.17HMR against 1/2 inch Steel

[innerpiece]

well, the title says it all.
ammo used was CCI brand, 20gr FMJ .17HMR at about 25 yds, out of a Savage 93R17.
Pics of the rifle are also seen in this thread: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=400904
aswell as tests and results of .223 and 5.56 out of an AR platform.

I think with a thinner piece of metal the .17HMR could push thru a lil bit more, as there would be less resistance.. I will get thinner plates and report the results.


thanks, ip.

 

[jaholder1971]

A lot of indoor ranges are banning it because of the damage you show. Of the 3 I frequent only 1 still allows it.

 

[innerpiece]

thats a bummer!
my land is my range, so fortunately I dont have to worry about any caliber getting banned...

once I get some more ballistic tips, Ill run the test again to see the difference in splash etc.

thanks, ip.

 

[gunmaker2872]

thats about the same result my 17hm2 produced on half inch steel plates at 50yrd's

 

[publiuss]

I've punched through 1/8th inch steel plate.

 

[rangerruck]

try a 17 grainer, at about 10 yds; at about 26 to 2700 fps, you will be amazed.

use the CCI/tnt hollow points. i say it penetrates.

 

[EHCRain10]

ive seen a vmax round stop inside of a golf ball at 10 yards

 

[R.W.Dale]

when it comes to damaging steel velocity is a much larger part of the equation than bullet mass or construction.

There's some old anecdote's floating around about the US army ordinance dpt being shocked to find out that the then new 220swift would shoot through more armor plate than the service rifle cartridge which at that time was 30-06

 

[stevelyn]

One of my buds damaged my reactive rimfire target with a .17HMR.

Had to fill the divots with weld and grind them flat again.

 

[rcmodel]

I had a friend lose his right eye shooting at close-range (15 yards) steel with a .243 Winchester.

Another friend shot a hole through the rear fender of his old Ford when a 30-06 AP core came straight back at him after failing to make it through a chunk of railroad track.

Those divots in steel if the bullet fails to penetrate direct all the jacket material & molten steel straight back at the shooter.

It is extremely dangerous!
Don't do it!

rcmodel

 

[innerpiece]

I guess I should have emphasized to folks to wear Personal Protective Equipment and to use common sence when firing at hard targets.

shooting at hard targets from close range is NOT safe!

 

[jpwilly]

Most of us found out back when we were first issued bb guns by the parental units not to shoot hard targets at close range...fortunately no body in our family lost their eyesight.

 

[rangerruck]

of course a penetrator or more solid steel construction will bounce back; this phenom depends on the material build of both the bullet and the object.
most ammo kinda moltens itself right into the object.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgn7MUp6UxA&feature=related

 

[rcmodel]

Not exactly!

Any high velocity jacketed rifle bullet will burn a hole in steel.

Most of the lead core will be vaporized, along with a lot of the foreword part of the jacket.

However, the rear or base of the jacket often is not destroyed completely, and often comes straight back at you out of the semi-round divot in the steel.

As I mentioned in post #10, a good friend "shot his eye out" with the jacket of a .243 Winchester SP varmint bullet.

rcmodel

 

[bigwinchesterfan]

A friend of mine almost lost his hand shooting a steel target al 10 yards with a .22lr... the bullet bounced back right against his hand. Be real careful when shooting hard stuff.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

As noted:

Velocity is the key in penetrating hard targets.

Had a friend get his safety glasses blown up by a 147gr FMJ 308 coming back off a steel popper during a match. Had he been minus glasses he'd be missing an eye.

 

[rcmodel]

I got shot in the boot with a .45 Colt 255 grain lead bullet "Cowboy" Load from about 15 yards.

It didn't have enough velocity to stick in the railroad tie backstop we have shot safely for about 25 years with everything else there is.

Dang thing almost knocked my leg out from under me, and tore the heel off a pair of $150 dollar boots!

Any higher, and I have no doubt I would have needed medical aid!

rcmodel

 

[michiganfan]

Wow.

 

[lipadj46]

There's some old anecdote's floating around about the US army ordinance dpt being shocked to find out that the then new 220swift would shoot through more armor plate than the service rifle cartridge which at that time was 30-06

That one is hard to believe. I would take a 30.06 AP round over a 5.56 AP round any day for penetrating steel. I very well could be wrong though as I know about shape charges and tank sabot rounds (brut force not always wins) so a link would be nice if anyone knows of tests of this.

 

[rcmodel]

The book, Hatchers Notebook.
By Major General Julian S. Hatcher, head cucumu of Army ordance between WWI and WWII.

A 220 Swift at over 4,000 FPS will shoot through more steel then a 30-06 at 2,800.

Whats not to believe?

rcmodel

 

[gvnwst]

Whats not to believe?

That the 30-06 won't do everything

 

[rcmodel]

Good one!

But see, with todays modern Remington 55 grain Accelerator sabot load, the 30-06 is faster then the 220 Swift!

So, it will do everything!

rcmodel

 

[22-rimfire]

I wouldn't have believe it punching through 1/2" steel plate. Thanks for the picture. Guess that hints that under penetration may not be an issue if they were used for personal protection.

 

[rcmodel]

Burning through steel is not the same as penetrating flesh & blood.
Completely different bullet dynamics at work there.

But nobody needs to worry about any high-velocity rifle bullet completely failing to penetrate, or else do massive tissue damage.

rcmodel

 

[innerpiece]

glad folks are getting into the thread and results.

tho I wouldnt consider my .17 HMR rifle as a SD weapon, yes, It would hurt, and go thru.

Ill get more results in the next week or so, on other objects.

thanks, ip.