Lets officially establish the sporting use of the .50 BMG

[Rachen]

It is about time that this topic be brought up for discussion, right?

We all know that the .50 BMG, with it's own unique line of history dating back to the end of World War I, is:
LOUD
FUN TO SHOOT
SPECTACULAR
EXPENSIVE!!!

And it seems to fall into a grey area in the battle between us and the anti-gunners who always try to insist on us explaining "what is the purpose" of this, that, etc... It is easy to establish the .30-06 and the .300 WinMag as hunting and sporting rounds. They are. But for some people it is harder to explain how the .50 BMG can be used in a purely sporting manner or even legitimate civilian defensive situations.

I can see quite a few ways in which the .50 BMG can be applied to civilian situations, besides long range competitive target shooting:

1. Mining camp/oil well/safari camp in the African savanna where fast, unpredictable and highly deadly attacks by lions, tigers, wildebeest, hippos and cheetahs are a reality. A .50 BMG rifle mounted on an SUV can be used to stop a charge with very effective results.

2. Big-Five hunters can use the .50 BMG for one stop shots on a variety of large game. FMJ slug at these weights and velocity would be pretty efficient elephant and hippo droppers.

3. Similar scenario to No.1, natural gas drilling site in remote Canada or Alaska wilderness. Single shot or mag-fed bolt gun in .50 BMG placed on vehicle or stand for overwatch against grizzlies.

4. Maritime defense for civilian fishing craft and commercial freighters operating in waters with high pirate/brigand activity. .50 mag-fed or two mounted on watch platforms makes even the flimsiest trawler a hijacker or abductor's worst nightmare. Not just antipersonnel use. BMG rounds can blow out engines and put enemy boats out of commission.

Anybody else have any other ideas? Are they already being used in this fashion? They are already legal to own and shoot in most states of the US but it is a good topic for thought, since they seem to often attract unwanted attention from gun-grabbers.

[TXAZ]

Pumpkin sculpting: 1 shot with a .50 and your pumpkin is fully sculpted!




Stopping Ferrell hog’s stealing a car: 1 shot and hogs and car are done. (with a little Tannerite help)



Volvo engines: a .50 BMG round easily goes through a Volvo engine block.
A .50 BMG AP round does a heck of a job on the crank shaft.

Solid granite: A .50 BMG ball round makes a very significant hole in a granite or marble slab, WAY beyond any other round.

A .50 BMG Mk211 round easily penetrates a concrete or block wall stops insurgents hiding on the other side of the wall with an explosive penetrator.

It’s MUCH easier to shoot a golf ball 1,000 yards with a .50 BMG than a golf club. (Fact)

For the longest sniper shots, (3/4 of a mile to over 2 miles) the .50BMG is the clear round of choice, usually the 750gr Hornady AMAX match round, or the Raufoss MK211 “Multipurpose” (explosive) round.

I’m not aware of any game animals (or non-game animal) that can’t be dropped in a single shot.

The vapor trail on a .50 BMG is much easier to see than a .22 or .223.

A .22 round pointed up about 40 degrees might make a mile.
A .50 BMG AMAX round will go 7miles pointed at the same angle.


It’s literally a blast to shoot at 600, 1,000 yards and 1 mile.
The high end bench rest guys are shooting a paper plate size pattern (or smaller) at 1,000 yards, and can consistently hit a B-26 target at a mile.

It’s the most fun you can have outside with your clothes on.

And the last best reason: There are virtually no crimes committed with a .50 BMG. Maybe because of the cost or weight of the weapons, or because most of the people who shoot them are just darn fine people.

[jmr40]

I have no issue with the 50 BMG being established for sporting use, but people have been using 6.5X55 and 7X57 successfully for defense against all of those animals since the 1890's.

For sporting use it is an expensive toy that should be allowed for those who want to play with it.

[tmd47762]

In case Jurassic Park becomes reality. No better way to put some dinosaur meat in the freezer!

[CalmerThanYou]

So many firearms fill a want rather than a need, Seems reasonable.

[Art Eatman]

Agree with the above except for hunting. The gun is too heavy to tote, for one thing. And as a cartridge, it's far more than is needed for any game animal.

