High Stakes and High Caliber: The TAC-50's Role in Navy SEAL Strategy

"When a SEAL team deploys with a TAC-50, the battlefield changes. Targets over a mile away are not safe from this high-powered monster. Chambered in .50 BMG, this high-caliber sniper bridges the gap between tactical stealth and raw stopping power, allowing operators to engage threats well beyond the range of basic infantry rifles. Special Forces have special privileges when it comes to using guns like the TAC-50."

"To determine the highest-caliber guns used by US Navy SEALs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed guns cataloged by Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, aircraft, and arms. We ranked the guns according to caliber. We included supplemental data on the type of weapon, maximum effective range, and the year entered service. Note that we have excluded RPGs, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and shotguns from this list."

"It's worth pointing out that this ranking is based on each weapon's highest caliber round as a simple and consistent metric, even though some weapons might be able to fire smaller calibers. This method uses bullet diameter as the proxy for caliber because its easier to compute and explain, but it is not a full measure of the cartridge performance (muzzle energy, case capacity, sectional density, and bullet construction)."

Navy SEALs deploy high-caliber weapons such as the TAC-50 (.50 BMG) that enable engagement of targets over a mile away. A review of Military Factory weapon listings identifies SEAL arsenal weapons and ranks them by bullet diameter to determine highest-caliber firearms. The ranking includes supplemental details on weapon type, effective range, and year entered service, while excluding RPGs, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and shotguns. Bullet diameter is used as a simple, consistent proxy for caliber, though diameter alone does not capture cartridge performance factors like muzzle energy, ballistic coefficient, sectional density, or bullet construction. Pistols may carry larger-caliber rounds focused on short-range stopping effect, while sniper cartridges favor smaller-diameter, higher-velocity bullets for range and penetration.

Read at 24/7 Wall St.