Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!erb1!osnome!hunting
From: cbl@uihepa.hep.uiuc.edu (Chris Luchini)
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Re: Barrett .50 BMG
Message-ID: <405@erb1.engr.wisc.edu>
Date: 20 Mar 91 13:03:56 GMT
References: <388@erb1.engr.wisc.edu>,<396@erb1.engr.wisc.edu>
Sender: news@erb1.engr.wisc.edu
Organization: High Energy Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Lines: 62
Approved: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu



From: cbl@uihepa.hep.uiuc.edu (Chris Luchini)
>walsh@frith.egr.msu.edu (Stephen J Walsh) writes:
>
>>I'm interested in buying one of Barrett's light .50 BMG rifles.  Does
>>anyone have any experience with either the auto or bolt model ?  How 
>>does the barrel hold up over time ?  I know that these brutes aren't 
>>made for hunting, but I'm thinking about pronghorn hunting with one.  
>>A Barrett should perform well at pronghorn ranges, even if I have too
>>much bullet mass.  Has anyone ever hunted with a .50 BMG ?  What scope
>>type and power is appropriate here ?  Can a variable handle the punishment
>>>from a .50 BMG rifle ?  


	Since no one else seem inclined to bring this up, I will.
	IMHO it is a very bad idea to try to hunt anything at more than
	3-500 yards, even if you do have a 50BMG. The problem is not
	that you will be lacking in killing power at greater ranges, but
	that, no matter what small arm you are using, the trajectory gets
	too curved to be usefull. Remember that when hunting you will not
	be shooting at a known distance, and thus in combination with the
	highly curved trajectory, first shot hits are going to be unlikely.*

	I don't have the numbers for typical 50 cal bullets, but lets use
	something similar: 375 cal 270 grain spire point sectional density
	.274 ballistic coefficient .485, m.v. 2800 Fps, with a 400 yard
	zero: 



		100	200	300	400	500	600	700
velocity	2606	2422	2246	2080	1923	1774	?
energy		4074	3517	3026	2559	2217	1887	?
traj:		7.7	11.7	9.4	0.0	-17.5	-44.5	-105 ?
traj:		11.2	18.7	20.0	14.1	0.0	-23.4	-89 ?

	The 700 yard column is estimated by me. 50 BMG rounds are going
	to have a flatter trajectory but not by much.


	Now you could use a range finder to give you a distance, but think
	about this, an error of 25 yards at 600 yards (you measure 600, it
	really is 625 yards) will result (given a 500 yard zero) in a
	drop of an additional ~7" or so. Most available range finders simply
	do not have the accuracy to give you better than +_50 yards at 500yds.

	My gunsmith is a fanatic about eliminating jack rabbits, and has
	built a 22 cheeta (essentially 308 necked to .224) with a MV of
	something like 4200fps to pop jacks at 600 yards. I have seen
	1.5-2 inch 3 shot groups at 400 yards. His problem is not the
	gun, it's that he can't get a good range estimation at the long
	distances he prefers to shoot at. He asked me once to build him
	a range finder with a 2 meter base line :) I told him it would cost
	him a few custom built rifles. Maybe someday I'll do it, i can
	allways use another rifle . . . 

-c
| Chris Luchini/1110 W. Green/Urbana IL 61801/217-333-0505                |
| cbl@uihepa.hep.uiuc.edu  (best) |Cluch@fnald.bitnet (second chance)     |

		I'm not part of the 91%