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Got this cool toy from my local gun shop a few weeks ago. Been fun. I consider it to be one of the 'ultimates' as far as hobbies go - along with straight razors and Japanese hones. Also goes well with cigars :) This is a Steyr HS-M1 with Nightforce scope.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5024/...0be33b91_z.jpg
That's a serious chunk of steel, wish they would let us get something like that where I live but New Jersey is pretty restrictive. How far out do you shoot with that beast?
Years ago when I was into target shooting I used to have a newly made Sharps replica. Mine was chambered for 50/70 but they made them up to 50/140, same as the buffalo hunter used to use. These were black powder cartridge rifles, the 50 was the caliber, the second number, 70, 140, etc... was how many grains of black powder the brass cartridge held.
Quite the even when you squeezed the trigger. Everyone on the range would stop and wonder what had just happened and where all the smoke came from. One's right shoulder was usually rather surprised as well!
Attachment 72342
Much easier on the body was my Remington Rolling Block replica chambered in 45/70.
Tony
Is that for rabbit hunting? Or Dove?...
Its good out to about 2000 yards from what I hear. Longest shot the dealer has made was about 2700 m with his swiss made AMSD Nemesis rifle (owner of alberta tactical rifle.com). This one is probably not as accurate though - more of a military grade thing. So far this one has made it to 200 yards :) The Sharps certainly did not have the benefit of a massive muzzle break!
I retired from the Army as a sniper. THe key phrase for any weapon is "shooter dependant"..If you can read wind and mirage than you can go pretty far out..In Afghanistan that Brit made a 2.47 kilometres (8120 ft) shot....And in Iraq at Anaconda the Canadian with a .50 made a 2.43 KM shot. Personally I used a M24. I hated the .50..I was never very good with it.
I believe the largest legal civilian calbre here is .458. At least, we certainly aren't allowed anywhere near the .50. The largest I have is my 30.06.
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s...66/Savage1.jpg
Mick
I completely agree. You can't miss fast enough!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Wintchase
I mush prefer the .338 Lapua. Point of fact is that it now holds the long distance kill record over the Canadian team with the 50. Both are fantastic weapons but the 50 is just not my "cup o' tea".
"god grant me the serenity to except the people I can not shoot, the courage to shoot the people I can, and the wisdom to bury the bodies...."
JohnnyNorth,
Nice rig :)
The main obstacles in the UK for rifles chambered for 0.338 Lapua & 0.50 BMG is not the legislation but cost of the powder (and projectiles) :(
The powder I use in my tight necked 0.308 W is Vihtavuori N140 and this costs the equivalent of 55 USD per pound in the UK :(
Just looked on Sinclair Intl and 1 lb is 29 USD in the States !
Have fun !
Best regards
Russ
Impressive rifle.
I have to ask though: at those long distances, how much depends on the shooter and how much on the rifle?
Is there still a big difference between different rifles?
The reason I ask is that from the outside, it seems that there is a great amount of skill involved in a shot, whereas the differences between rifles are smaller than the differences between shooters.
In case it was not obvious, I've never shot anything else than handguns or double barreled shotguns. And only a couple of times at that.
I built a 7rem mag with a Mcmillon stock, Shilon stainless match24 inch barrell, leupold .50mm LRT TMR scope, all on a savage base...i enjoy the uglyness of a Savage.... Nothing pleasures me more than combining beuty and the beast to form a hardy but accurate weapon.. Iwent with the 7mm because of the flat travectory... I just haven't found a bullet i like yet. I am thinking about trying a Black Hills gold round like we had in the Army...oh yea, one thing i forgot when i built it was that iam 90percent disabled fromm service...it wieghs a ton....i am buying atkka for elkhunting next year...i will put thi aside for antelope...
[QUOTE=MickR;808836]I believe the largest legal civilian calbre here is .458. At least, we certainly aren't allowed anywhere near the .50. The largest I have is my 30.06.]
Nice shooting stick. What isit built on? I am not a fan of fluted barrels though..personal preference, i see the glass as half empty rather than half full when it comes to fluted..of course mine wouldn'tbeas heavyif i fluted it.
Aah, there lies the rub my friend..the thing that snipers never like to admit is that the spotter is the actual shooter. The sniper is nothing more than a meatplatform which the spotter uses with a more powerful spotting scope in which he can read range wind and mirage with...it is a little talked about fact,because it doesn'tjibe with the movies.
