What happened ?

[Iron Worker]

I have a 3/8ths thick plate of A500 steel. I shot at it with my 7 Mag 162gr A-Max at about 50yds and it made a loud bang on impact,but It hardly put a dent in it. Then at 15yds with my 22/250 shooting Factory W-W in the white box 45gr bullets I shot at it and it didn't make much of a sound,so i assumed why should that little 45gr bullet ? But dang it blew a 3/8ths hole threw that plate. I guess its all about higher velocity .

 

[jhibbard24]

You're brave shooting steel that close

 

[Iron Worker]

Plates were angles down

 

[KYpatriot]

Yep small diameter bullet plus velocity are much harder on steel than overall energy...and now you know!

 

[Bear Camp]

It's all about speed! As the saying goes "speed kills steel". Ive shot 1/2" AR500 plate with a 50 BMG loaded with 750gr A-MAXs at 100 yards. All it did was bend the steel pole the plate was attached to. That bullet was only leaving the barrel at 2,650 fps if I remember right? Unscientific here, but I think it's the heat of the higher velocity rounds that damage the steel?

 

[Iron Worker]

Very interesting

 

[RT2506]

It is about area of displacement in your case being both bullets were similar in construction. That little 22 bullet has a very small diameter compared to the 7mm bullet thus the force is applied to a much smaller area of resistance. It also has to do with bullet construction. In my younger days I had a 1903A3 Springfield rifle in 30-06. Armor piercing, AP black tip ammo, was abundant and free to me because I had a cousin that was in the National Guard and he brought me a 250 round can every month. There was an old 1957 Chevy wrecked log truck in one of the fields where I used to roam. From 100 yards with that AP ammo I shot through one front fender through the straight 6 engine block and it went out the other fender. That AP bullet has a tungsten steel bullet about 22 cal size encased in lead in that 30 cal jacket. When it hits something hard the jacket sheds and the steel bullet keeps on trucking. With 180 gr SP ammo the bullet would make it through the first fender but stopped when it hit the engine block. Both bullets were similar in weight, I think the AP was 172 of so grs, both were close in velocity 2700 fps or so. Difference was tungsten steel and soft lead core. Give the 7mm a try with a mono bullet like a Barns and I bet you will get a hole.