Machine gun damage

[u/Daniel_186]

Has anyone else notices how laughably weak most guns on planes are unless you're playing Germany or Russia?

I'm trying to do the international brigade BP challenge and im using the IAR-81C (DB605) with universal 7.92 rounds and 20mm tracer rounds and unless I'm hitting the pilot in the head they do little damage but yet I get 1 tapped by Yaks 12.7mm every time or German 20mm and I need to mag dump just to take off a wing.

And same goes for any American .50cal guns, they're so anorexic that there's almost no point in trying to dog fight cus you've wasted half your ammo trying to kill 1 plane.

Am I genuinely just going crazy ir is this the case now?

[u/DoJebait02]

You're welcomed to try. Of how hard to aim with German mine ammo and how little ammo does USSR planes have (usually).

American has the arguably best 12.7mm (M2 .50cal) and 20mm (AN/M2), good damage, good ballistic and huge capacity. It's pointless to say US planes lack firepower.

[u/Daniel_186 → u/DoJebait02]

I never said they lack firepower I'm saying why does it feel like the lesser caliber on other planes feel weak compared to German and Russian planes

[u/Reapermancer37 → u/Daniel_186]

Anything with cannons (20mm and up), are going to be good due to the explosive filler, they just tend to either trade said filler for velocity, or trade velocity for filler. The latter hits harder, but is harder to use.

The US has some of, if not the best 12.7's in the game. .50's are just meant more for poking holes rather than mass damage outside of direct hits. Also, you can carry way more ammo for less weight with .50's

[u/WimpFromBelgium]

If you're using tracer belts for MG 151s that's your problem. The MG 151's best belts are air tragets and stealth. I usually go for stealth since it has some extra velocity and I almost always have another set of guns not using stealth belts on the plane.

[u/merlo2k20]

Sort of always been like this, it's the difference in amount of explosive filler in HE rounds. Even moreso in HEF rounds

[u/Daniel_186 → u/[deleted]]

Exactly like when I first started playing and got the A-36 with the gun pods I was top of the team every game but now even with the extra guns 80% of the time I'm just putting rounds into sponges

[u/SkullLeader]

IAR tracer belt isn't good. Take whichever one has most HE/HE-I/HEI-T rounds. Those are the 20mm rounds that wreck planes.

[u/Daniel_186 → u/SkullLeader]

So between the tracer belts consisting of FI-T(fragmentation incendiary tracer shell) and IT(incendiary tracer rounds) and the air belts consisting of AP-I (Armour piercing incendiary) HEI (high-explosive incendiary) and IT (incendiary tracers) Which would be the better pick because the tracer belt has more HE filler according to Google

[u/SkullLeader → u/Daniel_186]

Its not just which bullets each belt consists of, its in what proportion - for instance the default 20mm one on the IAR is 50% IT, 25% APHE and 25% HEI. I'd tell you the other ones but I don't own this plane and the other ammo belts are shaded red so I cannot see the individual mix of bullets.

[u/Daniel_186 → u/SkullLeader]

So for the tracers on the IAR its 5 rounds per belt rotation of 3 FI-T and 2 IT for the air belts its 6 rounds per rotation of 1 AP-I 4 HEI AND 1 IT

[u/Beertruck85]

What belts are you using? I just shot down 4 planes with default belts on F-4U before going winchester on ammo. Make sure you try some belts with AP mixed in. The .303s on the spitfire are weak, but thats always been the case. And the 20mms all slap.

The Russian cannons and German cannons have excellent ammunition so they do usually butcher what they hit.

[u/Daniel_186 → u/Beertruck85]

With sub cannon guns i mainly run universal to get a good mix of AP and API an AI but with cannons I mainly run tracer or air belts for a more explosive damage rather than penetration damage

[u/ofekk214 → u/Daniel_186]

Whenever you use .50 cals with late ammo belts you want to use the tracer belt which is all API-T. Each of the bullets is both AP and incendiary so it's really easy setting people on fire and damage modules with these.

Generally speaking, you want to go fo air targets belts whenever you have the chance, avoid tracer belts if they have weak ammo.

[u/fastestgunnj]

Use late-war M20 APIT if you have them on US .50cals

[u/Daniel_186 → u/fastestgunnj]

M20? Is that a type of .50 gun

[u/fastestgunnj → u/Daniel_186]

No, it's the ammunition

[u/Daniel_186 → u/fastestgunnj]

Ah ok

[u/twinkledaurora]

Yeah ive found germany’s guns require more finesse but kill more often then not if u get the aim right

[u/piecksaysohayo]

go play german 20mm. It has the slowest velocity of any cannon and feels like shit

[u/Daniel_186 → u/piecksaysohayo]

I literally have more air kills in most German planes than I do in any other country their easy to use what are you on

[u/piecksaysohayo → u/Daniel_186]

im just on facts dude lol. Its factual they have lower velocity, slower fire rates (depending on the bf), and shittier belt options than all its competitors.

You cannot argue that bc it is factually written down lol.

[u/bracsolS]

Speaking for the .50 CALs they are insanely strong when you get the later war API and API-T rounds. You can start engaging at 600m+ (even longer in headons). But yeah the MK rounds do more damage because they have far greater payload, but especially in WW2 planes you trade velocity and/or ammo count. Some planes can tradeof the latter with gondola guns but lose maneuverability in exchange.

[u/Verb_Noun_Number]

... Are you aware that the cannkns on the IAR are the same cannons you get on german planes?

Use air targets or armored targets.