.50 BMG vs .416 Barrett

Hey all new guy here from western Oregon. I've been planning to build myself a custom 50 for a couple years now, and today I bought a new BAT model EX. When on the phone with the knowledgeable folks at BAT machine, they suggested I give serious consideration to .416 Barrett instead. I admit that while I am aware of the cartridge, I've never researched it much, so that's what I'm doing now. For those who have interest in the big stuff, which would you build and why? This would be just a "toy" as I'm not a competition rifle shooter, just a shooting enthusiast that likes to tinker...

 

You cannot beat 50 BMG for a toy gun. It is a lot of fun to shoot and can be a lot cheaper because you can use LC or WCC brass properly prepared. I am having a good time with pulled 647 gr. M33 ball bullets and amortizing the brass cost over 5 loads (.10) I am shooting at under $2 per round. This works well in a Barrett M99. Build a custom gun only if you are aiming toward competition or extreme LR. Do put a good part of that cost into the scope.

 

Agreed on all points. I've been collecting .50 components for awhile too, so there is that. It will probably get a NF 15-55 comp, I don't believe in skimping on glass. Most likely using a McMillan big Mac stock, but I'm still looking around to see what's available...

 

Do Both, The EX action will accommodate both cartridges equally well. - On a EX25 I have 4 barrels in 50 BMG Improved & 3 barrels in 416 Barrett,

 

Id do both. Switch barrel. If your just gonna play... 50... cheaper to shoot.

You still got other wildcats to research too though... 375s hold more records than 50 or 416 from what Ive seen.

 

If it's a status thing, then get the 50 cal. If you wan to be accurate, then do the 375 or 338. I will out shoot most with a Barrett of any type with my 338LM. It's just not designed to be accurate. It's machine gun rounds. And I'm talking about shooting past 1500 yards, no issues. I can't go much further than 2800 so that's a stretch, but doable depending on wind.

 

These were shot (5 shot groups) with a 416 Barret at 500 yds during barrel break in with some discontinued 450 gr. Hornady "match" bullets from a BAT EX25 gun with a 40" barrel.

 

Not a status thing at all, just a gun I want. I already have a 338lm and a 338 RUM, so I'm pretty well fixed there. Also I'm not building a Barrett or shooting " machine gun rounds" so I'm unsure what that means. I think for me it will boil down to availability of match projectiles, and I don't know enough at this moment about what's out there in .416 to make a decision...

 

if you want to shoot for accuracy, just have them made. (the projectiles) in whatever Cal you intend to use.

it really sounds like you want a 50. APIT and BlueTip is a ton of fun. APIT is still pretty cheap.

when I was competing in FCSA, i had all my solids made to order, 200 - 800 at a time, depending on how many matches I was planning on shooting that year.

It worked well enough to win more than a few regionals, and set a WR.

 

This statement is without merit since it is definitely NOT a machine gun round! Lack of knowledge is the only reason to make such a misstatement.








All Three men used the .416 Barrett to Win.

 

Absolutely !!
The World Record for Group (5 shots at 1000 yards) for 50 cal. is 1.955" by Lee Rasmussen. - It's all about the right tool for the job and skilled marksmanship.