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Modern anti-tank rounds typically use shaped charges that blow a super hot gas jet through the armor, a whole different concept and of course not at all practical in a normal rifle cartridge.
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While there are still HEAT rounds (High Energy Anti Tank), the 'state of the art' is a 8 pound depleted uranium (DU) dart.
The main body is a little over an inch in diameter.
At the striking velocity the DU is heated enough to start burning, and the the impact is on such a small area that many inches of armor can be penetrated followed by the spray of both the armor and the burning DU.
Being plastic under impact does not imply that the material has actually melted to a liquid.
Strike some wood with a hammer.
The wood did not melt, but was still plastically deformed.
The same thing happens with lead bullets since lead is both soft and malleable.
Smack a bullet with a hammer. It did not 'melt' but has been deformed.
Note that a 2 pound drilling hammer has a huge amount of energy.
The hardened core of AP small arms bullets allows the energy of the impact to be concentrated in a smaller diameter than the overall bullet, increasing the force generated on the target.