I am 70 in 11 days and been shooting my Barrett M-82 for a year plus and it is a gentle fun rifle to shoot with everything from AP rds, API rds, and Hornady 750 gr match loads.
Im not to far behind u in age, my m82 barrett is the first gen & its got a 36" bbl w/a to small muzzle brk. Only 2 small round holes, U look thru scope then pull head back intill its mostly blacked out, then u dont get hit, (my buddy got the scope to the bone)( he forgot to back up).
I built a single shot bolt gun using a M2 Browning barrel. I was amazed at how bad the rifling looked using a bore scope. I shortened it to 30" and made an adjustable muzzle brake with 36 holes, 5/16" in diameter angled back 30 degrees. It does recoil into the stock. It is a pleasure to shoot. It is not loud because the brake does not have the big ports. The recoil does not hit you, it is just a push. A child can shoot it all day. I bought most of the ammo at flea markets a while ago in old belts, some with tracers. The worst groups were some newer ball ammo, maybe 1990. 1-1/2" @ 100yds. I have one belt of 1981 armor piercing Lake City that groups just at 3/4" @ 100 yds and 7" @ 700 yds. I have a box of the Hornady Amax that I never shot. Just gave it to the son a couple years ago along with the press, primers, powder.....
I'm not surprised about the poor rifling in the M2 barrel. They aren't meant for precision/accuracy nearly as much as needing to be as durable as possible during prolonged shooting times. Glad to hear itnworked for you!
I shoot my 82A1 in FCSA 1000 yard matches. From the bench or from the ground, using the bipod and no other rest, I've shot PMC 660 gr rounds and can put three rounds into 1 MOA at 1000 yards, but blow the next two due to being unable to read the wind as well as experienced shooters. With the best ammo (and I can reload .50 BMG) and no wind or consistent wind it is a 1.5 MOA rifle, but you can get 3 MOA at 1000 yards. FCSA matches and "fun shoots" and the ranges that host them are the places to shoot this rifle. I bought my 82A1 in June of 1990, new from Barrett. Taking inflation into account, I suppose what I paid then is what you paid today. I absolutely love this rifle.
I also own an M107A1 and I'd recommend anyone go buy one. There's zero cons to owning this rifle. You don't need a $3000 optic to enjoy this rifle. You don't need a truck to haul this rifle around. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on accessories for this rifle. You don't need a range that's 9 miles long to shoot it. You don't have to shoot $9/round ammunition out of this rifle....etc. This rifle is cheaper to shoot than most modern hunting/precision calibers.
I agree with you on the accuracy of the LC ammo. We were told that M2 de-linked ammunition was at best 3 MOA, meaning if it was shot out of a 1 MOA rifle you would have a 4 MOA set up.
LC 50 cal ammo is deliberately loaded to not be accurate, on a machine gun u want a cone of fire not all in the same hole. M33 ball Bullet specks call for weight of 661 grs - 24 grs so a 24 gr variance. M2 ball is 709.5 - 22grs so 22grs variance on this one.this is from ctg of the word book Hope this helps.
@@PrecisionTKS Most people don't have any actual experience with that kind of stuff so they just repeat something someone else told them. I was a small arms master gunner in the Army and we went into deep details on stuff like that. I guess it helps I was in a battalion recon platoon with one or two M107's hanging around. Keep up the quality content.
I have a range fairly close that rents a 50 cal , and it comes with the range master . If you only want to shoot the 50 once a year its the way to go . Make it a guys day out and its not to bad . About $7.00 a round minimum 5 per person. $20.00 per person for the range. $70.00 for the rifle.
That's not a terrible price at all. Last time I rented one, it was around $200 to get the rental fees and first 5 or 10 rounds, then something like $10 per round after that. A bit expensive, but still cheaper than buying your own and then needing to maintain it.
I don't know about folks complaining about ammo prices after buying a $7k+ rifle, then buying a high end optic to match its capabilities. People who drive Ferraris don't usually b@#$% about gas prices. Good video.
@PrecisionTKS sorry bud, not trying to accuse you of that. I found your video to be very informative and entertaining. You brought up a lot of things that I had never considered. "It all adds up" is absolutely true when you consider this kind of system. Your video didn't come off negative. It looks like I did.
You are very correct that it is not for everybody. I always figured there is the possibility of a 7 mile ricochet, so where to shoot is a big problem. I don't think the cost to shoot is much different than other big calibers now. It is interesting yours does not like the 2020 LC ball ammo at all. You should investigate that a bit just in case you have a gun problem that may end up in a catastrophic failure.
Nope, cost is similar for a lot of the "big boy" rounds it seems like. My .338LM costs almost as much to reload and I know several calibers that cost more the a .50.
The biggest thing with most guys is the cost of shooting it I think that is what he has found out ! I bought both the Barrett and the AR 50 in 03 bought up a bunch of surplus ammo I have I think somewhere around 15000 rounds of all types and bought a 5 gallon bucket of pulled API bullets have reloaded a few . I live out in the country on 300 acres and have a good back stop it’s no more hard to shoot than my AR 30 in 300 win,mag . I used optics from Springfield armory And on a range every one wants to shoot it that’s the fun of owning a .50 it’s unique.
@@PrecisionTKS Oh and to carry one I built boxes from 1X12 pine with inserted holders to keep it secure has a hinged top has a 3 inch hole bored to clear the top knob on the scope and another square of pine over that I put it together with good glue and screws and on edges 1X1 aluminum to dress it up a bit and stained it all them used poly coating to seal it inside and out you can build that box for about $100 I also get the excavating out fit to save the heavy wood boxes from the CAT people that bits for the breakers come in they are big and well made ,
50 cal on a budget: - Armalite AR-50A1 (solid rifles, I like mine more than my Barrett) - 100 round belts in ammo cans (can be found online as low as $275) Cheaper to shoot than my 338.
Thank you for that bro. I really needed to hear or should say read that. I was getting totally bummed out with this videos info. I always wanted a Barret since they could be had at 3500 bucks. But I’ve been looking at other 50s way cheaper and I can’t believe he said 2 and 3 ft at 100 yards. I shot way better groups with a state arms 50. So I feel a little better now. Thanks. Not that he isn’t right but I don’t know man. Thanks got to go plug this phone in and get the iPad out. ✌️
I will be honest and say the groups we were getting, I firmly believe are from the crappy ammo quality. They were by no means precision rounds or match grade ammo. With that being said, it may also just be this rifle not liking that particular ammo. Every rifle likes different ammo for several different reasons, and we may have just found the worst combination our of pure "luck". Comparing a semi-auto to a bolt gun also isn't exactly comparing apples to apples either, so don't forget to take that fairly large piece of the puzzle into consideration.
Agreed 100%, my AR50 shoots .65 MOA all day long. With a Nightforce NXS scope and reloading gear I'm under $6k. It's comfortable to shoot and I let all the kids shoot it every time I go to the range. For friends and family, I buy the Lake City linked cans from Palmetto State. Groups 2-3 inches at 100 yards.
@@PrecisionTKS yes you’re right about the big difference with different Ammo. Been there a few times that once I figured out it was ammo I actually wrote it down and put with gun. At first it blows your mind. I haven’t been shooting a lot lately but want to get out there and shoot and clean guns again. It’s for sure time. I built a bullet trap out of 3/4” ar plate yes ago. Bought different swinging targets and made quite a few. Time to shoot the dust off them. Peace brother
@@PrecisionTKS I have a good question if you could answer for me please. Why is it that bolt guns are more accurate? Is it because tolerances are able to be tighter cause the round goes straight in instead of being looser in semi being stripped off the mag going into chamber on angle or something else.
@@PrecisionTKS its honestly really depends on the weather and time of year most of the time its very little. That's what I like about Utah I can go up to the mountains the west dessert so theres a lot of places to train on. However the salt flats are pretty cool to shoot one just Milles of flat ground and no on nearby. You can really pick the conditions you want if your willing to drive a little however we have never had to much issue with the weather. Where mostly shooting 6.5 creed more and 308 and we hit regularly out to 700-800 yards and where pretty bad shooters. :)
Us Nevadans often forget how lucky we are to have so much public lands available to us within minutes of our houses. I have a nice hidden valley near my house that I can shoot 1 mile if not more. It’s only accessible by 4x4 but it’s just down the road lol. I’ve been looking at the safety harbor bolt action 50cal.
I wanted a .408 at one point. I basically came to the same conclusion (luckily before I dumped the cash on the rifle). You pretty much have to have the land to shoot on, or know someone that will let you use theirs, before you even think about buying one of these. 1000 yard ranges are pretty rare to begin with(and you'll want more like 2000 yards anyway), and most of them don't want you bowing holes in their targets, chewing up their berms, and scaring off their other patrons. Ammo is so expensive, that you need some major disposable income if you want to shoot it regularly. For 50 cals in particular, if you want to go out and shoot tight groups and thousands of yards, you aren't going to have a good time. They are 2MOA guns AT BEST, which is about what any budget hunting rifle will shoot (albeit, much farther). If you want to make tiny groups and long ranges, you can buy a .338 Norma for about half the price, and the ammo will be a bit cheaper. Practically, they don't have much of a use. I suppose that if you live on a ranch and you are worried that a drug cartel might roll up on you in their cars, it would be quite effective in stopping them, but if that's the case, you have other problems.
I had plans to reload Lake City brass until I started seeing splits in the necks and deformed case mouths after shooting out of my m82a1. Another note about Lake City surplus is m33 is steel core so don’t start any fires. Luckily I live in Nevada and my ranges don’t ban 50 bmg and I have a thousand yard range an hour away. I never knew what a private range was until I went to Montana.
@@awakenotwoke4830 as my comment said, yes, any crack in a cartridge is an automatic trash cartridge. If the brass is cracked, its no good. Also, if you watch my other videos, I agree 1000% that it's not a sniper rifle and specifically call it an anti-material rifle.
I got the Armalite AR-50A1 for $2500 or so with a Swarovski DS-EX scope. I know it’s a single shot, but it’s for target shooting & “just because”. It does that perfectly. It shoots as well if not better than my friend’s Barrett at 700yds. He asks me, “what if you NEED it?” meaning multiple rounds. Well, if someone is breaking in my house, it’s the last thing I’m going for. If the zombie apocalypse happens, I’m grabbing my other high capacity or long range weapons and if I need to blow through an engine block, 1 round should do it. No regrets about the Armalite at all. Well built, simple and accurate
I have had 7 Barrett's mostly 82s but a couple of 107s And shooting GI munition from link belts dating back to as early as 1943 and all of it in all the guns I never had over 1 1/2 inch groups at a 100 yd. And one hole group's at 100 yds with commercial ammunition. And I was never using scopes that were over $300. If you're really getting that kind of accuracy you need to send the gun back to Barrett , their customer service on such matters is very good. The only exception to that was one Barrett CQB Which did shoot 2 1/2 inch groups at a 100 yd The only reason I didn't send it back was because it shot corroded and rusted ammunition without ever jamming.
