Is the Barrett MRAD/M98's legal for me?

[recurveman]

Hey all,

Thanks for the membership.

I'm a keen bowhunter with many years of hunting under my belt, but I've never considered getting a rifle until my recent trip to Vietnam, where I was able to fire some serious, serious firearms. AK47 was my favorite, although it's a bit crazy for me, and obviously it's not legal for folks like me to own one in the great state of Victoria. Or anywhere here.

So, my question is this: Are the bolt action Barrett's, obviously not .50 cal, legal to own on an A/B license? The MRAD, M98...I mean - they're bolt action right?

So technically, is this glorious machine available to someone like me who wants to focus on long-range shooting and hunting? I'm not asking if it's suitable, I'm asking if it's LEGAL.

Thanks a lot for your help in advance!

[aaronjo]

Looks like you can, listed on a couple of dealer webpages and it's not stated as restricted.

[NukeBOMB88]

Mate you can get a .50cal on a regular old Cat B licence because it's just considered a rifle under Victorian legislation. With that said I think the biggest calibre you can get the M98 in is .338lapua magnum. You might have to go with some thing like the Steyr HS-50 the Armalite Ar-50 to get a .50bmg

[aaronjo]

It's a pretty big drop bear if you need a 50cal...

[Baronvonrort]

Hey all,

The MRAD, M98...I mean - they're bolt action right?

Thanks a lot for your help in advance!

You cannot have the MRAD because it has a folding stock, that will cause huge distress for the hoplophobes when they see it and piss their pants.

You can have the M98B which they are now doing in .308w because that has a fixed stock.

[brett1868]

The M98 Barrett, although a quality rifle, I think the best option off the shelf for long range in .338 Lap is the Sako TRG42. For similar money you should be able to have something professionally built by a good gunsmith. The cost will be about the same across the 3 choices but factor in some serious coin for quality optics around the $2k range. Then if you actually want to hit something at range with this newly acquired precision firearm then be prepared to outlay another bag of cash on some high end reloading gear.
Since you're in Victoria it's legal for you to own a 50 BMG and while they are huge fun to shoot the running costs are equally huge at around $6 per shot to reload. If you like something different and are keen on Barrett then maybe the M99 Barrett in .416 appeals to you. Unfortunately the MRAD is not available in NSW due to the folding stock and I suspect that's a problem in many other states as well. Desert Tech rifles are available in Australia in all calibres if you're wanting a bullpup option, their 375 Cheytac is a personal favourite of mine.

Couple of good articles here on rifle selection http://www.longrangehunting.com.au/downloads.php
Good shop in VIC, ask for Danny as he can get just about anything http://www.deltatactical.com.au/
DTA Importer - Aaron http://interdiction.com.au/

Maybe let us know the type of long range shooting you envision doing. Also since definitions vary, what do you consider long range?

Oh, and welcome to the forum

[Tiger650]

From a bow to a very long range rifle may be a trifle ambitious ?
Lots of knowledge and equipment and training in between.
That takes much time and much commitment and serious expenditure of money,
Books are important too, there are a few that should be read and absorbed to save some time and expenditure.
It is a long road.

[brett1868]

I'd have to think that bow hunting requires a reasonably high level of skill, good eyes, steady hands and a lot of patience. Good attributes to have and easily transferable to firearms. Extended range shooting is a bit like F1, the further out you go the less it becomes about the person and more about the equipment. Takes a great deal of time and effort to develop a load that's +/- 5fps over a number of rounds which has nothing to do with the guy on the trigger.
I'll wait to see what sort of range is involved and go from there.,There's plenty of cartridges capable of 1000m accuracy and it's not always the biggest or most powerful.

[Baronvonrort]

I like the MRAD because the barrel can be changed in the field, this also allows calibre changes like 308w to 300 win mag in around 5 minutes with simple tools which I find appealing.

