The 50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) is a large 50 caliber cartridge packing some serious long-range firepower in a 12.7 x 99mm NATO round.
It was developed for the M2 Browning machine gun over 110 years ago, and was based on the .30-06 Springfield cartridge.
Today, it’s also used as a long-range sniper rifle and anti-materiel rifle (military equipment destruction) round, as well as ammunition for various .50 caliber weapons.
The cartridge has been made in many different variations, such as:
- Ball round (full metal jacket)
- Tracer round (“glowing” when fired, enabling the shooter to follow the projectile’s trajectory and correct their aim)
- Armor-piercing round (designed to penetrate the armor of various military vehicles, ballistic vests, bulletproof glass, etc.)
- Incendiary round (fire causing ammo)
- Sub-caliber round (a bullet smaller than the bore diameter)
.50 BGM use in single-shot and semi-automatic rifles has created a need for specialized match-grade ammo — quality ammunition made with high precision, and suitable for competitive matches.
Its accuracy proved to be particularly useful for military sniper combat. In fact, it holds the record for longest distance confirmed kill.
Longest-Range Confirmed Sniper Kills
Some of the longest-range confirmed sniper kill shots were achieved by using a .50 BMG in a McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle.
In June of 2017, a member of Canada’s Joint Task Force 2 killed an ISIL insurgent in Iraq from a distance of 3,870 yards (3,540 meters) — the current military history world record.
The 3rd and 4th place record-holders were also using .50 BMG, which says a lot about the effectiveness of this bullet.
The 3rd longest-range confirmed sniper kill record was by Canadian Army Corporal, Rob Furlong, who shot a Taliban combatant at 2,657 yards (2,430 meters) during the 2002 Afghanistan War campaign. He was also using the .50 BMG TAC-50 rifle.
To keep adding to this, the 4th place record was set by U.S. Marine sniper, Carlos Hathcock, back in 1967. At the distance of 2,500 yards (2,286 meters), he was using the .50 BMG in an M2 Browning Machine Gun.
Of course, his Browning Machine Gun was equipped with a telescopic sight.
Other snipers started using this weapon for the same purpose. Eventually, this indirectly led to the development of sniper rifles purposely built for .50 BMG ammo.
It shows how a bullet, first intended (and still used) for a machine gun, found its way to a different weapon.
And its next phase? A smart bullet.
Maneuverable Smart Sniper Bullet
The battleground’s unfavorable conditions — such as dusty terrain, high winds, and moving targets — present extreme challenges for military snipers.
They need to engage targets fast and accurately because every missed shot puts the safety of troops at risk by potentially exposing their location.
So, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has developed a new breed of sniper bullets under the EXACTO (Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance) program.
A .50 BMG bullet that can change direction mid-flight.
This system improves the sniper’s effectiveness, and allows for a longer range and precision standoffs.
The fired EXACTO .50 BMG projectile becomes a maneuverable bullet with a real-time guidance system — that adjusts its trajectory mid-flight — allowing it to overcome any unfavorable factors (wind, visibility, etc.) that may drive it off target.
Even though this kind of technology is fascinating, let’s get back to the .50 BMG ammo we as civilians can use.
First, let’s take a look at some specifications of this round.
Specifications of the .50 BMG Per Round
Before we take a look at the specifics, it’s important to point out that .50 BMG is subject to some political controversy, as it’s the most powerful commonly available round that isn’t defined by the National Firearms Act as a destructive device.
The controversial part is the fact that the .50 caliber — and rifles, in general — have a significantly lower record when it comes to crime compared to other calibers.
A long rifle isn’t a usual weapon for a criminal to use.
The most notable of laws concerning this subject is the .50 Caliber BMG Regulation Act of 2004 — a law in the state of California that banned the sale of all .50 caliber rifles in the state.
However, there are some exclusions to this law:
- If you lawfully possessed the rifle before it was made illegal.
