50 BMG versus 223 is no contest when it comes to power and effective range, but it didn’t win today.
The 5o BMG
I went to the rifle range for a little while, before the rain started, to get in a little practice. I had loaded up some good 223 ammo and shot pretty well for awhile, until……50 BMG versus 223. A guy showed up at the next bench carrying a Barrett 50 BMG rifle and a bunch of ammo. After a few minutes setting up, he let the first one rip. The concussion from the Barrett moved my spotting scope off target and I could feel the thud in my chest…..God help our enemies!
The 223
After the initial shock I settled back in to the business at hand, trying to shoot a decent group with the awful racket going on next to me. After several tries, I finally put together a 5 shot group that measured .214″. This accuracy has been consistent with my 223. It really likes IMR 3031 powder and any quality 55 grain bullet. I pushed Nosler 55 grain Ballistic tips today and the picture below verifies how accurate the loads are in my rifle.
The Difference
The Barrett shooter wasn’t picking up his brass, he wasn’t a reloader, so I grabbed a couple for souvenirs. The cost of a single shot of performance ammo for the 50 BMG is between $5 and $7 per pop. Quite a bit of difference when 50 BMG versus 223 at about $0.25/shot. The best thing about the whole experience was the guy couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn at 100 yds. Despite a $10,000 rifle with a $ 2,000 scope. He saw my group and I saw his. Read ’em and weep. His best group was about 8″. My best was .214″. Just goes to show you that money doesn’t buy everything.
Below is a picture of a fired 50 BMG versus 223 and 5 other common rounds: Left to right – 22 LR, 9mm Luger, 223 Remington, 7.62 X 39 (AK food), 7mm Remington Magnum, and finally the 50 BMG. This gives you an idea of how large the round actually is and why it is popular for the 1 shot kill at 1500 yds.
