.50 Cal Rifle Suggestions?

[Synnergy]

Greetings all!

Contemplating purchasing a .50 cal rifle...and wondering if you might help me put some info. together and make a wiser decision.

Which ones do you like/not like/reasons/considerations? I appreciate all input. THANKS!

Synnergy

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[Nwcid]

As much fun as a Barrett semi auto would be I could not justify the $8-10,000 for one. When I was thinking about buying a .50 to me the AR-50 seemed to be the best gun for the money.

 

[1stklass]

I like the Grizzly Big Boar, go to 50bmg.com and they have them in stock for 2495, bullpup design with a 36 inch barrel, overall length under 46 inches. Armalite is 3195 with a 31 inch barrel and overall length of almost 60 inches. Look at them side by side and my money is on the Griz. The Armalite is also 10 lbs heavier.

 

[Synnergy]

Reading up on the AR-50, thanks Nwcid. Now checking out the Grizzly, thanks for the info 1stklass.
Synnergy

 

[Grunwald]

I like the Grizzly Big Boar, go to 50bmg.com and they have them in stock for 2495, bullpup design with a 36 inch barrel, overall length under 46 inches. Armalite is 3195 with a 31 inch barrel and overall length of almost 60 inches. Look at them side by side and my money is on the Griz. The Armalite is also 10 lbs heavier.

Isn't Grizzly the one that people warn about that it's a pipe bomb/rifle crossover.
Issues with failures?....ie can blow up in your face?

 

[1stklass]

I googled Grizzly Big Boar failures and nothing came up except their typical(for all guns) waiver saying if the gun is improperly cared for it can explode. but so can a 1911 45. The grizzly Big boar is one you can buy the plans for to build in a small machine shop. I can imagine dangerous ones being out there made by someone that grabbed a chunk of steel and started milling away. Regarding the bolt and receiver, they are one of the heaviest made for a 50 caliber single shot rifle. BUT the steel HAS TO BE MADE OUT OF THE PROPER X-RAY SPEC STEEL. If there are any microscopic cracks in your bar stock they could fail. So make sure the Grizzly you purchase is one made by the factory, or made by someone who knows specifically that the receiver/bolt HAS to be made out of very special very expensive steel and you should be good

 

[Nwcid]

While I know of no failures with the Grizzly (and they make high quality firearms) there are 2 issues people feel are safety issues. This does not make them true issues as far as function but will still make many people choose not to use them.

The first issue is the action being right next to your face. For some no matter what you do this will be a personal issue.

The other is the way the gun is loaded, or more to the fact unloaded. Many feel that if you have a hang fire the only way to clear the gun is take the bolt/round out with your hand where it could "grenade". Again even with a traditional bolt action at some point you would have to handle a hang fire round as you can not leave it laying on the range.

The only .50 guns that I know are bad to the point of being ban from some groups is the Hesse/Vulcan guns.

For me I prefer the look, style and feel of a more traditional rifle.

 

[Grunwald]

I googled Grizzly Big Boar failures and nothing came up except their typical(for all guns) waiver saying if the gun is improperly cared for it can explode. but so can a 1911 45. The grizzly Big boar is one you can buy the plans for to build in a small machine shop. I can imagine dangerous ones being out there made by someone that grabbed a chunk of steel and started milling away. Regarding the bolt and receiver, they are one of the heaviest made for a 50 caliber single shot rifle. BUT the steel HAS TO BE MADE OUT OF THE PROPER X-RAY SPEC STEEL. If there are any microscopic cracks in your bar stock they could fail. So make sure the Grizzly you purchase is one made by the factory, or made by someone who knows specifically that the receiver/bolt HAS to be made out of very special very expensive steel and you should be good

That must be it. It's been at least a couple of years since I read about it so the details have long since been forgotten

 

[1stklass]

On the hang fires, if you twist the bolt you can tie a rope around it and pull the whole thing out from a distance. As far as the action being too close to your face. the Receiver is MASSIVELY THICK. The receiver was designed heavy for that reason as an extra safety precaution. I like Most traditional rifles also, love my PTR's, but with a rifle with a barrel 3 feet long or longer, your traditional rifle in a 50 becomes 5 or 6 feet long! even in the bullpup design the Grizzly is 5 inches longer than my PTR.

 

[Mark W.]

I personally really like the Thompson Center Hawkin style .50 I have how ever upgraded mine to a Green Mountain Target grade 34" barrel with a 1-72" twist (better suited to round ball)

How ever the Lyman Great Plains rifle is also a very high quality rifle.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

If you have the scratch go with a 50-90 Sharps (Big 50.) Using a paper patched bullet, and depending on the thickness of the brass, and the throat on the rifle, you might be able to load 110 gr of powder into the case. I see no reason to go with the 50-140. The felt recoil from that cartridge can be daunting.