A day at the range with the .50 Beowulf. Updated...

So I found some ammo for the .50 Beowulf and went to the range.  I went to the range to accomplish a rough sighting in @ 15 yds.  I should be on paper at 50 yds and then at repeat 100 yards.

Review of the rifle and load:

I’m shooting a .50 Beowulf complete upper and with a Millennium Muzzle Brake using 335gr FMJ ammo.

Holy Shit!!!  This thing is obnoxious.  I was getting blasted from the paint and concrete from the cinder block walls that was blasting back into my face while firing.  The nice thing was that the empty casings were basically dropping at my feet do to the back blast from the muzzle brake (which is quite effective).

Knowing that this rifle would have a significant muzzle blast, I did apologize to everyone on range beforehand, and I let them know that if they wanted me to cease fire, I would be more than happy.

But true to form on the range, I fired off the first shot, made some optics correction, fired off the second shot and turned around.  Everyone else on range was standing behind me watching with an ear to ear grin.  Epic muzzle blast with fireball!!!

Overall, A .50 Beowulf is a thumper where you need a heavy round for “close” (<200 yds.) defense from dangerous animals and/or people.

Minus:

1.  The 335gr round didn’t cycle the bolt reliably due to being a “light” load.  Didn’t always eject or lock the bolt open when single feeding with an empty magazine.  I’m working on 350gr Hornady XTP reloads to fix this.

2.  A 20 round AR magazine only holds 5 and a 30 round magazine only holds 10 rounds (and both magazines require modifications).  Buy them from Alexander Arms.  For magazine capacity, just remember, 20 rounds of 350gr Hornady XTP hollow points is a pound of lead.  Not really a minus (except for $$$)

3.  Muzzle Blast.  Webster’s Dictionary definition of muzzle blast should be:

     Muzzle Blast.  See picture to right (with a picture of the .50 Beowulf with millennium muzzle brake.)

Plus:

1.       An absolute riot to shoot.

2.       If you can’t kill it with a magazine of ammo, call the National Guard.  This is one bad mother fucker.

And

3.       An attention getter.  Touch this thing off at any range, and people will be gathering around asking WTF?  Not always a bad thing.

Update…

When all of the Range Officers (at Kokohead Shooting Complex) are standing behind you with ear to ear grins, you’re doing something good.  They all wished that they weren’t working so that they could fire a couple shots!

Minus: Two boxes of ammo (40 rounds) is all that you’ll shoot in one sitting.  Muzzle blast, recoil,  $$$, etc., is significant (even in an AR-15 platform).  I’m bruised!