Reloading FNM Portugese 308

HKfan

HKfan

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A while back I came across a 200 round tin of FNM 1993 headstamp Portugese 7.62x51 in 100 round M60 linked belts very cheaply.

Today I took about 40 rounds to the range and was quite unhappy with the groupings at 100m (4"+). I didn't expect much from milsurp ammo, but I am keen to pull the rounds and reload using the same powder since I am assuming that most of the inconsistency comes from powder charge, and it will make great cheap shooting ammo if I can get it shooting consistently.

Has anyone done this, and if so could you recommend a load? Although this is a long shot, does anyone know what the powder it contains would be equivalent to here in Canada?
 
HKfan said:
...and reload using the same powder since I am assuming that most of the inconsistency comes from powder charge, and it will make great cheap shooting ammo if I can get it shooting consistently.
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Pull 10, find out the average load, then reload the 10 and see if that changes anything for the better. If not, pull another 10 and substitute with a published load of a commercial powder. If that changes nothing you could salvage the bullets and powder, just the bullets, or just shoot the darn stuff.
 
Thanks Andy and McVillan

I am going to pull a couple in the next few days and see what the variation in powder charge is. I plan to then drop it 1 grain or so using the same powder and replacing the projectile. Yes it is berdan primed but I will reuse the cases as they have not been fired.

Thanks for your advice, and I will let you know how it goes. :)
 
"...using the same powder..." Not a good idea. You have no idea what powder it is. Your rifle, whatever it is, just doesn't like the ammo. Not that there's anything wrong with it.
 
sunray said:
"...using the same powder..." Not a good idea. You have no idea what powder it is. Your rifle, whatever it is, just doesn't like the ammo. Not that there's anything wrong with it.
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Could you explain why. I will be dropping the charge by around one grain.

I have found that the powder in these cases varies by around 2-3 grains. So I am assuming that taking out the powder and replacing it with the same amount of powder in each case will increase consistency.

I am not doubting you at all, but just wondering what your reasons for saying so are.
 
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Well - I would suspect that it is the bullets that are limiting accuracy, moreso than the powder. (Cheap bullets are dimensionally challenged - obround, undersize, varying mass, etc) Use the existing powder, weighed to a more consistent charge, and slap in some Hornady SP's. As you are changing components, back off the charge a few grains, and work your way up... You'll end up "tuning" the load in this manner.
 
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cosmic said:
Well - I would suspect that it is the bullets that are limiting accuracy, moreso than the powder. (Cheap bullets are dimensionally challenged - obround, undersize, varying mass, etc) Use the existing powder, weighed to a more consistent charge, and slap in some Hornady SP's - tell us what happens.
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X2
Relpace the bullet with a good commercial bullet. I make Mexican Match this way. Stay within the same bullet weight, or you will have to figure out the burning rate of the powder and work out a load from scratch.
 
Ah yes I see what you were saying.

I had wondered about the projectiles but I guessed (stupidly it seems) that powder would be more telling.

I intend to reload some and shoot them next weekend (busy this weekend). Maybe I should pull and reload 10 or so, and then pull and reload using some Sierra projectiles that a friend has and compare the groups. I will let you know!
 
To put this into perspective, Portuguese surplus is not, and cannot be made into Match Ammo without more effort and cost than starting from "raw" components - and then you are left with Berdan-primed brass you are unlikely to reload. Pulling powder and "re-allocating" it costs nothing, and can help a wee bit, if you don't mind the effort, but once you start using different powder, and/or bullets you have lost the point.

The idea behind surplus ammo is CHEAP, not accurate shooting.
 
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Mucking about with unknown powders is an unsafe practice. You don't know what powder it is and there's no way of finding out. It's like playing with cannon fuse of an unknown burn rate. Not as drastic results, but unsafe just the same.
 
sunray said:
Mucking about with unknown powders is an unsafe practice. You don't know what powder it is and there's no way of finding out. It's like playing with cannon fuse of an unknown burn rate. Not as drastic results, but unsafe just the same.
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A bit dramatic there. This is not an "unknown" powder. It's surplus powder from 308 Portuguese, and known to be safe in the quantities found in the cartridges. All that is being suggested is that the amount be made more consistent - up or down a grain or at most two.

Guys salvage and re-use powder all the time. I have a bunch of the Marstar Reloader's Special http://www.marstar.ca/ammo/792x63mm.htm and have used it in everything from 243 Win to 375 H&H. I knew what it was designed for (8mm bore size, 73gr cartridge capacity, 218 gr bullet, 2500 fps, 55K psi), and was able to discern that its burn rate was between Varget and H380, and went from there.

Now if I was handed a bag of truly "unknown" powder, it would become compost......
 
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