Opinions of desert eagles from big bore shooters

[MrDontPlay]

I'm think of adding a DE in 50ae to my arsenal. Looking for opinions on reliability, shootabilty, and reloading. As far as shooting goes, how do they compare to magnum revolvers? I have a 500 and I can shoot it just fine, I've also shot 44s with no problem, but never a big semi auto.

 

[Jbar4Ranch]

A 325 grain bullet @ an honest 1325 fps doesn't have much above it in standard handgun calibers; the .454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh, .460 S&W magnum, .500 S&W magnum, perhaps heavy .480 Ruger loads, and some of the proprietary or "semi-wildcat" cartridges such as the .500 Wyoming Express, .500 Linebaugh, .50 Beowulf, etc.

The Desert Eagle is very accurate, and relatively easy to shoot, due to its weight and gas piston operation. It's big, it's heavy, it's extremely impractical, but very fun to shoot.

 

[justin251]

I want one in 357m.

 

[MrDontPlay]

Looks like a nice little setup you got there jbar. How much are magazines for them?

Justin, if I wanted a 357 I'd get a coonan so I could Carry it a little easier. I bet a 357 DE is a pleasure to shoot though!

 

[Jbar4Ranch]

OEM magazines are about $40-$45.

 

[Willie Lowman]

Huge mits are a plus if you are looking to shoot a Desert Eagle.

The grip circumference is pretty big. That's why I don't have one.

I've shot the .50AE. I was impressed by the accuracy. I was impressed by the welt I got on my forehead from a casing that hit me. I was turned off by the 2x4 sized grip.

 

[ohen cepel]

I'm a fan of the .44 version. I like the .50 but ammo prices there hurt me too much.

They are a lot of fun to shoot and very accurate. Not much recoil on the .44

If you get one at a good price I would go for it. If you go .50 just be sure to keep in mind and have the $$ or reload for it.

 

[justin251]

Looks like a nice little setup you got there jbar. How much are magazines for them?

Justin, if I wanted a 357 I'd get a coonan so I could Carry it a little easier. I bet a 357 DE is a pleasure to shoot though!

I just like the cartridge itself. i already have 3 357m revolvers. i think a de 357m would be neat to have.

maybe carry in the winter. lol

 

[Sarge]

They are amply powerful for handgun hunting.

They are a total blast to shoot.

All I have fired, have been accurate; as in being able to engage grapefruit-size targets to 75 yards.

They are unwieldy as hell, making their good qualities a little difficult to enjoy and even harder to employ in a hurry.

 

[jhenry]

They are fun for sure.

We had the local chief of a small PD once who carried a .44 Desert eagle in a cross draw rig. He thought he was the shizznit. The gun entered the room 5 seconds before he did. I have no idea where the guy went, probably to a lower back rehab center.

 

[Skans]

Desert Eagles have less felt recoil than magnum revolvers. As far as .50AE goes, its expensive to shoot. Too expensive for me, that's why I got a .44 magnum DE. Still expensive to shoot, but not ridiculous.

The DE feels like an oversized 1911 to me, but the trigger is not as refined. And, yes it is accurate like others have said.

 

[MrDontPlay]

I think I'd rather have the 50 than the 44. When I think desert eagle, I think 50 cal. Maybe that's because I'm fairly new to the gun world. I already reload for 500 s&w, maybe I could find bullets that work for both. You have to shoot plated bullets in a DE correct?

 

[Jbar4Ranch]

Jacketed bullets are the way to go, yes. The gas channel in the DE makes a 90° bend after it leaves the barrel, travels to the front of the gun, and makes another 90° bend out to the gas piston. If it ever gets clogged, it is virtually impossible to clean, and you have a big, heavy single shot. A friend of mine bought one cheap a few years ago that was a single shot, but it turned out that the previous owner had simply lost the gas piston and didn't know it. We turned out a new one on the ol' JET lathe one evening using mine as a pattern, and it shot great after that.

 

[tomrkba]

I wasn't impressed with the reliability of the two I fired.

 

[ohen cepel]

Odd that they weren't reliable. Lots of things could be wrong with them, but light ammo or limp wristing is most likely.

I haven't seen/heard about many being unreliable. Mine has been 100% when fed correctly.

 

[big_bad_kitty]

I have had mine about three months. I carried a S&W 629 4" 44Mag as LEO for many years. I always wanted the larger bore and the DE 50AE specifically. I purchased the reloading dyes at the same time. Only have about 250 rounds through it so far and when I hit 500, I will begin the reloading task. No FTE or FTF so far with it and it shoots exactly where I point it. I am a big guy, 6'5" and 295 so recoil from it or any other big bore handgun is not a problem. You must grip it, aim it and hold onto it after you have shot it but what is different about that than with any other handgun? I personally like mine and will continue to shoot it. Nothing else like it anywhere I have found yet!

 

[drail]

The Desert Eagle is in a special class - it's somewhere between hand held and crew served. It is a marvelous piece of engineering. Kind of a handheld Garand.

 

[Sarge]

I didn't find the recoil of the DE in 50AE bothersome at all, even for one-handed shooting. I'm not a big guy, either..

 

[Skans]

Odd that they weren't reliable. Lots of things could be wrong with them, but light ammo or limp wristing is most likely.

Ditto that; most likely light ammo. Mine didn't like Blaser aluminum cased .44 magnum. I could tell by the feel of it that the ammo was weak - felt like I was shooting a .45 and it didn't have enough punch to reliably cycle the action - not the gun's fault.

Desert Eagles are well made guns - not much breaks or goes wrong with them if you take care of it.

 

[aarondhgraham]

I do not own one but I shoot one regularly,,,

One of my range acquaintances has one,,,
Whenever we see each other we always swap guns for several rounds.

Mine is a 6" S&W 629,,,
Mine kicks a lot more than his,,,
All in all his is more pleasant to shoot.

Would I buy one?
Not in a million years,,,
The machine is good but I have no affinity for it.

Several years ago he went javelina hunting with his DE,,,
He took the limit his first day out on the dunes,,,
Apparently you just sit and wait for one,,,
Then pop him as he walks the trail,,,
I've seen the pictures.

I like the DE as a range gun,,,
For hunting I think I would stick with a revolver,,,
If for no other reason than I always feel strange hunting with a semi-auto.

Even when I'm on a morning rimfire-walk-about for bunnies,,,
I feel more proper with a revolver than a semi-auto.

It's not rational,,,
Just a personal preference.

Just an afterthought about DE culture,,,
Was the DE available when the movie Sudden Impact was made?

While the AutoMag is a sleek handgun,,,
It's (IMHO) simply not as imposing as the Desert Eagle.

Aarond

.