July 04, 2008

Fireworks, Schmireworks!

We celebrated the Fourth by going to the "50 range."  I actually shot a 50 caliber rifle from 500 yards.  And, (bonus) I hit the target!  I was so nervous... not because of the potential recoil, the loud bang, or the aftershocks, but because I really, really, really had to pee. 

The power of the rifle is incredible.  I cannot explain it in technical terms, and to be quite honest, I am not even sure of the specific make and model I shot, so here is what Wikipedia has to say about the power of a 50 BMG (close enough): 

"A common method for understanding the actual power of a cartridge is by comparing muzzle energies. The Springfield .30-06, the standard caliber for American soldiers in World War II and a popular caliber amongst American hunters, can produce muzzle energies between 2000 and 3000 foot pounds of energy (between 3 and 4 kilojoules). A .50 BMG round can produce between 10,000 and 13,000 foot pounds (between 14 and 18 kilojoules) or more, depending on its powder and bullet type, as well as the rifle it was fired from. Due to the high ballistic coefficient of the bullet, the .50 BMG's trajectory also suffers less "drift" from cross-winds than smaller and lighter calibers, making the .50 BMG a good choice for high powered sniper rifles."

Holy firepower, Batman!

PS - The round that I shot was extra-special.  It was loaded with love and care by the Hi-Tech Ammo team especially for me.  You guys are rock stars!  By the way, the shell casing is now a paper weight on my desk.   

 
Jul 4, 2008 9:39:12 PM | I did it!

3 Comments

Account Deleted

Unfortunately, I never got to fire a .50 when I was in the Marines. The M60 (7.62 mm) was the biggest I fired (blanks and live).

Posted by: Account Deleted | July 08, 2008 at 08:00 PM

Pretty Pistolera

Steve -

I married a Marine (which explains how I got bit by the gun bug) :) Semper Fi!

Posted by: Pretty Pistolera | July 08, 2008 at 08:23 PM

Account Deleted

Man, the Jarheads are everywhere!

I'm planning on buying an AR-15 soon. I have a Glock 22C right now.

Posted by: Account Deleted | July 09, 2008 at 10:08 AM

The comments to this entry are closed.

NEXT POST
Happy Independence Day! Happy 4th, everyone! To celebrate we are heading to the "50 range." I have no idea what I am in for... but John is stoked that I agreed to go. I promise pictures and a full recap later. Speaking of recaps... I took the MO-CSA class on Tuesday night. I scribbled a bundle of notes and listened intently. The main thing I learned... I suck and probably will continue to suck for a long time. This fact is killing the perfectionist in me! Overall, the class was very informative and well done. I am trying very hard to not let my bruised ego get in the way of my progress. Look for class updates later, too.
PREVIOUS POST
Advantage Arms Not long ago I started shooting a 22 Advantage Arms conversion kit to get the safety rules and shooting basics down pat. It also allowed me to get used to handling my Glock 17 without the recoil of "Big Boy" 9 MM ammo. For the record, this is a great idea for two reasons: 9 MM ammo is not cheap and there is little recoil with a 22. The Advantage Arms kit was perfect for a new girl in training. Boys, I whole-heartedly recommend this for the new female shooter in your life. We've talked about not scaring her to death with the Tackleberry guns... save those for later. After I was comfortable with the Advantage Arms kit, we put it away and I started working my way up in 9 MM power factor. I slowly got used to the recoil and finally got promoted to "Big Boy" 9 MM ammo last week. Woo hoo! With that said, I shot a steel match today, 200+ rounds with my new "Big Boy" ammo. The steel match was a lot of fun. Eight stages with five rounds each. You shoot each stage five times. 200+ rounds and 40 draws later I came...

Tracy

Search

My Other Accounts

Recent Comments