What is the best case for accuracy in the 50 bmg?

B

bluechip

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I just bought my first 50 bmg (Barrett) and am kicking around reloading. Just wondering what brass to use. Btw, I can't fathom how a rifle with a scope mounted to the receiver could be remotely accurate with a barrel that slides into the action. What's the story here?
 
What kind of accuracy are you expecting? The gun was designed to be field serviced and kill trucks at long ranges.
 
Here's how it is, I simply bought a Barrett M82 and one hundred rounds of factory ammo (American Eagle XM33 660 gr) and put about fifteen rounds through it with mixed results. There were four of us that all wanted a turn shooting. After it was semi-sighted, one shooter was off the paper, another put two shots touching, another shot about a four inch group (one hundred yards). I guess I'll have to go out alone and shoot a couple of five shot groups and reply back with the results in a day or so. I'm certainly not expecting super accuracy, but I'm just wondering what size groups others have shot in the same configuration.
 
I have no experience with Barretts but dad and I have shot .50 BMGs for 25 years. Some do well at 100 yards, others don't. The reality is that big a bullet may not fully stabilize at 100. I've seen BMGs that group like hell until you get 200 yards or beyond (bad as in 3"). Then they tighten. But that said it shouldn't spray them as wildly as you described

The other thing is you really need to reload for your specific chamber. Some are mil-spec, others are match, and the hybrids split the difference. There's a lot of throat variation and these things are sensitive to seating depth. My State Arms performs well at 100 with the right combination (215 grains of H50BMG under a 750 A-Max, kissing the lands):



And at 200 is prints about the same.



Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
 
Two things Lee...

That's a pretty good shootin' 50 !!!!

And

I can't remember what the other thing was....
 
bluechip said:
I just bought my first 50 bmg (Barrett) and am kicking around reloading. Just wondering what brass to use. Btw, I can't fathom how a rifle with a scope mounted to the receiver could be remotely accurate with a barrel that slides into the action. What's the story here?
Click to expand...

I like Winchester, it fireforms well and holds up better than others I've used, many hot firings per case.

I misdoubt a Barrett will care what you use. Nor will you get good case life in any case.

BTW I feel a tight neck is hoovis for the looong bullets (up to 865gr) I use.

But again, in a boltgun not a semi-auto.

Lee, I've got one of those SA Actions, bought it bare, gonna' barrel block it. We'll see if I can hold a tighter paper plate ;)

al
 
bluechip said:
Btw, I can't fathom how a rifle with a scope mounted to the receiver could be remotely accurate with a barrel that slides into the action.
Click to expand...
The Fifty Caliber Shooter's Association (http://fcsa.org) maintains records for groups fired with .50 BMG rifles. The record in the 1000 yards semiauto category is (IIRC) 12 inches for 5 shots, think the rifle was a Barrett M82. Understand both rifle and ammo were heavily modified to obtain that level of performance.

IIRC, a similar situation occured when the late Carlos Hathcock made a 2400+ yard shot in Vietnam. His weapon was a scoped M2 machine gun, fired in semiauto. (Barrel slides into the action in full auto.) Took 2 rounds to get the kill.

NOTE: I do not own or shoot .50 BMGs in any form.
 
Powder Valley has Lapua 50 BMG brass for about $270 per 50.
 
Stay away from surplus with headstamped PMJ made by IMI and was also sold stamped Barrett. It is soft and dosent meet USG case hardness profiles. Not as much of a problem in a bolt gun, but trouble in a semi or full auto.
 
My buddies are shooting RWS in the matches in their 50 IMP. Thyme say it lasts longer and is more accurate. Matt
 
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