I am looking to purchase my first .50, and as you can imagine I am a bit conflicted, so I am hoping for some input on rifle and optics selection...

RIFLE SELECTION QUESTIONS:
While I am certainly no match shooter, I am not one to "trade up" later... I do want the best rifle with the most accuracy at the longest range for the best value, and am also concerned about quality and reliability. Last, but still important comes price (yes, I know AI gives me everything I want, but not looking to spend in that price range... right now :) . I prefer to sacrifice a few extra thousand up front to get better quality and performance **if needed**, rather than try and move up the chain to higher quality later. However, after going back and forth on the trade off for what you get for what price, I think I have been pretty convinced that I do not need to get into the EDM Windrunner/McMillian TAC-50 price range, and after considering the Ferret50, Barret 99, and Serbu, I want to say I have more or less settled on AR-50 and think I can get everything I need out of that, being the best trade off of cost vs. accuracy, quality, etc, etc (and by ALL means, please correct me if anyone thinks otherwise). As an aside, I was also attracted to the idea that the AR-50 may have *slightly* less recoil than some others, if that is true.

So, if we are to accept the above premise (again, input is welcome) I then would like to know what people think between the standard AR-50 vs. the National Match model? Is the extra $1000 for the match chamber and barrel worth the added cost? Again, while I am not a match shooter, I am not a terrible shot, and I want to know the weapon is the most accurate it can be (and be assured that my poor skills are the reason I am not on target). Basically, I would not like the weapon to be the limiting factor should my skills ever advance to the point that I would want to participate in matches, especially if that happened before my budget grew enough to facilitate a higher dollar weapon. A related question... would the match chamber limit my ammo choices to only match ammo? I am not necessarily opposed to that as I do plan to budget for the dies to load my own as well, but I am curious to what kind of impact this choice will have on ammo options.

OPTICS QUESTIONS:
As far as optics, I have more or less decided on the Nightforce 12-42x56mm. I am debating between the benchrest model and the NXS. While I do not want to sacrifice precision, I certainly want rugged durability, leaning me more towards the NXS. That being said, it is unlikely that I will ever be "in the field" with my rifle, outside a SHTF scenario, of course, which I am certainly not coutning out. So, is the NXS worth the added cost (and is there really any sacrifice when it comes to accuracy?), or should I stick with the benchrest model? I also think I like the NP-R1, but any feedback there would also be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for reading, I know I can be a bit longwinded, but with such a high-dollar decision, I want as much help from experts like yourself in ensuring I make the right one.

Thanks!

I have owned multiple Barrett's in my life and one of my buddies owns a AR50.

My previous Barrett's were a M99 and a M82A1. I sold both of them because I didn't shoot them all that much, but recently bought another M82A1.

My M99 was a great rifle and I used a Super Sniper 16x scope on it. It shot great and I would get 2-3 moa with surplus ammo and 1 moa with Hornday match ammo.

The M82A1 isn't designed to be a super accurate gun. Its more of a range toy, but I have a Nightforce 5.5x22x50 scope and it is great. I also have a BORS system for it. I hardly ever use it and plan on selling it soon. I will put the money towards the scope for my OBR I have on order.

My buddy has a AR50 and it is a blast to shoot as well. It is very accurate, but its a monster. Its long and heavy and good for only bench use.

To the OP, you and I think alike.

I have an AR50 with a NF BR 12-42x56 on top with the NP-1RR reticle. Using a canted base, the scope has enough elevation to get waaaay out there, then you can use the reticle for more holdover if you need. I do come from a benchrest background, so I like lots of magnification.

I did quite a bit of reading before making my purchase and I've very happy with the AR50 and my scope.

Good luck.

Who told you the AI rifle was the best of the best? If you're going by price, you need to rethink your idea of quality. While the AI is a nice rifle, I would rather have a custom built, Tac-50, Windrunner... over the AI. Just the price alone knocks it out of my book, never heard any stellar accuracy reports about it either. I'm willing to bet that an out of the box AR-50 would out shoot it any day and twice on Sunday.

Nightforce is the industry "standard" for .50's, all others are less or better and moat are less. The other standard is the 5.5-22x-56mm, its an all around scope that can perform any duty. For the money its also hard to beat Nightforce's quality.

...also, could I not just use the 12-42x on 22x and get the same results?

