The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Art of the Rifle: Semi-automatics

View Poll Results: will shooting 1/4" AR500 steel with 223 crater or penetrate it?
yes 7 50.00%
no 7 50.00%
Voters: 14. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old February 4, 2016, 08:44 PM   #1
Killabee-23
Member
 
Join Date: November 9, 2015
Location: Middlebury Vermont
Posts: 45
223/5.56 NATO vs 1/4" AR500 steel targets?

hey guys so i just got a new AR-15 and i want to shoot my steel gongs with it but the thing is there only 1/4" thick they have had absolutely no problem with my 9mm and such but thats expected. what im wondering is if i shot it with my 223 would it just punch right through? i know its a fast little round and there very good at penetrating so just wanted to know if any of you guys have tried it. i dont want to ruin my steel targets but am very tempted to try lol. please let me know your opinion as to if it will be okay or not thanks.
Killabee-23 is offline  
Old February 4, 2016, 09:25 PM   #2
Bill West
Member
 
Join Date: October 31, 2015
Location: Chicago suburbs
Posts: 40
It depends on the distance you shoot from and the bullet can make a difference.
Bill West is offline  
Old February 4, 2016, 11:24 PM   #3
chris in va
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 26, 2004
Location: Louisville KY
Posts: 13,804
I use 3/8" at 100 yards, the minmum allowed by our range for rifles. It puts a tiny dimple in the steel, that's about it. If you stick with copper/lead bullet construction it should last quite a while.
chris in va is offline  
Old February 5, 2016, 07:38 AM   #4
joe sixgun
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 22, 2010
Location: west michigan
Posts: 185
True it depends on range and bullet. One of our steel targets has a very clean hole in it from a .556 FMJ from 50 yards.
__________________
DON'T TREAD ON ME !
joe sixgun is offline  
Old February 5, 2016, 09:50 AM   #5
DMK
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 18, 2001
Location: Over the hills and far, far away
Posts: 3,206
I have 3/8" and 1/2" Ar500 targets. M193 5.56 will ding the targets at 50 yards when shot from a 16" barreled carbine and will even sometimes slightly ding them at 100y when shot from a 20" barrel. (slight ding, like a ball peen hit on normal steel)

A friend shot one one of my targets at 25 yards with M193 out of a carbine. It put less than a 1/4" deep crater in it.

I can shoot 7.62x39 at 50yards all day long and it only mars the paint.


I believe AR500 target thickness only affects how quickly it will dish, not whether a round will crater it (when shot at reasonable distances)

After buying my first two 1/2" targets, I only buy 3/8" now. Thicker just adds more weight to hump out to the berm. But my largest calibers are 7.62x54R, .308 and 30-06.

I would not get 1/4". 3/8" is only a little more money.

This shows calibers vs thickness recommendations:
https://shootingtargets7.com/store/selection

.
__________________
- Homeland Security begins at home: Support your Second Amendment -
www.gunowners.org - www.saf.org - act.nraila.org - www.grnc.org

Last edited by DMK; February 5, 2016 at 11:26 AM.
DMK is offline  
Old February 5, 2016, 09:58 AM   #6
DMK
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 18, 2001
Location: Over the hills and far, far away
Posts: 3,206
Quote:
One of our steel targets has a very clean hole in it from a .556 FMJ from 50 yards.
That does not sound like AR500. Or maybe it had a hanger welded on the back and lost it's temper.

Like I said above, one of mine was shot at 25y with M193 5.56 and it only put a shallow crater in it.
__________________
- Homeland Security begins at home: Support your Second Amendment -
www.gunowners.org - www.saf.org - act.nraila.org - www.grnc.org

Last edited by DMK; February 5, 2016 at 11:24 AM.
DMK is offline  
Old February 5, 2016, 12:06 PM   #7
Killabee-23
Member
 
Join Date: November 9, 2015
Location: Middlebury Vermont
Posts: 45
yeah but all those targets are rated for up to .308 im talking about quarter inch steel but it is AR500 and im using just junk fmj target ammo 55 gr i think i might try and hit the edge of one of em and if it dents it then i wont shoot it again. and ill have to go get some new steel targets i should have gotten 3/8" to begin with that was a stupid decision but whatever can take it back.
Killabee-23 is offline  
Old February 5, 2016, 12:11 PM   #8
kraigwy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 11,061
Here is something to ponder.

The first anti tank round of WWI was nothing more then bullets pulled from the service rifle and put back inverted.

What happens is the lead gets really hot and burns through light metal and spewing over the inside of the tank. (Men Against Tank-Weeks).

Fast forward a hundred years ago. My club bought AR 500 steel target, some 3/8 inch. I was going to conduct a shoot so I tested the plates using FMJ 5.56/223 ammo out of a AR.

I determined (wrongly) that 50 yards would be safe. It was for everyone except one guy who was using Sierra 77 Gr, Match Kings. This as we know is lead core oven tip bullets. It poked through every target he hit. This was not hot loads, it was factory (Black Hills 77 Gr. Match).

Upon examining the holes in the targets we (My self and a young lady who works for the Wyoming Crime lab as a Firearms Investigator), determined that the bullet did not poke through, but burned through the targets.

Something to consider in target selection ammo to be fired at those targets.
__________________
Kraig Stuart
CPT USAR Ret
USAMU Sniper School
Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071
kraigwy is offline  
Old February 5, 2016, 03:30 PM   #9
WV_gunner
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 14, 2011
Location: WV
Posts: 938
I have a regular spinning target meant for up to 44 mag. It's been hit with soft point .44 mag and .45 Colt. It's also been shot with FMJ 9x18, FMJ 9x19, and FMJ .357 mag. No more than little dimples on it. I figured .30-30 wouldn't hurt it. Put a nice hole in it.
WV_gunner is offline  
Old February 5, 2016, 04:06 PM   #10
joe sixgun
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 22, 2010
Location: west michigan
Posts: 185
Yes, this is my experience also. My targets are spinners not the AR500.
__________________
DON'T TREAD ON ME !
joe sixgun is offline  
Old February 5, 2016, 08:22 PM   #11
DMK
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 18, 2001
Location: Over the hills and far, far away
Posts: 3,206
Quote:
yeah but all those targets are rated for up to .308 im talking about quarter inch steel but it is AR500 and im using just junk fmj target ammo 55 gr
Actually due to high velocity, 223/5.56 is harder on steel targets than .308

The reason you can shoot AR500 at 50y with 125gr 7.62x39 but you shouldn't with 55gr 5.56 is 7.62x39 is much slower, even though it is heavier.

Even though it has little mass, if you could get a 177gr BB going fast enough, will punch right through AR500.
__________________
- Homeland Security begins at home: Support your Second Amendment -
www.gunowners.org - www.saf.org - act.nraila.org - www.grnc.org
DMK is offline  
Reply

Tags
223/5.56 , 9mm , ar-15 , ar500 steel targets , plinking

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.04620 seconds with 11 queries