AR 500 Target Test

[56hawk]

Picked up a 3/8" rifle rated AR 500 steel target. Wanted to see if it would hold up to the kind of guns I shoot before I bought a bunch of them. Started off good:

44 Magnum 240 grain lead semi wadcutter at 1309 fps.

454 Casull 340 grain lead semi wadcutter at 1383 fps.

500 S&W 340 grain lead flat point at 1429 fps.

243 Winchester 55 grain ballistic tip at 3724 fps.


And then...

 

[firesky101]

When it comes to steel, speed kills. That stuff looks like it held up pretty good though, I am surprised the .243 did not do more damage.

 

[56hawk]

Ended up badly:

338 Win Mag 225 grain ballistic tip at 2710 fps.

458 Lott 400 grain lead flat point at 2499 fps.

460 Weatherby 500 grain jacketed soft point at 2614 fps.

After an evenings worth of shooting. Guess I need to rethink my targets.

 

[firesky101]

Hmm... I guess speed is not everything. How is your shoulder?

 

[willypete]

Or just not shoot your targets with rounds they're not rated for. Usually, I hear 1/2" AR500 is good to .338 Win Mag (non AP) or so, and you were shooting at 3/8"...

 

[25cschaefer]

I don't think you need to rethink your targets, just your stance. Try that 458 Lott or that 400 from the prone, I bet you only do it once.

On the bright side, you have some good "precision" plates; shoot your .243 at the holes, if it dings, you fail.

 

[56hawk]

Hmm... I guess speed is not everything. How is your shoulder?

Yeah, I really thought the 243 would do the most damage at over 3700fps. My shoulder is fine, I shoot elephant guns a lot.

Or just not shoot your targets with rounds they're not rated for. Usually, I hear 1/2" AR500 is good to .338 Win Mag (non AP) or so, and you were shooting at 3/8"...

Dang salesman didn't tell my they weren't rated for the 460 Weatherby. Actually he wanted to know what it would take to damage them. Guess we know.

I don't think you need to rethink your targets, just your stance. Try that 458 Lott or that 400 from the prone, I bet you only do it once.

You first. I have shot a total of about five rounds out of the 460 Weatherby off the bench and that sucks bad enough.

 

[jmorris]

At what distance were you shooting at? With the ar500 plates I have 300 win mag @ 100 just knocks off paint.

 

[56hawk]

At what distance were you shooting at? With the ar500 plates I have 300 win mag @ 100 just knocks off paint.

25 Yards. The 338 win mag did barely crater it. I'm pretty sure that even at 100 yards the 458 and 460 would still blow right through it. Especially since the Weatherby at 100 yards is still going faster than the 458 at the muzzle.

 

[Bobson]

On the bright side, you have some good "precision" plates; shoot your .243 at the holes, if it dings, you fail.

Now that's turning lemons into lemonade, if ever it was possible.

 

[nofishbob]

Please note that there is a huge variation in the mechanical properties in steel plates called "AR500".

There is no ASTM standard for AR plate like there is for structural steels, armor plates, shipbuilding plate, etc.

The performance of one sample plate of unknown properties is not a good predictor of the performance of other "AR500" plates.

Anyway, it's always fun to see the results of tests like this.

Bob

 

[HOOfan_1]

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=168483&d=1342667813

looks like the Tycho crater on the moon

 

[jmorris]

At what distance were you shooting at? With the ar500 plates I have 300 win mag @ 100 just knocks off paint.

25 Yards.

25 yards!? I don't know anyone that would say thats a good idea. At least you didn't get hurt.

Your likely correct about damage using the 460 @ 100. Even though it only has half the energy of the 50 BMG it still is about twice what most consider 3/8" AR 500 good for.

Even though the 50 will shread 1" mild steel, 1" AR500 will stop it, with damage. I bet it would work for the 460 though.

 

[JEB]

interesting. i didnt really expect the big bores to penetrate like that.

