Whereas level 2 and level 3A body armor. protect individuals against small arms fire, L3 vests are specifically designed to stand up to many rifle rounds, all shotgun rounds, and can even take impact from semi-jacketed hollow point bullets (SJHPs).. The breakdown is as follows: Level 2 can withstand up to .357 Magnum soft-point bullets with masses of 10.2g at a maximum velocity of 1,395 feet ...