223 vs 6.5 Grendel vs 300 BO vs 7.62x39 vs 350 Legend: Steel Penetration Test

In today's video, we will see whether the 223 Remington, 6.5 Grendel, 300 Blackout, 7.62x39, or the 350 Legend is able to penetrate steel the deepest. Testing was done at 50 yards using A529 grade 55 mild steel. Thanks for watching!
Testing: 2:40
These tests are meant for entertainment and educational purposes only. Shooting steel can be dangerous, so do not try any of these tests at home!
#midwayusa

[@realtalk6195]

Would love to see you do a comparison of .22 caliber rounds: 5.7x28 FN vs .22 TCM vs .22 WMR next.

[@bananaballistics]

I need to get more calibers lol. Those are all good ones

[@william16845]

I strongly agree..

[@terrybrown5402]

Dont forget 17 hmr and 22 hornet.

[@craigsellier5973]

I own all those above and the 22tcm will out perform them all.

[@blackicekck9family379]

That’s a good one

[@rubengonzalez5155]

Great video. Every time I have a discussion with someone else about this cartridges I refer them to your video. That makes for less arguments. 👌 👍🏼 Adding the price per cartridge and Rifle platform to the equation, it’s no surprise AK/ 7.62x39 is king.

[@william16845]

I love any content on 6.5grendel..it's capabilities are often overlooked by many..

[@robertbates6057]

6.5 Grendel is pretty awesome!

[@liberty4392]

6.5 x 39 Grendel will be around longer than 6 millimeter Advanced Rifle Cartridge and .224 Valykrie in my opinion. .224 Valkyrie is a fad round that is slowly dying now in my opinion.

[@william16845]

The ballistic advantages of the arc aren't significant over the grendel,,and the grendel hits harder..I love that beautiful little cartridge..

[@Bigdsd89]

It’s over looked and neglected by manufacturers, they don’t have enough options like .300BO.

[@william16845]

I hand load so my options are limitless,, unfortunately there's like 3or 4 factory grendel loads available to the consumer,,and they're down tuned a bit so they don't beat up ar platforms..the funnest bullets are 90gr to 105 gr.all the factory loads are 120-123..Barnes makes a 115 that's about 2400 fps..I can get close to 2600 hand loading for a bolt action making the same load..

[@gagemason3865]

The only one that surprised me was the 350 legend. I didn’t expect it to go through the 1/4 inch. And if you want the 300 BLK to penetrate things, you need to test some Barnes 110 gr TAC-TX bullets. The *will* go through that 1/4”.

[@paullee4042]

I think the 6.5 Grendel results would be better if you used a 120 or 123 gr bullet but nice test anyways 👍👍

[@moseskinsey2890]

He should have used a 90gr sp in the 6.5 grendel speed with a sp bullets are the best at making it through steel. In this case

[@actionjksn]

The lighter faster bullets will penetrate better at shorter ranges.

[@rohawaha]

Well had you called me and asked , I would have told you " Bullet Velocity Is King and Bullet Weight is Queen " always has been always will be . I certainly enjoy your videos, good content and excellent production value.

[@ifly135]

Love to see a 458 SOCOM, 450 Bushmaster, and 50 Beowulf

[@Airon79]

Add 50 AE , 10mm , and 45 colt or 44/41 mag to that list , please .

[@redfaux74]

Excellent video brother. 🎈🥳🎈 Keep up the great work. I like the under 10 minute videos. Lots of beef and no whip creme.

[@stumpyhigginbottom3466]

Maybe a thin piece of steel along the outside and top of that frame, to keep the posts in place? If you've got the ability to weld you could weld the posts to it real quick and it should probably prevent that pinching. Failing that I guess you could make an entirely new rig with slots for your metal plates to slide in from the side, but both the top and bottom left solid. Regardless, enjoy the videos you've been putting out, and it's nice to see how you're evolving the setup and methodology. Thanks for dropping another video for us!

[@bananaballistics]

I got a new setup coming in the next video. I really appreciate the ideas!

[@JackAceINC]

And why doesn't this channel have more subscribers? I guess I've been following for 5 to 6 months and it's always so entertaining. Keep up the good work.