Does anyone out there have any knowledge of the Carbon One Ranger from Christensen arms for gtmylo. If they shoot as good as the Tac-50???? - don't know how they shoot though but Im sure someone does. Also could he put the new A1-R2 mcmillan stock on the Ranger? Just an idea. Then if possible gtmylo you could put a AAC cyclops on it if you are into that type of stuff. this could be something to think about later if you decide to get one later if it shoots.

The Premier 5-25 has 100 moa in it as well. Not sure how company is doing right now though. tech guys get excited about 50 moa base on this one, not sure why, you can on a NXS.
I know Leupold has lots of scopes that have lots of travel but the old ones burned my ........ when they wouldn't track, now im sure the newer ones are fine. Not sure on newer models cause im waiting for my dual-chambered protuberance of skin to heal.
I like the capability of the Us optics like the SN-9 - but I have no experience there either. Worth it in my opinion if works. Expensive it looks like.
I know the 5.5-22 NXS is very good scope all around for the 50 bmg. 100 moa.

Gtmylo why couldn't you just put a 50 moa base on and you can zero at 100 or darn close and use all the ability of a 100 moa scope?

I hope I have helped a little and not confused you more.

I would go with 5.5-22 NXS HS ZS personally. But it looks like you have decided on the 12-42 range.

When I bought my NXS, my choice was between the 5.5-22 and the 8-32. I already have a NF 5.5-22x56mm on my .308 rifle and it just seemed like the 8-32 would be a natural choice for the .50 BMG.

In the end, I wound up buying another 5.5-22 because both the 5.5-22 and the 8-32 have a reticle that is "correct" @ 22x. So the decision was whether I thought having the additional reach of the 32x was worth more to me than the field-of-view that the 5.5x would give. Since I'm not just a bench/range shooter, I settled on having the greater field of view since I mostly enjoy casual shooting - like rock-breaking. Also, I live and shoot out west and mostly during times where the 32x would only buy more useless heat mirage. I have a spotting scope that dials up to 75x - if I need that much magnification - so I'm covered for that. Also, having 100 MOA of elevation adjustment v.s. the 65 MOA (of the 8-32x) makes it easy to use the scope if I want to have a setting for shooting as close as 100yards. I'm using a mount with 30 MOA built-in, so either scope should have given me 100yard shots, but I just mention this so that you'll know that this is something to take into consideration.

You'll need to think about what kind of shooting you plan to do so that you can properly balance all of the considerations that have been mentioned by everyone whose answered. Clearly, there's no "one size fits-all solution", but what many call the "standard" of the 5.5-22x56mm is that most find it to suit their all-around needs best. One (very distant) consideration is "resale value". Few people think of that when buying - but if you ever do find a reason to sell, it can help to have something that a greater number of people will actually be looking for.

Good luck, and let us know what you settle on!

I agree with Ed as far as scopes, and how he came to his conclusions.

I was running a couple 5.5-20X scopes and learned a lot about shooting long range.

But then I got a killer deal on a 12-42X Benchrest ($750) and learned a lot about reading wind downrange @ higher magnifications.
Eye relief on rifles that recoiled more was cutting it very close...
(it is FINE on an AR-50! ...which is a benchrest/target gun anyway)

I got a 8-32 NSX recently and I think I've found my new go-to scope-of-choice.

It has the MOAR recticle with MOA knobs... it is such an improvement over MILdot/MOA knobs it isn't funny.

I'm seriously considering re-recticleing all my other scopes to a MOAR type.
It's awesome.

I have both types of scopes. The BOLD part above ...is exactly my complaint with FFP's.
Sometimes the recticle is ginormous relative to the little target.

SFP is what I prefer. The only real "problem" is you can rangefind at only one set power.
(on a 8-32NXS it's 22power -marked with an "R" on the magnafication ring for "Ranging")

With FFP you can range using the recticle at ANY power -because the recticle size stays the same relative to the target size when you change power.

And you didn't need a spotting scope to see how you were doing, did ya?

I only use the 56moa base when I am going to shoot at 1500 yards or more and I zero it for the range I am shooting. My match rifles have 20 MOA bases with a 1000 yard zero and my Shorty has a 20 MOA base with a 300 yard zero.

I don't usually pack a spotting scope because I can see where I am hitting the target at a match using my rifle scope.

I have looked thru Lee's spotting scope at a match in Alliance and you can watch the trace of the projectile going down range to the target. Lee can tell you about where your projectile hit the target before the target comes back up out of the pits.

I like State Arms rifles because they are built like a tank and are capable of shooting .5 MOA groups at 1000 yards and Larry has some of the best customer service you will find.

Ed