50 cal mil projos have loose weight tollerances to get a cone of fire on a machine gun instead of all in one hole, m33 ball specs are 661 - 24 grs so 24 grs verriance, m2 ball is 709.5 - 22grs. From ctg of the world book
One nice thing about that gun is everybody wants to see one and shoot one and nobody wants to buy one. You can spend all the money you want on it and then charge people $20 a bullet to shoot it and get all your money back for it. I'm glad to see you post this because a lot of people dream of having a horse while they live in an apartment. You'd have to live in a pretty special place to have a 6,000 yard shooting range.
Back in 2020 those 10 rd boxes of Hornady A-Max were readily available for under $40 at Texas Bass Pro and Cabela's locations. I'm currently down to four boxes. A neighbor/range buddy let's my shoot his Barrett, just need to provide my own ammo. We have access to shooting property west of Ft Worth.
The 50 BMG is not for everyone. It is not the choice of many sporting rifle enthusiasts. There are numerous differences with shooting and reloading and differences with equipment. I find that there are several different types of 50 owners or shooters. 1. The type that like to play around and blow stuff up. This group may not be overly concerned with marksmanship or long range accuracy. 2. The collector type. These folks may not shoot it a ton and don’t necessarily invest a lot of energy in precision accuracy, but they appreciate the art and style of the collection piece. 3. The type that invest time and energy in to precision target accuracy. These folks are often 50 reloaders and are invested into long range competitive shooting or experimentation. The first group often gets tired of the playing over time and may lose interest, selling it off eventually. Whatever type you are, it is a large investment. Many hobbies can be expensive. No exceptions here. There are a lot of different types of 50 rifles out there. In all honesty, the Barrett is a fine piece of engineering and a wonderful rifle & battle weapon.. It is also inferior to numerous 50 rifles out there for long range accuracy. There are a number factors that make this true. I know that you are a beginner in this arena and welcome to you! I might suggest you join the 50 cal shooters association. A ton of great information and resources can be found there. One thing I have to tell you and perhaps challenge your idea of the 50 is that I know the 50 was originally designed as an anti material round. For this purpose it is a great thing! The 50 BMG has evolved since its development. How we understand it today has changed. Be careful about labeling it as not a precision round. It is absolutely capable of being a combat multiplier. It is more than capable of engaging smaller targets including enemy personnel. It is used to do so perhaps more than you think in this day and age. Characterizing it as only an anti material round does sell it far short. War is not about giving your enemy a good chance at you. The 50 is terribly destructive. Of course! But the 50 is one option that is a force multiplier and as we know now, it provides much more than just keeping the enemies head down.
Look up the history of the round. In the 1920's, when it was developed, it was the intended purpose. Modern day armor has advanced to beat the cartridge.
I bought my Barrett on an impulse. I have a convenient place to shoot it though and am in a financial position where I can spend that kind of coin on an impulse and not stress it. I thoroughly enjoy shooting it so I don't regret it at all. There are way cheaper ways to get into .50bmg, the Barrett is just for bragging rights.
I had a Leupold MK 8 5-25 on my m82 and felt like I was wasting a great optic on a rifle I don’t shoot all that often. I swapped the Leupold out with an Arken SH4 4-16. I’m about 350 rounds in and it’s been solid. Honestly the scar 17 is far worse on optics than the Barrett. Rings are badger high steel rings. I mainly shoot lake city delinked machine gun ammo and get 2-4 inch groups at 100 yards. I delink the ammo myself. I’ve shot it out to 1k yards and it holds its group size with the occasional flyer which are usually the tracer round. I’ve run the AMax and it’s a little under an inch if I do my part but it’s expensive. The lake city machine gun ammo is good enough for most of what I am going to do. If you’re getting 3 foot groups at 100 yards you need to send it back to Barrett and have them look it over for you. Not even a piece milled AK mailed in from the Congo shoots 3 foot groups. Last, ammo is expensive but it’s not a gun you’re going to put 500 rounds down range in a day. The concussive force from the muzzle break is enough to give you a headache after 20-30 shots. All that said, I LOVE the rifle. Sounds like a f’n cannon! When I take it to public ranges I usually go on a Tuesday or Wednesday when it isn’t busy. Great video!
I've been thinking about a single shot but after watching this I don't think l have a single place I could safely shoot it. I think I'll just stick with 7mmrm for a long range gun and spend the money that a single shot 50 would cost on a high end 308.
I'm sad that it seems like I talked you out of getting a .50, but glad yhe video helped you think about it a bit more before making an expensive mistake. Before completely writing it off, take a few minutes and sendnsome emails/make some calls to your local ranges. Youd be surprised who may be willing to let you shoot a .50. A .308 is a solid choice for a lot of reasons, but don't be afraid to look at some bigger calibers depending on what you want to do with it.
If you're serious about developing parts for this or doing modifications.. I have a suggestion. Mike Pappas modified his to use replaceable bushings to tighten up the barrel fit. I'm suggesting to thread the front barrel mount with NPT threads and use a bored to fit split brass pipe bushing. This way as the bushing wears you can give it a little tweak and tighten it up with the convenient hex already on the bushing. And if it's necessary to replace it eventually, you spin it out and put a new one in. Feel free to call this the CK mod.
I got my first gen M82 in 1985 for $3100. It's still my most costly 50cal out of 6 of them. Even my M2HB welded into a single shot was $900 less. The best way to get good accuracy with military bullets is to weight them & seperate to weight groups. The bullets vary in weight on purpose to get a cone of fire in machine guns because it was to accurate at first (not good in a maching gun) they very by 25 to 27grs or so. I altered my 50cal ammomaster to also load 45x310Rmm ussr A T gun. This week I'm making new dies & shell holder for 20x102mm vulcan. I'm anxious to shoot it😊 happy shooting😊
I got it's older sibling: the M82A1 a while back and I definitely run into problems finding a range here in Ohio. Most of the places for the most part that allowed the .50 BMG no longer do or with restrictions. It's definitely a crown jewel to my collection but a pain in the ass lol.
@@PrecisionTKS I forgot to mention there is a manufacturer out there that makes subsonic .50 BMG. Detroit Ammunition has frangible, match and FMJ subsonic; not sure how good they are but they talk about how they make their ammo in the description. I've heard people hand load for subsonic as well but not seen much covered on the topic.
In Ohio try thunder valley. No 50's but it's private - open to public so if you call ahead and ask nicely you might get lucky. It's 100y to a mile out there.
I got a Serbu RN50 one of the least expensive a couple years ago, i did get the heavy 36 inch barrel on it with a Athlon Argos BTR GEN 2 scope. Have used a lot of Lake City ammo 660 and 690 gr fmj and find it very consistent for bulk ammo, only have a 135 yard range at home and travel 20 minutes to shoot at a 350 yd range. Can shoot all day at 135 yd max group 2 inch shooting from bench, at the 350 with a good group have done a couple 3 inch but most are 5 - 5 1/2 in. groups. I have not tried any high dollar ammo yet, Scope has not given me any problems so far with only about 250 rounds with it. Something doesn't sound right with the lake city being couple feet off at 100 yd, a friend has a Barret semi auto with a Vortex scope and he shoots lake city same as i do and he has no problems with it and also took his out to 800 yds.
I have many places to shoot it. There are a few .50 BMG rifles and optics within my price range. I know what I want and I want minimal accessories. I ain't scared. I want a .50 BMG.
Yeah. It was never meant to take out tanks and battleships. WW2, slow moving fighter planes, fast boats, jeeps, unfortified buildings etc. Please don't try to fight an armored vehicle with a 50 bmg. You're gonna lose. Especially if you don't have access to depleted uranium ammunition.
So i went to quantify my ball ammo from lake city today. I broke them off the belt before i shot them. I shot one 5 round group at 100 yards and was at 4.5". Im sure i can do it again and im sure i can do it better as i shot them about as fast as i could load and acquire without a rear bag.
No problem! Like I said in the video, I still would have bought one, but I just wish I would have known a few things first. I'm sure I'll share more once I get to shoot it a bit more, but these were the first major things that came to mind.
@jackmagicbean yeah. I've heard of it. It looks purty, but let's be honest, if you are in a room full of guys and one say he has a lynx and the other says he has a Barrett, who wins the 🍆 sizing competition? Only one has been adopted by the military ;)
The Barrett might be the Crème de la crème of 50 cal rifles but so is the price tag. Check into a big kahuna 50 bmg upper. By the time you spend $20k on a barrett, you can have a 50 bmg, a scope and about 2000 rounds of ammo and most likely have money left over. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a barrett also but the price is just too high for a want.
I've had my M95 since 06. It's fun. But not a every day rifle. We have put maybe 1200 rds through it. But if I had to choose between my M95 or my AW in 308 I'd keep the 308 simply cause I get more not just in fun but usefulness on our farm out of it.
i'd probably do the same thing if I was in that position. Practically, a .50 BMG just don't have much use in the day to day world beyond having bragging rights or reaching way out to touch something.
Yeah, one really has to do their homework if they want to enjoy a 50 BMG. That said, all rifles are different, what applies to Barret, usually does not apply to most other manufacturers out there. I prefer the rifle to have a pic rail for a bipod, as those proprietary bipods imo, suck, lol. They're heavy duty, but lack adjustment big time compared to an Atlas or others, which that also changes the who dynamics of bench shooting and shooting prone. The only issues I really had was my optics and optics mounts. Everything had to be loctite down, otherwise it will come loose! The other was, I never knew about lapping the scope rings for even pressure on tube, so here my scope was sliding forwards in the rings, even the rings are torqued beyond manufacturer specifications of 15 in/lbs, I did 22 before the torx bit on my drive started to strip out. I took it to a local gunsmith who lapped the rings and reset the scope for me. He also informed me that Barrets scope rings are typically what one should use for the 50 cal and they come flush fitting from the factory, hence why they are so expensive, wish I knew that before hand 🤦. That's another thing, rings to handle large tube body scopes, especially for hd ones, not cheap at all! For accuracy, I've seen mixed results. I've had some lots of surplus ammo shoot really well and others shoot all over the place and very inconsistent loadings. Factory loadings like PMC, AE, HSM, Hornady, seem to be a lot more consistent. For fun shooting though, the surplus ammo is fine. I save the Amax rounds for special occasions as it's typically a pricey round, but they are very accurate loadings, man do they shoot like laser beams! Another reason why you may not have good accuracy with that barret is because, well, it's a Barret M107, lol. I've heard a few SF guys say that the Barrets where never pin point accurate, I don't remember the other model they said their sniper teams used, but apparently it was in a McMillan chassy and was very accurate. I watched a competition shoot some odd years ago at this range in IN, a guy had a LAR Grizzly big boar 50 cal. This dude literally shot and hit a 20" gong on the second shot at 1000 yards. 20" is big up close, but we couldn't even see it from behind the bench without binoculars. We knew right away when he hit it, that round still made that big ole plate turn and sway from that far. Ever since then, I knew, I had to have a 50 cal in my life!