- If you are an out-of-state owner participating in a shooting competition.
- If you hold a valid permit to possess an assault weapon.
There are a few other exceptions and regulations nationwide. In any case, be sure to double-check your state laws.
The Specifications
The power, accuracy, and external ballistics per round (unpowered free-flight phase of the projectile after exiting the barrel) is what makes it controversial, but also so popular among long-range target shooters.
And that’s one of the reasons we enjoy using it.
If you wish to do so, there are .50 BMG shooting competitions, held nationwide in the U.S. by the Fifty Caliber Shooters Association, where you can join and compete with fellow .50 caliber aficionados.
And now for some numbers:
| Case type | Rimless, bottleneck |
| Bullet diameter | .510” (13.0mm) |
| Neck diameter | .560” (14.2mm) |
| Shoulder diameter | .735” (18.7mm) |
| Base diameter | .804” (20.4mm) |
| Rim diameter | .804” (20.4mm) |
| Rim thickness | .083” (2.1mm) |
| Case length | 3.91” (99mm) |
| Overall length | 5.45” (138mm) |
| Case capacity | 292.8 gr H2O (18.97cm3) |
| Primer type | #35 Arsenal Primer |
| Maximum pressure | 54,923 psi |
Besides long-range target shooting, we can recommend the .50BMG as a hunting cartridge — but only when you want to drop game at extreme range.
.50 BMG has too much power for close-range hunting, and it would cause excessive damage to the animal.
Power Potential
The best way to understand the power potential of a cartridge is to compare muzzle energies. In this case, we’ll compare it to the .30-06 Springfield — the ammo that .50 BMG is based on.
The .30-06 Springfield is a popular caliber in the hunting community, and it was a standard round for American soldiers in World War I and II.
It can produce muzzle energies from 2,000 to 3,000 foot-pounds force (ft/lb), while the .50 BMG round goes from 10,000 and 15,000 ft/lb force (depending on the powder, bullet type, and weapon).
The difference is huge and it gives the projectile extreme speed and power.
So how fast is a .50 BMG? Let’s go back to the numbers:
| Bullet mass/type | 55 gr (42 g) ADI | 700 gr (45 g) Barnes | 750 gr (49 g) Hornady | 800 gr (52 g) Barnes |
| Velocity | 3,029 ft/s | 2,978 ft/s | 2,820 ft/s | 2,895 ft/s |
| Energy | 13,350 ft⋅lbf | 13,971 ft⋅lbf | 13,241 ft⋅lbf | 14,895 ft⋅lbf |
Because of the high ballistic coefficient (ability to overcome air resistance in flight), its trajectory is not as affected by the external elements.
This makes it the smart choice for long-range military or civilian shooting involving high-powered sniper rifles.
And, talking about weapons best suited for .50 BMG, we have a few favorites — although this is far from the complete list.
Short List of Our Favorite .50 BMG Firearms
Carbines:
- Barrett M82CQ
- Bushmaster BA50 carbine
- Serbu Firearms BFG-50 Carbine
Rifles:
- Accuracy International AS50
- Armalite AR-50
- Barrett M95
- McMillan Tac-50
- Serbu Firearms BFG-50
Machine guns:
- M1921 Browning
- M2 Browning
- GAU-19
Pistols:
- Triple Action Thunder
Chain gun:
- Profense PF 50
Although our favorite firearms may differ, we as .50 BMG fans all have one thing in common — stocking up on ammo.
Let’s do it.
Get Your .50 BMG While the Gettin’s Good
Here at BulkMunitions, we believe in work that serves a higher purpose. That’s why we make sure to make your ammo dollar go a little further.
Every quarter, we tithe at least 10% of our profits to Christian-based, 2A-supporting non-profits, and it’s more important now than ever.
Check out our .50 BMG supply and be sure to get your ammo today.
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Get your stock of .50 caliber ammo while the gettin’s good.
Featured Image: Pexels by Jay Rembert
