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Author Topic: 1/2" steel penetration test  (Read 3138 times)

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Offline Hildy

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1/2" steel penetration test
« on: January 08, 2005, 08:35:22 AM »
I finally completed my testing using a 1/2" piece of steel. The calibers I used were 22LR, 22 mag, 17HMR, 223, 25-06, 308, 300 Win Mag, and 35 Rem.

22Lr- Simply smeared onto the metal leaving no visible dent or ding.

22Mag- Put a 3/8" wide and 1/16" deep dent.

17HMR- Same as the 22mag but slightly sharper edge of hole.

223- The 45g JHP bulk ammo put a 1/2" wide and 1/4" deep hole denting the back out. 60g JSP put a deeper and more narrow hole. No complete penetration.

25/06- 75g V-Max at 3600fps put a 5/8" wide and 1/2" deep hole with the back almost blown out (bulged out 1/4"). However, 90g Sierra HPs at 3440fps made total penetration with a 5/8" exit hole.

308- 180g FMJ put a hole similar to the 75g V-Max load but not quite as wide. No complete penetration with the 3 fired shots.

300 Win Mag- 180g JSP total penetration slightly wider than the 90g 25-06 load. Velocity is 2990fps. A flame occured when bullet impacted

35 Rem- A small dent slightly larger than the 22mag or 17. A large bullet fragment 'spray' was noticed when impact occured. Bullet was a 200g SP.

Overall, this test was a very fun one and it showed me that bullet weight and construction plays less of a role when penetrating steel. Velocity rules

Hildy
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Offline RaySendero

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2005, 12:39:39 PM »
Interesting!  But got a question: What distance?
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    Ray

Offline Hildy

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2005, 01:21:10 PM »
Geeeze, how did I forget that!!!??

The distance was about 25-30 yards. I will try to get a picture of the plate up when I charge the batteries for the digital cam.
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Offline gwindrider1

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Steel penetration test
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2005, 07:06:13 AM »
Hildy,  For additional fun, get a 1" plate of steel for your next test.  I did that some years back using several calibers from .30-06 through .375.  Conclusion was that velocity is the major factor in punching through steel.  A hot loaded .375 Grand Slam will dimple it, while a 150 grn.  7mag. will pass through, also old '06 armor piercing passes through as well.  While it didn't pass through, the .375 threw that 100lb. piece of steel around like a rag doll when it hit.  By the way, stay well back, as the splatters from impact can be very dangerous! :D
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Offline gwindrider1

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Steel penetration test
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2005, 07:07:59 AM »
Hildy,  For additional fun, get a 1" plate of steel for your next test.  I did that some years back using several calibers from .30-06 through .375.  Conclusion was that velocity is the major factor in punching through steel.  A hot loaded .375 Grand Slam will dimple it, while a 150 grn.  7mag. will pass through, also old '06 armor piercing passes through as well.  While it didn't pass through, the .375 threw that 100lb. piece of steel around like a rag doll when it hit.  By the way, stay well back, as the splatters from impact can be very dangerous! :D
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Offline Chuck White

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2005, 11:12:27 AM »
Back in the late '70s I remember taking a piece of steel and punching holes through it with my .223 Remington at 25-30 yards!
The bullet was a 55 grain Hornady Spire Point!

The steel was one of those that lay on top of a railroad tie and then the rail sits on it, and it is spiked to it and the tie!  
If I remember right, this steel is a little over 1/2 inch!
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Offline Sask_Hunter

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2005, 03:25:48 PM »
speed kills steel, some thing to do with the energy converted to heat and melting right through it.
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Let the heavens decide.

Offline Judson

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2005, 12:42:52 PM »
A word of CAUTION!!!!!!    I too have played this game and at 50 yards we had a 3006 AP penetrator come back, brush the head of the shooter and stick into the side of the shop!!!!!    Back off a bit like to 100 yards I do not want to hear of you getting hurt, or worse.     Soft points are not as big a problem but still put it out there at least 50 yards!
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There is no such thing as over kill!!!!  :-)

Offline Judson

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2005, 12:55:07 PM »
A word of CAUTION!!!!!!    I too have played this game and at 50 yards we had a 3006 AP penetrator come back, brush the head of the shooter and stick into the side of the shop!!!!!    Back off a bit like to 100 yards I do not want to hear of you getting hurt, or worse.     Soft points are not as big a problem but still put it out there at least 50 yards!
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There is no such thing as over kill!!!!  :-)

Offline Ramrod

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2005, 01:24:45 PM »
My brother and I did these same experiments back in the late 70's. We found velocity to be the deciding factor also, with softpoint and FMJ bullets. The .223 went through 1/2 inch steel. But, those surplus .30-06 armor piercers we shot went through everything, including cars, regardless of the angle, engine blocks, those railroad plates Chuck White talked about, and even sections of railroad rail. We did this shooting at about ten FEET! Nothing came back at us besides dust.
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"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Patti Smith

Offline crffl1911

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2005, 07:48:19 AM »
I read somewhere that the Germans would pull 8mm bullets and insert them backwards into the cartridges to use as improv armor piercing rounds against English tanks.  It is easier to punch a clean hole than try to poke one through.  Note: those backwards 8mm rounds would raise pressures big time!  They needed to hammer open their Mausers to get a new round in.
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Offline beemanbeme

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2005, 01:22:16 PM »
I'm gonna join Judson.  Give yourself some room.  Are a local range, a fellow was shooting gongs with a .44 handgun @25-30 yards and took a slug in the hand that required a trip to the hospital.
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Offline Don Fischer

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2005, 08:06:39 PM »
A friend and I did that test in the early 70's. 264 win mag with 120 gr bullet bored a neat hole thru. 7mm Rem mag 140gr bored the same hole. 7mm rem mag with a 175 gr Nosler partition indented the plate putting a big dimple on the back, no penetration.
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Offline VSSF

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Here's mine.
« Reply #13 on: March 01, 2005, 04:27:01 PM »
This is at 100 yards.
None of em went through 1" plate.
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Offline Don Fischer

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2005, 05:55:21 AM »
Alabama Outlaw, That's not really something we ought to be bragging about is it?
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:wink: Even a blind squrrel find's an acorn sometime's![/quote]

Offline 1911crazy

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #15 on: March 13, 2005, 12:49:26 AM »
The marlin firearms company did advertise the .444 marlin by going thru 3/8" boiler plate and the showed the pic in there add too.  It blew a hole larger than a quarter thru the steel.  I was shooting in a sand pit once and there was an air supply tank off a tractor trailer its thicker than an 1/8" but under 1/4",  while my 357mag dented it and with the 44mag making a larger dent of course, my '06 blew a hole right thru it but it laid sideways as it hit and went thru it making a little missle clean cut matching the side view of bullet shape perfectly.  You have me wondering now what my 338win.mag. will do with its 4,000ft.lbs. of muzzle energy?  The 444 marlin has only 3,000ft.lbs. and the '06 has 2,900ft.lbs.  It makes me think the 338 will push thru 1/2" plate.                           BigBill
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Offline Buckskin

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1/2" steel penetration test
« Reply #16 on: March 22, 2005, 10:48:04 AM »
WOW, how deep are those RUM holes??  Ive tinkered around with my 300 RUM and steel but never tried 1".  But I've blown thru 5/8th at 100yds like it was a hot iron on butter
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Buckskin

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