Hunting with the fifty.

[20nickels]

I read a Blue Press article last year about hunting with the .50 BMG. The auther pulled the fuse out of the remchesterby crowds cry's of "that's not hunting" and "you shouldn't be able to do that". Why not? The skill and ability to take game reliably at extreme distances should be celebrated.
From memory he was Colorado Elk hunting but he never mentioned what bullet or load he was using and I was wanting to know? I would think FMJ would do the least meat damage yet anchor an elk.
Is there a preferred bullet for .50 hunters?

[riffraff2]

Originally Posted by 20nickels

I read a Blue Press article last year about hunting with the .50 BMG. The auther pulled the fuse out of the remchesterby crowds cry's of "that's not hunting" and "you shouldn't be able to do that". Why not? The skill and ability to take game reliably at extreme distances should be celebrated.
From memory he was Colorado Elk hunting but he never mentioned what bullet or load he was using and I was wanting to know? I would think FMJ would do the least meat damage yet anchor an elk.
Is there a preferred bullet for .50 hunters?

Barnes makes an expanding hunting bullet. Most folks doing long range hunting with a 50 are useing target bullets. If you hit them in the torso with a 50, expansion is not really all that important. At long distances accuracy is important and the mil surplus bullets are not even designed for accuracy, they are designed to pattern. I have read where some have used the Amax bullet for 50 hunting. I would work up a load with a target solid that was the absolute most accurate in your partucular gun, or use the Barnes. I do believe there is now one or two other manufacturers of expanding 50 hunting bullets, Hawk maybe?

[thunderchicken]

One cannot legally hunt in Colorado with a fmj. I would think any bullet will take down an elk with a half inch hole. Heaven knows we've been taking elk effectively with .50 and .54 caliber holes for a long time. That said, there is a difference between hunting and shooting and extreme distance "hunting" has always struck me as shooting, not hunting.

[Story]

Depends on what you're hunting, dunnit?

[novalondon]

As for military rounds not being accurate, look to the long shots taken in the sandbox with 50's....good ole issue FMJ ammo. Hunting over there is doing just fine with military rounds being FMJs.

[20nickels]

Originally Posted by thunderchicken

One cannot legally hunt in Colorado with a fmj. I would think any bullet will take down an elk with a half inch hole. Heaven knows we've been taking elk effectively with .50 and .54 caliber holes for a long time. That said, there is a difference between hunting and shooting and extreme distance "hunting" has always struck me as shooting, not hunting.

While true that the diameter is the same there is a world of difference between a lead boolit that will much more easily obturate and deform vs. a thick jacketed FMJ spire point that will more or less "poke" through the critter. Truth be told, I would nit be the least bit surprised if the BP slug left a bigger hole.

[gates]

Hmm... what is an "ethical" shot on game - in my book it's the limit at which you can reliably and repeatedly hit vitals that will put the game down as humanely as possible - that does not mean blowing a leg off and having the animal bleed out - I have two .50bmg's and I would never consider hunting with them at great distance's unless I was a professionally trained sniper- I'm not - so I don't. I hunt with a 30-06 - old fashioned but it's the way I roll - YMMV.

[20nickels]

Originally Posted by gates

Hmm... what is an "ethical" shot on game - in my book it's the limit at which you can reliably and repeatedly hit vitals that will put the game down as humanely as possible - .

Well put.
Two fifties?
<<<< jealous.


Do you mind saying what they are? It's on topic lol. I don't own one I have to live vicariously through others.

[rotty]

I know of civilians that can put 5 rounds of .50 into less than 2 " at 1000 yet are not trained snipers.
It depends on the PROVEN ability of the shooter, if you cant, with certainty, make the shot then you don't take it, simple as that, get yourself into a position where you can, then shoot.
the end result for me of hunting is to take game. I do not hunt ranches or "game farms", I am looking forward to shooting a MI whitetail with my .50 soon. And would love to do an Eastern Elk or MOose etc...
that being said the 750gr Amax would be my bullet choice.

[crcksht]

I guess if you need to kill a deer with your $8000 .50 BMG rifle to make you feel macho, then go for it.

Sort of like shooting mice with a .30/06. Yeeee-haaaw!

[20nickels]

Originally Posted by crcksht

I guess if you need to kill a deer with your $8000 .50 BMG rifle to make you feel macho, then go for it.

