What thickness of wood would a 9mm Para 100-147 grain FMJ penetrate?

Question

The wood is pine (like a 2x6 from the hardware store).

Using a FMJ between 100-147 grain 9mm Para (Luger) with a muzzle energy of around 300-350 Ft-lbs.

How many inches would it penetrate fired at 15 feet?

I'm setting up a firing range on my property. My primary backstop will be a dirt berm with a concrete wall behind the berm. The wood will be used on the sides of the range, not as a primary backstop, but I wanted to know what thickness of wood I should use for any errant bullets.

Answer 1

It will go through the wood. I shot 115gr FMJ through a christmas tree stand (metal) at 25 feet. If your berm is wide enough I don't see the need for the wood. You have done enough and I am impressed by your efforts to have a backstop. A lot of people take it for granted that there is a farm behind their property and skirt safety. Just be sure of your target.

Created is right on with plywood. I remember shooting 38SPL at plywood with a 148 gr and the slug stuck. Double or triple up with that stuff and 147gr should not penetrate. But I would not be so sure about hi-vel 9mm. If you don't shoot out of a polygonal barrel, lead 9mm is a good round and it will penetrate no further than a 38SPL would. I wish I had property to shoot on instead of going to the state firing range.

Answer 2

You better use a lot. I dont think i would even use pine, it is very soft. The best thing to use would be plywood, but even still it might have to be like a foot thick. The other day I was shooting my sks, and I shot a log pile several times. The bullets would go through some of the pieces that were around a foot thick.

I know your gun isn't a high powered rifle of anything, but fmj's will penetrate very far. make sure you use a lot of wood if your gona go that route.

EDIT: if you go D58's route and use tires, i have a bunch that i will give away for free. theres prolly like 100-150 at my dads used car lot, maybe more. if you live anywhere close to n/w ohio and you have a way to pick them up, we would even help you load them up.

Answer 3

At 15 feet, a standard 9mm Luger 115 FMJ ball round, fired from a pistol with a 4-5 inch barrel will probably shoot clean through a 4x6 pine board in either direction.
If I were you, I would eliminate the dirt and use angled sheets of 12-14 ga steel as a bullet trap, or, if you are setting up indoors, there are several outfits that make pre-assembled bullet traps, some of which are portable. My local gun dealer has one set up on the floor in his shop for test firing pistols.

Answer 4

I would say it would very limited at best.
I helped set one up and we used old car tires that were stacked like bricks on there sides and dirt was used to fill the insides as we stacked them up to about 6 feet high 10 to 12 feet long out from the dirt back stop creating an open C formation that was over 10 years ago and it has needed no repairs the old tires hold up well and being dirt filled stop any strays bullets from going out of the back stop.
Old tire can be got in most cases for free for construction use.

Answer 5

That sounds ok till you get a .308 or a .500 magnum or a buddy brings his BFR over in 45-70 to play.Use at least railroad ties for the perimeter.