Thread: Anyone shooting .50 BMG target rifles?

I was looking at buying a .50 but i found out in Oregon its legal to own a 20mm so I'll be saving up to buy a 20mm

I don't get it.
I mean I understand the fact that people like shooting and pushing the boundaries of their skill.
And I get the fact that you'd buy a .50, simply because it is a useful calibre for long range shooting.

But what would you do with a 20 mm?
I can't imagine you can shoot it in many places, seeing as the bullet still has the oomph of a cannon ball after 3 miles.
The ammunition is bound to be expensive / hard to get.
And with the recoil and noise, you (probably?) can't fire too much.

The only thing I can imagine is that you'd buy / shoot it for the 'big bang', like the guy with the hummer mounted minigun.
But if you have to save up to buy either the .50 or the 20mm, why would you choose the 20 mm?

Might be the next best thing to a chainsaw for clearing trees Bruno . It'd be a heap more fun to fell a tree with that than it would with a chainsaw I'd reckon .


Mick

Originally Posted by Bruno

I don't get it.
I mean I understand the fact that people like shooting and pushing the boundaries of their skill.
And I get the fact that you'd buy a .50, simply because it is a useful calibre for long range shooting.

But what would you do with a 20 mm?
I can't imagine you can shoot it in many places, seeing as the bullet still has the oomph of a cannon ball after 3 miles.
The ammunition is bound to be expensive / hard to get.
And with the recoil and noise, you (probably?) can't fire too much.

The only thing I can imagine is that you'd buy / shoot it for the 'big bang', like the guy with the hummer mounted minigun.
But if you have to save up to buy either the .50 or the 20mm, why would you choose the 20 mm?

I'll have a go at fielding that one.

First a little background. I'm a trophied target shooter (7.62x51mm NATO rounds) and have always prided myself on being able to take down game with the utmost precision and economy. I do this because my Dad taught me from the time I first held a rifle (age of 6, I think) that as a hunter you do NOT make your prey suffer. EVER. If it took more than one shot then I have let myself down as a marksman, treated my quarry with the poorest disrespect and wasted ammunition.
Now, about that artillary piece shaped like a rifle ... I WANT ONE! Why you ask? For a number of reasons, really. Firstly it gives a sufficiently talented marksman tha ability to take down their target, and a substantial one at that, at extreme range. It's also a very big round and being able to handle it gives the user particular standing amongst those so inclined, much like being able to cleanly shave with a massive wedge around here. Thirdly ... well some guys need to compensate, while others like the challenge (refer to my background statement above )

Originally Posted by Bruno

I don't get it. I mean I understand the fact that people like shooting and pushing the boundaries of their skill. And I get the fact that you'd buy a .50...

It would be a challenge. Something to do that few others have done. And, because at least in the US, we're still allowed to if we want to and can afford it. But that is changing to greater or lesser degrees.

...I can't imagine you can shoot it in many places, seeing as the bullet still has the oomph of a cannon ball after 3 miles.
The ammunition is bound to be expensive / hard to get. And with the recoil and noise, you (probably?) can't fire too much.

All true. Where I live there are dozens of sub-300 meter ranges and not many out to 600 and many fewer to 1000. The hard part with that rifle is getting enough glass for the spotter to be of any help. I can imagine being googley eyed for a bit after pulling that trigger and not seeing the ball go away. But the rifles are so much better than the old ones that practically killed the operator. That one fellow was selling normal 20mm for 10 USD per round. That would be an expensive day shooting.

And you left out that you're not going to run carrying that over your shoulder if bad guys are chasing you, and they will not be long finding out where you're shooting from.

The only thing I can imagine is that you'd buy / shoot it for the 'big bang', like the guy with the hummer mounted minigun.
But if you have to save up to buy either the .50 or the 20mm, why would you choose the 20 mm?

As a regular fun caliber, no. I suffer from Scandinavian practicality (I'm cheap.) and like to shoot a lot, for little money. Frankly, as a hunter, I wouldn't use the .50 unless I was way out west with lots of open ground and game that knows not to let anyone get close. I've found equally adequate challenges using much smaller ball for the distances that are available (cheaper, much cheaper )

Mr. Russell and I must have had the same teacher's teacher. My dad never let me hunt with more than one bullet. And I got some medals shooting the Distinguished Rifle course when I was young because of that. The hunting around here has never been more than 50 meters because I have to go into the woods to find the deer. They are now well programmed to stay off open ground during hunting season. The last one was an insignificant 20 meter shot, no real work at all, except for the sneaking bit since I hunt with both feet on the ground. Usually, I get to play the dog for the boys and crash around making a bad smell and noise to get the deer moving so they can really see one to shoot at from their monkey's roost.

As a ballistic physics experiment there are all sorts of interesting things going on, plus the ball goes boom when it arrives. It was our independence day celebration yesterday Bruno. There were lots of things going bang everywhere. I simply like things that go bang. A guy can dream a little in his dotage can't he?

I developed an aptitude for shooting rabbits with my .22 at around the 100 yard mark. Since we ate what we shot, head shots were preferred.

I believe the NTW-20 (South African 20mm anti-materiel rifle with a 14.5mm anti-personnel field changable option) is intended for ranges around the 2000 yard mark. Takes a two man team to carry it any distance though. I'd love to put some range time in with that beastie.

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

It would be a challenge. Something to do that few others have done. And, because at least in the US, we're still allowed to if we want to and can afford it. But that is changing to greater or lesser degrees.

Ah I did not want to touch upon the political realities of shooting a 20 mm. I don't know if they are legal here, but I guess probably not. And in Belgium it's a moot point, since there is not a single place outside a handful of military artillery ranges where one might actually fire a bullet without poking holes in something else.

No, I was merely wondering about the practical aspects of shooting that monster.
Also because when it comes to hunting: unless you are shooting grizzly, kodiac bears or elephants, whatever you shoot with that thing will be ground into hamburger on the spot. I cannot imagine shooting deer with that thing.

As a regular fun caliber, no. I suffer from Scandinavian practicality (I'm cheap.) and like to shoot a lot, for little money. Frankly, as a hunter, I wouldn't use the .50 unless I was way out west with lots of open ground and game that knows not to let anyone get close. I've found equally adequate challenges using much smaller ball for the distances that are available (cheaper, much cheaper )

I suffer the same affliction. That's why I could not see why you'd pay a huge amount of money for the handful of shots you'll actually fire.

The last one was an insignificant 20 meter shot, no real work at all, except for the sneaking bit since I hunt with both feet on the ground.

I have no right to speak on this since I have never killed my own food, but imo, hunting is what you do with your feet on the ground.
If you're safely on a high platform, shooting at anything that moves, it's a bit of a stretch to call it hunting.

As a ballistic physics experiment there are all sorts of interesting things going on, plus the ball goes boom when it arrives. It was our independence day celebration yesterday Bruno. There were lots of things going bang everywhere. I simply like things that go bang. A guy can dream a little in his dotage can't he?

Now that I can understand perfectly well

Man, shoot a deer with that and you'll only be left with ears and feet...!

I can dream but I think this sort of stuff will have to be left until I emigrate as we can't even get pistols over here... Stupid government.

Originally Posted by JohnnyNorth

Nice rig shooter. What stock are you using?

It's the Varmint version of the "Ultimate Sniper" stock designed by Col. Plaster IIRC. I have the sniper version on my .308 police tactical savage. They are heavy, but a very solid platform...

Originally Posted by Stubear

Man, shoot a deer with that and you'll only be left with ears and feet...!

I can dream but I think this sort of stuff will have to be left until I emigrate as we can't even get pistols over here... Stupid government.

You can still get shotguns, right?