Savage...Just your kind of ugly mate... :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Wintchase
Mick
You need to find some place with some distance that's fit for men to shoot at. At 200 yards that ball hasn't even gone to sleep yet!Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyNorth
Of course we should all watch this again: YouTube - ‪Guy hit in head with .50 caliber ricochet‬‏
You need to find a bigger range. 200 yards is a bit short for that beast. ;) I routinely take my .30-30 out to 150yds (thank you hornady lever revolution ammo) and shoot tennis balls. Hell, my 10/22 with stock barrel can keep it within an inch and a half at 100.Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyNorth
Someday I need to get me a big boy rifle but if I want a lot of range time the .22lr is all I can afford... the 30-30 breaks the bank if I want to use it more than every couple months (granted, if I'd stop futzing about with my .357 and .41 mags I could afford more rifle ammo but I really enjoy the simplicity of SA wheel guns not to mention there is an indoor pistol range in town for year round happiness).
Range time is key. As is lack of fear from the recoil. When I've spent a lot of time on the .22 and neglect the .30-30 my first shot is spot on then I get skurred for the next two or three shots. Have fun with that beast and don't forget to keep some $ around for RAD after you buy ammo.
No matter how good the Rifle, if the shooter and spotter do not do their job it will not matter. That being said all rifles have their own personality and some are better then others. (and prefer different ammo). If I would have to give it a number over 1800yards, I would say 80% shooter, 20% weapon. ish...Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
+1 to that. If your spotter misses the dope then you fail. why they are called teams...Quote:
Originally Posted by Wintchase
Just like a fat girl's and mopeds...Fun to ride, but you don't want anyone to see you!Quote:
Originally Posted by MickR
Now I think the opposite when I see a Savage...I see somebody who knows the value of a quality gun, and isn't suckered into all the bells and whistles. I love me some Savages.
And the op's 50 cal is SWEET. i'd love to shoot one sometime, if somebody else is paying for the ammo!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wintchase
[QUOTE=Mike Blue;809139]You need to find some place with some distance that's fit for men to shoot at. At 200 yards that ball hasn't even gone to sleep yet!
I spit further than that...If my target is 200 yards I would just throw a rock, and save the bullet...
Savage is the Zen of gun making. A smple product that works to perfection....Cheap too.. And one of the most accurate of of the box rifles you can buy..Saying that I do like the Tikkas now that I am getting older. They are lighter and I find that I can get around esier with one. I think I will get one for elk this year.
^^Russ,
For sure, it is a bit limiting here as well. I was just looking at the HPS website - 75 GBP for 1 kg of the 20n29 (recommended for the cartridge). Thats quite expensive. Best deal I have found in Canada was $175 for 8lbs of Hodgdon. Trouble is you can't just import powder from the US...
Yes, hoping to take it out farther soon. We actually start at 25yds for sighting in on paper and then make adjustments to save on ammo expense. Hornady does make great ammo! I was not sure what to expect with the .50 as far as recoil but I must say its not bad at all. The combination of weight and the break works quite well. I'd say its less than the marlin 1895gs .45-70 and some shotguns.Quote:
Originally Posted by bharner
Makes sense but the mental image of you shooting a target at 25 yards with a .50 is pretty dawgone funny:overkill:. I'm guessing it's more fun on squirrels than a 12g slug...:gwh:
What is the distance from which you actually need a spotter? Or do you always require a spotter no matter the distance? For example, a secret service sniper shooting from an elevated position, 200 yards or so. Does he need spotter?
Your spotter will usually have an M4/M16 style weapon for close in support. From what I understand SS works in larger teams and has constant radio communication like the police. Sniper teams are trained to work autonomously. Very different missions. Sniper teams are not always sent out to shoot. They fill many underestimated roles such as Intel gathering etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
200 yards can be done by your average soldier after going through basic with iron sites easy.
That does sound like a good time...but yea, i fogot about the expensive rounds. I never had to worryabout that in the Army..also always check your muzzle break before firing. I had a soldier take off a GEM .50 fire suppressor and screwed the muzzle break back on (not tight enough) , and that was probably the funniest thing that i ever saw when the break came off with the shot...that kid was in the hurt locker for a week after that.Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyNorth
Largest thing I have is a 338 Winchester mag in a long barrel Browning. Kicks like a mule. I use a 200 grain ballistic tip hand load for hunting. It was my elk rifle that I adapted to deer. Took one at 530 yards once in a walnut grove. My club has a variety of shooters. I was at the club last weekend working on digging out footers for concrete to mount our new benches on. One of the guys had his bolt 50 on the 100. Every time he shot, leafs fell of the trees at the 15 yard range. We have a few class 3 holders in the auto club. One guy has a hummer and every now and then he shows up with his mini gun mounted on it. Talk about a buzz saw, WAAAAAAAAAAPPP! There goes 500 rounds...