Hey man, the reason why no gun shooting ranges won’t except the M107, M82A1, is because the M107 was designed by Ronnie Barrett for disabling anti tanks and aircraft’s etc. it’s Not a sniper rifle…. thanks for sharing man.
Should have got a serbu or a single shot ar-50a1 for long distance accuracy. The short stroke barrel that moves rearward on every shot makes it inherently less accurate. Plus the others are cheaper.
General question here...what range would you sight it in at and why.. just try to understand this all...I could get one, but doing the research first...
Solid question. We have ours sighted into 200. I've heard some people zeroing at 100, others at 500 or even 1k. Ultimately it's up to you and you specific use case. Most people are at 100-200 with their zeroes, but depending on your exactly weapon kit, setup, loads, range available, etc, it's personal preference. You can calculate your ballistics using pretty much any zero you want as long as it's consistent.
I just bought an Accuracy International AX ELR with Night Force scope at Shot Show. I also got the Thunder Beast titanium silencer that was just released. Going to be a fun package to play with! Luckily I live both in AZ with plenty of open federal and State land to shoot on.
My gun club had a Manufacturers' Range Day shortly after I joined. Reps brought out their demos for all to shoot on our 60 point 600 yd range. Everything was on points 1 thru about 25...except for points 57-60 for the Barrett Big Boys. All day, every time the Big Boys barked, everyone stopped, turned toward that end of the range AND SMILED!!! Biggest shit eatin' grins ever known to man!!! En route home, I'm pondering "It is un-American not to own a firearm that brings that much JOY TO THE WORLD!!!" Next week bought my first M107A1 in FDE....#78 released to civilians. It's been a slippery slope ever since. Oh the addictions we build in the Barrett world.....should be prescription required. Now have complete rainbow of every color ever manufactured in.....M107A1, REC10, REC7 DI, Fieldcraft (only one color but many calibers, barrel lengths,....) and MRAD....yeah, had to have that $16660 SOCCOM MRAD MK22 Advanced Sniper Rifle Deployment Kit 'cause I didn't have that Coyote brown hue. But, it did come with a freebie Hensoldt Spotter 65...$4330 value!!!! Thank You, Eurooptic!!! Sat with Ronnie Barrett and Donna at NRA Convention Banquet just after he sold the company. Pleaded with him not to let NIOA start offering Barretts in Muddy Girl Camo or my gf was gonna start wanting them also. Donna thought that would be a great line extension..... Place to shoot?? Opted for 5800 acres in northern Missouri. Shoot a 50 out to 2500m??? No problemo!!! Ranger carries anywhere....No Problemo!!! AMAX 750s fly real nice..... If ya' cain't run with the Big Dogs, best stay on the porch with the pups..... Check out GOATGUNS.com miniatures....more your speed. If you were given a new Corvette Z06...you'd whine about having to buy Premium fuel. SHEESH...FUN AIN'T FREE!!! Whine...Whine....Whine.
Excellent video. Your explanation of the travails of owning one makes sense and well stated. I'm in Key West. There is one indoor range good only for handguns unless you drive 100 miles north to the mainland. Some guys I know take their boats out into the mangroves to shoot. Sketchy at best.
I got my M95 for about $2500 almost 25 years ago. Some years, I'll put 20 rounds on it, others 200. I've carried mine in the trunk of a Camry without much issue, but my Suburban does better getting to the remote locations we shoot. If history holds, you could use yours for a decade and get more than your money back.
I have multiple BMGs. Ammo is not all that expensive, especially for milsurp and especially compared to what a lot of ammo has become. BMG ammo was not at all affected by COVID. It was always available and never went up in price during the whole plandemic scam. It's always been $2-5 a round and it still is. Last year, I bought a box of 100 linked that was only $260. Yeah, it's expensive compared to 9mm, 223, etc. But many other calibers today are more, sometimes much more, than BMG. $2+/round ammo is no longer unusual. Much premium hunting ammo is at least $2//round now. Weatherby 6.5-300 Wby Mag ammo is $5-7/round. 338 Lapua is right up there, so are others. I had to laugh at the comments about BMG being for taking out tanks and especially battleships! LOL. It seems ironic that a guy is spending $20K on a rifle and accoutrements, but apparently lives in a bare stripped shell with exposed wiring. Like Leno used to say "Single guy, eh?" It is true that, unless you own enough land to have your own range, or you're in a rural western state with vast open spaces, you're going to have a hell of a time finding a place to shoot it. The round is very destructive, and no one wants it chewing up their range or blowing through the berms and/or rounds leaving the property. They're also much louder, and many ranges are already dealing with whining idiot neighbor issues. You really need 2 layers of ear protection to shoot it - both in-ear plugs and over-ear muffs. You can reload BMG, but everything for it is much larger and more expensive. My Hollywood press and dies cost $2000, and that was back in the late 90s.
I have a AR50 and what you say is what I have found to be true. I can get 100rds for $300. My 28 nosler is closer to $5.50 a round. The .50 is one of my cheaper guns to shoot haha
By the way lake City brass is the most consistent brass to reload. You need to use a good bullet and good powder charges to make it work. AMax doesn't work for crap in a barrett. The Hornady brass isn't very consistent weight wise either. Hand load a good barnes bullet when you're ready to go.
Even my 338 lapua is expensive and overkill and we have and outdoor range out to 1300yards at our camp. Our 6 5 creesmores get it done at that range. Basically I need 1600+ yards to put the 338 to good use.
I'm glad that private citizens can own these, and America is a wonderful place! I just wish I could afford one, lol. Thankfully, there are companies that make cheaper options.
I was just given a Robar RC-50. 50 BMG, with 100 rounds of some ammo from Arizona called acculube 10x coated 750 gr Hornady A max. I'm well versed in most weapon systems and cannot find a place to shoot past 300 yards unless I drive 6 hrs. Very frustrating.
That's honestly my biggest complaint with the .50 caliber rounds. Everyone wants to shoot it and say they have, but no one wants to provide a place to do it
@@PrecisionTKS I hear ya. I thought about asking some farmers in the surrounding counties if they would mind if I shot on there land given they have a big hill for a backstop. Living in Nebraska has its ups and downs! Haha
A small block engine at 500m is 4MOA, and a 50cal round will destroy it. If it’s belt ammo from a machine gun that is “aiming” at a broad area of suppressive fire. If you want an accurate rifle at long range try the 375 ct or a similar round. You can make 50BMG accurate but you will have to reload and make ammo as off the shelf ammo is for light vehicle suppression and shooting through concrete walls to take out the squad behind with shrapnel.
I traded an AK AMD65 for one of those 50 BMG complete uppers that attach to your AR lower. It was a cool rifle, it served no practical purpose for me then and wouldn’t now. .50 BMG is a great round when the US Government is footing the bill but when it comes to individual ownership there seems to be waaaay to many cons. One major con is IMO I would never spend $20K on a rifle setup when I can purchase a decent arsenal of other capable firearms for that coin.
What some perceive as "practical", other perceive as "fun" and a lifelong dream. It's not always about practicality or even sensibility as much as just being about enjoying it.
@@PrecisionTKS sure to each their own. My observation was regarding the fact that it may seem “fun” but there is a level of practicality even for recreation. Apparently many people own them so if you weighed the pros and cons and there are more pros regarding your purchase than that’s great. Based on the content of your video it appeared you may have some buyers remorse which many of us had at one point or another. Cheers 🍻
I wouldn't really call it buyer's remorse as much as simply a learning experience. Even if I knew everything up front, I'd still pull the trigger and not think twice. I may have invested in other things differently, but I'm still happy with the decision. Cheers 🍻!
I'm glad that you made the video that you did. I think a lot of people get caught up in the hype and they romanticize the idea around the 50 and I know I even looked at some 50s but now as it stands if I get a semi-automatic or a bolt gun in a 50 it'll probably be Beowulf not BMG. Hell I'm looking for smaller calibers to shoot out further longer and faster I certainly don't need the shoulder smack of a 1200 grain projectile leaving it 3400 feet per second or whatever the hell 50s do
Yeah. If you are looking for a TRUE precision cartridge, there are plenty of other options out there besides the BMG. Many of which are cheaper, lighter recoiling, easier to find/reload, or more precise/accurate. Sometimes a combination. However, you gotta be honest: a .50BMG is a good way to claim superiority without needing to prove it. Lol
This is true. But that's not what it was designed to do originally. That's what Barrett calls it their "anti-material rifle" and not their PMR or sniper rifle.
Tanks and battleships? Were you joking with that, because a .50 cal BMG is not going to penetrate the armor on one of those. Not even the .50 cal SLAP-T will penetrate that much armor.
Modern armor, not a chance. At the time the cartridge was developed, it would disable boats and armored vehicles without much difficulty. It's a large enough round to cause damage, but still small enough that a single person/crew can carry it.
@@PrecisionTKS it's original intended purpose was anti-material and anti-aircraft. Yes, it could destroy boats and lightly armored vehicles, and while it could be effective against some tanks depending on where the tank was hit, it would require sustained fire to do any real damage. Such an attack would be extremely risky even against Mark V or Mark VIII Liberty tanks that were in use at the time. It's more likely that the crew members would bring one of the guns or machine guns on their tank to bear on your position before you are able to kill their tank.
I guess my outdoor range won’t want me to put holes through their steel plates @ 600 yrds. A Spuhr 6 mil 40mm cant mount is about $500. I did buy the 416 single shot model 99.
There's a couple I've been looking at. Atlas, Phoenix, and another that I can't remember right now. I think we actually have an option to use the standard bipod without modifying it and still be able to drop the muzzle a bit. I'll keep you guys all in the loop if/when we are ready to run it.
One doesn't have to spend $15k on a good 50 cal. rifle. There are other options for half the price. And single shot 50s for close to 1/10th the price. There are great optic choices for far less than $3k that stand up to the 50 just fine as well. $300 rings?? You have the very top of the line gun and accessories...not everyone can afford these. Nor do they have to. Keep that in mind.
I have the same problem in Australia, range restrictions are a bastard problem of recent invention. Had my rifle for 20 years and was not a problem back then but now the anti gun culture and the “I don’t / can’t have one so you should not either” attitudes make things difficult.
@PrecisionTKS thanks, I'm trying. Luckily I've been loading for years, and knew getting into reloading that eventually I'd wanna play with "bigbores" so I purchased tooling to allow expansion, aka the presses that uses extra large die sets. I don't have dies yet, but I do have the xl brass prep tools needed for things like 50, as well as a few pounds of 50 powder, a sleeve of primers (rare round these parts), a couple hundred pull down seeds/brass (that I was sure to inspect inside thoroughly for case head wear b4 purchase), and almost 2 stacked cans worth of loaded ball for messing with. I only have 40rnds of loaded Hornady but it's a start. Figure I have more than alot of folks that I've gotten over the years so hopefully the buyers remorse won't be as dramatic. I've only shot about 25 rnds of 50 thru a friend's but I love it. Luckily I live deep in the woods so there's plenty of private ranges/pits to shoot at, sadly the longest is only 500yrds, with an average of 300 at most of em so I won't get to full stretch the platform out, but hey.....it's something.
