Hunting With 50 BMG

The 50 BMG is generally unsuitable for traditional hunting, though it is fully capable of cleanly harvesting any animal on the planet. Its extreme rifle weight, massive recoil, and excessive meat destruction make it highly impractical for stalking game like deer or elk. It is most often utilized as a novelty cartridge for long-range feral hog eradication or extreme long-range predator hunting. Common bullet weights range from 647 to 800 grains, generating a muzzle velocity of 2,700 to 3,000 feet per second. This produces an earth-shattering 12,000 to 14,000 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, overpowering standard hunting rifles tenfold. While the cartridge can effectively strike targets well past 2,000 yards, practical hunting applications are mostly limited by the physical burden of carrying a 30-pound rifle into the field.

Hunting with 50 BMG

Ammo / Load	Bullet Weight	Bullet Type	Muzzle Velocity	Muzzle Energy	BC	Hunting Purpose	Best Feature
Hornady Match	750 grain	A-MAX (Polymer Tip)	2,820 fps	13,241 ft-lbs	1.050	Extreme Long Range	Highest ballistic coefficient for minimal wind drift
Barnes Bore Rider	800 grain	Solid Brass	2,895 fps	14,895 ft-lbs	.439	Dangerous Game	Absolute deep penetration without deformation
Federal American Eagle	660 grain	FMJ Boat-Tail	2,910 fps	12,432 ft-lbs	.620	Pest Control / Hogs	Consistent military specification reliability
PMC Bronze	660 grain	FMJ Boat-Tail	2,910 fps	12,432 ft-lbs	.620	General Varmint	High availability and comparatively lower cost
Custom / Speer	647 grain	Jacketed Solid	3,044 fps	13,310 ft-lbs	.600	Thick Skinned Game	High velocity flat trajectory exceeding 3,000 fps

What Makes 50 BMG Suitable For Hunting

The 50 Browning Machine Gun cartridge was never designed for civilian hunting. Developed by John Browning for anti-aircraft and anti-materiel purposes, its sheer scale makes it an absolute anomaly in the hunting world. It is suitable for hunting only when absolute lethality at extreme distances is required.

The primary advantage of hunting with 50 BMG is its immunity to wind deflection and its massive kinetic energy retention. The cartridge delivers more foot-pounds of energy at 2,000 yards than many standard hunting rifles produce at the muzzle. However, the drawbacks are immense. A typical rifle weighs between 25 and 35 pounds, making it impossible to carry through the woods on a traditional stalk. Furthermore, the muzzle blast is deafening, and the concussive force kicks up massive amounts of dust and debris, requiring hunters to wear double hearing protection and shoot from a stable prone bipod.

Best 50 BMG Bullet Weight For Hunting

Because the 50 BMG is not a standard hunting caliber, bullet weights are entirely dictated by military specifications and extreme long-range target shooting designs.

647 to 660 grain:The standard weight class for military ball ammunition (M33). These are usually full metal jacket projectiles. They travel around 2,900 fps and are highly effective for feral hogs or general pest eradication where pelt preservation or meat harvesting is not a priority.
700 to 750 grain: The sweet spot for long-range accuracy. The 750-grain Hornady A-MAX is the undisputed champion here, utilizing a massive polymer tip to achieve a staggering 1.050 ballistic coefficient. This is the ideal weight for precision shots on varmints past 1,000 yards.
800 grain and heavier: Specialized solid brass or copper projectiles designed for maximum penetration. These are overkill for anything in North America but have historical novelty use on thick-skinned dangerous game.

Best Bullet Type For Hunting

Selecting a hunting bullet for the 50 BMG often requires navigating local hunting laws, as many jurisdictions ban the use of Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) ammunition for big game.

