50 bmg ammo

[thomas82]

Hey everyone,

I recently purchased my dream rifle which is a m82a1. I had trouble finding any discussion on the ammo to use for it, I assumed mil surplus ammo from lake city is suitable for it but after doing some research I was seeing stuff about resizing the bullets or brass? Just wanted some clarification before shooting the surplus ammo. Thank you

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

This is probably not what you really want to hear but it is IMO the brutal truth.

I have never understood the allure of "Surplus Ammunition" utilization; especially in modern firearms..

Why spend 10k on a rifle/scope to be drawn to wanting to shoot the cheapest, crappiest ammunition that can be found?

That "Surplus Ammunition" is was not meant to be utilized in civilian recreational firearms; it was meant to be used in a big ass M2HB that has the chamber slop of a Kardashian Vag.....

You have absolutely no idea what has been done to/with that surplus ammo.
You have absolutely no idea IF that ammo became surplus because it did not pass the .gov QC checks, etc etc.

Call your fellow Kentuckian that recently learned about surplus ammo dangers (And learned he had a shitty firearm)

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[roostercogburn98]

I always shot PMC Bronze or American Eagle. I’m under the impression it was old milsurp ammo that had been QCd (@THEIS what are your thoughts?) for safety? I loaded a few rounds myself but never got big into it before I sold my Barrett. Granted it was a cheapo 99, so not as coolio as your 82.

 

[thomas82]

The Kardashian vag made me laugh. The allure of the surplus ammo is to shoot it more for cheap, I don't expect accuracy out of surplus ammo and I have no issue getting match ammo to really use the barret to its full extent but would rather use surplus ammo if it's safe to use for reg shooting or letting friends shoot it. I was not aware what he shot was surplus, I just knew he was shooting a cheap rifle which I would advise shooting any cheap/questionable firearm especially one as big as a 50bmg

 

[thomas82]

I always shot PMC Bronze or American Eagle. I’m under the impression it was old milsurp ammo that had been QCd (@THEIS what are your thoughts?) for safety? I loaded a few rounds myself but never got big into it before I sold my Barrett. Granted it was a cheapo 99, so not as coolio as your 82.

Nothing wrong with the 99, its still a barrett.

 

[AZgeek]

The Kardashian vag made me laugh. The allure of the surplus ammo is to shoot it more for cheap, I don't expect accuracy out of surplus ammo and I have no issue getting match ammo to really use the barret to its full extent but would rather use surplus ammo if it's safe to use for reg shooting or letting friends shoot it. I was not aware what he shot was surplus, I just knew he was shooting a cheap rifle which I would advise shooting any cheap/questionable firearm especially one as big as a 50bmg

And your friends will want to shoot it often! Insist they bring new manufacture ammo to replace the cheaper stuff you let them shoot.

 

[diverdon]

Call your fellow Kentuckian that recently learned about surplus ammo dangers (And learned he had a shitty firearm)

Sincerely,
Theis

Please tell me you are not comparing a Serbu to a Barrett? If you are lets have a pulling contest, your Yugo against my F350.

 

[thomas82]

And your friends will want to shoot it often! Insist they bring new manufacture ammo to replace the cheaper stuff you let them shoot.

That's a good idea. As long as it's safe ammo to shoot, I did buy some American eagle ammo and it seemed to be just milsurp

 

[THEIS]

Please tell me you are not comparing a Serbu to a Barrett? If you are lets have a pulling contest, your Yugo against my F350.

Hi,

Never said that but reality is surplus ammo is a potential DANGER in any firearm if we want to get technical with it.
There is a reason manuals typically say do not shoot surplus or remanufactured ammunition.

1. Nobody has even clue as to if jim bob ballistician extraordinaire pulled the projectile and loaded case with blackpowder because his Kentucky musket is a 50cal.

2. There is essentially no manufacturer the end user can go to and get any legal recourse from.

3. There are numerous instances where the APIT rounds come apart in the barrel due to bad tracer mixtures.

4. There are numerous instances where "surplus" ammo is actually undersized by jim bobs brother in law because he read online that surplus means projectile did not fit lands/grooves properly.

