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!