[John79]

Hello, I was wondering what kind of penetration a 440g hardcast lead round fired out of a 500 magnum with a 8 3/8" barrel would have on a 1" thick steel plate. I havent seen this done before and I'm very curious. Any pics would be awsome. Thanks everyone!

[RobertFBurnett]

Those pesky steel plates botherin you again John79? :evil:

Sorry, couldn't resist. Honestly I have no idea though, but for all my visuals on penetration I go to this guy first: http://www.theboxotruth.com/

RFB

[John79]

Yeah, I already checked the box o truth, didnt have anything on the 500 magnum, great site and info though.

[Redhawk1]

The 500 Mag is not designed to penetrate steel plates. Lead bullets don't do so well agents steel. :D

[John79]

I'm asking because I've seen a pic of the damage that a .50 beowulf did to a steel plate.( It made a 1/2 inch deep crater in it. The gun was fired from like 10 yards.) And unless I'm mistaken, that is a rather similar round to the one that a 500 magnum fires. I'm wondering how a 440g round out of the 500 would compare... Oh yeah, heres the link to the pic I was talking about, the pic is at the bottem of the page--- http://www.gunblast.com/BFR-50Beowulf.htm

[Nomad101bc]

I'd suggest a carbon steel tipped round like those green tips the M16 uses.

[ditchdigger]

I don't know if I would shoot a 500 at a piece of steel of any thickness at only 30 feet unless I was sitting in a tank.

[John79]

So, no one has any idea? If not 440g of hardcast lead, then what kind of round? The beowulf did it, and I'm wondering how the 500 would match up...

[ArchAngelCD]

Are you sure that indentation in the steel plate was made with a Hard Cast Lead bullet and not with one of those Alexander Arms Jacketed bullets he's showing on the same page? The caption under the picture of the plate doesn't specify which bullet did that damage, only that it was fired from the .50 Cal BFR.

[John79]

No, I'm not sure, but I want to compare it to the hardest hitting and (I thought) best penetrating round that is comercialy available for the 500 magnum.

[EddieCoyle]

I've done it. A hard-cast 440gr bullet will splatter, and barely leave shallow pock mark and dent on a thick steel plate suspended by a chain.

I can't say what it would do to one that's fixed in place.

A solid copper 275gr bullet with a full charge of Lil' Gun will go straight through a 3/8" plate though.

I know a guy that put down a cow with a 440gr bullet from a .500. He said that he hit it in the neck and it went all the way through the cow the long way.

[Redhawk1]

John79, I am sure the 500 Mag will do anything the 50 Beowulf can do. If you try it use the Barnes 375 gr. bullets. They will not splatter like a hard cast bullet will.

I had a AR 15 with a 50 Beowulf upper on it. It was a blast to shoot. They compared it to the 45-70 as far a power wise.

[John79]

Thanks for the help guys!

[rcmodel]

Steel penetration with conventional lead or jacketed bullets is purely a factor of velocity.

At handgun velocity, even at a .500 S&W handguns velocity, no amount of bullet weight is going to burn through a 1" steel plate.

A 46 grain bullet out of a .220 Swift might do it, where a big & powerful handgun wouldn't even put a big dent in it.

BTW: The .460 S&W would shoot through more steel then the .500 S&W.
(200 grain @ 2,330 vis 460 grain @ 1,650.)

rcmodel

[John79]

Of course it wont penetrate 1" of steel, I never thought it would...I just wondered what kind of damage and penetration I could expect. I was thinking that with the right round, it could maybe make it through 1/3 to 1/2 an inch of steel

[IMtheNRA]

John79, the type of steel you shoot at will have a major effect on penetration.

[TAB]

500 S&w = ~ 45 70

[rolltide]

Before anyone starts shooting 1" steel plates with a 500 S&W, please take a look at this video of shooting a steel plate with a 50 caliber RIFLE!!!!!!!!!!!

(NOTE HOW FAR AWAY THE TARGET IS. Pause the video on the close up of the hearing protectors and note that the ricochet seemed to have glanced off the side of the headset. Imagine what could have happened if it had hit the man square in the forehead.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ABGIJwiGBc


Be advised ricochets can kill you. This guy was EXTREMELY lucky.


Roll Tide

[John79]

I was thinking mild steel, but I dont want anyone to get hurt so please nobody try it. (Not that any of you were going to.)

[Smurfslayer]

I haven't tried any steel plates, but what I can say is that the Speer & Hornady 350 grain hollow points will penetrate:

A car, front to back going through the windshied with zero deflection, seat, seat back (front), seat & seat back(rear), a trunk hinge part, metal surrounding the rear tail light assembly, rear tail light assembly and several inches of earth.

It won't penetrate an engine block, but it will crack the water jacket quite severely after penetrating the grill, AC condenser, & radiator.

YMMV of course, but those were my findings...witnessed by 15 other people.

HTH