50 bmg advise

jmason

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My dad and I are kicking around buying a BMG of bolt action type. Not looking for a custom just a decent factory model. Anything particular I should know or be lookin for?
 
Re: 50 bmg advice

Anything particular I should know or be lookin for?

I'd say you should be lookin for a really effective muzzle brake, and a good set of hearing protective muffs. :) Maybe some gel ice packs to ease the whiplash induced neck pain.

You got places back east where you can shoot from mountain side to mountain side?
 
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If you have an ar 15, or even if you dont, the bohica arms far-50 was one i was looking at. it is "only" $1400 for the upper reciever (30in bbl) and bipod.

I wonder what a woodchuck would look like if you shot it with a 750gr A-max... heck you'd probably do more damage shooting just infront of and having the shrapnel kick up... holy %$^@ that would be such overkill gun)
 
For the money, get an Armalite AR-50 or an Bluegrass Viper.

The Armalite is a full length bolt action style that is extremely comfortable to shoot. It has the very best muzzle brake you will find on a 50 BMG. Accuracy is generally pretty **** good. IF you hand load, I have yet to see one not shoot under 1 moa and often much better then that.

Plus, down the road, they are very easy to rebarrel with a match barrel to take it to the next level as they are no different to rebarrel then any other bolt action rifle.

The Vipers are a bull pup design. They are not nearly as easy to convert and they are not as good at reducing felt recoil but they are a much more compact rifle platform. They are not easily rebarreled either but they generally shoot very well and their cost is very attractive.

I have owned and shot many different 50s including the LAR Grizzly, Viper, AR-50 and Barrett 99. Of them, I prefer the AR-50 for a precision rifle. They accept Rem 700 triggers which is a huge advantage over all the others listed. They are big, they are heavy, they are long and they are a dream to shoot for a 50 BMG. They are also extremely impressive in appearance and in muzzle blast but very mild in recoil.

I would vote for the AR.
 
i have an AR-50 it's a real gun made by a real gun maker. strong, accurate and it will resale alot better also
 
My dad and I are kicking around buying a BMG of bolt action type. Not looking for a custom just a decent factory model. Anything particular I should know or be lookin for?

I am partial to the Barret M82 A1 for fun. after all what could be more fun than a bolt action
50BMG,"A semi auto 50 BMG with a 10 round mag".

Rock and roll

J E CUSTOM
 
Re: 50 bmg advice

You got places back east where you can shoot from mountain side to mountain side?


ya there's still a few places. I think it's more of a "just to have" for me and Dad. I don't think it'll see any serious use. I will hand load for it but it's still like $2 a bullet for the A-maxs not counting primers, powder and brass.

Kirby- do you have an opinion of the "watson" line of 50s? They do look a liitle light but I think he puts pacnor barrels on them.
 
Jmason,

I have not shot any so I can not comment.

Again, the beauty of the AR-50 is that its a conventional bolt action design. VERY LARGE, but conventional in every way. No different at all in barrel fit then a Rem 700. As such, the receivers are pretty easy to accurize and its very simple to install a match grade barrel. The factory barrels shoot pretty well with good ammo and with match handloads generally will do 3/4 moa.

That said, I have shipped of alot of AR-50s that I have rebuilt chambered in my 510 Allen Magnum and after accurizing the receiver and installing a match barrel, they REALLY shoot and they are easy to shoot.

My current 510 AM is on the AR-50 platform. I ordered a stainless fluted Navy Sporter contour from Lilja with 33" finish length so its a couple inches longer then the factory barrel but about 2 lbs lighter. Most would think this would increase recoil but that is not how a muzzle brake works. The less momentum a rifle has when influenced by recoil energy, the more effective the muzzle brake is at slowing the rearward movement of the rifle so felt recoil is often noticably less.

Now that said, a 750 gr A-Max at 2975 fps with 260 grains of H-50BMG is not a puff-puff load but its completely managable.

As to the comment about the Barrett82. I fully agree, they are fun as hell, but consider that the world record 1000 yard group with the Barrett is barely 1 moa compared to the world record heavy bolt rifle that is in the upper .1 moa range.

Also, for the cost of a Barrett 82 ready to shoot, you could easily have two AR-50s scoped up ready to shoot!!! Or, an AR-50 with enough ammo for many years of serious shooting!!!

The Barrett is a fine weapon but its not designed for extreme precision. You can get much finer accuracy and consistancy with much less investment.
 
Even though I own a Barrett M82 A1 I have to agree that a bolt action should/can be more\
accurate, with a custom barrel the light 50 should do well though.

After all the AR platform is a semi auto that does well so as long as the rifle is a lock breach
(No Bolt Movement until the round has exited) .

As to the expense, yes they are more but as I said, they are also more fun. And after all isn't
that why you would buy a 50 ?

Just a comment.

J E CUSTOM
 
The AR-50 is more in my budget. I really appreciate the help guys. I am on the Hunt for an AR-50 now!:D
 
Jorvin,

I would like to know where your getting those prices at. Your listed price is quite a bit less then what a dealer can get them for. From what I have seen, $2800-$3000 is a decent price for the AR-50.

If you want to shoot over 1000 yards, I would recommend getting the optional 50 moa rail base instead of the 15 moa rail that comes standard.

I would also recommend the APA Heavy Duty bipod. They also make a rear mono pod that is adjustable for height but I found that it slipped easily under the weight of the AR-50. As such, I modified it so that its quick adjust button was now a solid screw adjustment. Takes longer to adjust but it WILL NOT SLIP anymore.

Also, on the bipod, I modified the attachment block and drilled and tapped the stock so that I could lock the block to the stock with 4 tapered head 1/4x28 tpi mounting bolts. Using just the lock screw that comes with the block, it WILL slip over time under recoil. Any machinest could easily convert this for you and its a huge improvement as there is no slippage at all.

If your interested I can post some pictures of my current AR so you can see what can be done to them. The expensive part is getting the rifle to begin with. After that, rebarreling with a custom barrel is not dramatically different then a Rem 700 in cost. barrels cost more and chambering is a more because it takes alot more time but compared to the price of the rifle, not dramatic.
 
If your interested I can post some pictures of my current AR so you can see what can be done to them. The expensive part is getting the rifle to begin with. After that, rebarreling with a custom barrel is not dramatically different then a Rem 700 in cost. barrels cost more and chambering is a more because it takes alot more time but compared to the price of the rifle, not dramatic.


Sure everyone likes gun porn. I'm surprised to hear a 50 MOA base is needed on one of these. I guess they just lob those big bullets out there? How long do the barrels last on these cannons? Also in your opinion is the A-Max the best bullet choice for shooting into the dirt?
 
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