 

[Jim Watson]

I ordered some alleged real deal armor plate gongs for the club range here. Another member welded up stands for them and a third dug holes to plant them in. We hung a big one on the pistol range and a couple of smaller ones on the rifle range.
They held up very well for a while. The rifle plates were a little marred but not penetrated or cratered by assorted JSP and FMJ rifle rounds at 100 yards. The pistol plate hardly marked.
But I guess the good old boys got tired of actually having to HIT a target at a reasonable distance with no other result than a Clang!
So then the plates started getting holed and cratered. The STANDS started getting holed.
I found rifle brass on the pistol range and down close to the rifle plates. A .300 magnum will penetrate a hard plate at 50 feet, by gum. About anything will penetrate a mild steel stand or cut a chain, especially when you get close enough to actually hit it at the average plinker's level of marksmanship.

We got tired of repairing the stands and worrying about spatter off the craters so we took them down. Everybody lost.

 

[General Geoff]

Even AR500 is not invincible when being shot at from 25 yards with magnum rifle cartridges.

 

[1KPerDay]

25 Yards.

Um.....

 

[27hand]

AR at 25

What are the ballistic differences on those rounds from 25 as opposed to 100 yds?

I'm certainly no expert but I don't think there is enough to matter. Of course I've been wrong every day of my life so once more won't matter.

I believe the target suppliers use the 100 yd minimum for liability reasons

500 S&W, Cor Bon, 3/8" Mild steel, at 20 yds

 

[Tom488]

That's some pretty crappy steel... I've shot a 1/2" AR500 plate with .338 Lapua (225 grain SST doing 3,000fps) at 100 yards, and could barely detect a dimple. You're punching holes through 3/8" plate like it was swiss cheese.

Something tells me a Brinell test on that steel would come up somewhat less than 500.

 

[coolluke01]

I had some AR400 plate that I made some swingers with chains. They would hold up ok to 223 with some pitting. I loaded some 223 down below 3000 fps. (as best as I could figure I don't have a crono) The plates just had splatter marks when loaded down. It worked quite well. Until someone came on my property with a .50 BMG and put holes in them. Needless to say I was not happy when I went out there the next time.

I found that speed kills these too. I believe that the copper on impact is molten and melts the steel and makes the pits. But this is with 55 grain bullets.
A 400 grain bullet has a great deal more kinetic energy and will do some real damage as was shown.

 

[GJgo]

I just use old salvage flywheels, much cheaper. Then again I set them up at many hundreds of yards..

 

[56hawk]

That's some pretty crappy steel... I've shot a 1/2" AR500 plate with .338 Lapua (225 grain SST doing 3,000fps) at 100 yards, and could barely detect a dimple. You're punching holes through 3/8" plate like it was swiss cheese.

I don't know. As you can see I hit it with a 338 Win Mag at 25 yards and it barely left a mark. I know the Lapua is doing 300 fps more at the muzzle, but comparing it at 100 yards it will be a lot closer comparison to a Win Mag at 25 yards.

The 458 Lott has 50% more power than the 338 Win Mag and 25% more than the 338 Lapua. I'm thinking that might have something to do with it.

 

[Maverick223]

I tried my .375H&H (with little ole 220gr. bullets, as I knew better than to try 350gr. Woodleigh FMJs) at 50yds. on some 3/8in. AR-500 once...didn't work so well. It looked like it was cut with a water-jet.

 

[highorder]

Magnum rifles at 25 yards?

Maybe through a slit in a barrier.

 

[X-Rap]

I can't imagine needing the reaction of steel when shooting a powerful rifle at under a couple hundred yds. let alone 25. There are also some grave hazards related to such a practice when the rounds have that much energy.
I'd say stick to handguns at 100 and under and your steel will out last you and probably your children.
I really can't believe you are surprised that your target got all shot to hell at that distance considering the calibers, more surprised that someone owning them wouldn't know better.