walsh@frith.egr.msu.edu (Stephen J Walsh) (03/18/91)
From: walsh@frith.egr.msu.edu (Stephen J Walsh)
I'm interested in buying one of Barrett's light .50 BMG rifles. Does
anyone have any experience with either the auto or bolt model ? How
does the barrel hold up over time ? I know that these brutes aren't
made for hunting, but I'm thinking about pronghorn hunting with one.
A Barrett should perform well at pronghorn ranges, even if I have too
much bullet mass. Has anyone ever hunted with a .50 BMG ? What scope
type and power is appropriate here ? Can a variable handle the punishment
>from a .50 BMG rifle ?
Direct replies to : walsh@frith.egr.msu.edujgd@gatech.edu (John G. DeArmond) (03/19/91)
From: emory!Dixie.Com!jgd@gatech.edu (John G. DeArmond) walsh@frith.egr.msu.edu (Stephen J Walsh) writes: >I'm interested in buying one of Barrett's light .50 BMG rifles. Does >anyone have any experience with either the auto or bolt model ? How >does the barrel hold up over time ? I know that these brutes aren't >made for hunting, but I'm thinking about pronghorn hunting with one. >A Barrett should perform well at pronghorn ranges, even if I have too >much bullet mass. Has anyone ever hunted with a .50 BMG ? What scope >type and power is appropriate here ? Can a variable handle the punishment >>from a .50 BMG rifle ? I've shot both the Barrett semi-auto and the McMillian bolt action rifles. I was woefully underwhelmed with the Barrett. It was unweildly to shoot even from a rest, was not terribly accurate and because of the stock design and light weight, the recoil was annoying. The McMillian is a dream in comparison. A single shot bolt action match/sniper weapon, it achieves phenomenal accuracy. The fellow who owns this weapon competes in the 1000 yd and the mile bullseye competition. I've seen 1000 yd targets with groups estimated to be about 4" - hard to estimate when the hole is 1/2" in diameter :-) The recoil is pleasantly firm and "long stroked" and certainly milder than any of the large belted magnums. I think the gun could be a devastating large game weapon out to perhaps 1500 yds if you can get the proper support. Scopes capable of working with the large belted magnums should work just fine. In addition to the gun, you'll need to figure on about $2000 for reloading equipment. You MUST work up a load for your gun if you hope to achieve any accuracy. The military surplus ammo makes a nice bang but is not too hot at long range. If you're really interested, I can get back with my friend and find out what equipment he has. I know that he has a Corbin bullet swager and a floor standing press. I believe that Hodgdon makes the powder and CCI makes the primers. Figure on about 75 cents/round for hand loads if you swage your own bullets. John -- John De Armond, WD4OQC | "Purveyors of speed to the Trade" (tm) Rapid Deployment System, Inc. | Home of the Nidgets (tm) Marietta, Ga | {emory,uunet}!rsiatl!jgd |"Politically InCorrect.. And damn proud of it
cbl@uihepa.hep.uiuc.edu (Chris Luchini) (03/20/91)
From: cbl@uihepa.hep.uiuc.edu (Chris Luchini) >walsh@frith.egr.msu.edu (Stephen J Walsh) writes: > >>I'm interested in buying one of Barrett's light .50 BMG rifles. Does >>anyone have any experience with either the auto or bolt model ? How >>does the barrel hold up over time ? I know that these brutes aren't >>made for hunting, but I'm thinking about pronghorn hunting with one. >>A Barrett should perform well at pronghorn ranges, even if I have too >>much bullet mass. Has anyone ever hunted with a .50 BMG ? What scope >>type and power is appropriate here ? Can a variable handle the punishment >>>from a .50 BMG rifle ? Since no one else seem inclined to bring this up, I will. IMHO it is a very bad idea to try to hunt anything at more than 3-500 yards, even if you do have a 50BMG. The problem is not that you will be lacking in killing power at greater ranges, but that, no matter what small arm you are using, the trajectory gets too curved to be usefull. Remember that when hunting you will not be shooting at a known distance, and thus in combination with the highly curved trajectory, first shot hits are going to be unlikely.* I don't have the numbers for typical 50 cal bullets, but lets use something similar: 375 cal 270 grain spire point sectional density .274 ballistic coefficient .485, m.v. 2800 Fps, with a 400 yard zero: 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 velocity 2606 2422 2246 2080 1923 1774 ? energy 4074 3517 3026 2559 2217 1887 ? traj: 7.7 11.7 9.4 0.0 -17.5 -44.5 -105 ? traj: 11.2 18.7 20.0 14.1 0.0 -23.4 -89 ? The 700 yard column is estimated by me. 50 BMG rounds are going to have a flatter trajectory but not by much. Now you could use a range finder to give you a distance, but think about this, an error of 25 yards at 600 yards (you measure 600, it really is 625 yards) will result (given a 500 yard zero) in a drop of an additional ~7" or so. Most available range finders simply do not have the accuracy to give you better than +_50 yards at 500yds. My gunsmith is a fanatic about eliminating jack rabbits, and has built a 22 cheeta (essentially 308 necked to .224) with a MV of something like 4200fps to pop jacks at 600 yards. I have seen 1.5-2 inch 3 shot groups at 400 yards. His problem is not the gun, it's that he can't get a good range estimation at the long distances he prefers to shoot at. He asked me once to build him a range finder with a 2 meter base line :) I told him it would cost him a few custom built rifles. Maybe someday I'll do it, i can allways use another rifle . . . -c | Chris Luchini/1110 W. Green/Urbana IL 61801/217-333-0505 | | cbl@uihepa.hep.uiuc.edu (best) |Cluch@fnald.bitnet (second chance) | I'm not part of the 91%