Sort of like shooting mice with a .30/06. Yeeee-haaaw!

How about a .338 Lapua then? It has the same energy @ 1000 as your 30-06 @ 300yds. Where does it cease to be hunting and start to be mouse/moose murder?

[Seaweed]

Hunting deer with bow- very challenging.

Hunting deer with common caliber rifle- challenging.

Hunting deer with 50BMG- not much challenge at all.

Should laws reflect any degree of challenge? Not in my opinion. Would I personally hunt deer with my Serbu BFG50A? Not while I have ammo for my 300 Win Mag.

[ByrnieMac]

Originally Posted by 20nickels

Two fifties?
<<<< jealous.

+1

[SWOHFAL]

Originally Posted by Seaweed

Hunting deer with bow- very challenging.

Hunting deer with common caliber rifle- challenging.

Hunting deer with 50BMG- not much challenge at all.

Should laws reflect any degree of challenge? Not in my opinion. Would I personally hunt deer with my Serbu BFG50A? Not while I have ammo for my 300 Win Mag.

Depends on the distance, IMO. I can't see anyone hunting with a .50 under 500 yds unless it's a cape buffalo or elephant.

[thunderchicken]

Originally Posted by SWOHFAL

Depends on the distance, IMO. I can't see anyone hunting with a .50 under 500 yds unless it's a cape buffalo or elephant.

Shooting at distance is certainly challenging. It is not, however, hunting. Hell I have a .50 bmg and a .338 lapua but would never use one for hunting. Fact of the matter is I've killed more Elk and deer at under 100yds than at over 100. For me, and throughout most of human history, the core hunting skill has been to obtain proximity to an animal. I wouldn't consider myself to have had much of a hunt dropping an elk at a 1000 yds even if done effectively and humanely.

[SWOHFAL]

Originally Posted by thunderchicken

Shooting at distance is certainly challenging. It is not, however, hunting. Hell I have a .50 bmg and a .338 lapua but would never use one for hunting. Fact of the matter is I've killed more Elk and deer at under 100yds than at over 100. For me, and throughout most of human history, the core hunting skill has been to obtain proximity to an animal. I wouldn't consider myself to have had much of a hunt dropping an elk at a 1000 yds even if done effectively and humanely.

I wouldn't disagree, but what about bighorn sheep or pronghorn - try getting within a few hundred yards of either.

[thunderchicken]

Originally Posted by SWOHFAL

I wouldn't disagree, but what about bighorn sheep or pronghorn - try getting within a few hundred yards of either.

Never hunted bighorn sheep, but getting close enough to pronghorn is certainly possible, but challenging. Much better hunters than me regularly take pronghorn with a bow, though I've never been able to stalk within bow range much as I've tried.

[SWOHFAL]

Originally Posted by thunderchicken

Never hunted bighorn sheep, but getting close enough to pronghorn is certainly possible, but challenging. Much better hunters than me regularly take pronghorn with a bow, though I've never been able to stalk within bow range much as I've tried.

Didn't know that people bow-hunted the pronghorn, but I see that it's done by using decoys, since their eyesight is too good to not notice a hunter before he gets within a couple hundred yards in the open grasslands that form the bulk of their range.

[gates]

I have killed all my Elk at <100 yards, with a 30.06 180gr pill. Clean heart/lung shots. The 2 big gun's I own? a Barrett 82A1 and a Maadi Griffin that I built from a kit - duly serial numbered after Stewart was popped and his records raided by the fast and furious gang...

[Hebrew Battle Rifle]

I love reading the postings of gun snobs. Unless you are using a rock and clubbing the animal to death with it, you are NOT hunting. That is how the cave men did it and if you use anything more modern than a good ol fashioned rock, you are just cheating and not being sporting at all. You should be ashamed of yourselves for even thinking about hunting with a gun of any kind. What losers and posers you all are. Using a gun to "hunt?" Outrageous!

[gates]

LOL - closest you can probably REASONABLY get to that ideal... archery! 20-40 yards. I have the gear but not the skilz:-)

[MACV]

Originally Posted by Hebrew Battle Rifle

I love reading the postings of gun snobs. Unless you are using a rock and clubbing the animal to death with it, you are NOT hunting. That is how the cave men did it and if you use anything more modern than a good ol fashioned rock, you are just cheating and not being sporting at all. You should be ashamed of yourselves for even thinking about hunting with a gun of any kind. What losers and posers you all are. Using a gun to "hunt?" Outrageous!

