Hunting with 50 BMG

[Lord Soth]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever used a 50 BMG for hunting? Is there anything that this caliber won't stop?

 

[Kharn]

If the targeted animal was smaller than a deer, confirming that there actually was an animal there would be quite difficult...

Kharn

 

[mephisto]

nothing! if you hit it right it will even clean it for you.

 

[50 Shooter]

Check out the cover of VHP www.fcsa.org people do hunt with the .50.

 

[rick_reno]

Hunting with the 50 BMG

There was an article 6-7 years ago (maybe more, I'm not sure) written by a fellow who hunted elk in Az. with a 50 BMG. He'd found a hilltop where he packed in a table (bench) and before elk season opened he'd sighted his rifle in from his bench. He bagged a nice elk at 900 yards. I don't recall the bullet he was using or the rifle, I'm pretty sure this was before McBros started making their action/rifles.
Here in Idaho they've made it difficult to hunt with a 50 BMG, the weight limit on your rifle for big game must be under 16 lbs.

 

[12.7x99mm]

Ah..... yes

I think I just might be hunting Elk this season. Im going scouting these next few weeks and Im just going to pack it in and set up for the day with some samiches and coffee.

Gotta get a few hollow points from someware and load em up

 

[Wildalaska]

I know of a fellow that hunts caribou with one out on lake Iliamna, his shots are in the area of 800 yards.

A frined of mine took a 10 fooot grizzly with one, one shot at 100 yards flattened it...


WildbigbangAlaska

 

[seeker_two]

The Marines think so...

I'm sure you can (reading the previous posts), but I'd hate to have to walk to the next county in order to pack out my kill...

 

[cratz2]

Not so good friend of mine showed me a couple pictures of a Virginia deer that was supposedly hit with a 50BMG with some kind of handload that he didn't know the details of. He has family that works in firearms research for the government, or so he tells me.

Anyway, on one side the deer looked just fine with a small hole and really no blood. On the other side, the entire far side of the deer was pretty much gone for about 15", the near side ribs were torn out, some were gone, some were pointing not where they should be. Honestly, I didn't believe that it was a 50 BMG. Before I saw those pictures, I would have been willing to bet money that any 50 BMG would have sailed right through leaving a small hole on each side. The 50 doesn't have enough velocity to do the strange things that the fast 22s and 6mms do but what do I know. The only game I've ever taken larger than 50 lbs has been with a .270.

 

[mpthole]

FWIW... just because the .50 BMG has lots of energy at long ranges does not excuse poor marksmanship. I've done some long range shooting (800 yards +) with my Barrett and I know that - at least for myself - trying to take anything beyond 800 yards would be very difficult. I'd think that you'd need the best handloads possible and lots and lots of practice to consistently make a good kill on a game animal.

...and did someone say "hollow points"? Hmmm... Didn't know anyone made those for .50 BMG. If so, guess I'll be pretty

 

[Chipperman]

I was wondering the same thing. It's already 1/2" on the way in. How much bigger do you want the hole to be???

 

[Blain]

Do they even make soft-points for the .50 BMG or are those people just hunting with fmj Military ball?

 

[cratz2]

My friend said specifically that it wasn't military ammo they used but he wasn't sure exactly what it was.

I know that HP ammo and pointed HP ammo exists but that's probably more for long range shooting than expansion.

 

[50 Shooter]

Barnes makes a 600gr hollow point for the .50 BMG for hunting. You could also use Hornady's 750gr AMAX and I think Hawk bullets makes a hunting round for the .50 also.

There's also some people making their own custom bullets for hunting.