Will a .223 pierce a 1/4" steel plate?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Will a .223 pierce a 1/4" steel plate?

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:10:52 AM EDT

My father has made a target stand, and has some 1/4" steel spinners on it...

I had mentioned that I didn't think it would hold up to a .223, and he said that it would...

Well, after going back and forth, the challenge was made... If a .223 @ 30 yards goes through the 1/4" steel, i get a shotgun of my choice, and if it doesn't, he gets a shotgun of his choice...

So, what's it going to take? I have a 20" barrel, if it matters..

Also, will a .223 go through a bowling pin?

Thanks for the help fellas :)

bogz.

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:16:11 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
My father has made a target stand, and has some 1/4" steel spinners on it...

I had mentioned that I didn't think it would hold up to a .223, and he said that it would...

Well, after going back and forth, the challenge was made... If a .223 @ 30 yards goes through the 1/4" steel, i get a shotgun of my choice, and if it doesn't, he gets a shotgun of his choice...

So, what's it going to take? I have a 20" barrel, if it matters..

Also, will a .223 go through a bowling pin?

Thanks for the help fellas :)

bogz.

View Quote

I wouldn't take that bet if I were you. I guess it could depend on the ammo that you use, but I still wouldn't take the bet!!

Ian

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:16:52 AM EDT

[#2]

"steel" exists in many, many types. While .223 would easily cruise through most softer sttels, it would have a hard time against hardened steels. You may want to pick the steel for this bet very carefully....

In my informal testing, most 55gr FMJ rounds in .223 went through a bowling pin. Your ammo and your pins may be different, however.

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:22:10 AM EDT

[#3]

Got out the BM 20". Shot the swinging pistol target with 1/4" steel diamonds for targets. Put some nice holes in it. All the way thru. First shot though, hit the rod holding the target dead on and severed the rod.
Take it easy,
Ice

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:22:50 AM EDT

[#4]

Ditto what the other fellas say about steel, best get youself some 62 grn. steel core to use and at 30yds. you might make it.

Mike

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:22:54 AM EDT

[#5]

I don't know about .223 but my 8mm Mauser can make swiss cheese out of 1/4" steel!

Make sure you get some green tip .223 if you are going to try it.

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:27:42 AM EDT

[#6]

Green tip -- rofl. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket, get some armor piercing ammo and don't tell your dad. [;)]

Actually, it does depend heavily on the grade of the steel. In my experience against the generic steel "cans" that are at the range I use, the standard .223 round will NOT penetrate but will leave a NICE crater. The larger rounds that a bolt-action shoot will generally go right thru (30-06, 6.5x55, 7.62x54, .303, .308).

Anyway, good luck on your bet. There are so many variables here that either one of you could win.

Put up a pic of the shotgun if you win, okay?

- CD

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:30:20 AM EDT

[#7]

At 30 yards, regular 55gr FMJ works BETTER than 62gr SS109

Reason - higher velocity.

SS109 (yes, that's the bullet, not the round) penetrates better at longer distances.

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:31:09 AM EDT

[#8]

Hey CamperDad,
green tip isn't considered armor piercing so I don't think it would be cheating.

It ought to be an interesting bet. Too many variables to know for sure.

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:33:30 AM EDT

[#9]

At 30 yrds expect to have metal flying back at you.

sgtar15

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:34:14 AM EDT

[#10]

Well, he works at a steel supply company, so he probably will use the hardest stuff that he can find :)

So, where can i get my hands on a box of green tips? Would those be my best bet?

thanks again guys.

bogz.

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:35:45 AM EDT

[#11]

Heh.. ouch, i have only 3 posts :)

Haven't been real active on the new board i guess :)

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:36:44 AM EDT

[#12]

Fix the target firm as to not allow movement to absorb the shock. A nice target set up stable will give you the best chance of significant penetration.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:38:11 AM EDT

[#13]

I tried shooting at my spinner and I got some new nice holes in my pant legs. The Norinco bullets made it half way though, then bounced back. The metal fragments made it though my jeans. Strange sensation of hot metal falling down arround your ankles.

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:39:07 AM EDT

[#14]

The plate should be held in place as conditions of the bet. If it spins, alot of energy would be wasted on that and would also increase the likelyhood of deflection. I do have a childhood experience where I shot a commercial spinner target with 55 gr ball from 100 yds. Nice 1/4" hole thru 1/4" metal(I imagine that it was soft metal.) I think that it's time to get sneaky. Get some of the steel he is using and take it to the range without him knowing... Browning Superposed????

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:40:31 AM EDT

[#15]

Depends on the steel. If it is typical mild steel, the .223 will punch nice neat holes. If it is a hard steel like armour plate then it will not penetrate.
I shot through 3/8" stainless at 25 and 50 yards with .223 as well as through a 3/8 steel spinner at about 30 yards. I currently have a 3/8 armour plate steel spinner that I shoot at about 75 yards, and .223 and .308 splash off leaving a shallow crater.

BTW, the sound that the bullets make when they hit the armour plate is a very distinctive "thwak" type sound. Even if the target didn't move you would know that you hit it. Very cool

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:50:13 AM EDT

[#16]

That's right - just ask fight4yourrights how a 55-gr FMJ goes through 1/4 steel targets (you know - like the ones you use for .22lr spinners)!?! He knows what he's talking about!!

(sorry buddy, couldn't resist :)

Black Fox

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:56:24 AM EDT

[#17]

get a box of green tip clean of the green with nail polish remover and stick them in a box of standar winchester and viola!Instant new shotgun;)

SOPMODM4A3

Posted: 9/24/2001 9:58:25 AM EDT

[#18]

Echoing what others have said, if it's soft it will get turned to swiss cheese and if it's hard then you'll barely divot the stuff.

