Question about M118 7.62x51 ammo

[EchoDeltaSierra]

Do any of you run M118 ammo in your gas guns? If so, how good of results do you get and what would you pay, per round? I'm in need of a bulk of match grade ammo and have access to a few 500 rounds boxes of this, if it's worth it.

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

I just received a few boxes of XM118LR BTHP 175g match for my P308. Will test this week. Paid $26.95 per box of 20

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[BCP]

Do any of you run M118 ammo in your gas guns? If so, how good of results do you get and what would you pay, per round? I'm in need of a bulk of match grade ammo and have access to a few 500 rounds boxes of this, if it's worth it.

Thanks.

A buck a round would be a good deal for m118LR.

The stuff I had was hot but shot fine in my M1A and AR.

 

[judgedelta]

Note: The OP specified M 118. Did not mention M 118LR. There is some difference...

 

[BCP]

Note: The OP specified M 118. Did not mention M 118LR. There is some difference...

...m118 hasn't been made in like 40 years so I'm assuming he means the newer LR round which is available in bulk all over the place...

 

[Oleshep]

I have some M118(not M118LR) that I bought from Sportsmans Warehouse. It is either Serbian or some other POS manufacturer. Either way the cases are sized all over the place and they will not cycle in my Match Grade Fulton AR10.. They will run in my M1A so YMMV.....

 

[bigmatt17073]

The CMP E-store sells the M118LR 240 rounds in an ammo can for $275+$15 shipping.

 

[donws2]

M118 has a 173 grain Full Metal Clad Boat tail bullet. State of the art in the 1930's when it was designed for the 1903 rifle and became the 30-06 M1 Ball round. When replaced for combat use by the 150 grain M2 round the M1 round was later developed, newer powders and better quality control, into the M72 Match round. The same 173 bullet was then used in "Special Ball", "Match" and "National Match" M118 ammo in late 50's and 60's. I never saw a round of National Match of Match M118 while shooting NM M14's for a GA Nat'l Guard Team as they had stopped production some time in early 70's as I under stand it and was replaced by the (Mexi-Match M118) M118 with the 173 bullet replaced with the SMK 168. It was common for shooters to pull the 173 bullet and replace with the SMK 168 bullet. This proved to be so much better than the standard M118 from 300 to 600 yards that Lake City only made Match ammo with the 168 starting in the 70s. Problem was the 168 SMK had a bad habit of flipping over at about 800 yards and coming in backwards at 1000 yard matches. We used M118 and guns with GI Match SAK barrels for 1000 yards matches as they just produced better groups than M852 would most of the time. During the first Gulf war someone got the idea that open tipped bullets not made for expansion would be OK for combat and that led to the use and adoption of the M118LR round. Confusing even to those of us that had used all three types of ammo. The M118LR has nothing in common with the parent M118 but the case. Most shooters that have been around a 7.62/308 rifle long enough know most of this but thought I'd share for the new guys that have not had the pleasure of growing grey with the 7.62 NATO round. And by the way there could be a whole book written of the history of all this, I only scratched the surface here.

 

[EchoDeltaSierra]

Great info donws2. Thanks for taking the time to post that reply. Also, I did mean M118LR.

 

[02Overlander]

M118LR runs well in my SR25 LWM. Average of 1 MOA @ 100 but both the rifle & ammo are capable of better when I do my part.

 

[dexter]

M118 LR in my Custom AR-10

Do any of you run M118 ammo in your gas guns? If so, how good of results do you get and what would you pay, per round? I'm in need of a bulk of match grade ammo and have access to a few 500 rounds boxes of this, if it's worth it.

Thanks.

I tried M118 LR in my custom Armalite AR-10 (24" Kreiger Barrel, Match Trigger, Nightforce Optics) at the Manatee Gun Club out to 1000 yards with consistent 7 of 10 "steady fire" hits on the 10" Gong. I'd say that was pretty good for a gas gun.

As a test, I compared to Black Hills ammunition on the Chrony and discovered it to be as good!

Performance was very similar. Average Black Hills 175 SMK was 2669 fps Average with a Deviation of 4.36. The M118 LR was 2637 fps Average with a Deviation of 5.57. Very similar performance!

I have seen M118 LR bulk going for as low as $400 for 500 rds. At that price it is hard to beat!

Interestingly, I tried the same test with my Accuracy International bolt gun. Black Hills measured 2611 fps Average with a Deviation of 12.77. The M118 LR measured 2633 fps Average with a Deviation of 7.02. In this scenario the M118 LR shot even better than the Black Hills.

I've been buying it up whenever I see it bulk for under $500/500 rds ($1.00 per Round)

 

[az-bred]

I pick up 500rds of m118 LR for $600 from unammo.com they usually have a pallet of it. Crazy how a few years ago thou it was only $360 for 500rds.
Good ammo

 

[Sterling Shooter]

As a sidebar, all of my experience with M118LR has been with pre production lot A, back in the late 90's. Without any doubt, this is the most accurate factory loaded ammunition I have shot to date. I, in fact, used it to get my HM LR card from an iron sight 308 bolt gun since I could not hand load for a better SD or ES.