My friend got "enthusiastic", when we saw a 50 cal on sale, at a local gun shop. We've been talking about going halves on her, and having "some REAL FUN" Well. I finally got an empty shell, from a guy, to take a look. HOLY SH__?!!! This thing is huge! The biggest I've got, is a 300 Win Mag. This thing dwarfs that. I'm definitely pulling the "old guy card", and saying "no thanks". I'll leave it to you younger guys. I've been reading some posts about some guys shooting the 50, here, and I gotta say hat's off to ya.
-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
50 Cal? INSANE?
- Thread starter JoshcBoucher
- Start date
Most fifties with a good brake kick less that a 300 win does.
if you want to be shocked look at the cost of quality ammo
if you want to be shocked look at the cost of quality ammo
Haha I had the bug and got myself a Barrett before I realized how ridiculous having one was so I sold it about 2 months later and built myself a lapua. Still has the range I am anxious for with a lot less of the mass of both gun and recoil. Ammo didn't grt any cheaper though 
I truly liked mine back when I had it. It was a AR50 and the kick was less than a 243. I still watch prices and it can be shot for a lower cost than one would think. The part that will cost you is everything you need to reload. The joke with 50's is a 50 does not know what a $20.00 bill is.
Like said earlier, between the brake and how much they weigh there is very little recoil. Maybe equivalent to a 20 gauge shotgun. Mine weighs in at 44 pounds so the least desirable thing about it is carrying it from the safe to the truck and back again. You will get a smack in the face from the muzzle blast but it is more amazing than painful. If your just having fun with it you can get away cheaper on ammo. The loads I make for precision come out to about $7 and the cheap surplus stuff can be had for around $3 maybe?? They are fun to shoot but for the price to do it and the hassle of carrying the gun put enough of a damper on it that it stays at home about 99.99% of the time. Tell the women in the bar you have a 50 cal and ill bet they will follow you home to see it though
I had a Barrett M82, and only shot about 25 rounds through it. The recoil wasn't all that bad, but the blast and concussion was very severe. It really hurt my brain when I shot it. The cost of loaded ammo is retarded. Reloading 50 is not very economical either. First you have to take every piece of reloading equipment you own and brush it over to the side. Not one component is interchangeable with a 50 cal other than a pair of calipers, and maybe a chargemaster. As far as presses go, I have no experience with any of them. The economical route is a Lee, but I cannot attest to how good they are. Then there are these basement shops like Hollywood, but I don't even think they are in business anymore. Dillon seems to be the best out there right now, but it is 1k for the press alone, and their carbide sizing die is about 850, nearly the cost of the press. By the time you are done buying all the equipment, you are going to be like 2k deep, unless you go the cheap route. Then we haven't even touched components yet. Brass is about 2-5 bucks a piece, and projectiles are about 2-3 bucks. Each powder charge is over 200 grains. And even the primers aren't cheap. The cost of a hand loaded round is more than loaded ammo. You end up saving about a dollar a round only after you reuse the brass. At this time, I know of no other caliber that is this expensive to load.
Possibly a spontaneous tension pneumo. I doubt the recoil was enough to crack a clavicle or rib. Might have been from the blast, but I don't know.
Did a bunch of women take over the hide ???? Blast, concussion. weight, cost, give me a break !!!
Stop the crying, chug a Guinness and stand up when you pee you freakin pussies !!!
Stop the crying, chug a Guinness and stand up when you pee you freakin pussies !!!
50's are fun and I've fired about 2000rds through the 2 I've had.....still have one of them. My little 120lb wife shoots mine too....I hear all sorts of stories about how bad these things kick but most of the stories are from guys who don't shoot them. I'd rather toss 100rds downrange through my 50 than fire 10 from a lightweight 300 win mag. As for reloading and ammo cost its also not as bad as some seem to think. I'm shooting for less than a buck a round using components bought in bulk. Being able to use "active" projos like the APIT, API and spotter tracers opens up a whole new window on fun. I really like my .338 Lapua mag but the 50 is king. The 20mm uses twice the powder of a 50 and shoots a projo about twice as heavy. 50 is just a little guy but still a lot of fun.
Old is a relative term too. I've had some real old codgers shooting both the 50 and the 20mm.....
