guns.

These guys here look pretty good as an option http://nevadaoutdoorshootingco.com/

I guess I should add that I am a fully licensed shooter in my state of Queensland in Australia.
The weapons license requires a safety course and no criminal history to be able to purchase and own a gun here.
I am also a member of the SSAA (sporting shooters assoc of australia) as well as the ADA (australian deer assoc). SSAA is probably the closest thing we have to the NRA down here.
I own and shoot a .308 bolt action, 12 guage over and under, .22 bolt action plus a few other plinkers, so I am not a newbie looking for a thrill.
I would love to just get to shoot something we don't have here.

This is my approx path, leaving crater lake on Sept 13, staying near reno (or as far as we get) for one night, then only vegas on the 14th and staying there for two nights. (already booked in)
http://g.co/maps/85jve
So any gun ranges in between, or close to Vegas would be ideal. We are on a pretty tight schedule from crater lake to vegas as we have shows booked the night of the 14th, but I am pretty sure we will have time to drop off somewhere if they have the setup. (although vegas is looking good at the moment)
 
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