[@HDBujutsu1775]

Probably because most of us see through his unrealistic testing and call BS

[@JackAceINC]

@Scott Denning I guess I liked the simple straight forward comparisons. I just don't know what he has to gain from bull sh*tting? Is he in bed with the 308 ammo manufacturers?

[@HDBujutsu1775]

@@JackAceINC there wasn’t a “straightforward” comparison. It was a very much unrealistic test. For all the work he put into it he could have at least done a realistic test.

[@JackAceINC]

@@HDBujutsu1775 please explain, I'm confused by what he did or didn't do.

[@HDBujutsu1775]

@@JackAceINC what the video. If you can’t figure it then.....

[@j.r.6271]

I know it can get annoying constantly rehashing your setup every video, but there is always a new viewer that appreciates it.

[@Rickkari7]

Grendel is the king in the AR15 world for overall performance, although each cartridge has it's niche including the big bore ones not tested. Love to see 224 Valkyrie tested. I got two deer this year at 175 yards with my Grendel.

[@l00nybin]

If you say so... as long as you use a long barre, which is not ideal for "overall" usel. Try your Grendel out of a 16" or shorter barrel, and it gets outclassed by 6.8spc and others.

[@Rickkari7]

@@l00nybin Fair enough. I’m thinking overall: velocity, foot pounds, trajectory etc. May not be the top in each category, but is a very consistent round overall, from plinking to long range to the lethal ability on a wide range of game.

[@l00nybin]

@@Rickkari7 If I am hunting whitetail or blacktail, and I have to shoot 300yds, I could use my 6.8 with handloads and get decent performance, but a 6.5 would probably do better. Inside of 250yds, and I might as well use a caliber that is optimized around 14-16" barrels and only need one gun for everything from cqb to deer or hog out to 200yds or so (OK, who am I kidding? Only one gun? 🤣🤣🤣)

[@clintgray1623]

Add 6.8spc

[@1BeGe]

@@l00nybin I dunno man. Even at 16" Grendel shoots similar weight bullets at similar speeds to 6.8 SPC, but with far better coefficients. Even when you limit the scenario to the actual 6.8 SPC wheelhouse alone it, at best, only edges out 6.5 Grendel (if that), and even then probably only at muzzle.

[@bryanrocker5033]

Interesting test, the one thing you may have had a tough time measuring is the deformation of the steel itself. All of them bent the steel some in the area surrounding the impact.

[@mikejohnson9118]

The man with the Million Dollar Voice and a face for targets. It's.....Banana Ballistics!

[@hedgemowerman]

After shooting 2 hogs stacked side by side with one round in 6.5 Grendel this past March 2024, I’m sold. It just just took out the first and hit the second in the heart. Amazing.

[@markchapman2585]

My favorite gun Channel and the only gun channel I hit the Bell on. Thanks for the post keep up the great content 👏

[@slobmarley9070]

I would be interested to see one of your tests between .303 British and 30-06

[@louiesalads598]

And 7.62x54r

[@actionjksn]

303 British can't hang with the good ole American 30.06 bro, it's the king of the old school.

[@slobmarley9070]

@@actionjksn you are probably correct but would enjoy seeing the results

[@borrago]

It's so funny when people speak outside their natural register just to try and sound cooler. 😂 Bless your heart.

[@harrygrimley4352]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing this with us

[@isaactrujillo76]

Well ammo companies use 24” barrels when testing their ammunition. So the 20” wasn’t even optimal. You did great thanks man!

[@ryewaldman2214]

you'll have better sectional density with a 120 or 123 gr 6.5 bullet. You might also consider using one of the monometal (barnes or hornady cx/gmx) bullets in these cartridges. The best 223/556 penetration will almost certainly come from 62 grain green tip. The 6 ARC and the 224 Valkyrie might have competitive (or superior?) sectional density loads and that might represent the best steel penetration capability from an ar15 (or other intermediate cartridge). give that a shot.

[@Mark-qq7io]

Absolutely great video thanks 👍👍👍👍

[@shawnswint118]

Seeing your shield it's great but I'd recommend placing your barrel threw the opening when shooting so you don't get as much of the muzzle blast coming back at you even though you may be wearing hearing protection it'll be beneficial over time

[@1985Hambone]

One thing I might point to, and it may seem miniscule, but I wonder if the 3/8" plate had been held in the correct slot and not had the room to bounce like it did in the 1/2" slot if the penetration would have been deeper?