I've put holes through 3/16 inch mild steel with my AR15 shooting both 55grain and 62grain SS109 bullets. I've also put holes through real mild steel using 40grain Vmax bullets moving at WARP speeds of around 3600fps.

But one day I came across a leaf spring that was left from some old junked truck out in the middle of a field. Knowing that it was a very hard steel I propped it up and took careful aim at it, the 55grain and the 62grain SS109 bullets both BARELY left a dent in the steel. Part of it I figure was due to deflection in the steel where the piece of steel wasn't solidly held down and the rest of it was just due to the amazing amount of hardness in that steel.

Compromise on this and tell him to call off the bet but have him get three or more grades of steel ranging from pretty mild to seriously hardned stuff and make an experiment out of it. Should be just as fun, and be careful because as the bullets shed their jackets going through the steel it's possible they will launch projectiles right back at you even from 30 yards away.

Posted: 9/24/2001 10:02:32 AM EDT

[#19]

You can get steel core penetrators at [url]www.cole-distributing.com[/url]. I think you must buy at least 600. You can buy as little as 50 rounds at [url]www.wideners.com[/url], but you must either fax or upload a copy of your DL before buying.

Posted: 9/24/2001 10:06:21 AM EDT

[#20]

South African at 60 yards. [img]albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1391821&a=11897768&p=46523803[/img].
south

Posted: 9/24/2001 10:09:31 AM EDT

[#21]

Yep, all about the steel.

My friend (a pro welder) made some really nice swingers with 3/8" steel about 2" dia'.
Using 55gr FMJ at 50 yards yeilded holes in about 3 of 4 shots. The 4th shots were yeilding "almost " holes.
The targets spun freely.
This was done in mild steel.
Point is that a harder steel would have pushed more into the "almost" catagory at this range.

SameShot, Different Day

Posted: 9/24/2001 10:14:30 AM EDT

[#22]

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1391821&a=11897768&p=46523805[/img]

Posted: 9/24/2001 10:15:34 AM EDT

[#23]

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1391821&a=11897768&p=46523805[/img]

Posted: 9/24/2001 10:45:12 AM EDT

[#24]

in the woods where i hunt, there is an old, steel water tank (heater?) anyway, the thing is as big as a car, and i never knew how thick the steel was until i shot it at 40m with a green-tip penetrator (IMI 1999). the bullet sailed right through BOTH SIDES! i looked, and it was 3/8" thick. then, i shot it with South African 55gr., and it went through only one side, and dented the other side. interestingly, i then fired my 30-06 at it, (same distance) with a remington 180gr. soft-point. it only went through the one side.

let us know how it went!

Posted: 9/24/2001 10:51:26 AM EDT

[#25]

Yeah, almost certainly will penetrate. Only quarter inch thing that might withstand .223 is armor plate.

We were drilling steel, 1/16" wheel rims at 300 yards with 55 gr. FMJ in a 20" barrel. .223 just really tears up mild steel.

Posted: 9/24/2001 11:46:08 AM EDT

[#26]

Bogz, here is the answer to your question...

[url]http://www.angelfire.com/apes/funkawtiz/metal.jpg[/url]

5/16" steel at 100 yards with regular and green tip ammo. I fired 11 rounds, and there are 10 holes in the plate (I think one double punched, or I grossly missed. [:)])

Posted: 9/24/2001 11:47:00 AM EDT

[#27]

Bogz, here is the answer to your question...

[url]http://www.angelfire.com/apes/funkawtiz/metal.jpg[/url]

5/16" steel at 100 yards with regular and green tip ammo. I fired 11 rounds, and there are 10 holes in the plate (I think one double punched, or I grossly missed. [:)])

Posted: 9/24/2001 11:50:58 AM EDT

[#28]

Well, Internet Exploder just hardcore crashed on me, and I can't get the page to update. I can't tell if my post went through. If it didn't...

[url]http://www.angelfire.com/apes/funkawtiz/metal.jpg[/url]

5/16" steel at 100 yards with 62 grain FMJ and three green tip rounds. I shot 11 rounds at it, and there are 10 holes, so either one skipped, double punched, or I missed.

Don't forget though, spinners spin, thus taking up the impact force.

Posted: 9/24/2001 11:54:56 AM EDT

[#29]

Damn, shotgun of your/his choice. You've got too much money on your hands. If I show up and shoot it with my 700P at 600yds and it goes through, can I have a shotgun of my choice? Com'on man, spread the wealth.

Posted: 9/24/2001 6:18:15 PM EDT

[#30]

I'm betting the .223 WILL penetrate! My brother, against my advice shot his spinner, which he got from Bass Pro with 1/4 inch steel, with a 150gr 30/30. He was shooting with iron sight and fired 6 rounds at about 75 yards. All 6 bullets penetrated and ruined his spinner!

Posted: 9/25/2001 8:15:44 PM EDT

[#31]

Hi everyone here is my steel target:
Its a chunk of C channel from a building that was being dismantled. The largest caliber used was a 300 Win Mag. It did not penetrate. Lots of fun. My minimum range for this target is 100 yards(because I dont want to die).
You guys are right the target has to be able to move and take up some of that energy or else it just goes right through it. I tried hanging 1/4 plate off a wire at 15 yards and .223 and 7.62x39 just punch right through it.
This is my second attempt at posting a pic so if it doesn't work its probably something I did.

[url]http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/reallyburned/vwp?.dir=/AR15&.src=ph&.dnm=100+yd+steel+target.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/reallyburned/lst%3f%26.dir=/AR15%26.src=ph%26.view=t [/url]

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Will a .223 pierce a 1/4" steel plate?

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