Cheap 308 Reloads

I am looking at loading some cheap blasting ammo for my 308's.
The rounds need to be reasonably accurate, mosting being used to put holes in targets, knocking down steel and mayby poping an odd goat or ten.

It does not look like its worth while loading it. It looks like buying it, at least initially to get the empty case may be cheaper.
Using a $0.45 projectile and excluding the cost of once fireded cases I can reload for about $0.90 per shot.
From Aoraki Ammunition, I can buy PMC for $0.99 per round, less if I buy in bulk.

So what do you guys do / buy?
Thinking I will just buy a heap of PMC.
Thanks for your help.

See what PMC goes like in your 308. I tried some of their 223 and the T3 didn't like it at all.

Yeah, What Steve said. If you own more than one centerfire then its worth it to reload in the long run. Not all that bulk ammo shoots well in rifles.

It's a hassle as each rifle has their favourite ammo, but American eagle and the 47 gn white box winchester stuff goes ok in most. It's fun finding out what shoots the best in a rifle but gets expensive and you have lot's of half full ammo packets in the lock up.

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Originally Posted by Steve123

It's a hassle as each rifle has their favourite ammo, but American eagle and the 47 gn white box winchester stuff goes ok in most. It's fun finding out what shoots the best in a rifle but gets expensive and you have lot's of half full ammo packets in the lock up.

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aint that the truth, its gets worse the more calibres you have as well

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Originally Posted by 223nut

aint that the truth, its gets worse the more calibres you have as well

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I have a geriatric 30 06 that can't seem to make up its mind. Normally goes well on corelokt but now seems to go well on Whitetail. I'm trying to hold off re-barrelling it but have a spare unfired repro one sitting in the safe. Hell I even have ammo I don't have a rifle for.

The speer 130gr hp generally shoots very well and is also well suited to goat sized game, down side is the hollow point can give feeding problems in some rifles at some lengths.

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Originally Posted by Steve123

It's a hassle as each rifle has their favourite ammo, but American eagle and the 47 gn white box winchester stuff goes ok in most. It's fun finding out what shoots the best in a rifle but gets expensive and you have lot's of half full ammo packets in the lock up.

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When I bought my .223 I decided to only use factory ammo so tried 4 of those 50 round packets you can buy from different gun shops, $230 later my rifle shot them all like a bucket of shit, ended up buying the dies, powder and projectiles for $200, Still have the factory ammo in the back of the safe.

Yet to meet a 308 that doesnt like this ammo.

.308 WIN 130gr Hollow Point (Speer Projectile) – 20 rounds | Belmont Ammunition

Then you have nice reloadable brass.

According to speer site thats "Varmint" ammo?

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Yet to meet a 308 that doesnt like this ammo.

.308 WIN 130gr Hollow Point (Speer Projectile) – 20 rounds | Belmont Ammunition

Then you have nice reloadable brass.

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I'd like to try it but can't find a stockist up here. Next time I'm near the Tron I'll have yo pick some up. What's it expand like?

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Originally Posted by Steve123

I'd like to try it but can't find a stockist up here. Next time I'm near the Tron I'll have yo pick some up. What's it expand like?

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Violently !

They used to do mail order?

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Originally Posted by Timmay

According to speer site thats "Varmint" ammo?

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yep, works very well on goat-fallow sized varmints as long as you are not trying to shoot them up the arse.

I have a recovered one here somewhere from a small yearling red threw both shoulders at around 250y just under skin tho probably not the best bullet for big Reds.

For the past year I have been buying the Winchester white box 147 FMJ on special at H&F and some other shops. $100 per 100.
It's brand new ammo with a nice shiny brass case and shoots better than steel-cased Barnaul in my rifles.

308 ammo Barnaul worked well in one of my rifles but the other prefers Sellior and Bellot. Barnaul was from this guy BARNAUL - Home and he has 140gr SP at $105 per 100, and 168grSP at $115. If your rifle likes it so be it, if not it is still fun sending them down range.....

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Originally Posted by rockland

For the past year I have been buying the Winchester white box 147 FMJ on special at H&F and some other shops. $100 per 100.
It's brand new ammo with a nice shiny brass case and shoots better than steel-cased Barnaul in my rifles.

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Sounds like a good plan, at least until I get a decent supply of brass built up.
Even then saving about $0.10 cents a shot by reloading that brass still doesn’t spin my wheels.

It's not always about saving money - some times it is like in my 7mmremmag, 20 rounds at HnF is $104.00 where as I can reload that for $ 1.80 a shot - it's more about consistency and having a load perfect for your weapon.

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Originally Posted by Timmay

It's not always about saving money - some times it is like in my 7mmremmag, 20 rounds at HnF is $104.00 where as I can reload that for $ 1.80 a shot - it's more about consistency and having a load perfect for your rifle.

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Please.

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Originally Posted by madjon_

Please.

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I just find the best factory load. You can have great bench groups but off hand , packs, trees or rocks is what counts

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Originally Posted by Simon

Sounds like a good plan, at least until I get a decent supply of brass built up.
Even then saving about $0.10 cents a shot by reloading that brass still doesn’t spin my wheels.