[reinert]

Not terribly long ago at a pre-advertised local auction, with quite a few people there besides (lots of guns for sale at that one), a Barrett .50 with some sort of optic on it, along with quite a bit of loaded ammo and cases went for well under 2k. I knew the guy got a great deal, and there were only a couple of people there bidding on it. There just wasn't any interest. As Rooster (J.W.) told LaBoeuf (Glenn C.), "Too much gun." If the guy at the auction got the Barrett as a resale investment, then he surely got the deal that day, no doubt. Or, if he just wanted to try one out, he surely got a near free intro. It was, to me, a very interesting auction to witness. I've never seen a .50 rig set-up been bid on before, and the bidding "air" around it, or lack of it.

[Don Fischer]

Well I'm certain that the right people could make a sporting use for an F-111 also! Problem with gun people is they think the choice of weapons should be unlimited and whatever we say it is. To me the 50 BMG is a completely useless sporting cartridge and should be left as a military round. I'm sure there are those that would claim it makes a great small game rifle!

[TXAZ]

Originally Posted by reinert

Not terribly long ago at a pre-advertised local auction, with quite a few people there besides (lots of guns for sale at that one), a Barrett .50 with some sort of optic on it, along with quite a bit of loaded ammo and cases went for well under 2k. I knew the guy got a great deal, and there were only a couple of people there bidding on it. There just wasn't any interest. As Rooster (J.W.) told LaBoeuf (Glenn C.), "Too much gun." If the guy at the auction got the Barrett as a resale investment, then he surely got the deal that day, no doubt. Or, if he just wanted to try one out, he surely got a near free intro. It was, to me, a very interesting auction to witness. I've never seen a .50 rig set-up been bid on before, and the bidding "air" around it, or lack of it.

Wouldn't doubt it reinert. Local auctions don't usually generate $$$ for speciality weapons.
Gunbroker will give you a much better market price overview. A single shot M99 price range seems to be closer to $3-4K for completed auctions, depending on accessories and condition.

On the other hand, if the T-Rex's come back to Texas, or the cartel quick reaction force shows up, I got you covered out to a mile

[reinert]

Good to know, TXAZ. My wife and I are planning a trip next spring that might trail through Northern Texas on our way east. Always a good thing to be covered...

[T. O'Heir]

That was done by Ron Barrett in 1982.
"...between us and the anti-gunners..." The chambering is irrelevant. Those people don't think you should have any kind of firearm or anything that looks like a firearm.
"...game animals (or non-game animal) that can’t be dropped in a single shot..." There is absolutely no guarantee that any cartridge will drop anything with one shot. Not even a .50 BMG.
"....50 BMG AMAX round will go 7 miles..." Max range of the .50 BMG is 7,440 yards. That's 4 miles. It might be dangerous to 7 miles, but not likely. CF 1,000 yard ranges have a fall zone of 6 miles. .50 BMG's are used to those ranges.
"...sporting use for an F-111..." Obsolete long ago. snicker.

[BeeShooter]

I can not see any practical use, hunting or otherwise, for a .50 cal other than military.

[ms6852]

Originally Posted by Art Eatman

Agree with the above except for hunting. The gun is too heavy to tote, for one thing. And as a cartridge, it's far more than is needed for any game animal.

The cartridge is the perfect size for any animal....Only if you stab the animal with it.

[BumbleBug]

I kind of see the .50 cal as a sporting rifle only as a novelty. I see it in the same category as owning & shooting a full-auto gun. If you want to go to the all the trouble to own & feed one, more power to you - it's your right. Luckily you don't need a license to own a .50 cal - at least not yet!

FWIW

[RC20]

3. Similar scenario to No.1, natural gas drilling site in remote Canada or Alaska wilderness. Single shot or mag-fed bolt gun in .50 BMG placed on vehicle or stand for overwatch against grizzlies.

Put me in the scratch my head on the 50 BMG, you see em at the 100 yard range, fire a few rounds, scratch their head, disappear. They are highly entertaining to watch (note, go fund me might have a place here)

To clear some things up. We drill for water, oil and gas in Alaska. Many oil wells are in oil fields (note little bear activity though some) - have you ever seen a griz move? Better be on your game and not looking at your smart phone (maybe hire middle age old farts like me?)

