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Spent the day shooting my friends' Barrett .50 BMG 82A1 and I've got one thing to say

Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
edited February 2002 in General Discussion
PASS THE ICEBAG PLEASE!!!Got to the mountains at around 8:00AM and shot until noon.It was fun,loud,exciting and expensive as hell,but well worth it on the infrequent occassion.When I got home I popped a beer and settled down in front of the TV to get ready for the Gold medal hockey game when I noticed a funny thing.My muscles were twitching and my fingers were tingling I guess from the vibration of shooting 500 round between us both.But as time went by my shoulder has gotten more and more sore and right now,as I type this,I have an icy cold beer in my hand and an icy cold bag on my shoulder,I guess you gotta pay if you want to play What a super gun,aside from the obvious cost factor it is a piece I would not mind owning.We were shooting in the area of 1400 yards at a dorm room type refridgerator,blasting it with holes clear through at will.The best was our finale when my friend pulls 4 propane canisters,full,out of his pickup.There aint nothin and I mean nothin' in the world as cool as blasting a propane canister from 800 yards away.Well anyway,I just thought I'd tell you the poop,Josey
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Comments

  • madminutemadminute Member Posts: 68 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Watch that carefully. I did some damage to my right shoulder on a gun day with my mossberg 12g with folding stock like that. Had some nerve damage that didn't totally go away for about 6 months. You gotta be carefull with the big guns...
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  • Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah mad you are right about that,fortunately I'm not the smallest of guys so it took a while before I started to "Feel the burn".There is no numbness however it kinda feels like a toothache in my shoulder.For financial reasons we go every couple of months,but when we shoot we shoot.While it is sore,I'm sure it will pass but thanks for the tip,Josey
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  • will270winwill270win Member Posts: 4,845
    edited November -1
    Do 20 minutes with the ice bag then do 20 minutes with the heating pad. Worked on my shoulder, might work for you too, Josey. How's that PSS doing? 50 cal fun sure do hurt!
    If you can't fix it with a hammer, take it to a mechanic. will270win@aol.com ~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    We did that with propane tanks, too. All it did was let the gas out, bummer.Clouder..
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  • Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Clouder,did you use a .50 on the propane?In order to get a better sight picture of the propane tanks we stood them in front of rocks,actually 2 were in front of large rocks and 2 were in front of a 1/2" steel plate.Sparks make go BOOM!!!Josey
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  • guns-n-painthorsesguns-n-painthorses Member Posts: 6,462 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Next time, put a 15 minuite railroad flare by the bottle! Also, try the same with the small burnz-o-matic type fuel cans, and don't forget the flare!
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  • steve45steve45 Member Posts: 2,940 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You LUCKY, LUCKY guy!
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  • thesupermonkeythesupermonkey Member Posts: 3,905 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah, we've done some crazy stuff like that.The propane bottles shoot off about 10 or 15 yards and spin around like tops. If you use a flare it just makes a little fire trail and engulfs the canister (No boom like we thought). However, when we shoved the canister into the top of a pumpkin, the pressure caused the canister to fly several hundred yards past us and at least 50 - 100 feet above our heads, while blowing the pumpkin to kingdom come. We got it on video too. One of the days I'll have to convert it to mpeg and post it... Munkey
    Don't worry about the bullet with your name on it, worry about the fragmentation grenade addressed 'To Occupant'.
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  • robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Josey, Hows the shoulder feeling now, its been a day or so.
    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Josey1, give me a real experience estimate as to the actual recoil of that rifle. I know what the add says, but If I go to buy this gun, as I am also interested in one,what is it really comparable to.
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'll bet steel core ammo might have given the desired effect in the smaller caliber, even without the rock backdrop. Just a guess. Steel core has a reputation for causing fires in situations where sparks are likely and flammable material is available.
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  • Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Robsguns--my shoulder is still a little sore,right up in the joint and a little tight in my neck but not as bad as I thought.Thanks for asking.Justc-The best way I could describe it would be 1 and 1/2 times that of a 12guage slug,but not as sharp.The 82A1 has a HUGE muzzlebrake on it that does surprisinglu well with the recoil,it is nowhere near as hard as I thought.I have shot a .338 Lapua that had a harder kick.Offerer-I'm not really sure if the Rock/Steel backdrop was what was sending up the fireballs either.When we were hitting the fridge it was sending out some nice flashes as well.
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I assume you mean rifled slug? or smoothbore? That is impreesive for that size projectile. I would imagine a 7mm mag pencil barrel to be sharper? Correct?Thanks, Now I REALLLLLY want one.
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What nobody is mentioning is the NOISE and CONCUSSION to the firer.I would think somthing like a tankers helmet or a full face cycle helmet could reduce some of the noisegetting through the skull through bone conduction.I wanted to fire a single shot from a 50BMG from the hip, hanging from a sling over the shoulder, before I got out of the service butperhaps lucky for me never did. The 30 from the hip though was great fun.
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  • Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The noise is not that bad 35,but then again I doubled up using foam plugs as well as earmuffs.As far as concussion,that big assed muzzle brake is pretty effective at sending it to the side away from the shooter,but it is true that it is hairy back there,worse though if you stand to the side.
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  • mickthenailermickthenailer Member Posts: 37 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    It kinda feels like someone gave you a small shot of compressed air up your nose.
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  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    alltheway, AP-tracer and API rounds are commonly available as surplus in many calibers (7.62x39, 7.62x51, 7.62x54R, .30-06, 7.92x57 & .50 BMG most commonly) for prices ranging from $1 to $5 a round. Believe me, they *will* make a propane canister go boom. Only have done it once; cut the experiment short when the canister and a few pieces of shrapnel went zinging out at an impressive rate of speed. At 800 yards in an utterly safe area I would be willing to try it again, though.
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