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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 |
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February 4, 2016, 08:44 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: November 9, 2015
Location: Middlebury Vermont
Posts: 45
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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.
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February 4, 2016, 09:25 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: October 31, 2015
Location: Chicago suburbs
Posts: 40
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It depends on the distance you shoot from and the bullet can make a difference.
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February 4, 2016, 11:24 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 26, 2004
Location: Louisville KY
Posts: 13,804
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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.
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February 5, 2016, 07:38 AM | #4 |
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Join Date: March 22, 2010
Location: west michigan
Posts: 185
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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.
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February 5, 2016, 09:50 AM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 18, 2001
Location: Over the hills and far, far away
Posts: 3,206
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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 .
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February 5, 2016, 09:58 AM | #6 | |
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Join Date: November 18, 2001
Location: Over the hills and far, far away
Posts: 3,206
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Quote:
Like I said above, one of mine was shot at 25y with M193 5.56 and it only put a shallow crater in it.
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February 5, 2016, 12:06 PM | #7 |
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Join Date: November 9, 2015
Location: Middlebury Vermont
Posts: 45
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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.
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February 5, 2016, 12:11 PM | #8 |
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Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 11,061
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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.
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February 5, 2016, 03:30 PM | #9 |
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Join Date: December 14, 2011
Location: WV
Posts: 938
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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.
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February 5, 2016, 04:06 PM | #10 |
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Join Date: March 22, 2010
Location: west michigan
Posts: 185
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Yes, this is my experience also. My targets are spinners not the AR500.
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February 5, 2016, 08:22 PM | #11 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 18, 2001
Location: Over the hills and far, far away
Posts: 3,206
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Quote:
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.
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Tags |
223/5.56 , 9mm , ar-15 , ar500 steel targets , plinking |
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