List goes on.

In @roostercogburn98 instances in regards to PMC Bronze and American Eagle....At least you have a commercial entity that meets the requirements for their liability insurance company policy. At least you have a commercial entity that is putting their name on the line in the liability channel.
Because nobody is damn sure going to be able to hold Lake City ammo responsible for anything.



Sincerely,
Theis

 

[thomas82]

Hi,

Never said that but reality is surplus ammo is a potential DANGER in any firearm if we want to get technical with it.
There is a reason manuals typically say do not shoot surplus or remanufactured ammunition.

1. Nobody has even clue as to if jim bob ballistician extraordinaire pulled the projectile and loaded case with blackpowder because his Kentucky musket is a 50cal.

2. There is essentially no manufacturer the end user can go to and get any legal recourse from.

3. There are numerous instances where the APIT rounds come apart in the barrel due to bad tracer mixtures.

4. There are numerous instances where "surplus" ammo is actually undersized by jim bobs brother in law because he read online that surplus means projectile did not fit lands/grooves properly.

List goes on.

In @roostercogburn98 instances in regards to PMC Bronze and American Eagle....At least you have a commercial entity that meets the requirements for their liability insurance company policy. At least you have a commercial entity that is putting their name on the line in the liability channel.
Because nobody is damn sure going to be able to hold Lake City ammo responsible for anything.



Sincerely,
Theis

https://www.ammunitiondepot.com/176...1-m17-tracer-every-4-rounds.html?unit_type=21

This is the ammo I was looking at, it is surplus but is made by federal, the same ones that make the American eagle ammo. What about freedom munitions ammo?

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

Yes, notice the Vista Outdoors Sales in the "middle entity" between the actual manufacturer of Lake City.

And IF that image of container is correct that Lot number was produced for UAE HQ Command.

Per the manufactured date of 2019 that will be overrun of the 2017 contract signed at IDEX and more than likely never got delivered to UAE because EDGE in Abu Dhabi started their own small arms ammunition manufacturing facility.

All those you linked/mentioned..I would shoot.

"Surplus" to me is an ammo can full of ammo that nobody can read the damn stenciled markings, lol

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[Halfnutz]

TargetsportsUSA, "Surplus 4:1" under $3 per. Comes sealed in a govt can and is linked. Have shot quite a bit of it but only a few tracers out of my M99. No issues, accuracy is wanting, but it will knock holes in shit, like a cast iron man hole cover at 600 yards.

 

[madppcs]

Hi,

Never said that but reality is surplus ammo is a potential DANGER in any firearm if we want to get technical with it.
There is a reason manuals typically say do not shoot surplus or remanufactured ammunition.

1. Nobody has even clue as to if jim bob ballistician extraordinaire pulled the projectile and loaded case with blackpowder because his Kentucky musket is a 50cal.

2. There is essentially no manufacturer the end user can go to and get any legal recourse from.

3. There are numerous instances where the APIT rounds come apart in the barrel due to bad tracer mixtures.

4. There are numerous instances where "surplus" ammo is actually undersized by jim bobs brother in law because he read online that surplus means projectile did not fit lands/grooves properly.

List goes on.

In @roostercogburn98 instances in regards to PMC Bronze and American Eagle....At least you have a commercial entity that meets the requirements for their liability insurance company policy. At least you have a commercial entity that is putting their name on the line in the liability channel.
Because nobody is damn sure going to be able to hold Lake City ammo responsible for anything.



Sincerely,
Theis

Theis,
Can you please elaborate on the APIT? I have a Barret M99 and the 2 types of ammo I shoot are Lake City bulk, and Lake City APIT. I dont know much about the 50 BMG world, and this seems to directly affect me

 

[nn8734]

I’ll echo @THEIS and wonder why the hell anyone who has the means to acquire an M82A1 would put shit ammo through it just to save a few dollars. Just spend the money for good ammo and you won’t have to worry about whether it’s safe or not to shoot.