Vast majority of bad bear encounters are not commercial activity (note hiker, fishermen, campers and one bear nut who camped in the middle of them).

note: far more effective than fire arms is bear spray. People give themselves far to generous a credit for being able to react (not to mention shaking hands - not all are cool, calm and collected during those fun times) wide angle bear spray is your friend.

Agree with the above except for hunting. The gun is too heavy to tote, for one thing. And as a cartridge, it's far more than is needed for any game animal.

You just need to find a good perch, ala King of the Mountain. SW AK, Central AK in places, NW AK, talk about the ideal Caribous gun (hopefully it just goes through and not expands, ungh)

While I am not an expert on Africa, the locals seems to live their fairly successfully without 50 bmg and they tend to have Cattle and such that would atrack some of those predators, planted veggies for others.

Sorry (well not really) but I think you are trying to run the garden hose against a Hurricane.

Unlike all those bass boats down South they finally found a use for (flood rescue) the 50 BMG just doesn't cut it.

But hey, its a big expensive toy, it impresses all of us (its cool seeing people move a foot back when it goes boom and the boom is really neat as long as its not next to you), we love to see people blow $10 a round, so keep em coming to the range anyway.

[Lohman446]

I looked at the second amendment. I don't see the words hunting or sporting in it. Once we give into the "need" to justify it we have already conceded our strongest argument.

[fl_rich]

+1 Lohman446

[std7mag]

I'll put it out there..
I'd put that round and the rifle that goes with it in with the MSR platform. As in i don't want to be in the woods when other people have one!

I've already had too many close calls, one idiot i watched shoot at me from 600yards with his lever action.
I will not go out on opening day in PA! Haven't in 3 years.

[Don Fischer]

Originally Posted by Lohman446

I looked at the second amendment. I don't see the words hunting or sporting in it. Once we give into the "need" to justify it we have already conceded our strongest argument.

Tree's that don't bend in the wind, break in the wind!

[DT Guy]

So, Don, tell us the details of all the rights you'd surrender to 'compromise' with the folks that want to take ALL your guns?


Larry

[TXAZ]

When an old cigar chomping sage was asked about why he still shot .50, he replied that
He liked the matches and people
It was a great conversation starter
He could easily afford it
He liked the comrodry of .50 shooters
It truly pis*ed off his left-wing anti-gun neighbor when he would work on it on his front porch or shoot it from his back porch

[darkgael]

Well, not the .50 BMG cartridge but the .50 BMG bullet.....loaded into a .50 Gov’t case. The barrel is from SSK and the gun is a T/C Encore. It will make a hole as big as an expanded smaller caliber.
Pete

[USNRet93]

Originally Posted by DT Guy

So, Don, tell us the details of all the rights you'd surrender to 'compromise' with the folks that want to take ALL your guns?


Larry

From the peanut gallery..'they want to take all our guns', riles up people on both sides of the argument but it accomplishes little. There are GOP people that are for some 'common sense' gun regs and some DEMs who are squarely in the gun rights camp. BUT making it a 'us vs them', and by yelling, 'they are gonna take all our guns', helps little, IMHO. BTW-how would they 'take all our guns'? Nobody knows who has what and where, gun wise. I have 2 myself that there is no record of..one a family member gift and one bought in 1973 from a neighbor.

[Lohman446]

Tree's that don't bend in the wind, break in the wind!

I get your point but IF we are going to approach the matter of "common sense" gun regulations which no one seems to know exactly what that means it is in our best interest to not approach it in a way that forces us to "prove" a "legitimate sporting use" of each and every weapon or group of weapons we wish to defend. Once we give up the argument and allow the argument to force us to prove a "legitimate sporting use" (whatever that is) we shift the onerous to ourselves.

When curtailing rights, particularly those rights held within the bill of rights, the onerous of showing cause and necessity for the validity of doing so MUST stay fully on the camp of those wishing to curtail those rights.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I recommend the current edition of SWAT magazine for a column about 'common usage' and the perils of that phrase. It is supposed to argue for gun rights but is a double edged sword. I might discuss it in L and CR later.