Suggestions requested for .30 cal bullets for cheaper target practice

S

sure as shootin

Regular
Rating - 100%
23   0   0
I do quite a bit of shooting with my .308 in the spring and summer up behind my cabin at a little range I set up and I'm getting close to running out of bullets for it. I've developed a great load for hunting using TTSX, but there's no way at a buck a bullet I'm going to be shooting off hundreds upon hundreds of rounds with it each year. Almost a year ago to the day I picked up 4 boxes of 150 gr. Hornady Interbonds that a guy got when he bought the kit which he sold to me for $20 a box/per 100. I developed a load that has almost the same POI as the TTSX so I can practice shooting from all kinds of rests as you would need to do while hunting or just on paper from a bench. Unfortunately, I know I won't find a deal like that again.

This ammo is all but gone so I know I'll need to find other projectiles. Just wondering what would be a good choice,,,maybe something a guy could buy in bulk. It doesn't have to be hunting worthy,,,, CHEAP is the key word here. Any suggestions? I'm trying to keep these rounds down to as close to 60-70 cents a round as possible. Maybe FMJ ,,,,but just how accurate are these bullets?

Cheers!
 
I have tried the 150 grain fmjbt from hornady out of my bolt gun. With minimal load workup i found a couple loads that were minute of gong that i would keep as cheap plinking loads when i don't feel like burning through my more expensive rounds. Campro makes a 147 grain, cant comment on accuracy but they are cheap
 
Any reloading manual will tell you how much powder and what bullet to use with that combination and load. Until you get same components as stated in the manual, don't expect same velocity and results stated in there. This brings in my point, you have to get Cheap bullets, cheap powder and cheap primers, to make cheap ammo. How much cheap can you get when all components of your ammo have to be of special quality? In 308 you can't cut corners. So when you have cheap bullets you will not get same or near accurate load as you get with factory ammo.
In other words. Buy components and load some rounds and shoot them through your rifle. If ok load more if not change components. No way of really predicting your rifle's performance, only trial and error.
 
I suggest saving the premium bonded/solid coppers for hunting and not plinking next time lol.
$30/100 is about the cheapest you can get these days, check Xreload and Higginsons. The Hornady 150gr FMJ shoot as good as match bullets in most of my rifles.
 
Cheapest commercial bullets would be the 147 or 150 FMJ.
Budget Shooter Supply sells them. I found the Hornady to be ok.

But, the Hornady 150 soft point would be more accurate. I don't know how big a price there is, but I find the soft point a MOA bullet.

Another bullet that is cheap and so accurate it is used for short range target shooting is the Sierra 125 SP.

You did not mention how long your range is. If you are practising different positions of off hand shooting, for hunting practice, you could shoot cast bullets at 50 yards. I buy DRG brand cast, gas checked 165 gr bullets for about $50/500. I suggest loading them with a shotgun powder like 700X, Red Dot or Unique. 10 to 15 grains.
 
Ganderite said:
Cheapest commercial bullets would be the 147 or 150 FMJ.
Budget Shooter Supply sells them. I found the Hornady to be ok.

But, the Hornady 150 soft point would be more accurate. I don't know how big a price there is, but I find the soft point a MOA bullet.

Another bullet that is cheap and so accurate it is used for short range target shooting is the Sierra 125 SP.

You did not mention how long your range is. If you are practising different positions of off hand shooting, for hunting practice, you could shoot cast bullets at 50 yards. I buy DRG brand cast, gas checked 165 gr bullets for about $50/500. I suggest loading them with a shotgun powder like 700X, Red Dot or Unique. 10 to 15 grains.
Click to expand...

Where are you getting the DRG cast bullets from? Thanks.
 
It seemed not that many years ago I could buy 100 hornandy 30 cal bullets for around $30. I found that prices have creeped a lot higher to make it just too expensive for informal target practice. Several years ago I bought some ready made 30 lead bullets to try. Since then I have cast my own bullets for a lot of different rifles. A basic "big dipper " kit from Lyman will cost around $100 bucks and a mold from $50 -$100. There is other things like Lubrizers and such but the fact is that one can reload a gas checked lead bullet for a all in cost of less than .25 cents per round. One load 30/06 load that I make for my M1 uses 4895 powder cost me that all in. If I am just using a shorter range plain based bullet and Unique or Red dot the cost is around .12 cents. Have a look at a Lyman Cast load book or go to the Cast bollits website.
 
I would try Cam-Pro FMJs. They are the least expensive .30 calibre jacketed bullet available.

If you want to build reduced plinking loads there are a few lower cost options: Berry's 110 or 150 grain plated bullets or cast bullets. Combined with a small charge of pistol or shotgun powder, you will save quite a bit over even the least expensive full-power loads.
 
Slamfire said:
Might consider Norinco 308 FMJ ammo in bulk. About 50 cents per round. Can't hand load for that price.
Click to expand...

Yup that is cheaper than reloading

147 FMJ CanPro $0.28
CCI 200 0.05
Varget (45 grn) 0.30
Brass (range PU) 0.00
Total $0.63

You care to share a link to the seller, thanks.
 
I buy 7.62x39 surplus ammo and pull the bullets and powder for plinking with a couple of .30cal rifles. The LOT of Chinese surplus I have now shoots MOA in my 308 Hog Hunter with 36.3gr under the 127gr bullet. Getting very good accuracy in a sportered MAS36 as well with 36.6gr of the same powder and bullet. Including CCI-250 primers, cost = $.37 per round


-edit-

Powder pulled from three x39 rounds yields enough powder to load two rounds for above mentioned rifles.
 
Last edited:
RMacD said:
147 FMJ CanPro $0.28
CCI 200 0.05
Varget (45 grn) 0.30
Brass (range PU) 0.00
Total $0.63
Click to expand...

I could certainly live with this,,,, although for the price I paid for my Varget ($45 per lb.), it may work out to be a little more. That being said, I did get a couple of pounds of Win 748 for the same price as my one pound of Varget from a guy so I'll likely use that instead. That will certainly bring the price down some.

Edit to add: Just did the math ,,,,it does work out to 30 cents per round with Varget at the price I got mine for, so if I use Win 748 powder, it will be 15 cents per round.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom