Well...it depends
I have never broken a gear case on any of my stern drive boats. I have taken a chunk out of a skeg and damaged about six props. I do not know how much of a tilt the out drive will do if hit hard. It seems that the large mass of the lower unit hitting a rock at speed could destroy it.
My little 4 and 5hp Mercury outboards definately take a lickin' and keep on tickin'!
The bullet end of the gear cases on those look like the surface of the moon. I've run them so shallow on gravel and stone that "roto-tiller" comes to mind.
So...are you feeling lucky???
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