I hunt deer with a bowie knife, wearing only a loin cloth. I usually leap from a tree and ride them bare back hacking and slashing with my bowie. Theres no sport in using firearms.

[aepgilli]

Originally Posted by MACV

I hunt deer with a bowie knife, wearing only a loin cloth. I usually leap from a tree and ride them bare back hacking and slashing with my bowie. Theres no sport in using firearms.

Only counts if you mined the ore yourself and smelted it into iron, then alloyed it and forged it yourself, and sharpened it on the aforementioned rock.

[idsubgun]

In Idaho we had guys shooting elk from great distances for sport (i.e. poaching) and letting them rot. They were using .50 BMG's. Idaho passed law saying your big game firearm is limited to 16 lbs, with scope, or any other attachment.

So, I guess if you want to make yourself a less-than-16-pound .50 BMG, then you can hunt with one.

Personally, I hunted elk for years with a muzzleloader, and loved seeing how close I can get before shooting. Something to be said about having elk so close you can smell them, and they don't know you're there.

I don't have issues with long range shooting of big game as long as it's taken humanely BUT don't call it hunting cuz it ain't! That's shooting! And there's a world of difference! Anyone can "sneak" up on an elk at 500-1000 yards! Gee, what talent! LOL!!!

[Seaweed]

I snuck up to within 100 feet of the biggest bull I have ever seen in my '96 Ford Powerstroke. It wasn't exactly quiet. But I think that bull was used to logging trucks, and couldn't tell the difference in the sound.

[homelandprotector]

Might consider 416 Barrett or a 460 Styer..........

Here >> http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...sale-in-april/

[Roadmarker]

I hunt for meat. If I needed a fifty to feed my family, I'd use it.
Have I? No, probably wouldn't either ... too much waste.
A .338 might make a great elk hunting rifle. It might be a touch on the big side for deer, but barely. We shoot some longer distance shots across ridges at some big animals. it is more ethical using a bigger caliber than shooting elk with a .223. I still think you should match your caliber to your game.
I have shot elk with a .243, but it was a very clean shot. People back east use a shotgun with slugs fer christ sakes. How ethical is that?
By the way, you don't need to use a "decoy" to hunt antelope with a bow. You do need good camoflauge. Just hunt 'em like a lot of those deer hunters who use a tree stand....ambush style. It is extremely difficult to stalk an antelope with a bow.

[SWOHFAL]

Originally Posted by Roadmarker

I hunt for meat. If I needed a fifty to feed my family, I'd use it.
Have I? No, probably wouldn't either ... too much waste.
A .338 might make a great elk hunting rifle. It might be a touch on the big side for deer, but barely. We shoot some longer distance shots across ridges at some big animals. it is more ethical using a bigger caliber than shooting elk with a .223. I still think you should match your caliber to your game.
I have shot elk with a .243, but it was a very clean shot. People back east use a shotgun with slugs fer christ sakes. How ethical is that?
By the way, you don't need to use a "decoy" to hunt antelope with a bow. You do need good camoflauge. Just hunt 'em like a lot of those deer hunters who use a tree stand....ambush style. It is extremely difficult to stalk an antelope with a bow.

A slug is plenty ethical if used at 100yds or less, which is pretty much all you'd get in many places in the East. Were I a hunter, I'd head for Kentucky and use whatever the hell I wanted, unlike this chickenshit state.

[gates]

The GOAL, IMO, is to ONLY take what you NEED - make that process as humane as possible. END of story...

[MontanaGrant]

I'm just gonna put my experiance on here:

I used a .50 BMG to get an antelope one year. Nice, small animal.....

Took TWO direct hits and the animal didn't look hit. Now, both were FMJ's, shots at about 250 yards.

Shot #1 went off and the animal sortof trotted off, and I assumed I missed.

Shot #2. I saw a tiny puff of hair and it started running....

About 150 yards it piled up. One round went just under the heart and OPENED UP all the muscle something terrible. The second round (I think shot #2) punched a .5" hole through the lungs.

So, I don't recomend FMJ of ANY gun unless absolutely necessary.

