POTD: French Airborne .50 BMG Power – Hecate 2 Long-Range Rifle

by Eric B

Published: October 24th, 2021

Hécate 2

Photo Of The Day: Airborne sniping is a special thing and probably one of the most difficult tasks for any target shooter. Here we’re looking at the power of the 12.7x99mm round (.50 BMG) in the Hécate 2 Long-range anti-material rifle made by PGM Precision in France. Note the rather large suppressor and the arm that supports the rifle.

POTD: French Airborne .50 BMG Power - Hecate 2 Long-Range Rifle

With the Schmidt & Bender 5-25×56 PMII riflescope.

The Hécate 2 is a bolt action rifle, with a high-strength steel bolt with 3 forward located lugs which and feeds from a detachable steel magazine with 7 rounds stored in a double row.

Below you can read the description:

Long-range anti-material rifle – PGM Précision
The Hecate 2 calibre 50 BMG is a rifle for long-range anti-materiel shooting. Intended for snipers, this weapon is designed to handle targets beyond 1800 m.
The accuracy and repeatability of the system ensures the first shot on target, while the power of the calibre ensures maximum anti-material effectiveness.
Use:
The Hecate 2 is designed from the start for military use. In addition to a very high accuracy, it claims a reliability above the lot (life expectancy higher than 12 000 shots).
Ergonomics is remarkable thanks, among other things, to a reduced length and a lower recoil than its competitors.
PGM quality:
Comfortable, robust and versatile, the Hecate 2, made in France, is the best rifle of this calibre currently on the market.

You can find more information about their .50 BMG rifle here.

Photo Source: Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (French Air & Space Force) via PGM Précision.

#Sniper #France #PGMHcateII #HcateII #DoorGunner

Eric B

Ex-Arctic Ranger. Competitive practical shooter and hunter with a European focus. Always ready to increase my collection of modern semi-automatics, optics, thermals and suppressors. TCCC Certified. Occasionaly seen in a 6x6 Bug Out Vehicle, always with a big smile.

More by Eric B

Comments

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9 of 16 comments

Drakon590 on Oct 25, 2021

So are you guys planning to cover those guns that where shown on the China Airshow 2021 on Zhuhai ?

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Anomanom on Oct 25, 2021

What's the point of a suppressor on a *helicopter-mounted* gun?

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- See 6 previous
- Mitch on Oct 25, 2021
  
  @Anomanom This man has just made ENTIRELY too much sense. *No he's not tired! I said ENTIRELY! EN-TI-RELY! Goddammit...
  
  Like
- Lurker on Oct 25, 2021
  
  @Anomanom Best I could give you is maybe the rifle isn't permanently mounted to the helicopter, it wouldn't make sense to remove it and have to re-zero. The rifle goes with the guy manning it before and after flight. But then again, if you're gonna have the guy sniping from a helicopter, why bother issuing a rifle with a can in the first place.
  
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- EB on Oct 26, 2021
  
  @Anomanom For the pilot and the crew, plus perhaps the windows if you're shooting close.
  
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- Jono102 on Oct 26, 2021
  
  @EB Not to mention the wear and tear on the firer themselves, spend any amount of time around a firing line of these types of rifles and you soon know why. Some military's have a daily cap (in training) on how many rounds a soldier/sniper can be directly exposed to on the likes of an AMR/50 cal rifles due to the likes of MTBI. Being suppressed can mitigate this to a degree.
  
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- Jono102 on Oct 26, 2021
  
  @Lurker If the guy carrying the rifle is a sniper he will have data for both suppressed and unsuppressed as well as any noted variations/input produced by the mount. Key part being he will be relying on his spotter as well as coordinating with the pilot.
  
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- Anomanom on Oct 26, 2021
  
  @jono102 Interesting. Wouldn't a .50 HMG cause the same problem then?
  
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- Jono102 on Oct 27, 2021
  
  @Anomanom No, the likes of the M2 vents or directs the majority of the concussion and blast from muzzle forwards and most HMG's with breaks vent on right angles to the barrel. In all these cases the HMG muzzle tends to be well forwards of the firer too. Or conical flash hider is fitted to direct blast forwards.
  To help the much lighter AMR's like the M107 or AW/AX 50 to tame the recoil of a 12.7mm round they require breaks that vent rearwards up to a 30-45 degree angle sending the concussion back towards the shooter.
  Also unlike an M2 or most HMG's, an AMR requires the shooters head to be in close proximity or in contact with the weapon increasing exposure.
  
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POTD: French Airborne .50 BMG Power – Hecate 2 Long-Range Rifle

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