That is some great information, I downloaded it for future reference. I do have some general questions, I have some gun experience but mostly handguns. I recently retired and am taking up long distance shooting, or I hope it will qualify as long distance. To that end I have purchased a Barrett M82A1, mainly because I have a fairly large quantity of 50BMG ammo from an old purchase, then have been told to forget it because I will need match grade if I want to do anything out over 500 yards. So, I asked some friends who were in the military for scope advice and saved and saved... and saved some more to buy a Leupold Mark 5HD M5C3 Tremor. I am told that should work but that it isn't tough enough for military use, which I am fine with as I am not military (they had standards) LOL, anyway what I am looking for is any advice on where to get some training, do I need to have the scope mounted by a gun smith, I have heard the 50 will cause it to move around if you don't. and do I need match grade ammo to get started? The ammo I have is military production. some red tip, silver tip and just plain. Thanks for any help.
Rifle Scopes New gun, new scope, new to distance shooting
- Thread starter camdog
- Start date
My advice…
Cancel the order if you can, buy an MRAD or an AXSR and a bunch of barrels for the same $$ and then sell that shitty ball ammo to someone to fund match grade ammo for said barrels.
Cancel the order if you can, buy an MRAD or an AXSR and a bunch of barrels for the same $$ and then sell that shitty ball ammo to someone to fund match grade ammo for said barrels.
This is about the worst possible choice to begin shooting long range. Even match ammo in n M82 is a 2 MO proposition. Few ranges will permit shooting 50's and fewer still permit API ,APIT and tracer.
Sell all the ammo to some machine gunner, buy a .308, 6.5CM or similar bolt action and start there.
Sell all the ammo to some machine gunner, buy a .308, 6.5CM or similar bolt action and start there.
It was, I am new, I posted in the wrong place... was told that and so I reposed, cut and pasted as I am nothing if not lazy... LOL thanks to everyone for their advice. I do have a 308 M1A with a Springfield scope maybe that is what I should have been trying to use to begin with... still want to shoot the 50 but if distance and accuracy is what I want it sounds like I need to step back some.
camdog......good on your for wanting to get into long range shooting. Unfortunately you didn't pick a great setup to learn on. A 50 BMG is certainly badass but its not good to learn on. Also match grade ammo is going to be very expensive. An M1A with a springfield scope is probably not all that great either.
My recommendation is to go get some training. Preferably at a place that has school house rifles that you can use.
There are a lot of good places. Upcoming training forum has lists lots of places.
Barbourcreek https://barbourcreek.com would probably be a good place. Note i think they do most things in MOA vs Mils but you can convert everything you learn to mils.
This place also has rifles for rent for their courses. https://tforkoutfittersandlongrange.com/long-range-shooting
There are certainly many other good places.
We have all been there i think you are just at the point in your journey in that you don't know what you don't know yet.
Virtually no one that wants to get into long range or enjoys long range ONLY has a .50 BMG as their long range gun. They usually have something much more manageable to shoot and learn with and a .50 BMG is for extreme fun or extreme end of the world scenario.
My other recommendation would to be to get a tikka 6.5 CTR. for 999 on eurooptic to learn and have enjoyable shooting with.
You could get a larue .50 mount and swap your scope between rifles if your set on keeping the .50. https://www.larue.com/products/larue-tactical-50-bmg-qd-lt107/
But once again i would get training first if at all possible. It will sling shot your knowledge light years ahead in a few days and make you much more knowledgable about what you might want in the future.
To make an analogy. You have kinda bought a top fuel dragster wanting to put 83 octane gasoline in it and run it on a road course.
Many of us have been there i just don't want to see you get discouraged from this awesome sport because you got out of gate with the wrong equipment.
My recommendation is to go get some training. Preferably at a place that has school house rifles that you can use.
There are a lot of good places. Upcoming training forum has lists lots of places.
Barbourcreek https://barbourcreek.com would probably be a good place. Note i think they do most things in MOA vs Mils but you can convert everything you learn to mils.
This place also has rifles for rent for their courses. https://tforkoutfittersandlongrange.com/long-range-shooting
There are certainly many other good places.
We have all been there i think you are just at the point in your journey in that you don't know what you don't know yet.
Virtually no one that wants to get into long range or enjoys long range ONLY has a .50 BMG as their long range gun. They usually have something much more manageable to shoot and learn with and a .50 BMG is for extreme fun or extreme end of the world scenario.
My other recommendation would to be to get a tikka 6.5 CTR. for 999 on eurooptic to learn and have enjoyable shooting with.
You could get a larue .50 mount and swap your scope between rifles if your set on keeping the .50. https://www.larue.com/products/larue-tactical-50-bmg-qd-lt107/
But once again i would get training first if at all possible. It will sling shot your knowledge light years ahead in a few days and make you much more knowledgable about what you might want in the future.
To make an analogy. You have kinda bought a top fuel dragster wanting to put 83 octane gasoline in it and run it on a road course.
Many of us have been there i just don't want to see you get discouraged from this awesome sport because you got out of gate with the wrong equipment.
Thanks, that's a bit more encouraging, I will put the 50 away, for now and maybe play with the 308 while I save for a 6.5 and find a school, I had wanted to go
Ok thanks, that's a little more encouraging, I will put the 50 away, (expect for a few shots just to play around) and work toward a 6.5, I have look at some basic classes and there are several here in Texas that look fairly reasonably priced, I may try to do that with my 308, but I also have a 22-250 I could set up cheep if the 308 is going to be too much for starting out. Another buddy recently picked up an 6.5 from accuracy international, but looking at those prices I may have to lay low for a little while before announcing a purchase like that. LOL Thanks again to everyone I take all advice to heart as I start this journey.
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