Sphur mounts! Check them out, something like an armalite ar50 can use any mount on account its weight sponges up literally all the recoil, the m82a1 on the other hand has a sledgehammer inside the receiver reciprocating every time the trigger is pulled, the only advantage to the semi auto is using it in a war zone, being that the barrel isint integral to the receiver there accuracy has always left some to desire,
I have tasco scopes & simmons rings on 6 50 cals. Only my first gen m 82 barret has had the front lenze retaining ring come loose untill i locktighted it, lenze didnt come loose thou
a lot of ranges banned 50 cal based on the fact that a lot of the surplus ammo is either tracer, ap or incendiary. all of which ranges do not want fired. sometimes the paint is tumbled or removed from the ammo. and backstops need to be yards thick. to stop the 50 bullet safely. its a lot of fun to shoot stuff with it. you really need some private land to enjoy a 50 . engine blocks and steel plate destruction.
You forgot to buy the suppressor! I have that optic and wouldn't waste it on a barrett. I also have an m82 and 107 suppressed. Leopold Mark 4 is all you need. You also need to reload for it to get any type of good accuracy which I do. Both mine are 20-in models designed to engage large targets at less than 500 m. Nobody takes out a ship with a Barrett
🥺👍, yep, it’s all true. Every reason you bring up is the same thing that’ll stop you getting that Ruger Precision in 338 Lapua in Australia 😞. Good, honest content.
Oh, I've got a .338 LM coming hopefully by the end of summer, but it should be a little better other than the ammo. By the time I'm done loading/reloading rounds, they will most likely cost just as much, if not more than the BMG rounds.
@@PrecisionTKS Factory 338 LAP ammo is $10-$13 in Australia for the mundane stuff and almost $20 a round for the ‘match grade’. Reloading sounds like a good second hobby 🤔‼️. Then it’s 3 hours drive to the nearest range that’ll let you shoot 338, unless you’ve got your own 40 acre property to shoot on😬
Yeah, based off the rough numbers I have right now, I'm figuring around $6-7 per round, possibly more depending on the projectiles I end up settling on, plus the brass. Brass alone here can be $4 per shell without much difficulty.
@jacksmagicbeans what kind of war are we talking here, and what kind of weapon system? All things being equal, I'd say .50BMG if you want to scare the hell out of someone down range, have infinite rounds, and don't have to move very much. .338LM if you actually want to hit a target at range consistently, need to move more than from your bunk to a watch tower, and don't need to disable heavy artillary or large vehicles. This is also assuming you are using "factory ammo" rather than hand loads, are shooting bolt action weapons, and aren't worried about anything besides hitting a target at 100 yards or more.
Hmm. $100 scope on mine, no problems. 2.4k for the whole package with 200 rounds. Recoil of a 12ga. Got bored with it after 27 rounds. No flinch or blinking. But I need a spotter because of the cloud/distortion from the muzzle. 37lbs on the bench. Watson. The bolt threads down on the round so it will run the cheapest stuff well and accurate. Like I said I am bored with my 12.7x99.
Good video about the considerations but I've gotta say, the .50BMG is an anti-material cartridge, NOT for "tanks and battleships"!!!! It is good for stopping unarmored vehicles like cars and trucks. It is barely adequate for armored personnel carriers and Humvees (it may or may not be able to disable them depending on the type of ammo and how much armor they have). But AFVs and tanks are not vulnerable to it, except maybe you could damage their optics if you got lucky. It's far too small to attack ships except for sniping at personnel on the ship. It could be used for boats, though.
I zero all my rifles at 100 yards even my 50 BMG I have a single shot Noreen ULR and I get less than 2 MOA at 100 yards with the 750 grain A-MAX Hornady ammo. I definitely don’t use a mono pod on the butt stock. Sandbag is the preferred method for Xtreme long range precision shooting. It looks cool to have a mono pod on the butt stock, but it yields terrible results.
I'm amazed that anyone buys these things. You can't shoot them at an indoor gun range, they won't allow it because of severe backstop damage so you're limited to outdoor ranges that will accept them. The rifles are very, very expensive as is the ammo as well. Also, I know how LOUD 44 magnum and 357 magnum is, I can only imagine what 50 cal does to your ears (even with hearing protection). After all that expense, what can you do with it except to destroy engine blocks and stuff like that - will get boring real soon. Its not practical to hunt with either - who is going to carry that heavy thing around all day in the bush?
I've shot them indoors plenty of times. It's not ideal, but not unheard of. The biggest issue (assuming the backstop is rated for it, like you said) is the blast. Every time I've shot indoors, they have to clear the range for the single rifle and you can still feel the shockwave in your chest if you are in the lobby. Lol
A lot of people talking impracticalities. How big is your house? do you need all that space? No. Will a smaller house suffice? Yes. Your truck tows 10k pounds right? how many times do you to 10k pounds? Do you tow at all? If you do, wouldn't a smaller truck work? If you have a car, does it go faster than the speed limit? Sure it does. Why not just own a car that gets you from point A to B no faster than the speed limit? Everyone owns things that are above and beyond what is needed. We do this because we CAN and WANT to. I'm sure most of us would be amazed at some things you buy and do. Luckily, we live in a place and have the opportunities to purchase over the top things because we LIKE them. What more reason do you need?
funny we all have done something similar. You should try a remington 7 mm magnum. It actually kicks worse than a 50 cal. but at least it cost a whole lot less!!
Modern day tanks, no. The most it could probably do is damage the treads or maybe some stuff hanging outside the armor. However, when it was developed back in the 20's, it's intended use was for penetrating the armor of the day and disabling large, hardened targets. Armor technology has just improved more than the .50bmg cartridge over the years.
I bought the Barrett M107a1 simply because I wanted it to crown my gun collection with it, and look pretty on my dresser. 😎
Spoken like a true American!
LOL, some people have way too much spare cash.
You spend $12k on a rifle and you don’t keep it in a safe?
@@taxburdett my place is a fortress and armed to the teeth.
@@taxburdetttoo big for a safe
Plus if you get robbed they coming for the safe first
I am 70 in 11 days and been shooting my Barrett M-82 for a year plus and it is a gentle fun rifle to shoot with everything from AP rds, API rds, and Hornady 750 gr match loads.
happy early birthday!
Happy B'day !!!
@@mclt8883 😀🇺🇸 Thank You! Lived beyond my expiration date! lol!
Im not to far behind u in age, my m82 barrett is the first gen & its got a 36" bbl w/a to small muzzle brk. Only 2 small round holes, U look thru scope then pull head back intill its mostly blacked out, then u dont get hit, (my buddy got the scope to the bone)( he forgot to back up).
I built a single shot bolt gun using a M2 Browning barrel. I was amazed at how bad the rifling looked using a bore scope. I shortened it to 30" and made an adjustable muzzle brake with 36 holes, 5/16" in diameter angled back 30 degrees. It does recoil into the stock. It is a pleasure to shoot. It is not loud because the brake does not have the big ports. The recoil does not hit you, it is just a push. A child can shoot it all day. I bought most of the ammo at flea markets a while ago in old belts, some with tracers. The worst groups were some newer ball ammo, maybe 1990. 1-1/2" @ 100yds. I have one belt of 1981 armor piercing Lake City that groups just at 3/4" @ 100 yds and 7" @ 700 yds. I have a box of the Hornady Amax that I never shot.
Just gave it to the son a couple years ago along with the press, primers, powder.....
I'm not surprised about the poor rifling in the M2 barrel. They aren't meant for precision/accuracy nearly as much as needing to be as durable as possible during prolonged shooting times. Glad to hear itnworked for you!
@@PrecisionTKSwhere the h r ll you as t
Wow dude awesome
Did you ever redo the rifling?
Man listening to your range problems makes me take my private ranges for granted 😢.
Yeah, it's kind of a problem, but a good one to have.
I shoot my 82A1 in FCSA 1000 yard matches. From the bench or from the ground, using the bipod and no other rest, I've shot PMC 660 gr rounds and can put three rounds into 1 MOA at 1000 yards, but blow the next two due to being unable to read the wind as well as experienced shooters. With the best ammo (and I can reload .50 BMG) and no wind or consistent wind it is a 1.5 MOA rifle, but you can get 3 MOA at 1000 yards.
FCSA matches and "fun shoots" and the ranges that host them are the places to shoot this rifle.
I bought my 82A1 in June of 1990, new from Barrett. Taking inflation into account, I suppose what I paid then is what you paid today.
I absolutely love this rifle.
Glad to hear it
This is hands down, the best review of the 50 BMG on YT.
Why this dude doesn't have at least 100,000 subscribers?
Thanks! If you can find the answer to the 100k subscriber question, that'd be great! Lol
" 750 grains of diplomacy " 🤣 awsome!!
I also own an M107A1 and I'd recommend anyone go buy one. There's zero cons to owning this rifle. You don't need a $3000 optic to enjoy this rifle. You don't need a truck to haul this rifle around. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on accessories for this rifle. You don't need a range that's 9 miles long to shoot it. You don't have to shoot $9/round ammunition out of this rifle....etc.
This rifle is cheaper to shoot than most modern hunting/precision calibers.
true
Hey, it's a fifty. You have to be committed to it. I reloaded my ammo. Saved alot and made some gd variations of rnds. I love it. Thx Barrett
absolutely. I wouldn't trade mine for the world.
For giggles try a 650gr hollowpoint on a bowling pin at least 100yds away. Biggest pain locally was obtaining the pins.
@@waynes.1118 I love shooting APIs. Hahhaa
I agree with you on the accuracy of the LC ammo. We were told that M2 de-linked ammunition was at best 3 MOA, meaning if it was shot out of a 1 MOA rifle you would have a 4 MOA set up.
FINALLY! someone who believes me! Lol
Sounds about right. Sometimes you get a good batch that is 2-3 moa. It is not great but fun ammo.
LC 50 cal ammo is deliberately loaded to not be accurate, on a machine gun u want a cone of fire not all in the same hole. M33 ball Bullet specks call for weight of 661 grs - 24 grs so a 24 gr variance. M2 ball is 709.5 - 22grs so 22grs variance on this one.this is from ctg of the word book Hope this helps.
@@PrecisionTKS Most people don't have any actual experience with that kind of stuff so they just repeat something someone else told them. I was a small arms master gunner in the Army and we went into deep details on stuff like that. I guess it helps I was in a battalion recon platoon with one or two M107's hanging around. Keep up the quality content.
Will do. Thank you.
I have a range fairly close that rents a 50 cal , and it comes with the range master . If you only want to shoot the 50 once a year its the way to go . Make it a guys day out and its not to bad . About $7.00 a round minimum 5 per person. $20.00 per person for the range. $70.00 for the rifle.
