Home › Penetration › .357 Magnum vs Packed SandWill a .357 Magnum Penetrate Packed Sand?
Yes — defeats a 150 mm packed sand barrier
Penetration depth
179 mm (7.0″)
Impact velocity
395 m/s (1296 fps)
Muzzle energy
796 J (587 ft-lb)
Fired at the muzzle, a representative .357 Magnum load (10.2 g, SP, 395 m/s) reaches roughly 179 mm (7.0 inches) into packed sand. That is enough to defeat a typical barrier of this material — treat anything behind it as exposed.
About Packed Sand
Packed sand (~150 mm), e.g. a single sandbag.
.357 Magnum against other materials
See exactly what .357 Magnum does to Packed Sand — open in the calculator →
Related
Figures are computed by the BallisticEngine physics engine (Poncelet, Johnson–Cook, orthotropic, Mohr–Coulomb and fibre models) for a representative load at the muzzle. Real-world penetration varies with the specific load, barrel length, range and barrier construction. Educational use only.