Posted: 11/8/2011 5:54:30 PM EDT
| Will a 55 gallon plastic barrel filled with a coarse grade of sand, be enough to stop a .50 BMG AP round? Thought some one out here would have some, "experience" with this. Thanks for any info you can give. |
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Not even close. I've had a fifty penetrate a 12 foot berm before.... Your berm needs some work. 
I've seen several references to 24 inches of penetration in sand. i'd bet this range wouldn't be a problem now, hopefully... but at the time it was a fresh pile of dirt, still loose and not packed. still, a drum of sand shouldn't be trusted with a 50 if we were being responsible. the best way to get some nut interested in banning a 50 here in iowa is to do something nutty... 1000 rounds down range would probably work fine and the one time something didn't... you know the rest... |
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Yeah, I'm sure that the 24 inches of penetration was with plenty of additional sand backing it up too.
If it was 24 inches of sand being held up between two sheets of plywood, I suspect it would sail right through. There is a video of a guy shooting what appears to be a 50 BMG with a suppressor into what is claimed to be a 55-gallon drum of sand. You can't see the drum, so I'm assuming it was at an angle, and filled full. Their claim is that it was safe. I don't know that I'd try it myself. |
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i guess to kind of round out what the OP might be looking for... different kinds of material can work for a fifty or most any range, but when it comes to the fifty it leaves so much damage that truly diminishing targets made of solids will require constant replacement. there is always some degree of ricochet you need to consider too. the best media really is earth in my estimation. not hard earth like rocks, but clay or dirt. most berms like that suck the power right out of the bullet, trap and contain it, and to some degree are self healing. also, clay and dirt don't get torn up. if you create a hole or dip in your berm, grab a shovel and scoop it back up... problem solved.
i don't know if you have access to this or not, but sometimes even on flat ground or in cases where you don't have a tractor, loader, etc. you can contact local counties, cities, or construction companies and let them know you want 'clean fill' and they might have a project or two coming up where they need to shitcan the excavation... put up a sign where you want it, provided it is easy to get to via truck, and usually they'll dump it there. granted most piles dropped via truck will settle to four feet high or less, but at least you'll have your start. hope this helps. |
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What kind of a bullet would be stopped by a 55 gallon barrel full of shovels? I wasn't there but I heard one shovel doesn't stop much of a bullet.  Not sure, but what ever the configuration of shovels, I know who is going to stand beside the shovels for the initial shots down range.... |