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The Winchester 308 fmj 147 gr is very good ammo. Have a feeling it is actually NATO ammo, seems quite hot. Have not tried any hunting but would go ok if used in right situations. 1$ a pop is why shooting 308 is so!
I would say Winchester & Federal FMJ is around 1 Moa out of accurate rifles and the Barnaul more 1 to 2 Moa but has the advantage of being soft point

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Originally Posted by timattalon

308 ammo Barnaul worked well in one of my rifles but the other prefers Sellior and Bellot. Barnaul was from this guy BARNAUL - Home and he has 140gr SP at $105 per 100, and 168grSP at $115. If your rifle likes it so be it, if not it is still fun sending them down range.....

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And if you decide to reload they do 140gr SP projectiles at $55.90 per 150 (38c each) or $275.65 per 1000 (28c ea)

Like everyone else has said reloading isn't about saving money, it's about getting better quality ammo. You can buy decent stuff loaded with match grade projectiles but then you are up in the $75 a box range and thats just madness.

Buying a whole lot of inaccurate factory ammo (like the PMC) for the brass is valid but only if you want to blast away at not stuff thats not alive.

Sierra match and game kings have always shot well in every 30 cal rifle I have had and are a reasonably priced projectile.

Most of my shooting is at paper and steel at 0-400m.
I can easily go through 100 rounds of 308 in one outing so saving a few bucks starts to mount up.
The cheaper PMC is all sold out.
Looking at some Winchester white box at the moment so I can get a good supply of brass, 500 plus so I dont need to reload a new batch every five minutes.
Anyone shooting Rusa's 308 155gn CMJ's through a 308? If you are, whats your load?
I already shoot them through a 300 blackout with good results.

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Originally Posted by MassiveAttack

Like everyone else has said reloading isn't about saving money, it's about getting better quality ammo. You can buy decent stuff loaded with match grade projectiles but then you are up in the $75 a box range and thats just madness.

Buying a whole lot of inaccurate factory ammo (like the PMC) for the brass is valid but only if you want to blast away at not stuff thats not alive.

Sierra match and game kings have always shot well in every 30 cal rifle I have had and are a reasonably priced projectile.

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Maybe we just got lucky. Barnaul 7.62x54R gives me about a 30mm group at 100m with a Mosin Nagant and my brother gets about a 30mm group at 175m with the 140gr SP Barnaul ammo in his Baikal single shot. My 223 does not like Barnaul at all but that is due to a slow twist that likes lighter projectiles than Barnaul make (35 to 40gr)

At the price they charge for Barnaul it is certainly worth trying. I know quite a few people who use it and it performs very well. I also know a few that their rifles do not like it. Either way, I use it and it works well.

I think a lot of people expect rifles and ammo to be accurate without practising. If you want your rifle and ammo to perform, then the operator also needs to be up to scratch and this takes practise. All to often this practise does not happen with a centrefire as the ammo costs are too dear so they shoot 5 or 10 rounds sighting it in and expect to never miss. If you start with cheaper ammo and get used to the rifle, in most cases accuracy will improve to a point. I would suspect newer shooters that have experienced poor accuracy and blame the cheap ammo will find that by the time they finish a few packets of cheap stuff, give up and buy dearer stuff will find a good portion of the improvement is actually the fact they have practised, then taken a break and returned fresh with a new brand of ammo and they have performed better rather than the ammo.

I had one person here who I took out to the local range. On his previous trip, he was using Barnaul 308 and was struggling too hit a dinner plate sized target with his set up. He had gone out and bought some new $3 per round ammo to try and I gave him a few pointers on technique. His first group was much better at about 40mm at 100m. The second, even better still at closer to an inch. Without him noticing, I loaded three rounds of the Barnaul in his mag and got him to fire a third group. That third group was the same size as the $3 ammo. He did not believe me so I got him to try again and he repeated it. He now shoots with the Barnaul. And he is practising a lot more.

i got lucky on the weekend took the new 308 out for its maiden voyage tried 4 types of ammo and it all shot the same to nearly the same poi and very similar group sizes pmc s&b rem and win ammo now i cant decide which one to use :(

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Originally Posted by Timmay

Yeah, What Steve said. If you own more than one centerfire then its worth it to reload in the long run. Not all that bulk ammo shoots well in rifles.

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Pmc 223 was poor in my ar15, so get some to try is what I always do

These probably aint that cheap but they are accurate. 165 Nosler ballistic fists doing 2700

Shot yesterday. Adjusted left after top group but went to far :D

Attachment 51452

Another issue with factory ammo is that you can get different batches.
I've seen a box consistently shoot 0.5 MOA and the next box of the same ammo (bought at same time) is 2 MOA.
Frustrating.

My experience is different. After two years shooting factory ammo and two inch groups i finally gave in to the old man's nagging and tried some if his reloads. First five shot group was one ragged hole and i was an instant convert.

A mate had a similar experience with his ar before the recent forum rabbit shoot. He tried all the cheap ammo he could find, all tell inch groups. First group with my reloads was half inch and he was an instant convert.

If your rifle shoots factory ammo ok then you have won the lottery but that's not my experience.

If your a reloader and want really cheap then consider cast bullets.

I have seen some accurate loads and they are reloaded for bugger all.

Just an option.