"Mexican" match ammo????

[29aholic]

Anybody ever have any luck with it???

Here is where I am at. I have a ton of Portuguese ball ammo that shoots fair out of my SPS. I have a corresponding amount of 155gr Nosler match bullets. I am thinking I can pull the 147's and replace them with the 155's. Not enough difference in weight to matter.

My reasoning behind this is there is an impromptu fun match coming up in a couple of weeks I would like to attend if nothing more than the experience of shooting longer ranges and over barricades, etc.

This would not be my norm, but honestly right now I don't have enough time, brass, etc to be able to get something worked up before the shoot.

I figure this way at least I'd have some comfort in using good bullets. I had thought about just using the Ball stuff but didn't want to disadvantage myself more than necessary.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

 

[HOGWILD]

Do not be surprised when it does not shoot properly?

 

[former naval person]

Did that years ago with NAS Glynco Rifle team. It helps. Not true match quality, but with the accurized (!) M-1 Garands we used, it was a definite improvement. Actually our match ammo was a batch of AP .30-06 from late '50s. It was more accurate than ball.

 

[Mad_Charlie]

The only way to find out...is try, watch for pressure.
I would at least weigh some of the powder charges to get an average weight and then dump all of the powder in to a container and recharge the cases with weighed charges, and resize the necks, after pulling the bullets neck tension could be anywhere...

'Bout the time you do all that, you may have just as well loaded up some ammo for the purpose.

I would just use the ball.

 

[SWRichmond]

Mexican match ammo was a M72 30-06 match round from which the 173gr bt had been pulled and replaced with a Sierra 168 MK. Notice the lighter weight...

 

[diego-ted]

sounds racist to me!! LOL

Diego

 

[LR338nut]

The only way to find out...is try, watch for pressure.
I would at least weigh some of the powder charges to get an average weight and then dump all of the powder in to a container and recharge the cases with weighed charges, and resize the necks, after pulling the bullets neck tension could be anywhere...

'Bout the time you do all that, you may have just as well loaded up some ammo for the purpose.

I would just use the ball.

This

 

[broylz]

Not quite match ammo but I've pulled sa battle pack bullets and replaced with nbt for hunting season. They were slightly more accurate. All I did was neck size and reseat the new bullets.

 

[29aholic]

Well I loaded about 30 last night, we'll see how it does.

 

[29aholic]

Well I loaded 70rds. They didn't really do all that well on paper, but I was able to ring steel to 700 with them. I don't have a chrony so I was using data from Hornady for 155's. I was surprised it took significantly more MOA to get my DOPE than what Hornady thought.

I doubt I'll try it again unless I get in a pinch, but it did work.

 

[Victor N TN]

A friend of mine that was a US Marine / Army National Guard Armorer said they used 308 ball and pulled the projectile, remeasured and weighed the powder charge and replaced it the projectile with a 168 SMK. I never shot any of it. But he said for what it was, it did pretty good.