hunting with 50 bmg

[lefteyedom]

There is nothing new under the Sun. When people started shooting deer (wounding many) with 22 hornets, 22 mag, many states set minimum calibers at .24. Muzzle loading was a 50-70 yard sport, then in-line rifles, scopes and modern primers came along. Now states are getting far more restrictive on what type of weapon can be use for primitive weapon season. Bans to effect the long range shooting of game will come and when it does we will be as much to blame as those "insert you favorite name here" are.

We cuss the lawmakers yet never look in the mirror. Hunting is more than use animals as targets. Yes, it take skill to shoot a target at 1000+ yards but that is not hunting. I got over the trill of just killing something before I was a teenager. At 45 with 20 years of military service behind me I still like to hunt. The idea of a fair chase still means something. An elk steak on my plate should take more effort than knocking down steel target at the range. If that is all that hunting is then we should just go down to feed lot buy a cow. Back off what ever distant that it takes to feel manly and fire away.

 

[Harve Curry]

lobo9er 's original question:
Join Date: 07-08-09
Posts: 85 hunting with 50 bmg
"is there any hunting possible with 50 bmg i am thinking about buying b4 possible ban but if theres no real hunting i can do with it i would go with a
.338 lapua or somthing anyone know anyone who has or heard rumors? would there be to much trauma for meat to be anygood etc any info would be great "

Yes you can hunt with it. Just check state G&F laws where you want to go first.
With the right bullet and shot placement meat damage doesn't have to be a problem.
I've seen 308 Winchester destroy hindquarter.
Call Barrett and ask them about their rifles, hunting, and there's also the 460 Barrett cartridge now.
And no your not limited to just stationary long range shots. You still get up early, walk, glass, move around while packing the rifle, and you have to find the game. I call that hunting and more then as sitting in a duck or bow blind. Anything you get that way with it you'll have earned.

 

[SeekHer]

MTM, very well said! My compliments sir!

Excluding the states, provinces or countries where the cited, specific .50 BMG or the 12.5mm or 14.7mm military rounds are outlawed...

Excluding Brady and the whole anti .50 BMG, can shoot down an airplane, kill at two miles, crowd of hoplophobes and the idiot print or radio reporters and the talking heads on TV who can't differentiate between a .50 BP in-line muzzleloader and a .50 BMG Sniper (there words, not mine) rifle...Then again, anything with a scope is automatically a sniper rifle and a 10/22 is a machine gun!

Excluding that I would never be stupid enough to take on any of the Big 5 or N.A. big bears with a 40 lb, 45 lb overly long rifle that now matter how good you are will, unless you can break the laws of physics, be able to swing that barrel on a charging elephant or hippo at 15 yards...

Excluding the fact that some people think it’s unethical to shoot game beyond some arbitrary distance; I mean if I can shoot prairie dogs at 600 yards why can’t I shoot deer as well—slightly larger target…I’m right now gearing up and practicing for my goal of a two mile, 3,520 yards, 3,218.7M varmint kill…

Excluding the fact that a 35 lb gun would be a real drag to carry through the thick, heavy, bush we have here and would get hung up every few yards and forget about a snap shot at some escaping animal as some tree will impede your swing anyhow…

Excluding whether it is ethical, or not, about shooting from a covered stand, a climbing stand up tree stand, a field tripod or a ground blind and excluding whether you’ve baited the area with corn dispensers or a rotting zebra carcass after leopard, whether you use a mouth caller, hand box or a battery powered stereo job to bring in the game…

Excluding whether or not it is a terrorist weapon and easily bought here, found in Mexico gangs and Al Qaeda groups or sleeper cells…

Excluding the fact that the cartridge isn’t that accurate, breaks at around 2,500 yards is overly (excessive) powerful in recoil…

Excluding the fact that I’ve got better things to buy with the $8,000 needed for the rifle & optics, and I’ve got lots in that, and higher, price range and excluding the fact that we’ve got to buy .470 NE or .476 WR ($16 each) or .500 NE ($18) or .505 Gibbs ($20) at the store but we're only shooting 3 to 5 for sighting in purposes and whatever for the hunt…

It’s the fact that I’m not going to compete with a $20 to $25 cartridge for target handloads when you need 50 or 100 rounds for a week-end of competition…I’m not that damn rich and that’s really the only damn thing it’s good for and even at that it isn’t that great (my 6.5x284 out shoots it day in and day out at 1,000 yds, my .338 Lapua at 1,500 yds and my .408 CheyTac at 2,000+)…

Would I hunt with one, yes! From a bench/solid rest in a tree house or a high enough hill, that I could, preferably, drive to or at least bring my shooting cart to, with a good ship’s range finder and a pair of spotting binoculars (20+x80 or 100 mm) then for sure…Good expanding bullet, good enough velocity and energy downrange a hit would cause massive nervous system failure, organ damage and broken bones, a huge wound channel to bleed it out (also makes for easier tracking) and won't clot up; I'd shoot it but only with a brake in a 35+ lb rifle and with a bag of shot behind the recoil pad and preferably standing! But, I’d much rather use my own calibers…

 

[Balog]

It's possible. It's legal. If you do it responsibly it's not a problem. But shooting at extreme range is the only real reason to do so, and that is unethical. A hunter should never take a shot unless he has a reasonable certainty of hitting the vitals. Even our snipers with a spotter can't guarantee a first round hit on a man size target at extreme range. Unless you can be reasonably certain of hitting the vitals first shot, you shouldn't fire.

 

[.38 Special]

I mean if I can shoot prairie dogs at 600 yards why can’t I shoot deer as well—slightly larger target…I’m right now gearing up and practicing for my goal of a two mile, 3,520 yards, 3,218.7M varmint kill…

If you can hit varmints at 600 yards every time, on the first try, from a cold clean barrel, from the same position(s) you use to shoot deer, then you are indeed capable of responsibly taking deer at 600 yards and my hat is off to you.

But how often do you miss varmints at 600 yards? Once out of every ten? Twice? And how often do you miss with the very first shot of the day, from a cold clean barrel? And are you going to be shooting at your deer from a benchrest, or from offhand after having spent all day hiking and then making a hurried stalk to get into position?

If you are like nearly every varmint hunter I know, you miss your long range shots far too often for them to be a worthwhile risk on big game -- especially considering that a bullet misplaced by a few inches on a gopher is a clean miss, while the same error on a whitetail buck is a gut shot.