That's not a terrible price at all. Last time I rented one, it was around $200 to get the rental fees and first 5 or 10 rounds, then something like $10 per round after that. A bit expensive, but still cheaper than buying your own and then needing to maintain it.
I don't know about folks complaining about ammo prices after buying a $7k+ rifle, then buying a high end optic to match its capabilities. People who drive Ferraris don't usually b@#$% about gas prices. Good video.
Not bitching, just informing
@PrecisionTKS sorry bud, not trying to accuse you of that. I found your video to be very informative and entertaining. You brought up a lot of things that I had never considered. "It all adds up" is absolutely true when you consider this kind of system. Your video didn't come off negative. It looks like I did.
All good. No hard feelings at all. Read through some other comments... I've got some pretty thick skin. Lol
“Is a gun really a gun if you don’t have to use an impact set to take it apart?” Lol!! Thanks, best laugh all day.
I'm glad someone else found joy in that. Lol
You are very correct that it is not for everybody. I always figured there is the possibility of a 7 mile ricochet, so where to shoot is a big problem. I don't think the cost to shoot is much different than other big calibers now. It is interesting yours does not like the 2020 LC ball ammo at all. You should investigate that a bit just in case you have a gun problem that may end up in a catastrophic failure.
Nope, cost is similar for a lot of the "big boy" rounds it seems like. My .338LM costs almost as much to reload and I know several calibers that cost more the a .50.
The biggest thing with most guys is the cost of shooting it I think that is what he has found out ! I bought both the Barrett and the AR 50 in 03 bought up a bunch of surplus ammo I have I think somewhere around 15000 rounds of all types and bought a 5 gallon bucket of pulled API bullets have reloaded a few . I live out in the country on 300 acres and have a good back stop it’s no more hard to shoot than my AR 30 in 300 win,mag . I used optics from Springfield armory And on a range every one wants to shoot it that’s the fun of owning a .50 it’s unique.
Exactly
@@PrecisionTKS Oh and to carry one I built boxes from 1X12 pine with inserted holders to keep it secure has a hinged top has a 3 inch hole bored to clear the top knob on the scope and another square of pine over that I put it together with good glue and screws and on edges 1X1 aluminum to dress it up a bit and stained it all them used poly coating to seal it inside and out you can build that box for about $100 I also get the excavating out fit to save the heavy wood boxes from the CAT people that bits for the breakers come in they are big and well made ,
50 cal on a budget:
- Armalite AR-50A1 (solid rifles, I like mine more than my Barrett)
- 100 round belts in ammo cans (can be found online as low as $275)
Cheaper to shoot than my 338.
Thank you for that bro. I really needed to hear or should say read that. I was getting totally bummed out with this videos info. I always wanted a Barret since they could be had at 3500 bucks. But I’ve been looking at other 50s way cheaper and I can’t believe he said 2 and 3 ft at 100 yards. I shot way better groups with a state arms 50. So I feel a little better now. Thanks. Not that he isn’t right but I don’t know man. Thanks got to go plug this phone in and get the iPad out. ✌️
I will be honest and say the groups we were getting, I firmly believe are from the crappy ammo quality. They were by no means precision rounds or match grade ammo. With that being said, it may also just be this rifle not liking that particular ammo. Every rifle likes different ammo for several different reasons, and we may have just found the worst combination our of pure "luck". Comparing a semi-auto to a bolt gun also isn't exactly comparing apples to apples either, so don't forget to take that fairly large piece of the puzzle into consideration.
Agreed 100%, my AR50 shoots .65 MOA all day long. With a Nightforce NXS scope and reloading gear I'm under $6k. It's comfortable to shoot and I let all the kids shoot it every time I go to the range. For friends and family, I buy the Lake City linked cans from Palmetto State. Groups 2-3 inches at 100 yards.
@@PrecisionTKS yes you’re right about the big difference with different Ammo. Been there a few times that once I figured out it was ammo I actually wrote it down and put with gun. At first it blows your mind. I haven’t been shooting a lot lately but want to get out there and shoot and clean guns again. It’s for sure time. I built a bullet trap out of 3/4” ar plate yes ago. Bought different swinging targets and made quite a few. Time to shoot the dust off them. Peace brother
@@PrecisionTKS I have a good question if you could answer for me please. Why is it that bolt guns are more accurate? Is it because tolerances are able to be tighter cause the round goes straight in instead of being looser in semi being stripped off the mag going into chamber on angle or something else.
That's why I love Utah the whole state is a shooting range not a lot to worry about in a huge dessert
How's the wind out there on ranges like that?
@@PrecisionTKS its honestly really depends on the weather and time of year most of the time its very little. That's what I like about Utah I can go up to the mountains the west dessert so theres a lot of places to train on. However the salt flats are pretty cool to shoot one just Milles of flat ground and no on nearby. You can really pick the conditions you want if your willing to drive a little however we have never had to much issue with the weather. Where mostly shooting 6.5 creed more and 308 and we hit regularly out to 700-800 yards and where pretty bad shooters. :)
Us Nevadans often forget how lucky we are to have so much public lands available to us within minutes of our houses.
I have a nice hidden valley near my house that I can shoot 1 mile if not more. It’s only accessible by 4x4 but it’s just down the road lol.
I’ve been looking at the safety harbor bolt action 50cal.
That would be amazing. Michigan has a good amount of public land, but not many good spots to shoot, especially over 100-200 yards.
I wanted a .408 at one point. I basically came to the same conclusion (luckily before I dumped the cash on the rifle).
You pretty much have to have the land to shoot on, or know someone that will let you use theirs, before you even think about buying one of these. 1000 yard ranges are pretty rare to begin with(and you'll want more like 2000 yards anyway), and most of them don't want you bowing holes in their targets, chewing up their berms, and scaring off their other patrons.
Ammo is so expensive, that you need some major disposable income if you want to shoot it regularly.
For 50 cals in particular, if you want to go out and shoot tight groups and thousands of yards, you aren't going to have a good time. They are 2MOA guns AT BEST, which is about what any budget hunting rifle will shoot (albeit, much farther). If you want to make tiny groups and long ranges, you can buy a .338 Norma for about half the price, and the ammo will be a bit cheaper.
Practically, they don't have much of a use. I suppose that if you live on a ranch and you are worried that a drug cartel might roll up on you in their cars, it would be quite effective in stopping them, but if that's the case, you have other problems.
I also really want a .408 Intervention. Luckily I can shoot out to 3,000 yards if I walk a short distance from my front porch.
All valid points
I had plans to reload Lake City brass until I started seeing splits in the necks and deformed case mouths after shooting out of my m82a1. Another note about Lake City surplus is m33 is steel core so don’t start any fires. Luckily I live in Nevada and my ranges don’t ban 50 bmg and I have a thousand yard range an hour away. I never knew what a private range was until I went to Montana.
How big were your cracks? Any crack is too big to reload, but I'm just curious.
@@PrecisionTKS really? Any crack is to big to reload in any cartridge. Fyi the Barrett isn't a precision rifle. It's a anti material rifle.
@@awakenotwoke4830 as my comment said, yes, any crack in a cartridge is an automatic trash cartridge. If the brass is cracked, its no good. Also, if you watch my other videos, I agree 1000% that it's not a sniper rifle and specifically call it an anti-material rifle.
I got the Armalite AR-50A1 for $2500 or so with a Swarovski DS-EX scope. I know it’s a single shot, but it’s for target shooting & “just because”. It does that perfectly.
It shoots as well if not better than my friend’s Barrett at 700yds. He asks me, “what if you NEED it?” meaning multiple rounds.
Well, if someone is breaking in my house, it’s the last thing I’m going for. If the zombie apocalypse happens, I’m grabbing my other high capacity or long range weapons and if I need to blow through an engine block, 1 round should do it.
No regrets about the Armalite at all. Well built, simple and accurate
The AR50 is definitely a solid option
I love my AR50!
Awesome explanation of the possible problems and hidden cost with shooting this rifle. However I kind ah still want one. Thanks
It's worth every penny
I have had 7 Barrett's mostly 82s but a couple of 107s And shooting GI munition from link belts dating back to as early as 1943 and all of it in all the guns I never had over 1 1/2 inch groups at a 100 yd. And one hole group's at 100 yds with commercial ammunition. And I was never using scopes that were over $300. If you're really getting that kind of accuracy you need to send the gun back to Barrett , their customer service on such matters is very good. The only exception to that was one Barrett CQB Which did shoot 2 1/2 inch groups at a 100 yd The only reason I didn't send it back was because it shot corroded and rusted ammunition without ever jamming.
Gotcha
Brian delisle LARP
50 cal mil projos have loose weight tollerances to get a cone of fire on a machine gun instead of all in one hole, m33 ball specs are 661 - 24 grs so 24 grs verriance, m2 ball is 709.5 - 22grs. From ctg of the world book
They say u need at least 200 yds for a 50 cal to stablize, i never cared about that as long as i get minute of steel plate.
thank you. bought mine 10 days ago. A folly, but why not :)
Congrats!
One nice thing about that gun is everybody wants to see one and shoot one and nobody wants to buy one. You can spend all the money you want on it and then charge people $20 a bullet to shoot it and get all your money back for it. I'm glad to see you post this because a lot of people dream of having a horse while they live in an apartment. You'd have to live in a pretty special place to have a 6,000 yard shooting range.
It ain't much, but that's an honest day's work.
FBI watch list automatic 😂
Back in 2020 those 10 rd boxes of Hornady A-Max were readily available for under $40 at Texas Bass Pro and Cabela's locations.
I'm currently down to four boxes.
A neighbor/range buddy let's my shoot his Barrett, just need to provide my own ammo.
We have access to shooting property west of Ft Worth.
At $4/ round, I would have blown through those a long time ago. Lol
Broo i have a barret and i live in dallas
@@hilariovasquezz
Nice. Are you able to find reasonable priced ammo to feed it?
We picked up some Lake City 50 BMG a couple months ago.
The 50 BMG is not for everyone. It is not the choice of many sporting rifle enthusiasts.
There are numerous differences with shooting and reloading and differences with equipment.
I find that there are several different types of 50 owners or shooters.
1. The type that like to play around and blow stuff up. This group may not be overly concerned with marksmanship or long range accuracy.
2. The collector type. These folks may not shoot it a ton and don’t necessarily invest a lot of energy in precision accuracy, but they appreciate the art and style of the collection piece.
3. The type that invest time and energy in to precision target accuracy. These folks are often 50 reloaders and are invested into long range competitive shooting or experimentation.
The first group often gets tired of the playing over time and may lose interest, selling it off eventually.
Whatever type you are, it is a large investment. Many hobbies can be expensive. No exceptions here. There are a lot of different types of 50 rifles out there. In all honesty, the Barrett is a fine piece of engineering and a wonderful rifle & battle weapon.. It is also inferior to numerous 50 rifles out there for long range accuracy. There are a number factors that make this true.
I know that you are a beginner in this arena and welcome to you!
I might suggest you join the 50 cal shooters association. A ton of great information and resources can be found there.