[@tylertyler6418]

That’s actually a great point 👍🏼

[@bruceallen6016]

Interesting results. Thumb up. 😎

[@joemangum3615]

Notice how the blackout dented the steel. Not good for defeating armor but great for energy on target for hunting. Use a 110 grain v max and it's a great whitetail cartridge.

[@vipe650r]

That was my thought - that it's meant to be a fleshy round - hogs and bad guys at close - 200yds, not an armor round. But, I don't know much about this in any proper sense.

[@johnparker9139]

Or use a FMJ not a hp

[@Deathunter761]

A lot more cartridges could be added, and I'm curious about the capacity of 6.8 SPC.

[@frankbrowning328]

To calculate how much steel a particular cartridge is capable of penetrating, a bullet designed to penetrate steel must be used. I’m sure Winchester isn’t loading an armor piercing 350 Legend round. Likewise, the 300 blackout round is probably not an armor piercing round. While it is possible to obtain armor piercing ammo in both 5.56 X 45mm (.223) and 7.62 X 39mm, in this test we aren't given the type of bullet used. If all of the rounds used are soft point bullets the playing field is a little more level, but then we must 1st ascertain which weight of soft point in each caliber penetrates steel best and use that round in the test.

[@dburnside2554]

Great test thanks

[@michaelmichaelson8452]

Good comparison only thing I thought was the 350 legend was designed from the ground up as a hunting cartridge not a military cartridge I think if loaded with military AP grade 9mm bullets you would see even better results.

[@Echolimabravo321]

Great informative video as always👍🏾!

[@kohlmathis7791]

I’d like to see a video on the 30-30 cartridge. I’ve been looking at getting a lever action and I’m not sure what I should get it chambered in.

[@sidbates3423]

Dude sounds like that guy off that show called Raymond 😅 great video

[@two45triox]

You need to be using 110gr with the .300BLK. That is the optimum projectile for the 300.

[@jacksin3323]

Yeah, at least for steel penetration. I just picked some up from AAC for pretty cheap.

[@GodsChosen69]

why do you guys use this round? its a 7.62X39 but 3 times the price.

[@two45triox]

@@GodsChosen69 The selection of projectiles is unlimited. Basically anything that you can get in .308 , and subs are also plentiful.

[@stemup]

​@aidschan4059 because a suppressor makes it movie quiet, and it's still a .30 bullet

[@ericalbers4867]

Id like to see the 300 ham'r tested. Maybe a hand load since most you can buy are hollow points or soft tips. Its a super interesting round with extremely good ballistics. I just dont have a place outside to setup metal plates to test it but I'd send mine so you can test it. Probably a comparison between the 5.56, 300 BO, and .308 (weird, I know but its a 5.56 casing with up to a 150 grain .308 projectile) basically a 300 BO that took a bunch of steroids.

[@user-qp7et6cc7d]

These are great videos. I watch all of them. The suggestion I have is for your ball rounds you could use pork ribs or heads. For metal APC rounds are more appropriate. The reason being is that the lead turns liquid on impact and just craters so to speak

[@harrypeterson9287]

Soft lead core .204 Ruger varmint rounds will punch through steel armor that will stop a steel core 7.62x39.

[@coupe50h]

That particular .350 fmj round. Seems to jam everything up, even in my bolt action it feeds like crap, but all other hunting rounds I use feed flawless. I'm happy with my legend, great round for my needs, brush 100 yard stuff ect...

[@Pompomgrenade]

I was always told data on a box of ammo is taken from bench rest testing with 24-in barrels.. and closed bolt actions, not gas guns. Of course anything more than 20 ft per second, in shot to shot velocity deviation is going to be sloppy..

[@rotisseriebear5394]

I'm pretty sure the claimed velocity on the box is based on a 20" rifle. It's good that you measured it to make the comparison fair as can be.

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

100 fps/inch is very unlikely. More like 25.

[@muffins4tots]

​@@georgesakellaropoulos8162Thank you man, I feel like I was going crazy reading these comments. No way you're losing 400 plus fps from 4 inches shorter and there have been tests to validate that. That's just bad ammo.