That said at the cost of a Barrett I would click on Brett's delatactical link, the Surgeon 591 action with a barrel in your choice of length,twist and calibre with flutes and muzzle thread from TSE,Maddco,Bartlein etc with a jewel trigger dropped into a Remington stock of your choice would be the way I wold go.might be slighty cheaper than a Barrett not sure about the Sako.

The OP also mentioned hunting,to still have sufficient energy at 1000m narrows it down a bit, we really need to know what is the biggest species he will hunt and maximum range.

I suspect anything over 50m might be considered long range for bow hunters.

[recurveman]

Wow, thanks for all the replies fellas. That's some really helpful info.

With regards to 'Why a Barrett?', the answer is pretty simple. I have limited knowledge of firearms, and knew that long-range shooting would require a rifle that's specs are excellent and would have less recoil, because I'm a massive pussy. I figured the US military would know their business when it comes to long-range rifles, and with Barrett's experience in recent wars in the Middle East, I feel like it's worth saving pennies for something good. Plus the BORS system looks absolutely fascinating.

Also, just to address the fact that I have very limited experience with firearms, that's true, but as another poster pointed out - bowhunting, particularly with a type of bow called a 'recurve bow', requires absolute and singleminded discipline in learning how to shoot accurately. Unless you want some poor bloody animal limping around the bush for a week, eventually succumbing to the wound that was inflicted upon it days or weeks before - just because you hadn't the foresight to be diligent in your training. The temperature obviously has no calculable effect on shooting an arrow, but I feel confident that I'm across the wind factor with bows, and I'm really keen to see if I can make the transfer.

Because I have a background in mathematics, and experience with an 'instinct' based form of archery, I assumed - while I knew there would be an immense amount to learn - that I would have an easier time making a transition by learning from scratch as a long range hunter. 1000m effective range is about bang on, and further if conditions permit.

I've spent a lot of time stalking animals, and learning traditional hunting. I've even started donning a ghillie suit in the past year, which has been incredibly effective and a huge amount of fun. Not even hunting, just stalking for practice. What can I say, I guess I have a bit of a 'prepper' in me. I'm the first to admit I'm a bloody weirdo...but I am not violent or stupid.

The alternatives to the Barrett are the best help yet. Keep them coming!

This seems like a great community. Thanks for the welcome.

[brett1868]

I'm a bloody weirdo...but I am not violent or stupid

You're going to fit in very well here

Barrett are a military grade mass produced rifle and capable of reasonable accuracy but nothing special. BORS whilst it looks cool and screams tacticool is pretty much useless for hunting as it requires a precise distance to target and scope elevation must be adjusted whilst aiming which is a pain and they don't factor in wind. Trust me on this cause I've got 3 of them, only have 1 fitted and barely bother to put a battery in it but hey, it looks so cool .

If you want something you can live with, hunt with and do some range work, then the DTA SRS is probably the way to go. Can be bought in a kit that includes the chassis, tools, 2 barrels / bolts, mags all in a nice hard case for under 10k. Slap the .308 barrel in and practice at almost any range on reasonably cheap ammo. Need to reach out and vaporise a feral then swap to the 338 Lap Mag barrel and red mist the bugger. Swapping calibres is a fairly quick and painless exercise with only the scope settings to reset. One of the major advantages of the interchangeable barrel setup is that you only need to purchase 1 scope and 1 set of rings.

Do the research, read the posts here and ask questions

[brett1868]

Had a think about your situation overnight and need to add a few things.The benefits of the below approach are lower initial investment, less chance of disappointment and frustration.

1. Put the 1000m rifle on hold for a while
2. Buy a good quality .223 and put several thousand rounds through it over varying conditions and distances.
3. Learn about "Precision reloading" - this will produce some of the biggest gains in accuracy.
4. Once you can consistently produce very small groups with he above rifle move up to the larger calibers.
5. Education - books, mentoring and courses can be very helpful.

