Discovery Channel on .50BMG

[carnaby]

Kinda neat video. Some of the info seems like bunk. The link was sent to me by www.50caliberterror.com. Oh brother. The dumbest parts are where they talk about a Barret rifle shooting a jeep over a mile away , where they say the Barret rifle can shoot 10 rounds in under 10 seconds (no mention that you're not going to hit anything 200 yards away doing that, and that the .50 is travelling at "over 2700fps!!!" Whoopty do. My .300 win mag sends 'em down range at up to 3200 fps.

 

[iamkris]

I've seen a couple of episodes of Future Weapons. I can't watch it because either 1) the writers of the script are so bad and screw up their facts, 2) the "Navy SEAL" is so excruciatingly-dramatic-WilliamShatnerlikeoveracting, 3) the "SEAL" doesn't know enough to correct his script writers 4) they use that obnoxious "jumpy camera" technique that was all the rage in the early 90's but now just makes me motion sick or 5) all of the above.

Too bad, since the subjects and video footage (in general) is great.

 

[LanEvo`]

Some of the info seems like bunk...

I'll say. Funny, but I've never thought of a Barrett .50BMG as a "stealth rifle." Kind of hard to conceal and/or silence!

And I didn't know that "the .308 is the standard round for the AK-47." You learn something new everyday. (Yes, I know that the 7.62x39 is technically .308 caliber. But when you say ".308" most of us will think 7.62x51 NATO! [Yes, I know that there's a difference between the .308 Winchester and the 7.62x51 NATO!])

 

[MSGT9410]

I've seen a couple of episodes of Future Weapons. I can't watch it because either 1) the writers of the script are so bad and screw up their facts, 2) the "Navy SEAL" is so excruciatingly-dramatic-WilliamShatnerlikeoveracting, 3) the "SEAL" doesn't know enough to correct his script writers 4) they use that obnoxious "jumpy camera" technique that was all the rage in the early 90's but now just makes me motion sick or 5) all of the above.

Too bad, since the subjects and video footage (in general) is great.

I'll second that. The host "Navy SEAL" had a horrible shooting stance that got him rattled by a TAR-21. He made it look like he got whacked by a 12 guage when he got to fire it. I lol'd

 

[nbkky71]

A Barrett should be capable of hitting a jeep at a mile...that's only 1760 yards. According to Barrett's website, the maximum effective range firing a 661 grain projectile loaded to M33 ball specifications is 2000 yards. Max range would be 7450 yards.

But yes...future weapons is a goofy show.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

".308 standard round for AK47"

That was a re-run. That was a hoot when it first aired.
I got over 500 video tapes saved, half of them entered
into a catalogue on my computer.
That episode I taped over.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I can't watch it because either 1) the writers of the script are so bad and screw up their facts, 2) the "Navy SEAL" is so excruciatingly-dramatic-WilliamShatnerlikeoveracting, 3) the "SEAL" doesn't know enough to correct his script writers 4)

While there are certainly exceptions, I have found the average military serviceman knows little about weapons they did not have personal experience with. Even considering the arms they have used, there tends to be a modicum of ballistic knowledge and knowledge of the weapon itself often does not extend past basic information and cleaning techniques. I have spoken with a number of active duty soldier who stated such things as "the AK was designed to maim, not kill" or the "M-16/5.56mm is so lethal becasue it bounces around inside the body, going in the foot and leaving the shoulder" and other such nonsensical myths that have persisted since Vietnam. Most did not know that commercial versions of the NATO rounds existed; you say 7.62 NATO and they know exactly what you're talking about. Say .308 Winchester when referencing an M60 and you'll most likely have to provide explaination.

As I said, there are certainly exceptions to this observation of mine, and I mean in no way to insult military personnel. Lack of encyclopedic small arms and ballistic knowlegde does not make one less of a soldier.

However, in regards to "Future Weapons", there is no excuse for such errors with the wealth of information available literally at ones fingertips these days.