 

[KZP]

What is the max distance you are shooting & target size?

Best bang for buck is PMC bronze at $3 to $3.60 before shipping, then from there PPU solid brass which can be had for $5 a round when target sports USA has inventory.

I've got a few various brands I could package up for you in small quantity if you want to try and sample what works best in your rifle.

 

[thomas82]

I’ll echo @THEIS and wonder why the hell anyone who has the means to acquire an M82A1 would put shit ammo through it just to save a few dollars. Just spend the money for good ammo and you won’t have to worry about whether it’s safe or not to shoot.

Well who doesn't like saving money, but I can get bulk surplus like the link i posted easier than I get hornady amax ammo. I figure it's likely the same ammo the us mil uses in their m107 as well. I can also shoot 10-20 without running out of ammo if I'm just shooting it to shoot it cause its a 50. If I'm shooting 1k plus than yeah I'm gonna use match

 

[thomas82]

What is the max distance you are shooting & target size?

Best bang for buck is PMC bronze at $3 to $3.60 before shipping, then from there PPU solid brass which can be had for $5 a round when target sports USA has inventory.

I've got a few various brands I could package up for you in small quantity if you want to try and sample what works best in your rifle.

I greatly appreciate that. I'd love to get it out to 1k yd but for now 300. There used to be a range local to me that had 1200 yd but it closed down. What rifle do you have and what works best for yours?

 

[KZP]

Pretty much the same, m107a1 29". Minimum distance I can shoot at is 100 yards paper, 700 yards steel. Max range is a mile, although I've only been going to the local 1k yard range. I've tried:

American marksmen remanufactured​

Slightly underpowered ball ammo, won't cycle on a 20" barrel. Less recoil due to underpower charge. FPS is 2650~, accuracy is slightly worse than PMC bronze. Separating brass headstamp dates helps. Cheap though so I use this to let inexperienced people blast some rounds to say they shot the rifle

PMC Bronze​

Good enough out to 700~ yards. Gets 2.5 moa on paper. If you shoot about 6 rounds out to 1k one eventually lands on steel. FPS is 2850

Lake City M33 overruns not rejects ​

Picked up a small batch to try. This batch creates lots more excess smoke and fumes compared to others, accuracy is poor, haven't measured FPS yet

American eagle blue and black box​

PMC bronze is better accuracy when aiming for steel at 800 yards, haven't measured FPS yet or shot at paper

PPU Solid brass 725gr match ammo ​

The best so far. Can hit a 1k yard silhouette plate about 80% of the time. 1.5 MOA on paper, 2620 FPS. But it does have some weird fliers every 10 or so rounds, going either 2~ mils high or low.

Waiting on large reloading press parts to get in stock so I can load 750 AMAX rounds. I will stop shooting as much commercial stuff when I get setup.

 

[diverdon]

Hi,

Never said that but reality is surplus ammo is a potential DANGER in any firearm if we want to get technical with it.
There is a reason manuals typically say do not shoot surplus or remanufactured ammunition.

1. Nobody has even clue as to if jim bob ballistician extraordinaire pulled the projectile and loaded case with blackpowder because his Kentucky musket is a 50cal.

2. There is essentially no manufacturer the end user can go to and get any legal recourse from.

3. There are numerous instances where the APIT rounds come apart in the barrel due to bad tracer mixtures.

4. There are numerous instances where "surplus" ammo is actually undersized by jim bobs brother in law because he read online that surplus means projectile did not fit lands/grooves properly.

List goes on.

In @roostercogburn98 instances in regards to PMC Bronze and American Eagle....At least you have a commercial entity that meets the requirements for their liability insurance company policy. At least you have a commercial entity that is putting their name on the line in the liability channel.
Because nobody is damn sure going to be able to hold Lake City ammo responsible for anything.



