Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

KPK

KPK

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 2, 2009
1,106
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40
Oklahoma
#1
Just wondering about this. I'm getting one built soon and wouldn't mind shooting some of the Winchester 7.62x51 Nato, cheap stuff, but I want to know if it will "hurt" anything? I don't see how it could, but thought I'd do a quick poll and see what you guys do. I know if kind of defeats the purpose, but for general plinking will it matter???

Also if you don't mind explain why or why not...
 
#3
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Can you reload that Winchester Nato ammo? I've heard the primers are crimped, but you can fix that...
 
#5
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Match only... Or my reloads which are better than Match. I have a problem with MOA+ accuracy. I think it's a waste of your components, wear and tear on your rifle and time if your rounds don't go where you aim them.
 
#6
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Well if I can find a <moa cheap round wouldn't that be more cost/practice prohibitive? The cheaper I can get ammo w/less work (wife and kids) the more time I can go out and shoot. Will it hurt the rifle in any way? If I can't get <moa then I will just reload, but something that would shoot 3/4" wouldn't be bad to me...
 
#7
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

I have no problem shooting cheap FMJ and steel cased ammunition through my semi-autos, but after trying them once or twice in the AI you realize how much better it is to shoot quality ammo in a precision rifle. 2 MOA or more is fine for playing around with carbines, but a waste of time to me out of a bolt-action.

If you just want to plink and make noise, then great. Otherwise, get something decent. I can't stand shooting poor ammo and wondering if a miss was due to my own mistake or just crappy projectiles and inconsistent powder loads.
 
#8
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Im assuming bolt gun because of the thread, the cheapest i go is the Priv Partisans 168 or 175, still a inch in my old gun and the brass wasnt that bad
 
#9
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

The other MAJOR problem you may have with running cheap, 7.62x51 surplus stuff through a precision rifle is how you have your barrel chambered. You may not be able to chamber some surplus in a tighter match chamber (again...not all surplus was created equally). Aside from that issue, while you CAN shoot 7.62NATO surplus in a .308 Win chambered rifle (NOT vice versa), your accuracy results are likely to be pretty poor and for 99.9% of people shooting precision bolt guns...unacceptable. Military surplus ammo (aside from stuff like M118LR type match ammo) isn't designed for precision fire. If you can achieve better than 2MOA or so with any surplus crap, you will be doing well for yourself.

The best bet is to spend the money up front and get quality ammunition. I understand how the wife/family can put constraints on money and time, but you will be better served shooting 200 rounds of quality, match ammo versus 500 rounds of cheap surplus that just won't perform adequately. Your only alternative to that is to reload, but considering the time involved to reload any decent quantity of match ammo, it sounds at this point as if you'd better better spending money on quality ammo and spending the time you save by not reloading at the range shooting.
 
#10
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

hmmm with 150gr crap wolf ammo, a dpms ap4 with an AAC cyclone II on it I have no problem shooting off a bag and coming in close to 1-1.5 moa at 100 yards.

Sometimes for the application the crap ammo is just fine.

Out of a my precision stick I'm going to stick with quality ammo though.
 
#11
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Thanks for the info guys. Let me say that when I say cheap I'm meaning the wal-mart federal 150g stuff for $14 per box. I don't know about wolf in my nice rifle!
 
#12
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KPK</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the info guys. Let me say that when I say cheap I'm meaning the wal-mart federal 150g stuff for $14 per box. I don't know about wolf in my nice rifle! </div></div>

That's the stuff i shoot with mostly. But I will admit right off the bat I do not expect too much accuracy with it, and since I am a marginal shooter it seems to work well
wink.gif


It is a great help for getting used to the trigger on the gun, and working on my positioning. BUT if i were looking for consistent sub-moa, I'd spend the extra money for a more consistent round.

emailLogo.jpg
 
#13
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

I havent shot factory match or cheap crap surplus since I learned to load for my rifles and pistols. Dunno about USA but here in UK we can always load cheaper than we can buy and better more accurate rds too.
 
