.50 BMG for deer?

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Looks like I got some hostility and sarcastic comments based on nothing, or info that's anecdotal at best.

Yeah, one would assume that a .50 cal would shred anything it hits, but is that reality?

What I asked for was any experience, not admonishments about practicality, judgements, or wive's tails.

Thanks to those who responded with some good input and civil discourse.
 
The continued bullet path as brought up by David N. should also be a big concern. I've always said you should buy what you want and not worry about other peoples opinions but we all have to not forget there is a significant number of our population out there just chomping at the bit to end all our shooting and hunting activities. We should feel a responsibility to each other to protect this sport we all enjoy, antagonizing these liberal jacka$$'s will not help our cause, no sense kicking a fire ant nest.
 
Perception is reality and to the anti-gun crowd the 50 is a military or terrorist weapon, so using one for deer just adds fuel to their fire- why? We have enough yahoos trying to shoot deer at 500-800, why add this to the mix?

Just because you can doesn't mean you should
 
Sorry, if anyone has a question about a min/max rifle for deer, they are not nearly ready to hunt. I sure don't want them anywhere around me. They would be ignorant to many safety factors is well as the proper deer rifle. Please keep the tongue in cheek ( I hope it is) questions off this site.
 
I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, just realistic. If you shoot a deer with a 50BMG round any meat that isn't turned into splatter paint, is going to be be so ruined by hydrostatic shock it would be basically unedible.

And what others have said about the continued path of the projectile is a big concern, the old saying 'fear the pink mist' was never meant to apply to other hunters.
 
Sorry, Exit Wound, but silly ideas tend to bring silly or disrespectful answers. That's just the way it is.

Heh. I remember back when I was a kid. My uncle had a way of staying deadpan but looking over the top of his glasses if I said something foolish. There was something about the look that said, "Crawl back under your flat rock." Visualize a Big Oopsie moment. :D
 
How about hunting ANYTHING with the 50 cal?
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I hear these little guns are quite effective on unarmored vehicles, boats and aircraft. If you get AP rounds and a have three or four guys with them you could probably be quite the nuisance to an armored division........
 
I do not have a problem with a 50 bmg being used in appropriate terrain.
The size and energy of the bullet has a huge multiplication factor on the actions of idiots. I personally will not shoot my .338 Lapua in the East except in a few very safe places with huge back stops. The Lapua and the BMG are both capable of their bullets kicking up and traveling rediculous distances after impact with flat, or slightly angled ground.
Shooting into the side of a mountain and shooting into a flat field with houses 1/2 mile past the end of the field on the other side of some woods are totally different situations. Launching the .50BMG into the side of a mountain? I'm OK with that. Using it in a clear cut in the Eastern states. I'm not very OK with that.
 
I gave you an honest answer because I own and shoot a fifty. I just honestly think it isn't the best choice if you want to eat the meat (with hunting loads). Trust me on this, I have seen it punch right through a 1/2" steel target. I was being honest about the majority of the ammo for it also. I watched a guy track and lost a doe because the bullet did not even expand. It punched straight through. No doubt it died, but he picked a mil grade ammo with a steel core.

Honestly the use of my 50 is for long range target shooting. Remember it was designed as an anti material rifle (the Barrett). The old M2 was made to destroy anything it hit. These other guys can correct me but if I am not mistaken it main design use was AA from plane to plane.

I was being honest when I said I would rather have a 270, 30-06, or even 300WM if I were going to shoot a soft target (deer,elk, etc).

I wasn't being disrespectfully or feeding you hear-say.
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Here is my setup
 
Thats a nice rifle. I want one, but have never parted with the coins. When I got the Lapua, I thought it was as big as I would ever want, but the BMG itch still needs scratching.
 
The cartridge was originally designed to shoot down 6,0000-8,000lb, 400 mph, 20mm or 30mm cannon packing ME-109's and FW-190's, this should be a pretty good indicator of it's intended use.
 
Renyolds357, the Lapua to be honest is as good of an anti personnel rifle at long distance. I honestly regret not just building a 338LM. The 50 BMG is a great rifle but with the Mk 248 mod1, I prefer shooting my 300WM or my buddies 338 LM. The 50 is a great rifle, but is way too heavy for me to make it a practical rifle for anything other than the range. Plus while the recoil is almost non-existent, the muzzle brake will ring your ears without doubling up on hearing protection and will clear your sinus cavity with each round (or at least mine will). Mine weighs just under 30 lbs loaded. With a bad back, it has became one of my least shot rifles, just because lugging it around isn't practical for me.
 
50 BMG for deer?
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Does anyone have any experience with this?
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No.

But I once hunted rabbits with a M72 LAW rocket launcher. :D

Are we really even discussing this???

Very nice 50 CharlieDeltaJuliet
 
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CharlieDeltaJuliet said:
I watched a guy track and lost a doe because the bullet did not even expand. It punched straight through. No doubt it died, but he picked a mil grade ammo with a steel core.
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I find myself wondering why a .50cal hole won't adequately kill a deer but a .243bullet, expanded to maybe 3/8" will kill them just fine.

While FMJ of any type is certainly not a good choice for a hunting bullet, I'd bet $10 to a donut that shot placement was the failure and not the bullet.

Excellent example of why the whole concept of using a bigger gun to make up for poor shooting is a bad idea.
 
I guess im not sure why anybody would ask such a question. Yeah, I think it'll kill a deer, but why would you do that? Just to carry around a bigger gun than your friends? I guess if one was out to only turn an animal into hamburger instantly, and give other hunters a bad name, then yeah go for it
 
Brian, I would think an expanding hunting bullet would give more radial damage than a big FMJ, maybe not? Good point about shot placement though.
 
He hit right behind the rib cage, so basically gut shot it from what he said. He was an idiot. He used a APIT, not a choice for any ammo except against hard targets. When I got there the blood trail went for between a hundred and a hundred and twenty yards. Then it just ended, no sign of it. I quit looking after learning of the ammo. He claim to hit it at a 3/4 view. To me it was just a waste of a good animal. I was about 15 minutes away when he called me to help him track it. After an hour or so I quit looking.
 
Brian, I would think an expanding hunting bullet would give more radial damage than a big FMJ, maybe not? Good point about shot placement though.
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Perhaps "more" but you don't need "more" when you have enough. A 1/2" FMJ through both lungs would have that deer dead in under 15 seconds, absolute tops, in most cases under 5 seconds.

No surprise to learn that it was likely gut shot. Bad shots are bad shots and larger diameter and more power doesn't turn them into good shots.

The tree on the other side never yells "Hey! I absorbed 5,000 ft/lbs! That's a deadly shot! You have to die!"
 
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