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just ordered some 308/7.62 ammo from the Estore at the CMP site and should be good stuff, the Lake City 118 type ammo. I think this is the sniper ammo?? Or is it the long range stuff?? Anyway, the price is right, so get it now while you can.:madsmile:
I wish that they had some of the brass that they used to have years ago. That's what I should have been buying.
Danny
I see Federal .308 but no surplus M-118. Did they sell out, or is it the Federal you're asking about? thanks,,,,
you can get really nice brass, 7.62 . Long Range marked, once fired, clean and nice at Bartlett's shooting supply. Jeff Bartlett.
I'm misunderstanding something, CMP's ammo prices have never been anything other than high for commercial ammo, including the 5K case of 22LR Aquila Golden Eagle I bought awhile back.
I bought a sizable amount of the M118LR back about 05 when it was priced appropriately, less than FGMM but better brass for reloading. The FGMM at $0.75/$0.85 per round is pretty sad, but the other prices are out there.
Please, if you reload at all, don't assume you can't assemble MUCH better ammo than you can buy. For a period in the early 00's you really couldn't justify reloading 308 or 3006 for punching paper at less than match accuracy - that time is gone and past, you'd have to be crazy to spend $0.50/rd on berdan 762 NATO with FMJ bullets when you can assemble your own MATCH grade ammo for the same cost.
Regards,
Brian in CA
Hey Brian: thanks for the post and now you can inform us about the match loads in 7.62, what bullet and powder do you make up for the match loads that are the best or at least the same as the ammo from the surplus M118 at CMP? thanks,:madsmile::madsmile:
CMP had limited LC and it sold out fast.
What did they sell it for?
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what bullet and powder do you make up for the match loads
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Sorry duggaboy, never got a notice this thread updated. Nosler Competition 168 gr BTHP/Winchester virgin cases/46.0 gr Varget/Winchester Large Rifle/COAL appropriate for your particular rifle = .5 MOA 5 shot groups at 200 yards in my Savage FP10-LE1A.
Regards,
Brian in CA
M118 is national match ammo. The early white box ammo had special non-crimped primer pockets and NM marked brass. The late version had the same bullet and powder charge, but was in crimped primer pocket cases that were not marked NM. They both have 173 grain boat tail bullets and are loaded to the same velocity. I suppose you could call it sniper ammo. The brown box designation is "special ball".
46gr of Varget? Just a tough hot in a 7.62mm. Actually, I load 45gr of Varget in my .30-'06 match ammo, same bullet.
In Townsend Whelen's book MISTER RIFLEMAN, he gives the standard Army MTU 7.62 match load as a 168 gr. SMK plus 39 grains of IMR 3031. This is still a great load although the larger grains of 3031 are not the best for most powder throwers. You can go to 37 gr. with 180 SMKs for long range.
A little history about the various 7.62x51 match ammo. The original M118 had a 174gr FMJBT bullet and the brass was not crimped and was marked either "Match" or "NM". The M118 Special Ball ammo used the same bullet, but used standard (not Match brass) crimped LC brass. M852 Match used LC Match noncrimped brass with a cannelure around the web area of the brass, and used the 168gr Sierra MatchKing bullet. The final M118 round, and one that is still in use, is the M118LR round which uses a noncrimped Match case that is marked "LR" (Long Range), and the 175gr Sierra MatchKing bullet.Quote:
Originally Posted by musketshooter
Don
I thought we used Match ammo for snipers. Is a HPBT Geneva Convention legal (ne'er mind the Russian 7Ni bullets...)? Or are they using these HPBTs in theatre?
My understanding is Match ammunition is being issued in combat today. It is not dum-dum ammo and is not designed to break up. It is Match ammo. The British used .303 in WWII that had a hollow tip, but fully covered by the bullet jacket. I understand lots of sniper rifles are .338 Mag.
Just in case anyone wonders... In my college days I tried using 168 SMKs (at the time sold as the "International" bullet) for deer hunting... twice. One opened beautifully on a lung shot with a really (almost too) big exit hole about 6". Another time the jacket separated as the bullet hit the skin. The jacket stayed in the hide and the bullet punched through like an FMJ, with a very modest exit maybe 1 1/2" dia.
Jeff's 7.62mm brass is once-fired, machine gun brass. None of the Long Range brass is shown.Quote:
Originally Posted by duggaboy
MG brass is probably oversized due to the larger MG chambers.
Well there is 3 M118 Lake City loadings, #1 is LC M118 Match its marked both Match and NM and come in white boxes production ended in about 82' when M-852 came into the suply system. #2 is M118SB that aint so special this loading used the same M80 line brass with crimped primer there brown boxed rumer has it M118SB used up the last of the M72pills weights can run from 172-180grs. #3 current M118LR comes in brown boxes the brass is marked LC year LR pill used is the Sierra 175.