 

[Wes Janson]

I only saw the tail end of that segment, but if I recall correctly weren't they claiming to be shooting a steel plate at 1000 yards? And then showed a group of about 6 inches or so on that plate? Am I the only one who thought that group size reaaaallly suspicious for an M82A1 at 1000 yards?

 

[garrett1955]

question for ya carnaby.... why are you associated with .50calterror?

 

[carterbeauford]

What would be awesome would be if Mark Serbu or someone actually named one of his new rifles the "Terror" and sued to take their domain name. Highly unlikely, I know.

They had better register 20MMterror.com because that is the next thing they have to be afraid of. As long as gun owners with too much disposeable income are around, .50BMG will never be big enough.

 

[Fosbery]

'Stealth rifle'?

One of the biggest bullets in the world? Not quite lol.

Old style sniper rifles: pull the bolt right back, put in another round, push the bolt back in.

Er, maybe...if 'old style' means 1860

15 seconds to do that? If that were the case I don't think the Martini Henrys at Rhorke's Drift would have been much use against the fuzzy wuzzies

Nice to see some footage of British servicemen (and an L98A1 ) though.

 

[oh blanky]

If that mangina wuss boy was a SEAL I'm a friggin chimp.

I ain't skeert either cuz I've had my ass kicked by smaller turds than him.

 

[Fosbery]

I think by "I'm an ex-Navy SEAL" he means "Once, a Navy SEAL came to my school and let me wear his hat".

 

[RNB65]

Forget about "Future Weapons", listening to that guy is just way to painful. "G.I. Factory" on the Military Channel is a way better show with a way better host.

 

[MSGT9410]

15 seconds to do that?

Lee Harvey Oswald comes to mind...

 

[Brass Fetcher]

FWIW : http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=219499

In my experience, the .50BMG is a big rifle. That's it. There is no 'magic' property of the bullet weight/diameter/velocity that makes it more effective. Shows like that particular episode are distasteful for misleading folks who don't know any better.

In the 'real world' - barring the use of truly explosive rounds like the 'general purpose' .50BMG, the difference in the trauma inflicted on a person by something like a .308 or 45-70gov or a .50BMG would be unimportant. If you know what I mean.

 

[Langenator]

Yes, I know that the 7.62x39 is technically .308 caliber.

Actually, 7.62x39 uses .311 or .312 bullets.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I only saw the tail end of that segment, but if I recall correctly weren't they claiming to be shooting a steel plate at 1000 yards? And then showed a group of about 6 inches or so on that plate? Am I the only one who thought that group size reaaaallly suspicious for an M82A1 at 1000 yards?

VERY GOOD, partially. . They were shooting a M107, not an 82A1. It was Future Weapons boy supposedly shooting, as I recall, and he was new to shooting the platform, but maybe they had someone else shooting it. Anyway, the M107 shoots 1 or 1.5 MOA depending on what you read. The 1000 yard group of 6" would be way sub MOA and nearly twice at tight as would be expected for a 1 MOA gun and 2.5 times better than a 1.5 MOA gun at a distance where a slight cross breeze would be problematic for such groupings. They were shooting with a Leupold Mark 4 scope, as I recall, probably the standard 4.5-14x50, so a good scope, but not hugely powerful.

More than likely, they were shooting much much closer than 1000 yards.

 

[LanEvo`]

Actually, 7.62x39 uses .311 or .312 bullets.

I stand corrected

Yet, the point still stands. The .308 Win is most certainly NOT "the standard round for the AK-47" as the host claims.

 

[harvester of sorrow]

Yes, real Navy SEALs and Delta Force operators can always be picked out of a crowd because of all the time they've obviously spent on the internet debating firearms minutiae. Physical conditioning, mindset, mission commitment, tactics, etc. take a distant backseat to memorizing metric and standard bore sizes and being able to enumerate the differences between first and second generation Glock pistols.

