NRA Gun of the Week: Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf Hunter

by
posted on January 10, 2020
What Alexander Arms set out to achieve with the development of its .50 Beowulf round ended with a cartridge that mimics the ballistic performance of the .45-70 Gov’t cartridge and is designed to be fired from a short-action, AR-15-style rifle. Suited for big-game hunting, as well as military and law-enforcement applications, the Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf cartridge utilizes a large-diameter .500” bullet propelled at a moderate velocity.

Combining this cartridge design with the company's dedicated .50 Beowulf AR-15-style Hunter rifle, sportsmen may appreciate its use for the myriad hunting opportunities North America has to offer, whether it's hunting black bear of the northeast, feral pigs of the south, whitetail deer of the heartland, elk and mule deer of the Rocky-Mountain states, Coues deer of the west and every other big-game animal in between.

Looking at the Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf Hunter rifle, you’ll discover initially the gun’s Prym1 woodland-camouflage finish covers much of the exterior. Internally, the company’s aluminum receiver features adjustments to accommodate the increased case size of the chambered cartridge. A Velocity single-stage trigger with a factory-set 3-lb. pull weight was included in this model.

Controls are a standard AR-15 configuration, and the gun’s grip is provided by Adaptive Tactical. Attached to the front of the receiver you’ll find a carbon-fiber TacStar handguard withMagpul M-lok attachment points, allowing for the use of a range of accessories. Within the handguard is a 16.5” button-rifled, chrome-moly steel barrel, which comes threaded for muzzle devices. At the reverse end, Alexander Arms leaned on Adaptive Tactical again for its adjustable stock.

To learn more about the Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf Hunter, check out our NRA Gun of the Week video above hosted by American Rifleman’s Christopher Olsen.

Specifications
Manufacturer: Alexander Arms
Model: .50 Beowulf Hunter
Chambering: .50 Beowulf
Action Type: gas-operated semi-automatic center-fire rifle
Receivers: aluminum
Barrel: 16.5” chrome-moly steel
Magazine: seven-round detachable box
Sights: none; Picatinny rail
Trigger: single-stage 3-lb. pull
Stock: adjustable
Finish: Prym1 Woodlands camouflage
MSRP: $1,795

Additional Reading:
A First Look at 2020's New Guns - by American Rifleman Staff
Modern Big-Game Bullets - by Craig Boddington
Big-Bore AR Cartridges - by Bryce Towsley
Handloads: 6.5 mm Grendel - by John Haviland
Review: Alexander Arms Ulfberht Rifle - by American Rifleman Staff












Extras:

NRA Gun of the Week: Alexander Arms Incursion Rifle


NRA Gun of the Week: AR-15 Rifle


I Have This Old Gun: Beretta AR 70 Rifle


I Have This Old Gun - Argentine Mausers


The Unstoppable AR-7 Survival Rifle


NRA Gun of the Week: U.S. Springfield Armory M1 Garand Rifle

Latest

Man wearing ballcap glasses hearing protection standing outdoors shooting Rossi R95 lever-action rifle
Man wearing ballcap glasses hearing protection standing outdoors shooting Rossi R95 lever-action rifle

Rifleman Review: Rossi R95 In .30-30 Winchester

Unlike other Rossi lever-actions chambered for pistol cartridges, the Rossi R95 is chambered for the all-American .30-30 Winchester rifle cartridge.

New For 2025: CZ Shadow 2 Carry

The latest model to join the CZ USA family of firearms is the Shadow 2 Carry, a handgun the company says was “born from sport, tailored for EDC.”

Report Finds 73 Million People Eager To Try Shooting

Research released on March 31 by the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation (OSCF) found there are 73 million people outside the traditional white male demographic who—despite having never tried target shooting before—have a strong interest in doing so.

Handloads: 100 Years Of The .270 Win.

The .270 Winchester isn’t a military cartridge, and nobody ever claimed it was a target cartridge; it is a straightforward hunting cartridge. During the past 50 years, I’ve hunted quite a bit carrying a .270 Win. rifle, and, to tell the truth, no cartridges have come along that significantly better it for hunting.

The Rifleman Report: Maintaining Continuity

It’s rather incredible to realize how rapidly the American firearm industry brings to market significant new products. So, in this issue, we recap coverage of some of the most noteworthy from past months, and we present a few others that have only recently become available.

2025 Pioneer Award: Robert L. “Bob” Scott

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.