[@PenisPotato898]

The 556/223 ammo info on the boxes I believe are from a 20” barrel possibly even a 24” barrel, that’s why the velocity is much slower than what the box claims.

[@michamichaowski8375]

The 350 legend suprised me alot. Would be interes ting to see what the hunting versions can do. The FMJ are usually loaded weaker then hunting versions.

[@OEFvet0311]

Dude...your voice is PERFECT for narration.

[@jeremyfrix522]

If you go to Home Depot and buy a heavy duty 3/4 wedge style chisel you can hammer it down in between those steel fingers and keep them separated enough to continue dropping the plates in .

[@Pompomgrenade]

Well, I do enjoy 🍌 ballistics testing 🎶

[@johndenham9999]

Good job. Thanks

[@sled_neckx9972]

I wonder how a .300 Win Mag would stack up to 1/2" or 5/8" plate.

[@guardianminifarm8005]

Good comparison

[@Modine.]

This dude has a voice for radio. 👍

[@Aloooy108]

Would love to see 6 arc.

[@thelonghorncow5084]

Thanks for posting; may I suggest next time you do a similar test, please consider lining up 3 or 4 quarter inch plates together and see how much they can penetrate??

[@1rukie]

Great video I love my Grendel

[@AB-qs7vw]

Love my Grendel.

[@airair862]

Благодарю за интересную работу ❤👏👌👍💪!!!.

[@bobgordon1754]

The .300 blk out is everything it was intended to be. It just don't go beyond it's design intent.

[@ForwardPlans]

For a comparison, one could suggest the Sig .277 to the original M1 round, the .276 Pederson.

[@toddparsons2980]

Cool. Wish the 5.45x39 and maybe the 6mm ARC would've been included.

[@coolsly64]

I would like to see the outliers like 6.8spc and 8.6 blackout...

[@billmartin5709]

You're killing me smalls.. What about the 6.8 SPC :)With reloads not anemic factory at least not Remington ammo. Since they were the ones who really screwed the pooch on the 6.8 spc. Thank you for the testing!

[@Mhatter12]

Greatly appreciate the video. Thought the 300 would have punched that first steel

[@actionjksn]

I have some solid copper Grendel bullets that I bet would go through. They are called Fort Scott Munitions. They are 123 grain, I don't know what velocity they are rated for.

[@brucecook502]

I'd like to see you get a hold of some 7.62x39 "API" (not that cheap standard steel core ap crap) ammo and put it up against other intermediate armor piercing almost like green tip 5.56 and others.

[@bobbyduke777]

Ok you did it, I been talking about a AR chambered to Grendel would make the AR a long and close range weapon. The weight of the ammo is close to the same so you wouldn't be lugging 308's around and a heavy 308 rifle.

[@Threegunmaster]

Why are you using a hollow point in 223 and not fmj. Love your videos man. New subscriber

[@mtnbound2764]

maybe you should have used a FMJ for the .300 blk. Im surprised the 7.62x39 passed through soo much easier than the .300 blk. but that may have been due to bullet design more than anything else.

[@garrettshelton5788]

Literally just more powder

[@mtnbound2764]

wheres the proof?

[@garrettshelton5788]

@@mtnbound2764 the proof is a basic understanding of common calibers. 7.62x39 vs 7.62x35, literally just a longer, thicker cartridge containing more room for powder.

[@mtnbound2764]

@@garrettshelton5788 yeah not really though

[@mtnbound2764]

@@garrettshelton5788 so bullet construction has nothing to do with terminal performance?

[@Turbo_rito]

This man has walked out of thousands of bushes. 😂

[@Phych0path]

I want to see comparison between.7.62×25 vs 357 sig

[@my-yt-inputs2580]

With a few exceptions most .223 ammo is velocity tested out of 20 inch barrels which is why you're seeing slower velocity than marked on the box. Try some 5.56(M193?) class ammo.

[@gregoryfulton6721]

Bullet type and composition is a key determining factor in straight line penetration. I would be interested to see results with all cartridges using a similar bullet design, say a mono metal solid in the weight each cartridge produces its highest energy. Or at least a standard full metal jacket of an appropriate weight.

[@drthuntclub4153]

Why doesn't anyone include the 6.8 SPC in any of these videos? I would be very interested in how it compares to all of these.