[20nickels]

Originally Posted by MontanaGrant

I'm just gonna put my experiance on here:

I used a .50 BMG to get an antelope one year. Nice, small animal.....

Took TWO direct hits and the animal didn't look hit. Now, both were FMJ's, shots at about 250 yards.

Shot #1 went off and the animal sortof trotted off, and I assumed I missed.

Shot #2. I saw a tiny puff of hair and it started running....

About 150 yards it piled up. One round went just under the heart and OPENED UP all the muscle something terrible. The second round (I think shot #2) punched a .5" hole through the lungs.

So, I don't recomend FMJ of ANY gun unless absolutely necessary.

Tks, It's always good to hear real world experience. Maybe an A-Max would open up a bit. Shouldn't take much to take advantage of all that energy on tap.

[IanMor]

It's all about the spirit of the chase.
I hunted white tails with muskets, Brown Bess, Dragunovs, FALs, Remmy 700s, shotguns, 1911, shit... Anything I could think of. My woodchuck persuits were equally as varied, FN49, M1 Garands wit Remington Accelerators, Remmy 40x, Trapdoor Springfields. Whatever.

If I hunted with my Armalite AR50, I would look at it like a plains hunter looked at the massacre of the buffalo. Good sport, 1S1K. Skill at wind dope, ballistic drop, shot placement. Harvest.

This is still hunting. Do not confuse it with stalking. That is a differant smoke altogether. JUST as valid as the long distance hunter. Just a differant head game. I admire the fornication out of the smoothbore flint lock woodsman, pounding a mulie with a Tulle lock trade gun. Just as much as I admire the .50 cal shooter's association member who snipes a jack rabbit at 3 miles.

We all shoot. We all have our game. Schutzenfest marksmen are weird dudes, but they got some mojo... So I dont have any hate for a gunman's game just 'cuz it aint my bag.

[partisan50]

Originally Posted by 20nickels

Two fifties?
<<<< jealous.

Do you mind saying what they are? It's on topic lol. I don't own one I have to live vicariously through others.

Wow, you are jealous of two? Now I only have three, Barrett 82a1, McBros SS heavy bench gun, McBros repeater (tac 50).

I also owned the following, most were sold when I went NFA...

LAR grizzly, Serbu BFG, AR50, Barrett M90, TNW M2-HB, AMAC 5100

The M2-HB was nice but bulky to take to the range and I do miss the Serbu and the AMAC.

[dane17]

This is how we hunt in Florida.

[ALL FAL]

Originally Posted by thunderchicken

Shooting at distance is certainly challenging. It is not, however, hunting. Hell I have a .50 bmg and a .338 lapua but would never use one for hunting. Fact of the matter is I've killed more Elk and deer at under 100yds than at over 100. For me, and throughout most of human history, the core hunting skill has been to obtain proximity to an animal. I wouldn't consider myself to have had much of a hunt dropping an elk at a 1000 yds even if done effectively and humanely.

Not Always Bro, I took my largest Dahl sheep in Alaska at 750yds, No I didn't want that shot or it was let him go on over the pass...

An .50 in Alaska should be standard Bear rifle, looking for a wounded Bear in Brush with a .375HH would get you by but a .50 would be safer.

[thunderchicken]

Originally Posted by ALL FAL

Not Always Bro, I took my largest Dahl sheep in Alaska at 750yds, No I didn't want that shot or it was let him go on over the pass...

An .50 in Alaska should be standard Bear rifle, looking for a wounded Bear in Brush with a .375HH would get you by but a .50 would be safer.

Holy necrothread! Responding to a post 8 months after it is made!

[rkad]

I was shooting at a covered 5 gallon bucket filled with water with 50BMG FMJ's at about 200 meters and couldn't figure out how I could be missing. I thought the bucket should have been blown to smitherines. I wasn't missing, just poking 1/2" holes in one side and out the other. The .50 must be too stable to start tumbling in that little water. Personally I see nothing wrong with hunting with a 50, but we are limited to .49 caliber centerfire or smaller in my state when hunting deer and other such destructive critters. Jack rabbits and prairie dogs are fair game. I would agree that it doesn't take trained sniper level skill to hit a deer sized target at 1000 yards (after a dozen sighter shots). It does take a lot of skill to hit a deer sized target with the first shot at 1156 yards in a gusty wind.

[Sixtysixdeuce]

I can't say I see anything wrong with .50 BMG hunting.


