Cartridge profile · 1921 · U.S. military

.50 BMG

John Browning's heavy machine gun round. Used for anti-materiel rifles and long-range competition.

Good for: ELR, Military/LE

A typical factory load is a 750 gr A-Max bullet at about 2,820 ft/s, with roughly 13,242 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.

Typical load
750 grA-Max
Muzzle speed
2,820 ft/s
Muzzle energy
13,242 ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
1.050maker's G1, used for the drop figures
Twist rate
1:15
Recommended platform
Heavy rifle, 25–35 lb with brakeMassive recoil without the weight and brake

On the Precision Rifle chart

Made for
John Browning's heavy machine gun round. Used for anti-materiel rifles and long-range competition.ELR · Military/LE
Typical load
750 grA-Max
Typical muzzle fps
2,820ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
13,242ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
1.050maker's G1, used for the drop figures
Twist rate for typical load
1:15
500 yd
Drop 43.9" (8.4 MOA)Wind 8.1" (1.5 MOA) · Speed 2,390 fps
800 yd
Drop 139.7" (16.7 MOA)Wind 21.8" (2.6 MOA) · Speed 2,151 fps
1,000 yd
Drop 240.4" (23.0 MOA)Wind 35.3" (3.4 MOA) · Speed 1,999 fps
Supersonic to
2,551 ydstays above 1,125 fps
Barrel life
3,000–5,000rounds
Recoil & cost
Very heavyCost $$$$$
Recommended platform
Heavy rifle, 25–35 lb with brakeMassive recoil without the weight and brake

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Speed, energy and BC are typical figures for the listed load; real numbers vary by brand, lot and barrel length. Always check the ammo maker's data for your exact load.

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