.50 cal.

created by Jhrulith

(thing) by Jhrulith (8.3 y) (print) ? (I like it!) Sat Nov 13 1999 at 10:11:58

a caliber rating used for bullets that are 1/2 inches wide. The sniper rifle .50 cal BMG is 12.7x99 mm.. that's a huge projectile folks.. now the pistol action express cartrige isn't nearly as long, but will blow a hole the size of a cat in a human torso.

(thing) by fernand (?) (print) ? (I like it!) Sat Nov 13 1999 at 10:11:58

12,7mm is in fact not the worlds biggest bullet, cal. 700 Nitro Express is, although 12,7x99 is the worlds most powerful non-wildcatin terms of energy and speed. 0.7 Inches is 17,8 mm, folks! The 12,7x99mm was originally intended as a crossing between a rifle cartridge and a small cannon shell. It is used mainly in the .50 cal. Browning HMG, and in heavy sniper rifles, like the Barrett.

(thing) by gusfoo (1.7 y) (print) ? (I like it!) Mon Dec 16 2002 at 15:48:48

Firing a .50 calibre rifle is not for the faint of heart. Make sure you follow these important safety tips;

If you're not with someone who has a lot of experience firing at this level then put the gun away and go home. The .50 calibre is a class of its own and has its own pitfalls and dangers.
Wear over-ear and in-ear defenders.
Make sure your mouth is wide open all the time, this'll help with eaqualising the pressure on your eardrums when you fire.
Pull back at least 4 inches from the scope before you fire. Yes; it'll limit your FOV but that weapon is going to be coming back at you fast when you pull that trigger. This particularly applies when bench shooting.
The target should be over 500 yards away, preferably 1000-2000 yards. Ricochets are not a good idea.
Plan on only taking about 5-15 shots in total that day, the fifty is a big gun and, while a lot o fun to fire, best kept in smallish doses.
Treat those rounds with care! There is the same explosive force as a hand grenade in each round of a fifty.
Check each round before inserting it gently in to the breech block, you're looking for crystalline patterns or metal fatigue fractures. Don't take a chance on suspect rounds.
Be aware of cook-off, particularly on hot days.

All that aside, if you are an experienced shooter you'll enjoy the fifty, its a rewarding and fun experience.
Stay safe!

printable version
chaos

.50 cal. Browning HMG	Wildcat	M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle	Barrett
elephant gun	.45 ACP	sniper rifle	Desert Eagle
.38 Special	Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun	Next time don't drop acid and down a dozen shots right before the rehearsal dinner	9 mm ammunition
SINCGARS	artillery loop	Steyr AUG	20mm sniper rifle
Browning Automatic Rifle	gaydar	'some idiot' rule	I don't want to die
caliber	QED	M65 Atomic Cannon	basic self-defense gun

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