#14
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pilotguy299</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KPK</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the info guys. Let me say that when I say cheap I'm meaning the wal-mart federal 150g stuff for $14 per box. I don't know about wolf in my nice rifle! </div></div>

That's the stuff i shoot with mostly. But I will admit right off the bat I do not expect too much accuracy with it, and since I am a marginal shooter it seems to work well
wink.gif


It is a great help for getting used to the trigger on the gun, and working on my positioning. BUT if i were looking for consistent sub-moa, I'd spend the extra money for a more consistent round.

emailLogo.jpg
</div></div>

If youre spending $14 a box on ammo from walmart. I'd recommend spending an extra dollar and get some american eagle m1a 168 gr otm. Not quite as good as FGMM for me, but still sub moa.

http://www.palmettostatearmory.com/1599.php
 
#16
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Okay, let's put this another way...

I assume that you are spending a fair amount of money on this new rifle that you are having built soon (after all...nothing custom is ever cheap). Why then do you want to pay good money for a quality rifle and shoot crap ammo through it that won't perform to the level that the rifle is capable of performing?

I mean its like buying a Porsche or Ferrari and putting 87 Octane gas in it. Yes...it'll work albeit not very well...not the way it was designed...and you may end up f-ing it up if you run the cheap stuff through it regularly. Same thing for precision, custom-built rifles and shitty ammo.

The simple fact is that you will NOT find sub-MOA capable ammo for a precision rifle that will cost you what you want to spend (i.e. - $14/box or $0.70/round).

If you want to go cheap on ammo, you would be better off to save money on the "build" front and buy a rack-grade Remington 700 SPS Tactical (or similar model) or a Savage of similar build and shoot that if you just plan on shooting the cheap stuff through it. It will give you a decent enough rifle to train on without breaking the bank on a custom build or the expense of high quality, match ammo.

Now, if you want to spend a little more money on decent ammo, but you still don't want to spend the money you'll have to spend on something like FGMM, BH, or something like the new offerings from Mike at SW Ammunition, then there is always the American Eagle 168gr OTM stuff which can be had for around $0.80/round delivered to your door (still roughly $0.20/round cheaper than the FGMM). Depending on your rifle and whether it likes the AE 168gr stuff, it is certainly MOA capable ammo (and maybe slightly better). Not as cheap as you'd like...but one hell of a lot better than the Wally World crap.
 
#17
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Thanks ORD, and I agree. I'm just wondering if I felt like blasting some 10" steel at a couple hundred, etc. if it would hurt.

Where can you get FGMM for $20/box? I'll do that all day over cheaper!
 
#18
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

At $14 a box I would suck it up and by ammo from Southwest here on the hide $200 for 200 rds of 175 match.....No brainer.I did shoot some LC ball and a few others just to see how it shot and get some dope but that was the extent of it.Far accurate shooting cheap ammo is very frustrating you dont know if it's you the gun or the ammo thats blowing it.
 
#19
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KPK</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Where can you get FGMM for $20/box? I'll do that all day over cheaper! </div></div>

There have been links posted to sales over the last month or so. Check with AmmunitionToGo.com, Palmetto State Armory, etc. Here is one link:

http://palmettostatearmory.com/1120.php

Be sure when you look at online prices that you factor in S&H. The stuff from Palmetto works out to around $19.50/20 shipped.
 
#20
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

one shot one hit. no other way to do it. your cheating yourself if your shooting the cheap stuff.

now if your training with your .223 semi-auto rifle and your just trying to hit man sized targets at 200 yards and in then cheap ammo it up!
 
#21
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ORD</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KPK</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Where can you get FGMM for $20/box? I'll do that all day over cheaper! </div></div>

There have been links posted to sales over the last month or so. Check with AmmunitionToGo.com, Palmetto State Armory, etc. Here is one link:

http://palmettostatearmory.com/1120.php

Be sure when you look at online prices that you factor in S&H. The stuff from Palmetto works out to around $19.50/20 shipped. </div></div>

yeah i picked up a few boxes at 25 bucks a box at my local gun store. if i continue to buy them theyll get cheaper im sure.
 
#23
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Well hell boys that's awesome! At $5 more per box I can do that all day. Midway has it for like $24 per box plus shipping that would end up like $10-$12 per box more...

I'm going to order some asap. I still may try some of the cheaper federal for the brass, and just to test, but the FGMM will be my main round looks like!
 
#24
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Only match grade for me - even in my old milsurps.

Using cheap ammo just gets me frustrated and pissed off.

I like ORD's Porsche/Ferrari and low octane analagy - perfect!