Sincerely,
Theis

I would hate to have to count how many delinked 50bmg ammo I've seen run thru the Barrett m82 & m107 with no misshaps. OK I'm a little ADD so we're talking a couple hundred or a thousand not millions. Are you personally aware of an incident where the shooter was (or could have been) injured shooting U.S. surplus 50bmg ammo in a Barrett Semi auto?

 

[Halfnutz]

I’ll echo @THEIS and wonder why the hell anyone who has the means to acquire an M82A1 would put shit ammo through it just to save a few dollars. Just spend the money for good ammo and you won’t have to worry about whether it’s safe or not to shoot.

Unless some one is into long range, I think most 50 owners see it as a novelty. I do. I bought it (M99) out of spite figuring at some point someone would tell me I couldn't buy one anymore. Most people that I let shoot it just want to "go for a ride". They are going to flinch and slap the trigger. Might as well do that on $2.75 ammo versus $6-$9 Amax. I see it as an anti material rifle with a fun factor.

 

[stefan73]

Surplus ball is ok providing you know who made it, where it is from.

Resizing is required with pulled projectiles that are not sized after pulling.

Exotic ammo like spotter tracer or blue tip needs to be loaded differently or you risk bursting the round in the barrel! If you need details I can help you out or direct you to a lot of good resources to assist.

There is a lot of good reading material out there. Have fun and be safe (oh yes, if you are going to shoot shitty South African ball ammo through a Barrett M82A1 buy a rubber mallet, you'll need it like another guy I saw trying to shoot one of those with that ammo did).

USMC Scout Sniper Instructor School Terminal Ballistics Demonstration of the Barrett M82A1A SASR - Search Videos

www.bing.com

 

[stefan73]

Unless some one is into long range, I think most 50 owners see it as a novelty. I do. I bought it (M99) out of spite figuring at some point someone would tell me I couldn't buy one anymore. Most people that I let shoot it just want to "go for a ride". They are going to flinch and slap the trigger. Might as well do that on $2.75 ammo versus $6-$9 Amax. I see it as an anti material rifle with a fun factor.

For my more serious stuff I run 750grn Lapua and 750 grn AMAX. My Spotter Tracer is a hoot to shoot!!! Not me https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...C1663107765280E5B0C6C16&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

 

[stefan73]

Just be careful with some of the exotics

nuke fifty - Search Videos

www.bing.com

 

[thomas82]

@THEIS, I understand what you're saying, thank you.

@KZP thank you for the info, I would love to get a reload set up for it but have had trouble finding the equipment, materials and also the reloading data, if you have any suggestions on where to at least find the reloading data it'd be much appreciated. Also have you or anyone else ever got the barrett data book they sell online? I was considered getting it but can't find any reviews or the exact data in it. Thanks

 

[thomas82]

Surplus ball is ok providing you know who made it, where it is from.

Resizing is required with pulled projectiles that are not sized after pulling.

Exotic ammo like spotter tracer or blue tip needs to be loaded differently or you risk bursting the round in the barrel! If you need details I can help you out or direct you to a lot of good resources to assist.

There is a lot of good reading material out there. Have fun and be safe (oh yes, if you are going to shoot shitty South African ball ammo through a Barrett M82A1 buy a rubber mallet, you'll need it like another guy I saw trying to shoot one of those with that ammo did).

USMC Scout Sniper Instructor School Terminal Ballistics Demonstration of the Barrett M82A1A SASR - Search Videos

www.bing.com

View attachment 7623345

Gotcha, thank you for clarify the resizing issue, was curious about that. And I am game for any more details or direction you can provide. At least for the knowledge factor. Also never heard of spotter tracer ammo but thats awesome, would love to get some of that for the cool factor if you could tell me where you got yours.
Lastly what did that guy use the rubber mallet for? Was that to get a squib out?

 

[roostercogburn98]

What kind of reloading setup you thinking about

 

[thomas82]

Thank you all for the info and advise, I feel safer about that lake city ammo, not for accuracy obviously but to shoot for fun or let friends shoot. I wouldnt mind getting some api rounds from freedom munitions for the cool factor if anyone has shot that brand.
@stefan73 between the Lapua and amax which one shoots better?