Polymer Tipped Match Bullets: (e.g., Hornady A-MAX). While technically designed for target shooting, the sheer size and energy of this 750-grain bullet cause massive catastrophic trauma upon impact. It is the best choice for any long-range hunting application.
Solid Copper or Brass: (e.g., Barnes Bore Rider). These solid projectiles do not expand. They are CNC-machined to punch straight through engine blocks and light armor, meaning they will pass cleanly through an animal without deforming.
Full Metal Jacket (FMJ): The most common and affordable ammunition. If legal in your area for non-game animals like feral hogs or coyotes, FMJ rounds provide reliable feeding and consistent military-grade accuracy.
Armor Piercing / Incendiary: Absolutely prohibited for hunting. Military surplus rounds like APIT (Armor Piercing Incendiary Tracer) will spark massive wildfires if they strike rocks or dry brush and offer no practical hunting value.

50 BMG Hunting Ballistics

The ballistics of the 50 BMG are so extreme that standard ballistic gel testing is completely useless; the bullet will effortlessly pass through multiple blocks without stopping.

Note: The following data represents average specifications from a 29-inch barrel with a 100-yard zero.

Hornady Match 750gr A-MAX

Muzzle:2,680 fps / 11,954 ft-lbs
500 Yards: 2,215 fps / 8,170 ft-lbs
1,000 Yards:1,805 fps / 5,425 ft-lbs
Bullet Drop @ 1,000 Yards:-132.0 inches

Standard M33 Ball 661gr FMJ

Muzzle:2,750 fps / 11,091 ft-lbs
500 Yards: 1,940 fps / 5,520 ft-lbs
1,000 Yards: 1,320 fps / 2,550 ft-lbs
Bullet Drop @ 1,000 Yards:-195.0 inches

Even at 1,000 yards, the Hornady A-MAX load retains more energy than a 30-06 Springfield carries at the muzzle.

50 BMG Effective Range For Hunting

The effective range of the 50 BMG on targets extends comfortably to 2,000 yards. However, the ethical hunting range is constrained by the shooter’s ability to read the wind and guarantee a clean hit.

For a highly trained marksman utilizing precision match ammunition, taking a coyote or feral hog at 1,000 yards is well within the ballistic capability of the rifle. The bullet carries over 5,000 foot-pounds of energy at that distance. However, the flight time at 1,000 yards is well over a second. In that time, an animal can take a step forward, turning a perfect heart shot into a catastrophic and unethical gut wound. Therefore, while the bullet can kill at two miles, ethical hunters usually limit even extreme long-range pest control to 1,000 yards or less under perfect weather conditions.

Supersonic vs Subsonic 50 BMG For Hunting

While it sounds like a contradiction in terms, subsonic 50 BMG ammunition does exist as a boutique specialty item.

Best Barrel Length For 50 BMG Hunting

The 50 BMG cartridge holds nearly 250 grains of gunpowder, meaning it requires an extremely long barrel to achieve complete combustion.

20 inches: Found on highly compact novelty rifles. You lose roughly 300 to 400 fps of velocity, and the resulting unburnt powder creates a fireball the size of a vehicle.
29 inches:The practical sweet spot for civilian use. Standardized by the Barrett M82 and M107 series, this length provides an excellent balance of high velocity and manageable portability (relatively speaking).
36 to 45 inches: Common on dedicated extreme long-range bolt action rifles or the original M2 machine gun. These barrels maximize velocity, pushing 660-grain bullets well past 2,900 fps, but they make the rifle completely immobile for any type of field hunting.

Game Size And Hunting Conditions

The 50 BMG is vastly overpowered for any North American game animal.

Deer and Elk: It is highly discouraged for deer hunting. A direct hit with a 50 BMG will cause explosive tissue damage that ruins the vast majority of the harvestable meat.
Feral Hogs and Coyotes: This is the most common hunting application for the 50 BMG. Because hogs and coyotes are largely considered pests and are not always harvested for meat, hunters utilize the 50 BMG from elevated blinds to eradicate them at extreme distances across agricultural fields.
Hunting Conditions: The rifle must be fired from a stationary, highly supported position. Due to the extreme weight, hunters must drive the rifle to a blind or hillcrest using an ATV or truck.

Shot Placement And Bullet Performance

There is a persistent myth in the hunting community that a 50 BMG bullet traveling near a deer will suck the eyes out of its head or kill it via a passing shockwave.This is entirely false. Ballistic experts and physicists have proven that the air pressure wave created by a passing 50 BMG bullet is between 1 and 5 pounds per square inch, which is nowhere near enough to cause tissue damage or death.