[@jacksin3323]

Has anything ever made it thru 1" steel? What was the best round? I know 40gr varmint 223 is ungodly fast and will holepunch ar500 body armor. What about 30-06 blacktips?

[@wes7580]

Would be cool to see penetrator rounds like m193 vs m855. Love the videos!

[@jasono2139]

Since when is either of the M193 or M855 rounds "penetrator rounds"? There really isn't anything special about green tip ammo.

[@Superb_Legend]

​@@jasono2139 they have a steel core and not just lead.

[@jasono2139]

@@Superb_Legend no... It doesn't. M855 is steel tipped. The core is still lead. Green tip ammo is not armor piercing. Black tipped 5.56 has a steel core. While there's a slight difference between M193 and M855... Neither are going to punch holes through steel almost any differently.

[@Hornet135]

@@jasono2139 ​​⁠ First party was mostly right and the rest was totally wrong. Black tip M995 has a tungsten core. M193 and M855 can behave differently on steel depending on steel type and range. Close range the M193 tends to punch through some hardened steels that M855 won’t, whereas M855 tends to punch through mild steel better than M193 and also at further ranges.

[@jasono2139]

@@Hornet135 do you understand what the word "almost" means? 🤦 M195 and M855 on thicker steel plates are barely any different... If you're shooting at soft targets or thinner metal targets, then obviously they're different. Otherwise, I said "black tip ammo", not M995... If you want to point out that not all armor piercing rounds use steel cores... Whatever. M855A1 uses a steel core.

[@dwal3486]

what kind of ammo for each caliber? hard to tell if this is fmj or open tip. the grendel you said was 107gr smk. As paullee4042 said Grendel was designed around the 120gr bullet. I know fmj for that round is hard to find or non existent, at least back when i bought my ammo. idk if the extra velocity of the 107gr would help with this test or the extra mass of the 120gr would do better. ive never shot mild steel with mine.

[@jeremymcadam7400]

It should go without saying but the projectile selection for each calibre is extremely important. These seemed to be whatever was cheap

[@JoseNunya]

Couldn't help but notice that you used a soft point .223 and not the M855. Any reason why ?

[@mikejohnson4015]

Thanks.

[@DieselJLUJeep]

What about 18 or 20 barrels or move the target closer for shorter barrels?

[@anthonyrichard461]

Nice test. Try with 5/16 plates next test

[@felixd1127]

Hello, I have an idea for a video if I may suggest it to you... Since you like shooting at steel 😀, how about a test for "spaced armor". There are some videos available on KZbin, but the guy didn’t understand fully what’s behind the term „spaced“. He stacked his plates too close together. So, comparison between spaced and not spaced plates consisting of same material . Eg mild steel Test 1 Use some (eg) 2mm plates, space between each plate should be bigger than length of the bullet. Versus, same plates w/o space in between. Which configuration provided protection with the least weight? Variation, (as used for turret of leopard 2 MBT): first plate with significant inclination, 2nd and following plates perpendicular to your gun. Test 2 As first plate , use a hardened one. The guy used circular saw blades. This plate and the following again with same space between as before. Compare this against test 1 Does this make sense ? Unfortunately due to German gun law, we cannot perform this here

[@ES44AC-2]

If we could only get Magpul to make mags for the 6.5 Grendel. I really like the Grendel for hunting. I use the 123gr ,the 100gr-110gr bullets are terrible on groups .

[@l00nybin]

123gr SP out of a 20"+ barrel is kind of what the Grendel was designed around, so it makes sense that it would work well for deer, especially if you need a longer shot.

[@luckymanham302]

Amend2 makes polymer mags for 6.5 Grendel, and as a bonus they also work well with 6arc.

[@brazzy1467]

With my FN M-16A4 clone and 5.56 green tip it's leaving craters in my AR 500 steel target at the distance your doing these test at.

[@stevenhiggs4553]

There is another caliber, 2545 sharks in an AR platform need to test that one out to

[@chadwhite7290]

I had a ruger 350 legend in AR but it would jam like yourd did. I don't think they have enough gas pressure to cycle..I heard a different gas block helps but I jut think they should leave the AR style to something different than a straight walled cartridge minus the 450 bushmaster try one of those beast

[@RicardoCtba]

Nice! And what about the 300 HAM'R ?