First two shots are the Solothurn 20mm Anti-Tank gun. It was built in Switzerland in 1941 and weighs 118lb empty. Its just about 4 times heavier than my 50 and at 82" long its about 20" longer. The last pic is a 60mm mortar practice round, next is the 20mm X 138B round that the Solothurn shoots. The round pictured uses a 1550gr training/practice projo from a 20mm Vulcan, a 50 BMG primer and 550grs of WC872 powder. The next round is the Russian 14.5mm. Its a very hot round firing a 960gr API bullet at 3300fps. Last is the little 50 BMG that everyone is so afraid of.....647gr API over 125gr of WC872.
Frank
Old is a relative term too. I've had some real old codgers shooting both the 50 and the 20mm.....
First two shots are the Solothurn 20mm Anti-Tank gun. It was built in Switzerland in 1941 and weighs 118lb empty. Its just about 4 times heavier than my 50 and at 82" long its about 20" longer. The last pic is a 60mm mortar practice round, next is the 20mm X 138B round that the Solothurn shoots. The round pictured uses a 1550gr training/practice projo from a 20mm Vulcan, a 50 BMG primer and 550grs of WC872 powder. The next round is the Russian 14.5mm. Its a very hot round firing a 960gr API bullet at 3300fps. Last is the little 50 BMG that everyone is so afraid of.....647gr API over 125gr of WC872.
Frank
Attachments
I've owned 3 and the Armalite was the least obnoxious of the lot , before the damn ammo craze you could find surplus ammo for about $2 a pop which was a lot cheaper than LaPooey .338 Haven't sourced ammo lately but they were all fun to shoot if you have the distance to run one , most ranges here have banned .50s
Guys there is a solution to every problem. If your worried about muzzle blast buy a suppressor.......
Suppressors on .50's work extremely well, I keep meaning to get one for mine. I love shooting mine, I just managed to pick up a case of M33 tracer which will keep me going for a bit. Also getting extremely good accuracy from match ammo too.
Ok homes, go get yourself a 50 and shoot the fuck out of it for a year. Report back with bank account statements and a CT scan
I fired over 350 rounds in less than 4 hours at drum with my M82, after shooting my other 50's all weekend long at a match. That was over 500 rounds in two days. I've been shooting, hunting and loading 50's for over 15 years. Some say I'm crazy, but I hardly notice the twitches. My wife and nieces shoot 50's too, and lived to tell about it. I shoot at 50 bmg matches with men over the age of 65 that can probably outshoot 95% of hide members shooting their puny calibers at 1k +. Sure it costs money, but not any more than the other ELR calibers out there. I currently only own three now, but I'm hoping to add a DTA HTI in the near future. Here's a pic of me with my M82 and Serbu semi. They make a good couple. Both will reside in another state soon, cause NY sucks. I still have two bolt actions in case a T Rex gets loose.
Attachments
Would take a 338LM all day long over 50 cal. Both expensive to shoot and need 1000 yards or more. Can shoot 338 all day comfortably with 2-3 lb trigger put. All 50 cals a pain after 3-4 shots and trigger pull usually 6-8 lbs. No comparison!
If only
I'm sourcing all the parts to play in the .50 club, but have to go DTC for the liberals in Ca. I'm toying with the idea of building a plywood blast shield to combat the concussion during lengthy shooting sessions. I've never had the pleasure to shoot a .50, but my .338 doesn't bother me for the first 40 rounds or so. After that I start to get a headache………...
They really aren't that bad when your shooting them, it's when your off to the side you tend to take a beating. Besides, the blast and concussion is all part of the attraction as far as I'm concerned
I've been next to one with a suppressor on and the reduction in noise and blast is spectacular. I've got my eye on one of these and been told they work really well.
DUAL-Fifty suppressor | Ase Utra
I've been next to one with a suppressor on and the reduction in noise and blast is spectacular. I've got my eye on one of these and been told they work really well.
DUAL-Fifty suppressor | Ase Utra
Mostly Several Barretts, but have shot a few others and just never very enjoyable for me. To each his own. My 260s are my favorite calibers and with a suppressor they are dreams. Great BC with Lapua 136gr L and 139gr bullets in Lapua brass. Good for 10 or more reloads with occasional full length sizing and annealing.
I have only shot a 50 once. It was a AR 50. I definitely noticed the muzzle blast but the recoil was nothing. It was not a sharp jab just a slow push. I heard they kick a little harder with the 800 grain bore riders. I just shot a baby 647 grain FMJ at 10inch by 10inch steel plate at 1000 yards. I definitely did not need a spotter I could follow the bullet impact through the scope with no problem. The only downfall I see with the 50s is how heavy they are and hard to hull around. What type of MOA can you expect at 1000yds?
