if someone showed up to the shooting range with a 50 bmg rifle?

I happen to own both a 50BMG and a DE.

I wouldn't call it compensation. I work hard, I make good money, and I am lucky enough to be able to afford these things. I added both these 50 cals to my collection because I think if anything is banned anytime soon, 50's will be one of the first things to go.

I visit my local range at least once a week. The DE usually stays home, but I've been doing a lot of shooting with the 50BMG (Steyr HS50). There's a 600 yard board that I like to punch holes in, but nothing near the guns limit. Sometimes I get bored of punching holes and will "miss" and cut down a small pine tree.

The funny thing is, you all talk down about rifles and pistols like the DE, but every time I see one of you guys at the range...and I mean EVERY time...you never hesitate to come over and ask if you can have a go. And being the nice guy that I am, I always say yes. And that costs me $5 a round.

So go ahead and bash these completely impractical weapons, but if you're ever at my range I'll forgive you and let you get a round or two in.

The fact is...they're fun and you want one, but you're just not willing to admit it...so you'll just give me a thumbs down. :)

Shooting 50 Bmg

This is not unique to the 50cal - but - it is unique to stupid shooters. The brass of the cartridge needs to perfectly conform to the countour of the chamber. This way, it can expand and seal in the hot gasses when fired. When the bolt has to be forced - this means something is not right - on any gun. You are bound to get an improper expansion and seal from the brass - this leads to erosion of the chamber, hot gasses leaking back to the bolt, excessiver pressure. Do it enough times and the rifle's chamber simply becomes a pipe bomb. You should never use a hammer on a firearm with a live round. The same forces hitting the bolt also send shock waves to the trigger, hammer and sear - you are just asking, begging, for an accidental discharge. We see this 'Allot" in Alaska. I have witnessed it 4 times. Guy flys up here for a $30,000 hunt of a lifetime with a custom '300 Something' rifle and doesn't bring ammo. He can't remember if it is a 300 H&H, 300 Win Mag, 300 Weatherby, etc etc so he just grabs a box of ammo that says '300' on it. You see them at the range using a piece of wood trying to close the bolt or open it. Because I have seen so many stupid human tricks on the firing line - I keep and eye and an ear out for idiots. Usually I can get to them about the 3rd or 4th strike and stop them, then look it over. For me - it's always been someone trying to put a 300 Win Mag into a 300 Weatherby - they think both calibers are the same, and the difference between Win and Wby mag ammo is just the brand. A little bit of stupidity goes a long way.

personally, i believe if someone has the money to blow on a .50 bmg, they more than likely have a place they can shoot when they want without drawing unwanted attention. if you look at videos of where most people shoot .50 cals, they shoot them in canyons or wide open areas where they can shoot out past a lousy 300 yards. if i were to own a .50 cal, i would make sure i had some pretty awesome distances to shoot so i could really test mine and the gun's limits.

my guess on desert eagle owners getting looked down upon is that they are like driving a Bugatti--you are overpaying simply for the thrill of owning them and the looks you get when you flash them around.

Hmmm...going to a shooting range with a gun,No I don't think that would be classified as stupid.Stupid would be comparing a 50BMG to a .50 Desert Eagle.Thats like comparing a tank to a ford pinto.Most ranges don't allow the very large calibers and the 50 BMG would fall into that category.The desert eagle on the other hand, would just barely be in the mid range.Look up the ballistic difference between the 2 you mentioned and you will realize what kind of question you just asked.

A range I used to shoot at in Virginia allowed 50's, but limited the amount of shots one could take with one if the range was at capacity. I have fired enough 50's, and have the brass to prove it, to know I personally do not want one. If I ever got into a 50 caliber rifle it would be a Shiloh Sharps in 50-70, or 50-90.

As far as 50 Deagles go, I have a semi auto pistol already that doesn;t work, why would I go spend over $1200 for a brand new pistol that doesn;t work? And yes, I do laugh at the thugs and wannabes that show up at the range with a deagle, hold it sideways, can't hit a thing with it, and them complain thet their gun is broke because it keeps on jamming and they can't hit sh|t with it.

I do agree with AKlouis though, if you have an extensive collection already and want a Deagle to round it out nicely, then by all means go spend your money on a novelty. I myself have 2 novelty rifles that serve absolutely no purpose at all except as a wow factor. They're accurate, fun to shoot, overly expensive rifles that a cheaper rifle would to the exact same job.

Well, I have been on a range with a .50-caliber Barrett. The range allowed .50 BMG, so that was no problem. I had fun watching the guy punch paper at 300 yards, but I made no assumptions about his psychology or his motivations. He handled his rifle safely, obeyed the range rules and was good-natured in the face of a lot of questions about his rifle. If you encounter a similar situation, I suggest you apply the same standards. What possible difference does it make to you what caliber the other guy shoots as long as he conducts himself properly and handles his gun safely?

Most ranges ban then because they are very destructive on the berms at short range 100 or 200 yards. There is a range about 80 miles from me that does allow them but it goes to 1000 yards. I am a part time range officer 2 or 3 saturdays a month and it is the shooter not the gun that can be a problem. I tend to snicker at the people who think that all the high tech gizmos they stick on their gun will make up for a total lack of practice.

There's a guy at my range that has two (2) .50 cal Barretts and it's totally legal there (shooting into a mountainside). The case has wheels and a handle, just like a piece of carry-on luggage. He draws little crowds of admirers, not unlike the owner of a classic Corvette. I'm not going to describe him because he is very distinctive... But I will say despite his appearance he is pretty much the most soft-spoken nicest guy. I don't know where he got the money. But, I do know when he's there I have to double up on my ears.

Most ranges won't allow a 50BMG, but there's a guy in Houston that ran an ad that for $100, he'd meet you at his range and let you shoot 5 or 6 rounds. I guess that accomplishes two things - one, he makes a little money to offset the enormous cost of the rifle, and two, for $100, you get a chance to shoot something most people could never buy.