Sounds like fun. Too bad us Canadians have to line up for an hour at the Gun Store in Las Vegas to shoot an auto :(Quote:
Originally Posted by cannonfodder
Look up graf and sons supply out of missouri. Their powder is usually dirt cheap and their service is amazing.Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyNorth
Powder Valley inc and wideners also have some good prices on reloading components
Powder Valley, Inc.
Widener's Reloading and Shooting Supply INC
HTH,
Paul
Natchez & Midway are also a couple of great places to buy reloading supplies FWIW, but shipping is a bugger even CONUS.
Though not a .50, I do have a custom (by yours truly) .300wsm, 24" douglas barrel + 2" brake, sitting on a winchester action, & tuned Timney trigger. I haven't gotten to shoot at 1000yds to date (what she was built for), but she is pie plate deadly all day long at 600yds prone off the bi-pod. I'm sure it would do fine at 1000yds off bags. Recoil is minute as it's so stinkin' heavy. Barrel is .80" at the brake and 1.25" at the receiver. Nikon optics...
Attachment 72578
Attachment 72579
There is nothing like shooting the .50 cal. My brother owns a Barrett M82 and we crack boulders with it =)Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyNorth
Tip: For .50 caliber rounds check this www.survivalops.com . There .50 cal rounds are specially manufactured to run in all .50's and they run at 2800 FPS. Military runs at 3300 FPS, the 2800 FPS gives longer life to the gun. Less wear and tear. Us civvies can't afford throwaway .50 cal's.
Now I wan't to go shooting..Calling my brother lol.
[QUOTE=shooter74743;810403]Natchez & Midway are also a couple of great places to buy reloading supplies FWIW, but shipping is a bugger even CONUS.
Though not a .50, I do have a custom (by yours truly) .300wsm, 24" douglas barrel + 2" brake, sitting on a winchester action, & tuned Timney trigger. I haven't gotten to shoot at 1000yds to date (what she was built for), but she is pie plate deadly all day long at 600yds prone off the bi-pod. I'm sure it would do fine at 1000yds off bags. Recoil is minute as it's so stinkin' heavy. Barrel is .80" at the brake and 1.
Very nice! The Army retooled a bunch of their .308s to 300s.. I am not sur that it was that great of an idea..although a better round byfar, the kick from shooting all day can develop a hellava flinch in a shooter. I know that 7 mm puts me in the hurt locker every time i put more than 15 rounds through it. I do like that winchestbase though.. Wereyou a marine? That is what their base m40 is built off..that short action is nice when you need to send follow on shots. The Army m24 is off the remmington long action. You have to lift your head up every time you jack a round.
I apologize if this is turning into highjacked thread....i think some folks have found a common interest here. Maybe start a long range shooting club here? I can talk precision shooting all day long. I don't have many people in the neighborhood to talk to about windage, mirage and ballistics....I think it creeps them out.
As if talk about a straight razor hasn't put them off already? ;) Let them get over it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wintchase
I have never found myself interested in the 300 WinMag until I got to shoot a Sako TRG (in Missouri, where fine shootin' irons are still appreciated). I was impressed. I've shot a lot of big bore stuff over the years (each time someone asked Do you want to try? and some more or less brutal and unpleasant) and it all comes down to the angle of the stock and setup of the rifle.
My bucket list includes one of these: 20mm SNIPER RIFLE--AWESOME !
That's not a gun, that's a cannon without a supporting frame. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Blue
Nope, I was a bubblehead that changed rate from FTG3(SS) to Hull Technician (glorified pipefitter) to make E5. I actually didn't get into precision shooting until I met/made a lifelong friend who was an old sniper when I lived in Kansas CIty. He started me out on .22lr @ 100 yards. Once infected with the long range bug I couldn't get enough. Most folks don't realize the science of it all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wintchase
Well yeah! 5,000 metres and with the right ball close will be good enough. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
Nice rig shooter. What stock are you using?