It's called a Pulmonary Over Inflation Syndrome (POIS). Most of the time these are seen in divers. What happened was he held his breath with lungs full and over pressure from muzzle brake did the rest. Just went "pop". He's fine now. But he doesn't hold his breath in anymore to say the least.
Last edited:
The 20mm ammo is all handloaded in my case. I bought and buy brass when I can find it. There is live ammo out there from WWII but at $50 a round or more I'd rather load my own. We can get surplus US projectiles pretty readily and just need to turn down the driving bands from .828" to .814" for the european barrel. Cases are coverted from berdan to take US .50 BMG primers. We use readily available surplus 20mm powder (which also works pretty well for .50 cal and .338 Lapua mag). I load them up on my RCBS Ammomaster press with the BMG adapter. There have also been a few guys over the years who have made up stainless steel cases for the round. They work very well and a friend has one of these cases he has loaded and fired more than 17 times with heavy loads. I've got 8-12 loadings on most of my brass cases because I anneal necks every shot and don't overload. With the weight of the gun and the very good muzzle brake it has the recoil on the 20mm is very manageable. Its a big shove instead of a smack like a light 300 win mag. The barrel weighs 43 lb and has to move about 3 inches in order to eject through recoil operation. I don't load hot enough to cycle semi auto but the barrel still moves about 2.5" and absorbs a lot of the recoil energy. Another buddy who has a cannon size chronograph has measured my standard load of 550gr of WC872 and the 1550gr projo at 3200fps so its not a light load but it is light for the gun. This gun originally fired a 2300gr projo at 2650fps....
As for fifties, I've fired 300rds through my bolt action 50 in an afternoon with no ill effects. Its all relative. If you shoot a 460 weatherby mag all the time than a 375 H&H mag seems a bit light. If you shoot a .22LR all the time than a .223 seems to have some recoil. If you buy a 50 and shoot it more than a couple times the recoil feels no worse than anything else you shoot regularly. The stories of death and destruction come mostly from the guys who buy a barret or some other 50, fire 5 rds and then sell it.
I fired a friends brand new Desert Tactical HTI not long ago and was shocked at the recoil from this rifle. I thought the muzzle brake looked a little small and it is. The recoil is much more than from my Boys anti-tank rifle and the owner thought so too. I built a suppressor for it and we fired about 25rds a week or so back. Recoil was now much less and the rifle more pleasant to shoot. Owner very happy. I pulled the can off the rifle and tried a few shots without and lo and behold....recoil didn't seem nearly as bad as I'd previously thought. Yes its more than my rifle but its not what I was thinking after the first shot. Take some time to get to know the rifles and shoot them....thats the most sure-fire way to reduce recoil effects. Shoot the damn things....
Frank
My .50 Cal Barrett M99 is the gun I enjoy shooting the most. Economically to shoot? NO it is not. However, If I wanted to be all Economically correct, I would give up guns as a hobby entirely
I have the steyr hs50 m1 and just love it..something about a 50 that always puts a smile on your face when you pull the trigger
In fact I like the 50 so much I have a short barreled Barret on order lol
In fact I like the 50 so much I have a short barreled Barret on order lol
Interesting, I'm familiar with a spontaneous and puncture related tension pneumothorax, but I'd have never thought the overpressure from a .50 could pop a lung.
Very nice and very jealous of your 20mm rifle. No luck with owning one in my great grand child's near future while living in the commie state of NY. I shot a friends 20mm Lahti and an Anzio a few times. I have to get down to Knob Creek again, to know how it feels to live in a free state.
^ This. Sure it ain't comfortable and you're not going to shoot 80 rounds through it when you take it out, but the distance, damage, and "cool factor" is worth it IMO, as long as you're reloading and you don't mind spending a fair amount of money on something that is going to see way more safe time then any of your other rifles. I know it's extremely hypothetical, but in a total SHTF situation, the damage the .50 can do to vehicles and distances it can be effective at will be worth the money.
I would not go halves on it though unless you agree on one of you buying out the other ahead of time if someone moves or the friendship goes south.