To kill an animal with a 50 BMG, you must physically hit it. When a direct hit occurs, shot placement is largely irrelevant to the animal’s survival, as the sheer kinetic shock to the skeletal and nervous systems will anchor the animal immediately. However, hitting the shoulder of a deer will obliterate both front quarters completely.

Best 50 BMG Hunting Loads

Because ammunition is manufactured primarily for military contracts or target shooters, hunters have a limited pool of highly effective options:

Best Overall for Long Range:Hornady 750-grain A-MAX Match. Unbeatable wind resistance and extreme accuracy make this the gold standard for long-range pest control.
Best for Budget Pest Control: PMC Bronze 660-grain FMJ. It is one of the most affordable factory loads on the market, ideal for practicing or shooting feral hogs where legal.
Best for Deep Penetration: Barnes 800-grain Bore Rider. Solid machined construction guarantees absolute pass-through on anything it strikes.

Pros And Cons

Pros:

Produces the most kinetic energy of any commercially available rifle cartridge.
Completely immune to crosswinds at traditional hunting ranges.
Guarantees immediate and overwhelming terminal performance on any animal.
Extends effective hit probability well past 1,000 yards.

Cons:

Rifles weigh up to 30 pounds, making them impossible to carry on a stalk.
Violent meat destruction makes it completely unethical for harvesting venison.
Ammunition is prohibitively expensive, often exceeding five to eight dollars per round.
Muzzle blast and concussive shock can cause severe flinching or hearing damage if fired in covered blinds.
Severe over-penetration poses a massive safety risk to anything standing miles behind the target.

FAQs

Is 50 BMG good for deer hunting?

No. While it will instantly kill a deer, it causes extreme meat destruction and the rifles are too heavy to carry practically. It is completely overkill for thin-skinned game.

Can a 50 BMG kill a deer if it misses?

No. The myth that the vacuum or pressure wave of a near miss will kill an animal has been thoroughly debunked by physicists and ballisticians. The bullet must physically strike the animal to kill it.

What is the effective range of a 50 BMG for hunting?

While the bullet remains lethal well beyond 2,000 yards, ethical long-range hunters generally restrict shots on live animals to 1,000 yards or less to account for unpredictable animal movement during the bullet’s flight time.

What grain 50 BMG is best for hunting?

The 750-grain Hornady A-MAX is considered the best long-range projectile due to its incredibly high ballistic coefficient, which reduces wind drift at extreme ranges.

How much energy does a 50 BMG have at 1,000 yards?

A high-quality 750-grain match bullet will retain over 5,000 foot-pounds of kinetic energy at 1,000 yards, which is roughly double the muzzle energy of a standard .308 Winchester rifle.

Is it legal to hunt with a 50 BMG?

This depends heavily on your local jurisdiction. Many states prohibit the use of Full Metal Jacket ammunition for hunting game animals. Always check local regulations before taking a 50 BMG into the field.

What barrel length is best for a 50 BMG?

A 29-inch barrel is the most common and practical choice for civilian shooters. It provides excellent velocity while keeping the massive rifle somewhat transportable.

Final Verdict

Is the 50 BMG good for hunting? As a general-purpose hunting rifle, it is absolutely terrible. However, as a highly specialized tool for extreme long-range pest eradication, it is unmatched. It is best suited for stationary hunters targeting feral hogs or coyotes from elevated positions where shots extend from 500 to 1,000 yards.

The ideal ammunition is a 750-grain polymer-tipped match bullet that slices through the wind efficiently. Its major advantages are its unprecedented kinetic energy and immunity to environmental factors. Its major limitations are severe over-penetration, devastating meat damage, and the exhausting physical reality of maneuvering a 30-pound firearm. If you want to fill your freezer with venison, leave the 50 BMG in the safe; if you want to eradicate a sounder of feral hogs in an open agricultural field from half a mile away, there is no cartridge more capable.