Help choosing a .50 bmg rifle

max_freddy

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.50 bmg is a frontier I haven't really explored as thoroughly as others... 2 rifles that have caught my eye and seem reasonable price-wise are the Steyr HS .50 and the Barrett 99. Which of these would you rather have?

Is there a bolt-action magazine fed .50 bmg rifle that is in the $5000ish price range?
 
Elwood epps has a bushmaster BA50 in stock right now. 5 grand range. It's mag fed.

Very nice! I have wanted to explore too but price seems to always be an issue, either for the gun or the ammo! Reloading, those cases hold a lot of powder! I would rather have the Barrett but would take either a Steyr or the Bushmaster!

We had a Canstar sold up here in the north, RCMP were right there at the gun store to find out who, what, where, when............ I would not go for the Canstar, no cheek rest :)
 
They're non restricted. RCMP should mind their own business lol

$70 around here gets you 10 rounds of 750gr amax

I think one lb of powder makes less than 30 rounds lol
 
.50 BMG is certainly expensive.

I want to be a well rounded long range shooter, and .50 BMG is a logical next step.

Is Bushmaster quality? I'm really not familiar with their stuff.

I'm starting to think mag fed isn't all that big an issue considering the price, I doubt I could fill a whole magazine in one range visit anyways. :)

I'm leaning towards the HS .50, I just made a visit to Alberta Tactical Supply and saw some of the aftermarket Steyr HS50 products, the muzzle brake really sold me on it.
 
Are you shooting out to 1000 yards? Really good long range shooters can do that with 30 cal. Fifty is cheating unless you're going further. And if you're not going to shoot past 1600m then maybe a .338LM is what you want? Or if you really just want the Big Bang, I get that :p

Bushmaster is very well known for making AR-15s
 
Barret is not a great rifle for precision ...

if you want a 50 bmg , buy a steyr for precision, ....read this...


“As I was working up a load for the HS.50, I shot groups that amazed me,” Wilkinson said. “They were the best groups that I have ever shot in my life—and they were with the .50 BMG!

“This didn’t make sense to me,” he said. “With my experience with the performance of the same cartridge overseas, I didn’t expect that kind of accuracy out of it. I was getting groups of .214 MOA at 220 yards, and I didn’t know what to think. All the bullets were going in the same hole, and it was like ‘Wow, I’ve really got a rifle that can shoot here.’ And since then, with working up different loads and knowing what the gun likes, I have become extremely happy with the HS.50.”


Read more at Ammoland.com: http://www.ammoland.com/2012/07/wilk...#ixzz2O2N4DGdm

WalterWilkinson2.jpg
Steyr_Wilkinson_win.jpg


Wilkinson Crowned World Champion in FCSA Hunter Class with his Steyr HS.50
 
Are you shooting out to 1000 yards? Really good long range shooters can do that with 30 cal. Fifty is cheating unless you're going further. And if you're not going to shoot past 1600m then maybe a .338LM is what you want? Or if you really just want the Big Bang, I get that :p

Bushmaster is very well known for making AR-15s

I think Wendy Cukier said something about .50 BMG rifles being used to take down helicopters, so that's what got my interest. ;) j/k

I can do 1000 yards with my 30-06, so I wouldn't mind something that could pierce an engine block at 1000 yards. lol

In conclusion, I want a big expensive toy while I can still get one. :)
 
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Barret is not a great rifle for precision ...

if you want a 50 bmg , buy a steyr for precision, ....read this...


“As I was working up a load for the HS.50, I shot groups that amazed me,” Wilkinson said. “They were the best groups that I have ever shot in my life—and they were with the .50 BMG!

“This didn’t make sense to me,” he said. “With my experience with the performance of the same cartridge overseas, I didn’t expect that kind of accuracy out of it. I was getting groups of .214 MOA at 220 yards, and I didn’t know what to think. All the bullets were going in the same hole, and it was like ‘Wow, I’ve really got a rifle that can shoot here.’ And since then, with working up different loads and knowing what the gun likes, I have become extremely happy with the HS.50.”


Read more at Ammoland.com: http://www.ammoland.com/2012/07/wilk...#ixzz2O2N4DGdm

WalterWilkinson2.jpg
Steyr_Wilkinson_win.jpg


Wilkinson Crowned World Champion in FCSA Hunter Class with his Steyr HS.50

Thanks for that post.

That Steyr is a damn fine looking rifle. I dig the paint job.
 
I think Wendy Cukier said something about .50 BMG rifles being used to take down helicopters, so that's what got my interest. ;) j/k

I can do 1000 yards with my 30-06, so I wouldn't mind something that could pierce an engine block at 1000 yards. lol

In conclusion, I want a big expensive toy while I can still get one. :)

That's awesome. Lets be friends!
 
My brother just got an EDM Arms Windrunner from irunguns. It's pretty nice, mag fed, takedown, and comes in a really solid case. It was just under $6000 before taxes. I liked it enough that now I want one.
Krisian
 
I think Wendy Cukier said something about .50 BMG rifles being used to take down helicopters,

Wendy only said that because she watched the movie SWAT with Samuel Jackson, where the antagonist shot down a chopper with a .50. Thus, she now thinks that is true.
 
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.50 bmg is a frontier I haven't really explored as thoroughly as others... 2 rifles that have caught my eye and seem reasonable price-wise are the Steyr HS .50 and the Barrett 99. Which of these would you rather have?

Is there a bolt-action magazine fed .50 bmg rifle that is in the $5000ish price range?
I have been looking in to same thing, the Steyr comes in a mag fed version but the mag sits sideways on the rifle which I dont really like.

I have pretty much narrowed it down to a Desert Tactical Arms HTI, just waiting for the canadian importer to get stock
 
Price to quality ratio the Steyr is hard to beat. I went that route. It's a nice rifle. The one thing I did change was the standard AR15 pistol grip with a Magpul MIAD. It's good now. You get the case, cleaning rod (Same quality as my high quality tripton ones), bipod ((some don't like it I do) and that muzzle brake. I wouldn't bother changing the brake. I know many on here do change it. Personally I will be leaving mine alone. It's a nice looking rifle, it's a bullpup and it's a quality rifle at what is considered "reasonable" for 50BMG. I'm fine with the single shot for this bolt action rifle. It helps keep the lines clean and easier to shoot.

I like the PGW ones etc but I'm not really fond of the price.
 
I know someone who had the AX50 and then sold it, he was not impressed with it for a few different reasons, I mostly remember that the height a position a decent scope needs to be mounted at made it horrible to shoot as cheek weld was impossible and the trigger was not very good
 
I have a Steyr HS50 M1. I love the rifle, I don't know why anybody would change the brake. It is so light recoiling, it is easily my most misleading firearm. You think its going to break your shoulder but it actually has a much recoil as my Savage 12FV in .308, maybe less. I cherish the gun a bit too much and once dialed in I will only be shooting it past 1600M.
 
I know someone who had the AX50 and then sold it, he was not impressed with it for a few different reasons, I mostly remember that the height a position a decent scope needs to be mounted at made it horrible to shoot as cheek weld was impossible and the trigger was not very good

Scopes need to sit stupidly high on Accuracy International stocks, I made that mistake and didn't want to order higher scope rings so I unbolted the stock cheekpiece and replaced it with stacked sheets of foam.
 
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