I have the steyr hs50 m1 and just love it..something about a 50 that always puts a smile on your face when you pull the trigger
In fact I like the 50 so much I have a short barreled Barret on order lol
You are NOT going to like that, unless you're the kind of guy who thinks getting hit in the face with a bat is fun. I had an M82A1CQ. Emphasis on HAD. The beating I was taking was not worth the craptastic 2.5MOA accuracy I was getting. But some guys like things that are really loud whether they're hitting shit or not. It smacked too much of fart cans and loud stereos to me.
Never been behind one.
Nearly every trip to the 1K range, almost always near one....
Not surprising that the two benches on either side are always vacant.
Just like any rifle with a brake, it's going to be more punishing to those next to it. Hell, even my 7-08 with a brake pisses off the next bench over sometimes.
Thought about one, but even 1000 yards seems like a chip shot. But as mentioned above, I'd go .338 LM before .50 because I've "only" got 1K yards available, and I don't need to take out any vehicles...
Nearly every trip to the 1K range, almost always near one....
Not surprising that the two benches on either side are always vacant.
Just like any rifle with a brake, it's going to be more punishing to those next to it. Hell, even my 7-08 with a brake pisses off the next bench over sometimes.
Thought about one, but even 1000 yards seems like a chip shot. But as mentioned above, I'd go .338 LM before .50 because I've "only" got 1K yards available, and I don't need to take out any vehicles...
Can't be worse than the DTA hit in 50? Besides being in Australia our choices are limited so its more a case of take what you can get...I do have my name on an AI AX50 but its been nearly 2 years of waiting now and still no idea if/when they will turn up.
Point noted though, If it shoots as bad as you say then I dare say it will be back for sale quick smart.
Point noted though, If it shoots as bad as you say then I dare say it will be back for sale quick smart.
Last edited:
Older Pic... Darth Cartmann inspecting .50 Cal Troopers to make sure they are worthy of serving in the Imperial Cartmann Armed Forces
Gray Tip (Armor Piercing Indendiary) - Officer Staff
Red-Gray Tip (Armor Piercing Incendiary Tracer) - Company Commander
Silver Tip (750 gr AMAX) - Platoon Leaders
Black Tip (Armor Piercing) - Squad Leaders
Gray Tip (Armor Piercing Indendiary) - Officer Staff
Red-Gray Tip (Armor Piercing Incendiary Tracer) - Company Commander
Silver Tip (750 gr AMAX) - Platoon Leaders
Black Tip (Armor Piercing) - Squad Leaders
I was beginning to think the same thing myself. Bunch of mom jeans wearing sissies. My shoulder hurts more shooting my 12 ga than my 50.... Some guy said it makes his brain hurt... Really?
Here is a tip, keep your mouth open when you shoot a 50. Your ears and head will thank you for it.
I shoot a M82, I can reload for $1 a round. It costs me less to reload for my 50 than my 338. Surplus powder for $50 for 8 pounds, pulled Ball or API bullets and a primer = cheap shooting. Brass is cheap as shit to buy, you can get them for .40 to .50 cents a case on gunbroker.
Those lee presses get the job done and you can still use it with all your other dies with the reducer in it. Money well spent. I load all my precision stuff with a single stage pres because I can get ZERO runout so that lee press loads my 50 and my HQ 338. You dont need some fancy name on the cast, you just need a true cast. Just make sure you lube those cases well, the handle on the thing just barely gets the job done on 1X fired military. Once you have them sized once, they are pretty easy to resize the second time.
50s are insane and very dangerous. They are so heavy you have to wear a proper back brace to lift them. They are so expensive to shoot you won't be able to afford food for your children. If you shoot one your brain will liquify and run out your nose ?. Thankfully I run a precision 50cal disposal site. Send those evil things to me and I will properly deal with them. I feel so strongly about this cause I will even pay for shipping.
There is a .50 in my house somewhere, not sure where...
I am not going to be able to ever sleep at peace until I own a Barrett M82A. Say what you you want about it's accuracy, but it sets multiple records for sniper kills at distance.
You do not have a gas mask? I have three just for myself and one for everyone who lives with me. Seriously how can you not? How can you not care about your health enough to have one? When it is dry just mowing the yard I wear one just to keep the dust out.
Ok back to your 50 talk. I talked to guy today who cannot stand some own them. They are not for everyone but I really liked mine when I had one.
I am not going to be able to ever sleep at peace until I own a Barrett M82A. Say what you you want about it's accuracy, but it sets multiple records for sniper kills at distance.
Am I the only one who thinks this is kinda... odd?
Similar threads
