Does anyone on the forum know anything about the folks shooting Russian PTRD rifles in any capacity.
I was at a highpower rifle match two years ago and a shooter told me about some guys that had a special reamer/dies made up in 50/14.5MM.
They were supposably taking 14.5MM Russian, pulling the bullets and necking the cases down to 50 cal and seating 50 cal bullets for high velocity 50 cal rounds.
Basically a 50 cal is 750 grain at 2700 fps and the 14.5 shot a 1000 grain bullet at 3300 so I am guess they are getting 3800 fps out of a 50 cal bullet.
If anyone knows anything about those doing such conversions contact me at ac4ht@aol.com. Thanks Humpy

3800fps with a .50BMG bullet? You're a sick man.:)

I guess if you consider elephant as vermin, this would be a good varmint round.

You got to admit, if this is true it has got to be a flat shooting sucker. I just want to talk to someone that has made one and see how it worked.
Or more bang for the buck!!!!! haha

I spoke to a guy that did this... he told me that it was not a very economical thing as 14.5 brass is hard to come by and when you neck it to .50 BMG, it does make the bullets go fast (4000FPS) but it wore the barrel throat down extremely fast and then accuracy went . 14.5 is more fun to shoot anyway :D

I got a chance to shoot Ed Schooler's State Arms .50 today. Pretty impressive piece of equipment. The rifle he had at the range with him was the one he set the world record light rifle group with. 29lb light rifle? I was happy it weighed what it did.:) 4"@1000 yards is pretty good shooting. He gave me a fired casing and one of Paul Harlow's lathe turned bullets that own a lot of .50 cal records, as well as what some of the military snipers use. Interesting to shoot a rifle like that with a 2-3oz trigger...takes care of the anticipation one can have...just touch and BOOOOM!

Interestingly enough, the recoil was one big long push as the bipod slid back across the top of the shooting bench, much more pleasant than the 6.5lb .444 Marlin I was shooting.