If I want to shoot a load of ammo just for the hell of it - I'll use the .22LR (CCI Mini Mags)
 
#25
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Do you guys all have a .308? I don't have one yet, and that was the direction I was going, but the Creedmore looks pretty damn nice with nicely price factory amax ammo. Does everyone need a .308?
 
#28
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

I shot match ammo in my nicer rifles. I have some of rifles that I don't care about groups and round counts I shoot surplus through it. Like my M14
 
#32
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

I figure that every bore has a limited lifespan of xxxx number of shots before the throat is excessively worn or what have you. For this reason, I make every shot count. After all, if you dont care about precisely hitting what you are aiming at, whats the point of shooting at all?

When I was younger, I sprayed rounds out of cheap carbines just to hear the sound and see the carnage. Everything I build now is for precision. Match rounds only.
 
#34
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Cheap ammo only serves to wear out your barrel and won't give you any feedback about your form. You can do everything perfectly with cheap ammo, and still have horrible results downrange. Other than forcing you to clean the rifle, you really haven't accomplished much. ( Unless you need the cleaning practice
laugh.gif
)

In my opinion, quality trumps quantity here.

If it doesn't produce 1/2 MOA, then I don't use it. Is why I reload.

If you just want to play around and don't care about teeny tiny groups, pick up a decent .22lr and have at it.
 
#37
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Just for the heck of it once, I pulled the bullets (inertial hammer puller) from some surplus 7.62 ammo (Brazilian maybe? Stamped "CAVIM 93"; bought 2 ammo cans of the stuff in M-60 belts from a gun show) and only replaced the powder with 43.8 gn RL-15 and re-seated the 147 FMJ bullets, and got consistent 0.5 MOA groups from my PSS (24/1:12). I'd never shoot it in my M-14 (I think it's too hot), but it did great in a bolt gun.

I've still got a few dozen of these I use for fowlers/sighters:

IMAG0353.jpeg
 
#39
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

I reload, so I don't shoot much surplus. But, I do have a half case of the stuff on hand. If I am just banging metal at 200-300 yards for fun with my buddies, I am not going to shoot my best ammo. I'll use my surplus for that. Also, if I happen to bring my rifle to a group shoot and let a few buddies bang away with it at 100 yards ....... no sense in shooting up my best loads there either. But, any other time, I would use my reloads.
 
#40
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

I use surplus to get scope on paper, break in barrels, in my FAl's, G3 and once in a while in the AR10. Mostly in my precision rifles I only shoot match reloads.
 
#41
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

If your just buying a run of the mill gun which is not capable of sub moa, than sure the surplus will fit your fancy. Otherwise, maximize the capability of the tools at your disposal. I guess a good question is why would you pay for all of the components of a precision rifle and then shoot garbage ammo out of it? It would be like buying a corvette and then dropping a 4 cylinder into it.
 
#42
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

Only match ammo for anything but the AK.
We shoot long range...so, probably 'nuff said there. Match grade handloads only when shooting 600-1000.

It's hard enough to hit the steel as it is without using inaccurate, cheap ammo!

Keep in mind you're on "Sniper's Hide"...a precision shooting forum. Not many "plinkers" around here...
 
#44
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

I will shoot 147gr fmj south African mil comes in sealed battle packs. Some of it is almost 30 years old but I inspect eac round thoroughly and have never had a single problem. Now, keep in mind I will only use this surplus ammo to shoot steel targets out of my armalite ar-10a2 carbine with heavy barrel. The only issue is that it shoots pretty dirty. I can get 2 moa out of it.

Now for my DMR 20in 309 lwrc I only shoot southwest ammunitions 175gr smk with lapua brass that is brand new. Accuracy is sub moa but it ain't cheap.
 
#47
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

If I had the time to reload I would....it really should be my next hobby since I shoot so much...it would save me a ton of money. At this point, I just try to police up my good once fired .308 Lapua brass and sell it. You can actually get decent money for that stuff.
 
#48
Re: Poll: Do you shoot cheap/fmj/surplus .308 ammo???

I do desert shooting and let other people shoot my stuff when we get out. If were just out plinking 100-200 yards shooting tannerite or we also like to shoot milk jugs full of water you know fun reactive targets then I have no problem shooting FMJ. I do for the most part shoot match ammo when I shoot the gun though, but occasionally I run some magtech winchester or similar stuff 150gr ball ammo. The reason why I normally shoot match is its more accurate obviously but I see nothing wrong with cheap stuff for plinking.
 
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