One thing I have to tell you and perhaps challenge your idea of the 50 is that I know the 50 was originally designed as an anti material round. For this purpose it is a great thing! The 50 BMG has evolved since its development. How we understand it today has changed. Be careful about labeling it as not a precision round. It is absolutely capable of being a combat multiplier. It is more than capable of engaging smaller targets including enemy personnel. It is used to do so perhaps more than you think in this day and age.
Characterizing it as only an anti material round does sell it far short.
War is not about giving your enemy a good chance at you. The 50 is terribly destructive. Of course! But the 50 is one option that is a force multiplier and as we know now, it provides much more than just keeping the enemies head down.
Yep!
Meant to disable tanks and battleships lol
Look up the history of the round. In the 1920's, when it was developed, it was the intended purpose. Modern day armor has advanced to beat the cartridge.
I bought my Barrett on an impulse. I have a convenient place to shoot it though and am in a financial position where I can spend that kind of coin on an impulse and not stress it. I thoroughly enjoy shooting it so I don't regret it at all. There are way cheaper ways to get into .50bmg, the Barrett is just for bragging rights.
Exactly! You instantly win any bragging competition when you can say you own a Barrett. Lol
I had a Leupold MK 8 5-25 on my m82 and felt like I was wasting a great optic on a rifle I don’t shoot all that often. I swapped the Leupold out with an Arken SH4 4-16. I’m about 350 rounds in and it’s been solid. Honestly the scar 17 is far worse on optics than the Barrett. Rings are badger high steel rings. I mainly shoot lake city delinked machine gun ammo and get 2-4 inch groups at 100 yards. I delink the ammo myself. I’ve shot it out to 1k yards and it holds its group size with the occasional flyer which are usually the tracer round. I’ve run the AMax and it’s a little under an inch if I do my part but it’s expensive. The lake city machine gun ammo is good enough for most of what I am going to do. If you’re getting 3 foot groups at 100 yards you need to send it back to Barrett and have them look it over for you. Not even a piece milled AK mailed in from the Congo shoots 3 foot groups. Last, ammo is expensive but it’s not a gun you’re going to put 500 rounds down range in a day. The concussive force from the muzzle break is enough to give you a headache after 20-30 shots. All that said, I LOVE the rifle. Sounds like a f’n cannon! When I take it to public ranges I usually go on a Tuesday or Wednesday when it isn’t busy. Great video!
Thanks
I've been thinking about a single shot but after watching this I don't think l have a single place I could safely shoot it. I think I'll just stick with 7mmrm for a long range gun and spend the money that a single shot 50 would cost on a high end 308.
I'm sad that it seems like I talked you out of getting a .50, but glad yhe video helped you think about it a bit more before making an expensive mistake. Before completely writing it off, take a few minutes and sendnsome emails/make some calls to your local ranges. Youd be surprised who may be willing to let you shoot a .50. A .308 is a solid choice for a lot of reasons, but don't be afraid to look at some bigger calibers depending on what you want to do with it.
Accu-tac makes a very robust and stable .50BMG rated bipod. If you ask them they will custom fit it for a 107
You can shot in the wood where i safe i guess , here in canada you can shot in forests as long as is safe and you dont bother anyone
@@TheJimyyy same thing here in pa. I have 4 acres and shoot in my yard. Never had cops come to my place and tell me I can’t shoot
.338 lapua or norma magnum would be a good choice too for long range they have relatively flat trajectories.
If you're serious about developing parts for this or doing modifications.. I have a suggestion.
Mike Pappas modified his to use replaceable bushings to tighten up the barrel fit. I'm suggesting to thread the front barrel mount with NPT threads and use a bored to fit split brass pipe bushing. This way as the bushing wears you can give it a little tweak and tighten it up with the convenient hex already on the bushing. And if it's necessary to replace it eventually, you spin it out and put a new one in.
Feel free to call this the CK mod.
Thanks for the heads up! We'll have to take a look into that for sure.
I got my first gen M82 in 1985 for $3100. It's still my most costly 50cal out of 6 of them. Even my M2HB welded into a single shot was $900 less.
The best way to get good accuracy with military bullets is to weight them & seperate to weight groups. The bullets vary in weight on purpose to get a cone of fire in machine guns because it was to accurate at first (not good in a maching gun) they very by 25 to 27grs or so. I altered my 50cal ammomaster to also load 45x310Rmm ussr A T gun. This week I'm making new dies & shell holder for 20x102mm vulcan. I'm anxious to shoot it😊 happy shooting😊
Nice!
I got it's older sibling: the M82A1 a while back and I definitely run into problems finding a range here in Ohio. Most of the places for the most part that allowed the .50 BMG no longer do or with restrictions. It's definitely a crown jewel to my collection but a pain in the ass lol.
Exactly! I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it sure would be nice to be able to shoot it a little more regularly
@@PrecisionTKS I forgot to mention there is a manufacturer out there that makes subsonic .50 BMG. Detroit Ammunition has frangible, match and FMJ subsonic; not sure how good they are but they talk about how they make their ammo in the description. I've heard people hand load for subsonic as well but not seen much covered on the topic.
why dont you guys find friends with a Acres of property, fuck spending money on a range,[ an them say you cant shoot this you cant shoot that]
Because people are icky.
In Ohio try thunder valley. No 50's but it's private - open to public so if you call ahead and ask nicely you might get lucky. It's 100y to a mile out there.
I got a Serbu RN50 one of the least expensive a couple years ago, i did get the heavy 36 inch barrel on it with a Athlon Argos BTR GEN 2 scope. Have used a lot of Lake City ammo 660 and 690 gr fmj and find it very consistent for bulk ammo, only have a 135 yard range at home and travel 20 minutes to shoot at a 350 yd range. Can shoot all day at 135 yd max group 2 inch shooting from bench, at the 350 with a good group have done a couple 3 inch but most are 5 - 5 1/2 in. groups. I have not tried any high dollar ammo yet, Scope has not given me any problems so far with only about 250 rounds with it. Something doesn't sound right with the lake city being couple feet off at 100 yd, a friend has a Barret semi auto with a Vortex scope and he shoots lake city same as i do and he has no problems with it and also took his out to 800 yds.
Nice
How many tanks have been taken from a bench?
Probably a good question for Google.
@@PrecisionTKS or Siri lol! Hey alex-uh... How many tanks got pewed from a bench?
I have many places to shoot it. There are a few .50 BMG rifles and optics within my price range. I know what I want and I want minimal accessories. I ain't scared. I want a .50 BMG.
I feel as though they are a worthwhile investment in one's happiness 😊
Yeah. It was never meant to take out tanks and battleships. WW2, slow moving fighter planes, fast boats, jeeps, unfortified buildings etc.
Please don't try to fight an armored vehicle with a 50 bmg. You're gonna lose. Especially if you don't have access to depleted uranium ammunition.
Okey dokey
A Corsica? 1990 called and they want their car back! Good info in the video. Enjoyed it!
I'm glad someone caught the reference. Lol
So i went to quantify my ball ammo from lake city today. I broke them off the belt before i shot them. I shot one 5 round group at 100 yards and was at 4.5". Im sure i can do it again and im sure i can do it better as i shot them about as fast as i could load and acquire without a rear bag.
Nicely done
Thanks for making this video. I was gonna get one soon but you're helping me rethink it clearly.
No problem! Like I said in the video, I still would have bought one, but I just wish I would have known a few things first. I'm sure I'll share more once I get to shoot it a bit more, but these were the first major things that came to mind.
@@PrecisionTKS ever heard of the gm6 lynx? most useful/tacticoool 50 gmb rifle imo
@jackmagicbean yeah. I've heard of it. It looks purty, but let's be honest, if you are in a room full of guys and one say he has a lynx and the other says he has a Barrett, who wins the 🍆 sizing competition? Only one has been adopted by the military ;)
The Barrett might be the Crème de la crème of 50 cal rifles but so is the price tag. Check into a big kahuna 50 bmg upper. By the time you spend $20k on a barrett, you can have a 50 bmg, a scope and about 2000 rounds of ammo and most likely have money left over. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a barrett also but the price is just too high for a want.
I've had my M95 since 06. It's fun. But not a every day rifle. We have put maybe 1200 rds through it. But if I had to choose between my M95 or my AW in 308 I'd keep the 308 simply cause I get more not just in fun but usefulness on our farm out of it.
i'd probably do the same thing if I was in that position. Practically, a .50 BMG just don't have much use in the day to day world beyond having bragging rights or reaching way out to touch something.
But if one of your neighbors down the lane ever threatens to drive his International-Harvestor through your living room...you'll be strapped.
Best line of the video: “750 grains of diplomacy”.
I'm glad someone else noticed that
Could've spent 15K finishing the house but what a waste that would've been, lol
Could have, but didn't. Thanks for the insightful commentary.
@@PrecisionTKS Not trying to bust your balls. Bubbles plays a $2,200 Gibson J-45 and lives with his kitty in a shed. I dig both your priorities, lol
Great video for destroying ones hopes and dreams of owning a BMG🤣🤣 serious though you made some great points
Thanks. That's what I do: destroy dreams and shatter hopes. Lol
Yeah, one really has to do their homework if they want to enjoy a 50 BMG. That said, all rifles are different, what applies to Barret, usually does not apply to most other manufacturers out there. I prefer the rifle to have a pic rail for a bipod, as those proprietary bipods imo, suck, lol. They're heavy duty, but lack adjustment big time compared to an Atlas or others, which that also changes the who dynamics of bench shooting and shooting prone. The only issues I really had was my optics and optics mounts. Everything had to be loctite down, otherwise it will come loose! The other was, I never knew about lapping the scope rings for even pressure on tube, so here my scope was sliding forwards in the rings, even the rings are torqued beyond manufacturer specifications of 15 in/lbs, I did 22 before the torx bit on my drive started to strip out. I took it to a local gunsmith who lapped the rings and reset the scope for me. He also informed me that Barrets scope rings are typically what one should use for the 50 cal and they come flush fitting from the factory, hence why they are so expensive, wish I knew that before hand 🤦. That's another thing, rings to handle large tube body scopes, especially for hd ones, not cheap at all!
For accuracy, I've seen mixed results. I've had some lots of surplus ammo shoot really well and others shoot all over the place and very inconsistent loadings. Factory loadings like PMC, AE, HSM, Hornady, seem to be a lot more consistent. For fun shooting though, the surplus ammo is fine. I save the Amax rounds for special occasions as it's typically a pricey round, but they are very accurate loadings, man do they shoot like laser beams!
Another reason why you may not have good accuracy with that barret is because, well, it's a Barret M107, lol. I've heard a few SF guys say that the Barrets where never pin point accurate, I don't remember the other model they said their sniper teams used, but apparently it was in a McMillan chassy and was very accurate. I watched a competition shoot some odd years ago at this range in IN, a guy had a LAR Grizzly big boar 50 cal. This dude literally shot and hit a 20" gong on the second shot at 1000 yards. 20" is big up close, but we couldn't even see it from behind the bench without binoculars. We knew right away when he hit it, that round still made that big ole plate turn and sway from that far. Ever since then, I knew, I had to have a 50 cal in my life!
