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I saw this at our range recently. The military uses 1/4" thick stainless steel plates to cover the holes where the target frames move up and down. I guess the military had these plates sitting on the mantlet, when someone managed to shoot through the edge of one of the plates. I'm surprised that a copper jacketed piece of lead could do so much damage to a piece of stainless steel! I'm guessing these would be 5.56 FMJ type ammunition?

I had a 1/4” steel target tree, little steel swingers, the rimfire used to spin them round with a nice audible ping!

When I got a .223 I took a shot at one and was surprised it didn’t move, thought I’d pulled he shot. Tried a second shot, no movement in the 1/4” steel swinger.

Walked downrange, two holes straight through them, like they were made of butter.

Probably something to do with the nato ammunition steel penetrator.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2015/0 ... mmunition/

My tale above was shooting cheap privi.

17 Hornet on my 1" thick steel 6" gong at 100 yrds completely vaporises leaving a 1/4" deep 1" crater in the steel. Velocity can do some damage, as they say "speed kills".

Any cheap .223 will go right through 10mm steel plate at 100m, not tested beyond that.

As I understand it, the "requirements" of 5.56 nato ammo included being able to penetrate a kevlar helmet at 600m.

Ah yes! But if you hold a thick hardback book to your chest, that would stop it!

I've seen 17HMR damage that didn't look too different to that

I had a 7.62 Schultz & Larsen that used to punch clean holes through the base of a frying pan like a hole punch at 50mtrs.