Most importantly - Relax, Breathe then squeeze and have fun.

Get the bank manager and wife on board in this order cause you'll be needing to make a significant investment of time and money.

[aaronjo]

Had a think about your situation overnight and need to add a few things.The benefits of the below approach are lower initial investment, less chance of disappointment and frustration.

1. Put the 1000m rifle on hold for a while
2. Buy a good quality .223 and put several thousand rounds through it over varying conditions and distances.
3. Learn about "Precision reloading" - this will produce some of the biggest gains in accuracy.
4. Once you can consistently produce very small groups with he above rifle move up to the larger calibers.
5. Education - books, mentoring and courses can be very helpful.

Most importantly - Relax, Breathe then squeeze and have fun.

Get the bank manager and wife on board in this order cause you'll be needing to make a significant investment of time and money.

Deja Vu!

I was thinking along very similar lines with getting a super duper, laser guided, self seeking and aiming, target locking uber gun that will allow me to shoot to infinity and beyond!

Wiser heads than mine smacked me a good one and told me to get a good .223 that I can reload for and still use for hunting to learn the fundamentals before I spend up and get a firearm that will be useless in my untrained hands.

Still ok to dream and drool in the meantime though, that Desert Tech SRS....

[recurveman]

Nice advice guys, while I badly want to look like a special ops ninja, I will consider carefully what's been said here.

After listening here, and talking to a more experienced friend. I'm steering towards a Remington 700 .223, and I'm going to get my eye in with that for a year or so before I start considering the ninja future weapons. He confirmed that I'd be absolutely mad to plonk $8k+ on a Barrett and said the advice towards a .223 was more of a realistic learning curve.

I'm still wearing a ghillie suit, speaking into a non-existent wrist microphone and painting my face - and no one is going to stop me.

NO ONE!



Cough...er...thanks again.

[brett1868]

Nice advice guys, while I badly want to look like a special ops ninja, I will consider carefully what's been said here.

After listening here, and talking to a more experienced friend. I'm steering towards a Remington 700 .223, and I'm going to get my eye in with that for a year or so before I start considering the ninja future weapons. He confirmed that I'd be absolutely mad to plonk $8k+ on a Barrett and said the advice towards a .223 was more of a realistic learning curve.

I'm still wearing a ghillie suit, speaking into a non-existent wrist microphone and painting my face - and no one is going to stop me.

NO ONE!



Cough...er...thanks again.

Good move but maybe rethink the Remington, I'm probably in for a flogging now but I consider them on the cheaper side. Sako, Tikka & Howa are a much better option imo. The $8k for the Barrett is about 1/2 of what you need to spend, scope and mount alone you're up for a minimum of 2k to a round $4k7. Then factor in a full kit of reloading gear and there's a couple grand before you purchase cases, primers, projectiles and powder. Not trying to put you off, just a heads up on the road ahead.
Go the .223 path and when you start reloading buy good high quality gear cause it'll out last both the rifle and possibly you I still use my cousins near 40 yr old simplex press to load on the farm and it's as good now as it was when new.

[Baronvonrort]

Accuracy International would be a brand worth considering,i think a pommy sniper holds the distance record with one of them,slightly cheaper than barrett.

I would suggest a .243w instead of a .223 to start with,maybe a Howa or Tikka that has a picatinny rail which gives more metal in the cross section area making it stronger and stiffer as well as making mounting scopes easier.

The .243 would be better for goats and pigs you could even take the smaller Deer species with it,not much recoil it can be your small centrefire rifle.

When you look at safes get one around 2-3x bigger than you think you need, it saves upgrading later.

[NukeBOMB88]

I'd go with a HOWA mate they're bloody great rifles, but with that said accuracy international are damn good too. And I reackon Baron is right I'd probably go with a .243 over a .223 , ammo costs more for it but it's worth it for the versatility

[Usurper]

It's a pretty big drop bear if you need a 50cal...

The den mother