That said........lug my 36 pound AR-50 around in the rocky mountains? I think not! If the bull is so hyper-sensitive and wary that I can't get within 500 yards, or if he's too big to kill with my 8mm rem mag (), then he gets a pass!

[gobbler]

Originally Posted by 20nickels

How about a .338 Lapua then? It has the same energy @ 1000 as your 30-06 @ 300yds. Where does it cease to be hunting and start to be mouse/moose murder?

The object is to kill the damn animal.....what the hell difference to the size caliber matter? You ain't wanting to wound it....but wanting to put it down as humanely as possible. If you are a good enough shot at 1k yds....go for it!

gobbler

[Dirt1042]

Killing is killing no matter what the caliber or type of "platform" used.

The same argument is made against "assault weapons". Ooooo why do you need that 30 rd clip for? Why do you have to have a bayonet lug? Those guns are only for killing why do you need it?

I've seen people make crappy shots with smaller calibers and their better because it isn't so big? Bullshit

I've heard "oh that's so mean to use such a big rifle". Really? I'm using more energy on the critter and they may actually die faster because of it. That's more "inhumane"?

[gates]

I can think of ONE situation where I would hunt with a .50 - open Ice pack, facing a Polar Bear - that's IT - and I would want an 82A1 because I'd be shitting my pants as he/she was charging me:-)

[riffraff2]

I got my 50 way back before the 338 Lapua really caught on. Right now, if I was doing it all over, I would get a 338 Lapua Magnum. It is simply a better choice anyway you look at it UNLESS you want to shoot all that mil-surplus ammo like tracers, AP, API, APIT, incendiary etc. The problem with that mil surplus stuff is it is not accurate and rifles that are not accurate ain't much fun to shoot IMO.

The 338 Lapua magnum is the real ticket. Awesome ballistics in a rifle that does NOT weigh, well, to damn much. The 50 is just to damn heavy to be practical. AP bullets in 338 Lapua Magnum, now that is something I would like to play with.

[gates]

Riff - the "People" have more than enough to deal with a tyrannical government.

[Thomas]

I just retired and found a Bluegrass Viper 50 BMG.
Am waiting for some spring temps. I want to try some long distant shooting.
I traded for a 30-338 Win Mag awhile back. I want to try it out also.
How does it compare to the 338 Lapua?

[riffraff2]

Originally Posted by Thomas

I just retired and found a Bluegrass Viper 50 BMG.
Am waiting for some spring temps. I want to try some long distant shooting.
I traded for a 30-338 Win Mag awhile back. I want to try it out also.
How does it compare to the 338 Lapua?

I don't know the specs but from what little bits I can remember, the 338 Lapua Magnum is pretty much the top dog. I believe there are military snipers useing the 338 Lapua Magnum but there ain't any useing the 30-338 Win Mag.

The 300RUM ain't no slouch either.

[gates]

There are far more efficient platforms to hunt with at distance - my .50's are for fun or when it gets REALLY bad, otherwise they sit in the safe - too expensive to shoot now, even when reloading.

[gates]

Just talked with a guy that guides, knew a hunter that wanted to "take" a DEER at 1200+ with his .50 - hired a guide (not the guy I spoke with) that put him on the shot ($1000), blew the deer IN HALF at that distance! that's not hunting - that's killing! there IS a difference! and if you can't see that difference I want NOTHING to do with you!

[rotty]

Blew the deer in half huh? Sounds like quite the story, I have a picture of a deer taken at 1 mile, looks like any other shot deer....maybe he was using an "expanding bullet" even then I can probably show you a pic of a deer shot with an expanding bullet at 650 that did make a good hole but no bigger than a baseball.
Sounds like one of tho9se stories about a 50 ripping off an arm as it goes by without even hitting.
JMHO

[Thomas]

I think mine will kill a deer without being fired.
Just drop it on the deer from the tree stand.

Unless the guy was using explosive bullets the story is just a tall tail.
You know, like every dive I ever made near a dam, some guy would come up and tell me that other divers will not enter the water there. Because they had encounters with giant catfish as big as themselves.
So it goes

[gates]

Rotty:

http://www.break.com/usercontent/200...-meters-421810

what does a man weigh - what does a deer weigh?

Not hunting - KILLING. I won't do it, too a DEER.