AR 500 steel for Hammer bullet?

[Brush buster]

I have a 300wm Steve loaded with 181 hammer hunters at 3295fps. I punch thru my steel gong easy so I need to upgrade. Will AR 500 steel hold up? For 400+ yards.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Interesting, I've slammed a lot of Barnes bullets into our plates at the club and they don't even leave a ding. Only the 100lb soft steel gets welted up.

I believe that there is a harder steel plate available. Might be AR550, not sure.

 

[Brush buster]

I thought I read somewhere that 550 was actually softer. Not sure it's that's the case or not tho.

 

[yorke-1]

True AR-500 will hold up just fine, especially at that range. It's common to see some very soft "AR-500" plates though.

 

[Roughrice]

I never shot all copper at steel.
I went with 1/2" AR500. Shot with 300 Win Mag from 100 yards on out with Berger 215 and Eld-M 208 and didn't leave a dent... Only a very small meplat circle that you could barely feel.
They have been shot for years with many calibers up to 300 and still look great and smooth without dents.
What is amazing to me is a 17HMR leaves a tiny mark you can feel as well!

 

[Zman99]

Ar 500 is fine. I shoot 155 hammers at 3300 and they don't do anything to it. I think my plates are 3/8 maybe 1/2.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Here are a few AR550 plates which are reportedly even harder then AR 500 plates.

Amazon.com : RANGETIME Targets- Laser Cut AR550 Steel Shooting Target Combo Pack 12x20 Silhouette, 10" and 8" Gong 1/2 inch : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : RANGETIME Targets- Laser Cut AR550 Steel Shooting Target Combo Pack 12x20 Silhouette, 10" and 8" Gong 1/2 inch : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

[GoosePilot]

I have a 4ft x 4ft 1" thick plate. I have not shot solid copper bullets. Only thing I've seen that leaves a small trace is when over 4000 fps

 

[Marine sniper]

I have a 300wm Steve loaded with 181 hammer hunters at 3295fps. I punch thru my steel gong easy so I need to upgrade. Will AR 500 steel hold up? For 400+ yards.

I shoot 252 gr. CE MTH (very similar to the hammers) out of my 338 LAI at 3/8 in AR500 / 3050 fps). It dings them a little at 500 yards. I think it will take me 5 lifetimes to hurt that steel enough to worry about it. I am 99% sure you will not penetrate AR 500 at 400 yards with your combo.

 

[snox801]

It's all about speed. My friend cuts most the targets many people buy from a big company.
They also cut military plating.
Short answer yes it will work. I have the same load also loaded by Steve. It will leave dimples on it at 100 yards but your fine. Anything farther no marks at all. Once you get past about 3300 you will damage it at 100 yards keep impact 3k and under you are fine.

 

[snox801]

I shoot 252 gr. CE MTH (very similar to the hammers) out of my 338 LAI at 3/8 in AR500 / 3050 fps). It dings them a little at 500 yards. I think it will take me 5 lifetimes to hurt that steel enough to worry about it. I am 99% sure you will not penetrate AR 500 at 400 yards with your combo.

I shoot the 300gr laser out of a lapua improved at 3100 I hit my 3/8 plate at 100 yards nice dent and bent the target but didn't go through. I have pallets of targets so I always see what damage I can do to them.
In fact I zipped right through one with a 257 Roy and 115 nosler at 3480fps at 100 yards

 

[Roughrice]

My buddy shot a 3/8" mild steel plate at 400 yards with a 6.5/300W and it looked like a torch cut 3/4" hole! Didn't leave a dent with AR500 at 200.

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

I have 3/8" ar500 plates. I shoot 143 hammers at 3600+ FPS. At 200 yards, they will leave a dent. From 400 on out, there's not a mark on them.

 

[Bravo 4]

Velocity and bullet composition are what murder AR500, the rest just eventually beat it up a bit and deform it.
An example, my since sold .408 Cheytac would just smack the snot out of (and leave a slight mark) a 3/8" 40x20 plate at 100 yards with 415 grain Cutting Edge MTH @ 2900 fps, @ 3000 it would penetrate. A cup and core would punch right through even at 2700. A 22-250 with 55 grain cup-n-core would punch right through.