Serbu RN-50 & 50 bmg Ammo

[weimerheimer]

My son & I just ordered a Serbu RN-50 rifle. Rifle is going to take 3-4 months to build & deliver. In the meantime, we'd like you buy some ammo, but we're having some issues with selecting the ammo. We don't want buy 100-200 rounds only find out that particular ammo doesn't shoot well out of this gun.

Does anyone own a Serbu RN-50 and able offer ppinions on ammo types to avoid or to recommend?
I've read that Mark Serbu does not recommend Federal American Eagle brand of 50 bmg ammo to its brass case being softer than other brands and it becomes difficult to extract.

Our desired use for this rifle, at least for now, is to shoot paper. The club we belong to only goes up to 200 yds., but there is a range about 1 hour 20 minutes away that goes up to 1,000 yds.

 

[50 shooter]

Stay away from Dominican Republic yellow tip ammo, everything about it is bad.

The Federal ammo is ok to use, some rifles just don't like it. Mark has had some issues with it in his rifles and no longer recommend it to his customers.

PMC, IMI and Barrett's ammo are all good to go, just shop around as prices change from one place to the next. That and when people hear you say .50, the dollar signs roll up in their eyes!

 

[darkgael]

While you are preparing, perhaps it will be a good time to look at what you would need to losd/reload your own.

 

[DaleA]

I apologize for being obvious but here's another vote for getting into reloading for this beast.

 

[TXAZ]

I currently have a Barrett Semi, not a Serbu, and choose not to reload, and have shot a fair number of 50’s and so my feedback is worth at least 1/2 of what you’re paying for it.
Like many rifles shooting factory ammo, they perform best with a specific projectile and load.
I played around with LabRadar and about 6 different factory rounds to see what “Boomer” likes best. The bottom line for best precision in Boomer is Hornady Amax 750gr, a round designed for the Barrett M107A1. The Federal 660 gr you referenced is not bad but yields a much larger group. I’ve had no extraction issues with any ammo.
Ironically, I purchased some really cheap $2/round surplus APIT to let others shoot (~647gr) and that batch had a spread group but also a small group to rival AMAX.

Bottom line, it’s like dating: You have to go through quite a few to find the right one