 

[berettashotgun]

"Yes, real Navy SEALs and Delta Force operators can always be picked out of a crowd because of all the time they've obviously spent on the internet debating firearms minutiae. Physical conditioning, mindset, mission commitment, tactics, etc. take a distant backseat to memorizing metric and standard bore sizes and being able to enumerate the differences between first and second generation Glock pistols." I love that. The 50 IS scary, when it is pointed in your direction. So is a 22. I like the show, but some of the script is a little lame for the really smart folks; but.... the stuff IS WINNING battles, when put in place by the RIGHT people. It IS television- we all know that T.V. has some fiction included, unlike the internet.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Yes, real Navy SEALs and Delta Force operators can always be picked out of a crowd because of all the time they've obviously spent on the internet debating firearms minutiae. Physical conditioning, mindset, mission commitment, tactics, etc. take a distant backseat to memorizing metric and standard bore sizes and being able to enumerate the differences between first and second generation Glock pistols.

If the show's intro and commercials didn't need to keep mentioning that the guy was a SEAL or the fact that the guy says it several times per episode, "You know back when I was a SEAL..." then maybe we would not harp on the guy for such shortcomings. If it is so needed to repeatedly tell everyone he was a SEAL (at least he got that part right) then why not get the other information correct? He is supposed to be the expert on weapons, a super super soldier, so is it so much to ask that he get things right?

Here it is critical to keep in mind that he isn't serving as a SEAL any longer. He is a TV personality resting on his laurels and telling us about his laurels several times a show.

but.... the stuff IS WINNING battles,

Yep, everything on the show is winning battles or going to win battles. It isn't the history channel where everything that WON battles is discussed or everything that lost battles is discussed. It is supposed to be a forward-looking and positive program, part of the popularized propoganda to make those of us at home feel safe in knowning that we only outfit our troops and LEOs with nothing but the best, or that if we don't, the best is just around the corner. Sadly, we didn't always outfit said folks with the best stuff from the previous corners we rounded.

The M107 is a very good gun as was/is the 82A1, but the show gives the gun some supernatural characteristics that just aren't there.

 

[hankdatank1362]

An M107 is stealthy in the term that when engaging targets 1000-1500 yards away, they can't pinpoint exactly where you are, just the general area where the shot might have come. Even more stealthy in an urban environment where there are more buildings to reflect the sound, masking the shooter's true location.

The .50 Browning isone of the worlds largest rounds, designed for small arms, in common use. What's the error there?

I truly feel sorry for the poor guy's shoulder who had to fire 10 .50 BMG rounds in ten seconds.

I feel even sorrier for the host when the Discovery Channels realizes that his SEAL mission experience consists of him diving for change thrown by his grandmother into the neigborhood pool, his acting experience consists of a Mr. Clean callback, and his weaponry knowledge is dwarfed by any 13 year old with an XBOX.

 

[Langenator]

I had to laugh at the first episode I saw, featuring the Javelin missile.

The Javelin first entered service about 8 years ago. It's current, nothing 'future' about it.

 

[harvester of sorrow]

He is supposed to be the expert on weapons, a super super soldier, so is it so much to ask that he get things right?

I would think that the people on this board would know that any soldier, super or not, really only has to know about how to use HIS weapon. How much do pilots know about the technical details of their aircraft? How much do racecar drivers know about the technical details of their cars? Like any of these fields, some Navy SEALs, pilots, and drivers will have an interest and will develop knowledge, but the ability to perform the task is the prerequisite. Now, in Army Special Forces, there are positions where expertise and knowledge in a myriad of domestic and foreign weapon systems IS the task, and I don't doubt that other special operations groups have comparable positions. However, for the standard infantryman, Marine, Air Force pararescueman, Navy SEAL, etc., knowing when and how to use weapons is all that matters.

and his weaponry knowledge is dwarfed by any 13 year old with an XBOX.

There's certainly no doubt that many people who got all of their knowledge from playing XBOX think that.....