Partition VS. AR500 steel

[bigtoy302]

I built a bunch a AR500 steel targets and have been shooting them a lot. I shoot my .300WSM with 180 Accubonds and 168 VLD's and all they do is take the paint of the steel from 200 yards. The VLD's leave a slight dimple in the steel. One of my friends tested my target out with his .243 shooting a 85 grain Nosler Partition from about 85 yards. The result was A clean hole right through 3/8" AR500 plate. It did not even make a dent in the plate. I was thinking mabe it was a bad piece of plate but I took it to work and tested the hardness on the rockwell tester. It is supposed to be 47 to 52 Rockwell on hardness. You can see in the pic where it was tested. There are a few soft spots on there but they are still really hard.

 

[Stormrider]

I've punched holes in my AR 500 steel with a 147g 308 fmj out of an FNFAL. I think the reason I made the holes is because the steel had been shot a lot. It also cracked in 2 places. I think it had crystallized and become brittle from being shot so much. I really don't know why, I'm just guessing, but it sounds good to me...

 

[MachV]

85 yards is a little close to be shootin steel, specialy if your useing Partitions or FMJ as the jackets have a bad habit of flying back at ya.
The Partitions will penetrate just about as good as a FMJ and really raise heck on a target.....even if it is AR500. I've got a couple of AR500 plates that have taken a lot of hits over the years from 12ga slugs, Amaxes and Bergers with no holes.

 

[bigtoy302]

Makes sense. I know you are not supposed to use FMJ's but I will add Partitions to the list. I do not shoot steel closer then 200. It was his target that he shot.

 

[distantfoe]

At 85yds I would think the 300wsm would blow through it too.

 

[LongBomber]

I use 1/2" mild steel plate from work, 6" in diameter hanging on chains. Don't know the type of steel or it's quality. I have shot it at 250 yards with a 223wssm and 53gr TSX. You can pick out the mushroomed bullets from the plate! With any larger caliber the TSX blow right thru, almost all the standard bullets whether bonded/cup and core/a-frame/partition all make dents in the plate to about half the depth.

 

[bigtoy302]

He went out and shot it again with a 55 grain ballistic tip and it made a even bigger hole. I think the velocity has more to do with it then bullet type. As long as you stay under 3000fps, all it does is take the paint off.