budget .308 projectiles?

gyppo

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Well, I was hoping to continue to use frontier .308 bullets (17c/bullet) but unfortunately the distributor stopped bringing them in!

I see Budget shooter supply has Hornady FMJ for 22c/bullet and and Mystic Precision has PRVI FMJ for 22.5c/round. I was wondering if anyone has tried both in an M14 and which one works best, I've had decent accuracy out of the Hornady and they are very consistent in weight.

Any other suggestions? I don't need match accuracy, just gong-ringer loads. I also cast bullets, have tried Lee .309 gas checked but not a huge amount of success with that. I've heard that the 155 grain .312 bullet for the 7.62x39 works well. But ideally I'd like to just buy projectiles. I spend enough time on case prep with the .308 as it is!

I'm also looking at using WC-735 from Higginson's, using IMR 4895 right now.

I've also experimented with 100 grain short jacket bullets at 17c/bullet. I've been getting around 5" at 100m with them off a crappy rest, not too bad but they are so short that I can't seat them with my Lee die, have to do it with a vise. PITA.

I'll consider Berry's 30-30 FP bullets but they are limited to 1700 fps :(

B
 
I use the Hornady 150gr FMJ in front of 41.5gr of WC735. My M-14 shorty will do 2 to 3 inches at 90yds consistently off a rest, and taking my time. Most of the time though, I use it for blasting away at gongs.;)
 
Being shooting the cheap China 7.62x51 from CanAmmo at 520 for $260 so 50c a pop. Getting an inch group at 50, 2" at 100yd of 305 shorty. Close to reloading price.
 
There have been plenty of people claim to use the M1 Carbine bullets in their M14s. The velocity is low and the precision is apparently lousy though. It makes you wonder if the light powder load and light bullet is really messing up the harmonics of the rifle.

Budget Shooting Supply also has the Hornady Short Jacket bullets. They're supposed to be god to go with higher velocity. I suspect a more precision loading could be developed with those if you can play with higher powder charges.

As for WC-735 in your M14, you should be good to go.
 

I have phoned Marstar, they are discontinuing them and replacing them with Berry's bullets. Same for Higginson. Cost of bringing in large shipments from South Africa was too high. But like I said, Berry's sounds like they use a thinner coating, because the frontier game ranger coating was THICK. Cannot imagine the rifling stripping it.

I was actually hoping to try the frontier .30 carbine bullets since there is no velocity limit suggested by their website and Higginson staff weren't aware of one either. They could be had for $89 or so for 1000.... :( that would have allowed me to reload .308 for under 30c/round!

ahlsy: It sounds like your formula might be the winner for me :)

On another note, any of you guys using WC-735 also use it in .45-70? H322 and 335 seem popular in that caliber, seems like the surplus stuff could work. I could get 2 birds with one stone, order 21 lbs and have one powder for both my reloading calibers.

B
 
I use wc735, I posted some chrony info in the main battle rifle forum in a thread to do with m14 reloads... Have tried it with 147/150/168gr bullets


Oops only for .308 not 45/70
 
I have got a 1.25" 5 shot group @ 100 yards with the PRVI 150 grainers in my M14 with the gas turned off. The first four shots where one vertical hole then I sh@t the bed on shot #5. I could have been under MOA. :mad: Next time I order the PRVI's I'll be getting 1K.

40.5 is grains of IMR 4895. I need to turn up the heat and find another node.

M14group.jpg
 
check here

ht tp://higginsonpowders.com/images/Hornady_2012.pdf

Hornady 150 grs FMJ Bullets, $21.59 /100
doesn't get much better.
 
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