[@TheYamaha37]

Not to be a downer, but the .223 made a nice clean round hole on the 1/4" plate and the Grendel knocked alot of paint off & clearly bent the metal bc it barely made it through it. That hole looks like my hole when I attempt to use cutting torches to cut a nice round whole. But love your vids

[@angelo_giachetti]

Its interesting that theres nothing left after penetration of the steel. You may find those holes have been punched out and the steel plugs will be found on the ground.

[@liberty4392]

I really like 7.62 x 39 and .300 AAC Blackout out of the rounds he tested. .300 Blackout is now a common round as there are so many AR-15 rifles out there that shoot it. With a 16 inch barrel, a supersonic .300 AAC Blackout 105 to 125 grain bullet is effective to about 280 yards, semi effective to about 400 yards. With a 16 inch barrel the 7.62 x 39 is effective to about 325 yards and semi effective to about 400 yards. I also like 6.5 x 39 Grendel, but the round is just not popular enough for me to get into for me.

[@SpudOutdoors]

Would like to see the 100grain wolf 6.5 Grendel performance

[@drakeslocum2564]

Would love to see 35 whelen vs 30-06

[@SpindlerAndrew]

Do you have a link for the velocity device? Thanks!

[@mikeleger9855]

I like your comparisons. Good info. ...But! ...you should have included the 300 HAM'R!!!

[@benjimenfranklin7173]

Will the right ammunition the 7.62x39 will cut thru 3/4 inches of steel.

[@l33b80]

What was the penetration depth of the 300 BLK in the 1/4 plate?

[@patrickmcneill5118]

Great video! I have been trying to figure out what the shortest length for .308 AR-10 is. Your videos have inspired me to find something that can penetrate better than my SBR .300 blkout. I want to keep as small of a package as possible but move up to a .308 caliber. Gun store employees always tell me that .308 is useless under a 18" barrel, but 12.5" looks very enticing to me. If you could do a video on barrel length vs velocity or compare barrel length vs steel penetration in .308 with your plate setup, that would be very relevant to me. Maybe even find a barrel you could cut inch by inch down to 7.5?

[@patrickmcneill5118]

Would be interesting in other popular calibers as well, not just .308.

[@Dunk1It1Hard]

I’ve read on this extensively. 16 inch .308 is a sweet spot for being handy and still reliably maintains the proper velocity to activate hydrostatic shock. Anything below 16 has to serve a special purpose or niche role because velocity starts dropping. 100% still serviceable. .308 is a hammer of a round. But remember size and weight matters.

[@patrickmcneill5118]

@@Dunk1It1Hard How do I learn more about hydrostatic shock? Is it velocity or energy related? I've heard anything over 2200 fps but that doesn't seem right to me. Seems like it would depend on more than just velocity.

[@Dunk1It1Hard]

@@patrickmcneill5118 2200 fps through organic materials. So when high speed objects rip through organic elastic snap back material it will deform but jump back into place and have memory. To exceed the point of snap back the deformation cavity starts to rip the elastic memory out of organic material at 2200fps. Lots of free information on the internet just reading.

[@patrickmcneill5118]

@@Dunk1It1Hard wouldn't 2200 fps 5.56 be different from 2200 fps .308?

[@loves2shoot]

Just found your channel, find the content entertaining. I don't value steel penetration as much as I would performance on bio targets, but doesn't make it any less interesting. Sorry if this has been stated before, but you aren't measuring the depth of penetration ... you are measuring the depth to the back of the bullet ... and since they are different that should impact your measurements. Is it impossible to dig out the bullet and then measure?

[@pault4313]

Have you tried the 6mm arc, it's the 6.5 grendel necked down to 6mm

[@homercan2]

Was not expecting the voice to match the face😂

[@nickpaulo5202]

Does the 350 legend have a lot of recoil? I usually hunt with Low recoil rifles.

[@Poole-ud3hj]

Have you tried a heavier gr bullet on the .300. Like a 200gr

[@user-cl2ls7kz7o]

So sectional density x momentum represents steel penetration?

[@jones5889]

Did i read that right? He used hollow points for a penetration test on steel?