 

[thomas82]

What kind of reloading setup you thinking about

Probably just a single stage press, had seen some rcbs floating around

 

[KZP]

@THEIS, I understand what you're saying, thank you.

@KZP thank you for the info, I would love to get a reload set up for it but have had trouble finding the equipment, materials and also the reloading data, if you have any suggestions on where to at least find the reloading data it'd be much appreciated. Also have you or anyone else ever got the barrett data book they sell online? I was considered getting it but can't find any reviews or the exact data in it. Thanks

I'm going with the suggested load range on the jug of H50BMG. Just got setup with the V3 Magneto Speed large break adaptor as well to see what speeds I'm getting.

As for equipment, it did take some time to find things available. Still waiting on a 50 BMG shell holder for the Talon Advanced press I ordered. Been almost 4 weeks now.

 

[stefan73]

Gotcha, thank you for clarify the resizing issue, was curious about that. And I am game for any more details or direction you can provide. At least for the knowledge factor. Also never heard of spotter tracer ammo but thats awesome, would love to get some of that for the cool factor if you could tell me where you got yours.
Lastly what did that guy use the rubber mallet for? Was that to get a squib out?

South African ammo was known to be pretty crappy ammo. The guy shooting the M82 had issues with cases sticking, the mallet helped to remove the cases. I gave him some of my ammo to use. That was at Tacpro TX around 2002 or 2003.

Pat's reloading might have some spotter tracer. The original spotter tracer case was much shorter than a .50 BMG case and used as a submunition to help with training on the recoilless rifles and getting the system onto target. You can still find some of the cases on military ranges where they trained on those systems. Information and a cutaway of one, http://www.cartridgecollectors.org/cmo/cmo08dec.htm

 

[stefan73]

Thank you all for the info and advise, I feel safer about that lake city ammo, not for accuracy obviously but to shoot for fun or let friends shoot. I wouldnt mind getting some api rounds from freedom munitions for the cool factor if anyone has shot that brand.
@stefan73 between the Lapua and amax which one shoots better?

I haven't had the chance to really stretch them out. I got a great deal from the Lapua distributor on the hybrids. If I remember correctly the distributor was changing out or something. Anyways, about 5 years later I saw them for sale at Grafs for around $11 or 12 a projectile. I haven't shot one since. If I had a good range I would take them out. I was almost thinking about taking some drums and floating them out on the coast, but I'm sure someone would have an issue with that. You have a lot of options now with Lehigh and Barnes projectiles! There is a lot of cool stuff out there.

Honestly the Amax shoots pretty well but, I haven't been able to stretch the legs of that round either. Farthest I have ran my .50 BMG was about 1500 meters at Crittenberger Range at Ft Hood with ball ammo on E-types (my BN CDR thought my .50 BMG was the coolest thing and had me bring it out with me).

I am thinking about upgrading to a DT HTI next.

 

[stefan73]

Probably just a single stage press, had seen some rcbs floating around

Those are pretty good. Case lube is your friend and case prep is a PITA! But, it is totally worth it.

 

[BoltRunner]

You guys might just wanna listen to @THEIS here his knowledge on ELR and some of the bigger Magnum calibers is going to far out weigh yours and mine. On just a logical note using Surplus ammo that your not sure who loaded them to what is risky, then factor in your firing one of the largest rounds possible and your risk gets even higher. Were not talking about a 22LR having a hot load in it and getting some blowback in your eye. I realize some guys buy 50BMG for the "novelty purpose" or "because they can" and they wanna save some cash when their buddies are doing a mag dump on a 50BMG at a 100yd target but gotta use your head also.

 

[stefan73]

The providence of the ammo is important, reputable sources. Doing research and asking questions is important. Some assets are, here, Biggerhammer (pretty dead but the archived info is pretty good) and Fifty Caliber Shooting Association has a lot of good info. There are a lot of people with "opinions", research and best judgement are needed.