Well said!
Hey man, the reason why no gun shooting ranges won’t except the M107, M82A1, is because the M107 was designed by Ronnie Barrett for disabling anti tanks and aircraft’s etc. it’s Not a sniper rifle….
thanks for sharing man.
Yep. Anti-material rifle
Should have got a serbu or a single shot ar-50a1 for long distance accuracy. The short stroke barrel that moves rearward on every shot makes it inherently less accurate. Plus the others are cheaper.
Others are cheaper, but don't say "Barrett" on the side...
General question here...what range would you sight it in at and why.. just try to understand this all...I could get one, but doing the research first...
Solid question. We have ours sighted into 200. I've heard some people zeroing at 100, others at 500 or even 1k. Ultimately it's up to you and you specific use case. Most people are at 100-200 with their zeroes, but depending on your exactly weapon kit, setup, loads, range available, etc, it's personal preference. You can calculate your ballistics using pretty much any zero you want as long as it's consistent.
I just bought an Accuracy International AX ELR with Night Force scope at Shot Show. I also got the Thunder Beast titanium silencer that was just released.
Going to be a fun package to play with!
Luckily I live both in AZ with plenty of open federal and State land to shoot on.
Nice setup! Let me know how it shoots!
They let you shoot on public land when not hunting? Must be nice.
@@TheBeefSlayer They sure do!
My gun club had a Manufacturers' Range Day shortly after I joined. Reps brought out their demos for all to shoot on our 60 point 600 yd range. Everything was on points 1 thru about 25...except for points 57-60 for the Barrett Big Boys. All day, every time the Big Boys barked, everyone stopped, turned toward that end of the range AND SMILED!!! Biggest shit eatin' grins ever known to man!!! En route home, I'm pondering "It is un-American not to own a firearm that brings that much JOY TO THE WORLD!!!" Next week bought my first M107A1 in FDE....#78 released to civilians. It's been a slippery slope ever since. Oh the addictions we build in the Barrett world.....should be prescription required. Now have complete rainbow of every color ever manufactured in.....M107A1, REC10, REC7 DI, Fieldcraft (only one color but many calibers, barrel lengths,....) and MRAD....yeah, had to have that $16660 SOCCOM MRAD MK22 Advanced Sniper Rifle Deployment Kit 'cause I didn't have that Coyote brown hue. But, it did come with a freebie Hensoldt Spotter 65...$4330 value!!!! Thank You, Eurooptic!!! Sat with Ronnie Barrett and Donna at NRA Convention Banquet just after he sold the company. Pleaded with him not to let NIOA start offering Barretts in Muddy Girl Camo or my gf was gonna start wanting them also. Donna thought that would be a great line extension.....
Place to shoot?? Opted for 5800 acres in northern Missouri. Shoot a 50 out to 2500m??? No problemo!!! Ranger carries anywhere....No Problemo!!! AMAX 750s fly real nice.....
If ya' cain't run with the Big Dogs, best stay on the porch with the pups..... Check out GOATGUNS.com miniatures....more your speed. If you were given a new Corvette Z06...you'd whine about having to buy Premium fuel. SHEESH...FUN AIN'T FREE!!! Whine...Whine....Whine.
Okey dokey
Excellent video. Your explanation of the travails of owning one makes sense and well stated. I'm in Key West. There is one indoor range good only for handguns unless you drive 100 miles north to the mainland. Some guys I know take their boats out into the mangroves to shoot. Sketchy at best.
Yeah, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable shooting in the mangroves either. Lol
You've got about 4000 miles of range space to your east lol
@@RADIOACTIVEBUNY Ha! I love shooting iguanas 22LR suppressed. Wicked fun.
I got my M95 for about $2500 almost 25 years ago. Some years, I'll put 20 rounds on it, others 200.
I've carried mine in the trunk of a Camry without much issue, but my Suburban does better getting to the remote locations we shoot.
If history holds, you could use yours for a decade and get more than your money back.
Without a doubt
I have multiple BMGs. Ammo is not all that expensive, especially for milsurp and especially compared to what a lot of ammo has become. BMG ammo was not at all affected by COVID. It was always available and never went up in price during the whole plandemic scam. It's always been $2-5 a round and it still is. Last year, I bought a box of 100 linked that was only $260. Yeah, it's expensive compared to 9mm, 223, etc. But many other calibers today are more, sometimes much more, than BMG. $2+/round ammo is no longer unusual. Much premium hunting ammo is at least $2//round now. Weatherby 6.5-300 Wby Mag ammo is $5-7/round. 338 Lapua is right up there, so are others.
I had to laugh at the comments about BMG being for taking out tanks and especially battleships! LOL.
It seems ironic that a guy is spending $20K on a rifle and accoutrements, but apparently lives in a bare stripped shell with exposed wiring. Like Leno used to say "Single guy, eh?"
It is true that, unless you own enough land to have your own range, or you're in a rural western state with vast open spaces, you're going to have a hell of a time finding a place to shoot it. The round is very destructive, and no one wants it chewing up their range or blowing through the berms and/or rounds leaving the property. They're also much louder, and many ranges are already dealing with whining idiot neighbor issues. You really need 2 layers of ear protection to shoot it - both in-ear plugs and over-ear muffs.
You can reload BMG, but everything for it is much larger and more expensive. My Hollywood press and dies cost $2000, and that was back in the late 90s.
Thanks
I have a AR50 and what you say is what I have found to be true. I can get 100rds for $300. My 28 nosler is closer to $5.50 a round. The .50 is one of my cheaper guns to shoot haha
By the way lake City brass is the most consistent brass to reload. You need to use a good bullet and good powder charges to make it work. AMax doesn't work for crap in a barrett. The Hornady brass isn't very consistent weight wise either. Hand load a good barnes bullet when you're ready to go.
Noted
Even my 338 lapua is expensive and overkill and we have and outdoor range out to 1300yards at our camp. Our 6 5 creesmores get it done at that range. Basically I need 1600+ yards to put the 338 to good use.
Yeah, I'm anxious to get my hands on my .338 once it comes in. It's a little cheaper to shoot than the .50, but not much, that's for sure.
I'm glad that private citizens can own these, and America is a wonderful place! I just wish I could afford one, lol. Thankfully, there are companies that make cheaper options.
#Merica
I was just given a Robar RC-50. 50 BMG, with 100 rounds of some ammo from Arizona called acculube 10x coated 750 gr Hornady A max. I'm well versed in most weapon systems and cannot find a place to shoot past 300 yards unless I drive 6 hrs. Very frustrating.
That's honestly my biggest complaint with the .50 caliber rounds. Everyone wants to shoot it and say they have, but no one wants to provide a place to do it
@@PrecisionTKS I hear ya. I thought about asking some farmers in the surrounding counties if they would mind if I shot on there land given they have a big hill for a backstop. Living in Nebraska has its ups and downs! Haha
@@stevang4720 I used to live there. Check out the range in Alliance.
@@PrecisionTKS I live right outside of Lincoln....thats the 6 hr drive I was talking about! Haha
A small block engine at 500m is 4MOA, and a 50cal round will destroy it.
If it’s belt ammo from a machine gun that is “aiming” at a broad area of suppressive fire.
If you want an accurate rifle at long range try the 375 ct or a similar round.
You can make 50BMG accurate but you will have to reload and make ammo as off the shelf ammo is for light vehicle suppression and shooting through concrete walls to take out the squad behind with shrapnel.
Yep
I traded an AK AMD65 for one of those 50 BMG complete uppers that attach to your AR lower. It was a cool rifle, it served no practical purpose for me then and wouldn’t now. .50 BMG is a great round when the US Government is footing the bill but when it comes to individual ownership there seems to be waaaay to many cons. One major con is IMO I would never spend $20K on a rifle setup when I can purchase a decent arsenal of other capable firearms for that coin.
What some perceive as "practical", other perceive as "fun" and a lifelong dream. It's not always about practicality or even sensibility as much as just being about enjoying it.
@@PrecisionTKS sure to each their own. My observation was regarding the fact that it may seem “fun” but there is a level of practicality even for recreation. Apparently many people own them so if you weighed the pros and cons and there are more pros regarding your purchase than that’s great. Based on the content of your video it appeared you may have some buyers remorse which many of us had at one point or another. Cheers 🍻
I wouldn't really call it buyer's remorse as much as simply a learning experience. Even if I knew everything up front, I'd still pull the trigger and not think twice. I may have invested in other things differently, but I'm still happy with the decision. Cheers 🍻!
I'm glad that you made the video that you did. I think a lot of people get caught up in the hype and they romanticize the idea around the 50 and I know I even looked at some 50s but now as it stands if I get a semi-automatic or a bolt gun in a 50 it'll probably be Beowulf not BMG. Hell I'm looking for smaller calibers to shoot out further longer and faster I certainly don't need the shoulder smack of a 1200 grain projectile leaving it 3400 feet per second or whatever the hell 50s do
Yeah. If you are looking for a TRUE precision cartridge, there are plenty of other options out there besides the BMG. Many of which are cheaper, lighter recoiling, easier to find/reload, or more precise/accurate. Sometimes a combination. However, you gotta be honest: a .50BMG is a good way to claim superiority without needing to prove it. Lol
The .50 SASR is often used on people in battle.
This is true. But that's not what it was designed to do originally. That's what Barrett calls it their "anti-material rifle" and not their PMR or sniper rifle.
@@PrecisionTKS but the50 cal was make to use in war and blow up plane and people
Tanks and battleships? Were you joking with that, because a .50 cal BMG is not going to penetrate the armor on one of those. Not even the .50 cal SLAP-T will penetrate that much armor.
Modern armor, not a chance. At the time the cartridge was developed, it would disable boats and armored vehicles without much difficulty. It's a large enough round to cause damage, but still small enough that a single person/crew can carry it.
@@PrecisionTKS it's original intended purpose was anti-material and anti-aircraft. Yes, it could destroy boats and lightly armored vehicles, and while it could be effective against some tanks depending on where the tank was hit, it would require sustained fire to do any real damage. Such an attack would be extremely risky even against Mark V or Mark VIII Liberty tanks that were in use at the time. It's more likely that the crew members would bring one of the guns or machine guns on their tank to bear on your position before you are able to kill their tank.
Okey dokey
For the price , yes it’s so limited in usage (allowing to shoot)
This is your MEGA Yacht .. takes $400,000 just to fill up the tank
Exactly
I guess my outdoor range won’t want me to put holes through their steel plates @ 600 yrds. A Spuhr 6 mil 40mm cant mount is about $500. I did buy the 416 single shot model 99.
Not a bad choice!
Best thing i did i changed out the garbage bipod for the accutac hd-50 world of difference bro
There's a couple I've been looking at. Atlas, Phoenix, and another that I can't remember right now. I think we actually have an option to use the standard bipod without modifying it and still be able to drop the muzzle a bit. I'll keep you guys all in the loop if/when we are ready to run it.
