500 Auto Max vs Hard Barrier (Pine Board Box)

Published on May 30, 2018
Duration: 6:44

This video from Kentucky Ballistics tests the penetration capabilities of the 500 Auto Max cartridge against a custom-built pine board box. The test utilizes two types of ammunition: 440-grain and 575-grain hard cast bullets, as well as 275-grain Barnes XPB rounds. The results demonstrate significant penetration, with the 575-grain hard cast round achieving the deepest penetration through 20 boards.

Quick Summary

The 500 Auto Max cartridge was tested against a pine board box constructed with 41 boards, each 3/4 inch thick. The 575-grain hard cast round achieved the deepest penetration, passing through 20 boards and stopping on the 21st. The 440-grain hard cast round penetrated 16 boards, while a 275-grain Barnes XPB round penetrated 19 boards.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Introduction and Test Setup
  2. 00:07Kentucky Ballistics Intro
  3. 00:10500 Auto Max vs Pine Board Box
  4. 00:14Pine Board Box Description
  5. 00:22Ammunition Types
  6. 00:27Bighorn Armory Ammunition
  7. 00:33440 Grain Hard Cast Chronograph
  8. 00:48575 Grain Hard Cast Chronograph
  9. 00:57Comparison to 12 Gauge Slug
  10. 01:24First Shot: 440 Grain Hard Cast
  11. 01:40Testing 440 Grain Hard Cast
  12. 01:55Results: 440 Grain Hard Cast Penetration
  13. 02:05Board Count: 440 Grain Hard Cast
  14. 02:30Bullet Recovery: 440 Grain Hard Cast
  15. 02:53Testing 575 Grain Hard Cast
  16. 03:10First Shot: 575 Grain Hard Cast
  17. 03:19Bullet Recovery: 575 Grain Hard Cast
  18. 03:22Results: 575 Grain Hard Cast Penetration
  19. 03:40Board Count: 575 Grain Hard Cast
  20. 03:56Impressive Penetration
  21. 04:01Testing Barnes XPB Ammunition
  22. 04:07275 Grain Barnes XPB
  23. 04:16Results: Barnes XPB Penetration
  24. 04:19Board Removal and Count
  25. 05:26Final Results: Barnes XPB vs 575 Grain Hard Cast
  26. 05:38Barnes XPB Performance Analysis
  27. 05:52Conclusion and Impressions
  28. 06:09Kentucky Ballistics Outro

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 500 Auto Max cartridge's penetration capability against a pine board barrier?

In a test using a pine board box with 41 boards (3/4 inch thick each), the 500 Auto Max demonstrated significant penetration. The 440-grain hard cast round went through 16 boards, while the 575-grain hard cast round penetrated 20 boards.

How did the 575-grain hard cast 500 Auto Max round perform in the pine board test?

The 575-grain hard cast 500 Auto Max round achieved impressive penetration, passing through 20 of the 3/4-inch thick pine boards and stopping on the 21st board. This was the deepest penetration observed in the test.

What was the average velocity of the 500 Auto Max ammunition tested?

The 500 Auto Max ammunition was chronographed, with the 440-grain hard cast averaging 1816 feet per second and the 575-grain hard cast averaging 1629 feet per second.

How does the 500 Auto Max compare to a 12-gauge slug in penetration tests?

In a similar pine board box test, a 12-gauge, 2 3/4 inch, 1-ounce slug only penetrated 7 boards. The 500 Auto Max, with its heavier loads, demonstrated substantially greater penetration capabilities.

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