I'm curious to know now much more energy the .50 BMG packs than say a .458 Win Mag or .460 Weatherby Mag.  Seems to me with the right bullet the big game cartridges could be almost as "deadly" as the .50 BMG.

So how about a .458 upper for an AR?  Ya reckon Ms Feinstein would have a hissy fit over something like this?

Here are some numbers for ya...

223 Rem ~ 1300 ft/lbs
308 Win ~ 2700 ft/lbs
300 Win Mag ~ 3500 ft/lbs
375 H&H Mag ~ 4300 ft/lbs
458 Win Mag ~ 4700 ft/lbs
375 Rem Ultra Mag ~ 5050 ft/lbs
416 Rem Mag ~ 5100 ft/lbs
416 Wea Mag ~ 6400 ft/lbs
460 Wea Mag ~ 7500 ft/lbs
50 BMG ~ 12000 ft/lbs

Anything on that list above 300 win mag is nuts.  I mean at least with 50 bmg you are using a 30 pound rifle with a good break.  Shooting cartridges with up to 7500 ft/lbs out of a normal rifle scares the crap out of me.  Of course at 155 pounds I don't have much padding!

Quoted:
Seems to me with the right bullet the big game cartridges could be almost as "deadly" as the .50 BMG.
quote]

An animal killed with a .22LR is just as dead as one killed with a .50BMG!

For North American big game at long range, I'd like to try the .300 Ultra.

There is no such thing as "Too Dead".

I was thinking "deadly" in the political sense.  Seems to me 7500 ft-lbs will whack an engine block as well as 12000 ft-lbs.  And a "sniper" rifle based on the .460 Weatherby Mag could "take out targets up to a mile away" too.  Why aren't the anti-gun groups whining about big game guns?

Quoted: I was thinking "deadly" in the political sense.  Seems to me 7500 ft-lbs will whack an engine block as well as 12000 ft-lbs.  And a "sniper" rifle based on the .460 Weatherby Mag could "take out targets up to a mile away" too.  Why aren't the anti-gun groups whining about big game guns?

Somewhere in their wee little heads they think that it's easier to attack military-style weapons (hence your AW ban, etc.). They want to take those out before taking on hunting rifles. Any attack on hunting calibers (no matter how powerful) would hurt their cause.

Anyways, just my .02

Quoted: Why aren't the anti-gun groups whining about big game guns?

What's your hurry?

Once all evil "military weapons" are banned, the media and politicians will suddenly discover, by golly, that hunting rifles and hunting ammo are actually MORE deadly than what is already banned. That will be an illogical situation that needs rectifying.