Will a .308 Winchester Penetrate Steel A36?

Yes — defeats a 6 mm steel a36 barrier
Penetration depth
17 mm (0.7″)
Impact velocity
840 m/s (2756 fps)
Muzzle energy
3352 J (2472 ft-lb)
Bullet behaviour
Intact

Fired at the muzzle, a representative .308 Winchester load (9.5 g, FMJ, 840 m/s) reaches roughly 17 mm (0.7 inches) into steel a36. That is enough to defeat a typical barrier of this material — treat anything behind it as exposed.

About Steel A36

Mild structural steel plate (~6 mm); car bodies are far thinner (~1 mm).

.308 Winchester against other materials

MaterialDepth (mm)Depth (in)
Red Brick239 mm9.4″
Concrete199 mm7.8″
Tempered Glass36 mm1.4″
Steel AR5008 mm0.3″
Aluminum 606132 mm1.2″
Run your own numbers in the calculator →

Related