During World War I the United States was armed principally with 30 caliber rifles and machine guns. Very much impressed with the 11, 12, and 13 millimeter heavy machine guns used by other countries, the Army obtained samples of the ammunition and proceeded to investigate possible new machine guns to handle the larger cartridges, which were mostly rimmed cases. General John Pershing insisted that much time could be saved by simply scaling up the 30-06 rifle cartridge and the Browning M 1917 machine gun to handle it. Fortunately, the General’s advice was followed and by the end of 1918 the Caliber .50 Browning Machine Gun,50 BMG) had been perfected.
To save time, let’s jump ahead 67 years to 1985 when the Fifty Caliber Shooters Assn., Inc.,FCSA) was established to advance the sporting uses of the .50 BMG cartridge. Rifles used in 50 caliber competition would be considered extraordinary by anyone’s definition, typically weighing between 30 and 100 pounds, sporting long barrels, massive stocks, and large muzzle brakes, but still fired off of conventional front and rear sandbag rests or bipods. Primary emphasis is on use of the original BMG cartridge but there are other 50 caliber cartridges being used in FCSA competition. The six described and illustrated typify those found on the firing line today.
Most often encountered is the daddy of them all, the 50 BMG. As required by FCSA rules, any rifle competing in the Light Class,less than 32 ½ pounds) must be chambered for the unaltered BMG cartridge and must accept an FCSA approved chamber gauge. The one shown here has 750-grain Hornady A-MAX UHC bullet.
A 50 wildcat that is destined to grow in popularity is the 50 DTC. Designed by a shooter in France, it is intended for use in countries where military cartridges are prohibited. It is essentially a BMG shortened one tenth of an inch with the shoulder angle increased from 15 to 18 ½ degrees and a small reduction in body taper.
Every wildcatter worth his salt will take any cartridge case he can get his hands on and try to improve it. The 50 BMG is no exception. With the case body blown out to a minimum taper and a 45-degree shoulder, the 50 BMG IMPROVED approaches the upper limit of case capacity and not much can be done to improve it further. The one shown here is loaded with an 800-grain solid bore-rider bullet.
Many 50 caliber competitors consider the case volume of the original BMG cartridge to be more than adequate for 1000 yard shooting and they seek improvements in the form of more precision rather than added velocity. Taking a page from the small caliber benchrest bible, they are turning to shorter cases in their search for an increase in accuracy. There are numerous examples but all are based on the 50 BMG case and most share the common traits of reduced body taper and sharper shoulder angles. The one shown here, the 50 McMURDO, is loaded with a 705-grain bore-rider bullet and is one of the more popular.
Another often seen cartridge is the 50 BAT. Using the military Cal. 50 Spotter-Tracer M48, M48A1, or M48A2 case, the round shown has had the primer pocket enlarged and a brass flash tube with a standard large rifle primer installed. The cartridge shown sports a GI 700 grain M2 bullet.
A discussion of 50 caliber benchrest cartridges would not be complete without mention of the largest of them all, the 50 FAT MAC. Developed by rifle maker Gale McMillan, the Fat Mac is made from a drastically altered 20mm Vulcan cannon case. The shoulder is pushed back to a 30-degree angle and the case trimmed to a length of 2.6 inches with a very short neck. The primer pocket is modified for installation of a stainless steel flash tube and a standard BMG primer. Whereas the 50 BMG Improved can launch a match bullet to 3000 feet per second, the Fat Mac will propel the same bullet in excess of 3400 fps.
The future of 50 caliber benchrest shooting in the United States is a cloudy one. California has already enacted a law severely restricting the possession and use of the 50 BMG cartridge and rifles for any purpose. There is no doubt that shooters will have to make adjustments to this type of legislation. The answer may lie in wildcat cartridges such as the 50 DTC. Even more restrictive statutes are being proposed in other States. In effect they would completely ban all 50 caliber weapons and ammunition. A showdown between law-abiding citizen riflemen and anti-gun politicians is inevitable.
To save time, let’s jump ahead 67 years to 1985 when the Fifty Caliber Shooters Assn., Inc.,FCSA) was established to advance the sporting uses of the .50 BMG cartridge. Rifles used in 50 caliber competition would be considered extraordinary by anyone’s definition, typically weighing between 30 and 100 pounds, sporting long barrels, massive stocks, and large muzzle brakes, but still fired off of conventional front and rear sandbag rests or bipods. Primary emphasis is on use of the original BMG cartridge but there are other 50 caliber cartridges being used in FCSA competition. The six described and illustrated typify those found on the firing line today.
Most often encountered is the daddy of them all, the 50 BMG. As required by FCSA rules, any rifle competing in the Light Class,less than 32 ½ pounds) must be chambered for the unaltered BMG cartridge and must accept an FCSA approved chamber gauge. The one shown here has 750-grain Hornady A-MAX UHC bullet.
A 50 wildcat that is destined to grow in popularity is the 50 DTC. Designed by a shooter in France, it is intended for use in countries where military cartridges are prohibited. It is essentially a BMG shortened one tenth of an inch with the shoulder angle increased from 15 to 18 ½ degrees and a small reduction in body taper.
Every wildcatter worth his salt will take any cartridge case he can get his hands on and try to improve it. The 50 BMG is no exception. With the case body blown out to a minimum taper and a 45-degree shoulder, the 50 BMG IMPROVED approaches the upper limit of case capacity and not much can be done to improve it further. The one shown here is loaded with an 800-grain solid bore-rider bullet.
Many 50 caliber competitors consider the case volume of the original BMG cartridge to be more than adequate for 1000 yard shooting and they seek improvements in the form of more precision rather than added velocity. Taking a page from the small caliber benchrest bible, they are turning to shorter cases in their search for an increase in accuracy. There are numerous examples but all are based on the 50 BMG case and most share the common traits of reduced body taper and sharper shoulder angles. The one shown here, the 50 McMURDO, is loaded with a 705-grain bore-rider bullet and is one of the more popular.
Another often seen cartridge is the 50 BAT. Using the military Cal. 50 Spotter-Tracer M48, M48A1, or M48A2 case, the round shown has had the primer pocket enlarged and a brass flash tube with a standard large rifle primer installed. The cartridge shown sports a GI 700 grain M2 bullet.
A discussion of 50 caliber benchrest cartridges would not be complete without mention of the largest of them all, the 50 FAT MAC. Developed by rifle maker Gale McMillan, the Fat Mac is made from a drastically altered 20mm Vulcan cannon case. The shoulder is pushed back to a 30-degree angle and the case trimmed to a length of 2.6 inches with a very short neck. The primer pocket is modified for installation of a stainless steel flash tube and a standard BMG primer. Whereas the 50 BMG Improved can launch a match bullet to 3000 feet per second, the Fat Mac will propel the same bullet in excess of 3400 fps.
The future of 50 caliber benchrest shooting in the United States is a cloudy one. California has already enacted a law severely restricting the possession and use of the 50 BMG cartridge and rifles for any purpose. There is no doubt that shooters will have to make adjustments to this type of legislation. The answer may lie in wildcat cartridges such as the 50 DTC. Even more restrictive statutes are being proposed in other States. In effect they would completely ban all 50 caliber weapons and ammunition. A showdown between law-abiding citizen riflemen and anti-gun politicians is inevitable.
