The .50 BMG is a cartridge developed for .50 caliber machine guns in the late 1910s. The .50 BMG cartridge is also used in long-range target and anti-materiel rifles, as well as other .50-caliber machine guns.
The .50 BMG (12.7×99mm) is a cartridge developed for .50 caliber machine guns in the late 1910s, entering official service in 1921.
A common method for understanding the actual power of a cartridge is comparison of muzzle energies. The .30-06, the standard caliber for American soldiers in both World Wars and a popular caliber amongst American hunters, can produce muzzle energies between 2,000 and 3,000 foot-pounds force (3,000 and 4,000 J). The .50 BMG round can produce between 10,000 and 15,000 foot-pounds force (14,000 and 20,000 J), depending on its powder and bullet type, and as well as the weapon it is fired from.