Great had mine a while no problems, enjoy it and reloading it. Range out 400 Give the Lapua 800 or 750 a try.
Oh yeah. 800 should be a chip shot.
One doesn't have to spend $15k on a good 50 cal. rifle. There are other options for half the price. And single shot 50s for close to 1/10th the price. There are great optic choices for far less than $3k that stand up to the 50 just fine as well. $300 rings?? You have the very top of the line gun and accessories...not everyone can afford these. Nor do they have to. Keep that in mind.
Do you need them? No. Should you get them if you can afford it? Yup.
Single shot 50 cal cool but that ain’t pure freedom like a semi auto 50 cal
750 grains of Diplomacy. I chuckled!!!
I'm glad it brought some joy to your life today
Every word true but no different to buying a supercar , boat, plane etc. We just choose our toys!
Exactly!
I have the same problem in Australia, range restrictions are a bastard problem of recent invention. Had my rifle for 20 years and was not a problem back then but now the anti gun culture and the “I don’t / can’t have one so you should not either” attitudes make things difficult.
I've always loved you Australians until I heard you gave up your guns.
God i wish. Im having to go the route of the ferret, or raptor mcutchen......would love a barret but theyre way out of my range. But im still excited.
I thought the same thing. Keep working towards it and you'll get there
@PrecisionTKS thanks, I'm trying. Luckily I've been loading for years, and knew getting into reloading that eventually I'd wanna play with "bigbores" so I purchased tooling to allow expansion, aka the presses that uses extra large die sets. I don't have dies yet, but I do have the xl brass prep tools needed for things like 50, as well as a few pounds of 50 powder, a sleeve of primers (rare round these parts), a couple hundred pull down seeds/brass (that I was sure to inspect inside thoroughly for case head wear b4 purchase), and almost 2 stacked cans worth of loaded ball for messing with. I only have 40rnds of loaded Hornady but it's a start. Figure I have more than alot of folks that I've gotten over the years so hopefully the buyers remorse won't be as dramatic. I've only shot about 25 rnds of 50 thru a friend's but I love it. Luckily I live deep in the woods so there's plenty of private ranges/pits to shoot at, sadly the longest is only 500yrds, with an average of 300 at most of em so I won't get to full stretch the platform out, but hey.....it's something.
50 cal tripod shooting is the way, shot 6 rounds prone and it was less than fun getting dust everywhere, shot it off a tripod and it was way better.
It all depends on the scenario, but I would typically agree with that
Sphur mounts! Check them out, something like an armalite ar50 can use any mount on account its weight sponges up literally all the recoil, the m82a1 on the other hand has a sledgehammer inside the receiver reciprocating every time the trigger is pulled, the only advantage to the semi auto is using it in a war zone, being that the barrel isint integral to the receiver there accuracy has always left some to desire,
I've got nothing but good things to say about Sphur, myself.
All the more reason why I think the Desert Tech HTI is superior. the monopod is fantastic and easy to adjust; the bipod, same story.
Good to know
I'm pretty settled on a Cadex Tremor. can get McMillan performance. not the 13K price. I'd rather put the extra into optics
For sure. The Cadex is a solid unit from what I've seen and heard. I've actually got one of their .338LM's on the way.
I have tasco scopes & simmons rings on 6 50 cals. Only my first gen m 82 barret has had the front lenze retaining ring come loose untill i locktighted it, lenze didnt come loose thou
Nice
a lot of ranges banned 50 cal based on the fact that a lot of the surplus ammo is either tracer, ap or incendiary. all of which ranges do not want fired. sometimes the paint is tumbled or removed from the ammo. and backstops need to be yards thick. to stop the 50 bullet safely. its a lot of fun to shoot stuff with it. you really need some private land to enjoy a 50 . engine blocks and steel plate destruction.
Truth
Tanks and battleships, LOL!
You forgot to buy the suppressor! I have that optic and wouldn't waste it on a barrett. I also have an m82 and 107 suppressed. Leopold Mark 4 is all you need. You also need to reload for it to get any type of good accuracy which I do. Both mine are 20-in models designed to engage large targets at less than 500 m. Nobody takes out a ship with a Barrett
Oh no, I got the suppressor. I just didn't have it for this video.
🥺👍, yep, it’s all true. Every reason you bring up is the same thing that’ll stop you getting that Ruger Precision in 338 Lapua in Australia 😞. Good, honest content.
Oh, I've got a .338 LM coming hopefully by the end of summer, but it should be a little better other than the ammo. By the time I'm done loading/reloading rounds, they will most likely cost just as much, if not more than the BMG rounds.
@@PrecisionTKS Factory 338 LAP ammo is $10-$13 in Australia for the mundane stuff and almost $20 a round for the ‘match grade’. Reloading sounds like a good second hobby 🤔‼️. Then it’s 3 hours drive to the nearest range that’ll let you shoot 338, unless you’ve got your own 40 acre property to shoot on😬
Yeah, based off the rough numbers I have right now, I'm figuring around $6-7 per round, possibly more depending on the projectiles I end up settling on, plus the brass. Brass alone here can be $4 per shell without much difficulty.
@@PrecisionTKS .338 lapua or 50 bmg if you could only have 1 for war?
@jacksmagicbeans what kind of war are we talking here, and what kind of weapon system? All things being equal, I'd say .50BMG if you want to scare the hell out of someone down range, have infinite rounds, and don't have to move very much. .338LM if you actually want to hit a target at range consistently, need to move more than from your bunk to a watch tower, and don't need to disable heavy artillary or large vehicles. This is also assuming you are using "factory ammo" rather than hand loads, are shooting bolt action weapons, and aren't worried about anything besides hitting a target at 100 yards or more.
.50 BMG IS VASTLY SUPERIOR TO A FINISHED BASEMENT!
Agteed!
My cave man Noreen ULR groups the PMC bronze at 1-1.5” at 100 depending on my abilities that day. Been saving up to try some Hornady Amax 😂
Your ULR is also a bolt action. Big difference
@@PrecisionTKS just hearing the barrett patterns and doesn't group bothers the shit outta me.
I’m on a call list to get one lol shop I called said they haven’t seen an m82a1 in the shop in almost 10 years
Look online. You can pick one up today if you really want one and then just have it transferred in the shop.
Hmm. $100 scope on mine, no problems. 2.4k for the whole package with 200 rounds. Recoil of a 12ga. Got bored with it after 27 rounds. No flinch or blinking. But I need a spotter because of the cloud/distortion from the muzzle. 37lbs on the bench.
Watson.
The bolt threads down on the round so it will run the cheapest stuff well and accurate.
Like I said I am bored with my 12.7x99.
Good to know
People definitely get shot by these my friend they are not just for vehicles....
True. They are shot by them, but that was not the intended purpose of the round, nor the rifle.
Good video about the considerations but I've gotta say, the .50BMG is an anti-material cartridge, NOT for "tanks and battleships"!!!! It is good for stopping unarmored vehicles like cars and trucks. It is barely adequate for armored personnel carriers and Humvees (it may or may not be able to disable them depending on the type of ammo and how much armor they have). But AFVs and tanks are not vulnerable to it, except maybe you could damage their optics if you got lucky. It's far too small to attack ships except for sniping at personnel on the ship. It could be used for boats, though.
Okey dokey
I got one and a week before going to my rifle line club they banned .50 cals.
I'd simply let them know they aren't your mom and you don't have to listen to them.
You just talked me out of ever getting one of these. I'll stick with my 50 Beowulf.
Glad I could be of service
Knowing this I want the rifle even more 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Spoken like a true American! I love it! lol
With that being said, what is the eye relief on your scope?
I'd have to look it up, but it's comfortable. That's all going to be shooter and scope dependant.
I zero all my rifles at 100 yards even my 50 BMG I have a single shot Noreen ULR and I get less than 2 MOA at 100 yards with the 750 grain A-MAX Hornady ammo. I definitely don’t use a mono pod on the butt stock. Sandbag is the preferred method for Xtreme long range precision shooting. It looks cool to have a mono pod on the butt stock, but it yields terrible results.
Agreed. The Barrett monopod sucks to say the least.
I'm amazed that anyone buys these things. You can't shoot them at an indoor gun range, they won't allow it because of severe backstop damage so you're limited to outdoor ranges that will accept them. The rifles are very, very expensive as is the ammo as well. Also, I know how LOUD 44 magnum and 357 magnum is, I can only imagine what 50 cal does to your ears (even with hearing protection). After all that expense, what can you do with it except to destroy engine blocks and stuff like that - will get boring real soon. Its not practical to hunt with either - who is going to carry that heavy thing around all day in the bush?
I've shot them indoors plenty of times. It's not ideal, but not unheard of. The biggest issue (assuming the backstop is rated for it, like you said) is the blast. Every time I've shot indoors, they have to clear the range for the single rifle and you can still feel the shockwave in your chest if you are in the lobby. Lol
I don't care about practical. I like a gun that's fun to shoot. Also doubling up your earpro is not a bad idea if it isn't too hot for muffs.
A lot of people talking impracticalities. How big is your house? do you need all that space? No. Will a smaller house suffice? Yes. Your truck tows 10k pounds right? how many times do you to 10k pounds? Do you tow at all? If you do, wouldn't a smaller truck work? If you have a car, does it go faster than the speed limit? Sure it does. Why not just own a car that gets you from point A to B no faster than the speed limit? Everyone owns things that are above and beyond what is needed. We do this because we CAN and WANT to. I'm sure most of us would be amazed at some things you buy and do. Luckily, we live in a place and have the opportunities to purchase over the top things because we LIKE them. What more reason do you need?
@@B4llzD33p say it louder for the people in the back!!!
You think a guy would put 20 grand in finishing his basement..
That would be what a "normal" person would do. A "normal" person also doesn't have a Barrett
My reservation has a free private range
Might grab a single shot and play around lol
i highly recommend it if you have the means
funny we all have done something similar. You should try a remington 7 mm magnum. It actually kicks worse than a 50 cal. but at least it cost a whole lot less!!
Yeah, I could really go for a price break on ammo right about now. Lol
I like how it has a sling attachment point on the butt stock. Imagine having to truck that around using a sling.
There's another attachment point at the far end of the foreend also. Yeah. It's definitely not something I'd want to lug around.
I have a M82 CQ FDE and is almost impossible to use it down here in Miami.
Yeah, I can imagine.
That little round is not going to do anything to a damn tank now a Humvee or something like that it could pierce the engine block
Modern day tanks, no. The most it could probably do is damage the treads or maybe some stuff hanging outside the armor. However, when it was developed back in the 20's, it's intended use was for penetrating the armor of the day and disabling large, hardened targets. Armor technology has just improved more than the .50bmg cartridge over the years.
Was looking to buy a 50 until I saw your vid. I’ll stick to my 338lm.
Even with the video, a 50 is still worth every penny
@@PrecisionTKS ok then I’ll buy one.