The Russians were using big anti tank rifles in WWII and very successful do to the light armor of the day. It was cheap and easy to tote so it was perfect to defend an area that had no tank support. I would think the crews were the real target but I have seen some video of tanks being smoked by the large caliber rifles. The range was very good and gave the shooter a chance to hide or get away. If you have never watched the movie be sure and watch Enemy At The Gates. This youtube link seems to be working but I keep good antivirus running and a couple youtube add-ons on my firefox. Here is the link should you want to watch it. It can be found on most of the commercial streaming channels and tubi will be showing it free and they actually contact you when it is being showed again. It was a good show and pretty accurate as to how ruthless the communist were to their own countrymen. Things haven't changed much in Russia since WWII