What should .223 cost now (Oct 2013)?

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i don't understand either of those statements.

what does steel leave in the chamber that needs cleaning out?
how would brass clean it?

why would you need to clean between shooting steel and brass?

i'm not saying you guys are wrong. I've just never heard this before and can't think of any reason these statements would be true.
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Steel cases don't obturate as good as brass, leaving carbon deposits in the chamber. If you then fire brass, it sticks to the carbon and possible causes as FTExtract.

I normally fire 3-4 full mags of steel case for close range practice and then switch to steel for longer range work. I haven't had a stuck case during several thousand rounds of Wolf, Tula, and Barnaul. But I do use my chamber brush after firing too.

For ammo prices I always check gun-deals.com first.

BSW
 
I do not believe that firing brass case ammo will clean the chamber. I have read people saying they fire some rounds of quality brass case after cheap Russian steel crap, but the reason they give is to try and clean powder/residue/grime etc out of the gas port/gas system.

I firmly believe you do not need to clean the gun (not the bore or chamber or anything) after firing steel case before you fire brass case.
 
briansmith, do you think more carbon is left in the chamber from shooting steel cased as compared to shooting with a suppressor?
 
I won't presume to know the precise reasons why, but it has been observed on enough occasions to warrant concern, that if you shoot brass-case in your AR immediately after shooting-steel case, the chances of the gun sticking the brass cases are high.

Somebody else can do the science.

I'm just sharing anecdote.
 
I won't presume to know the precise reasons why, but it has been observed on enough occasions to warrant concern, that if you shoot brass-case in your AR immediately after shooting-steel case, the chances of the gun sticking the brass cases are high.
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Perhaps instead of my original idea of 5 steel, then 1 brass, you could just alternate 1 steel, 1 brass. That way, hardly anything from the steel case would buildup and then the brass case would clean out what little buildup there was. Just an idea.
 
Why not just shoot, and go from there. Alternating ammo doesn't make a lot of sense. If the ammo you're using doesn't function properly you should use something else. If shooting a bunch of steel causes stuck brass cases because of fouled chambers clean before shooting the brass. Etc.
 
Why not just shoot, and go from there. Alternating ammo doesn't make a lot of sense. If the ammo you're using doesn't function properly you should use something else. If shooting a bunch of steel causes stuck brass cases because of fouled chambers clean before shooting the brass. Etc.
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I guess the main reason is the cost savings of shooting steel while eliminating (?) the supposed disadvantages of shooting steel. If the disadvantages are gone, you get the best of both worlds!
 
Cleaning the chamber real quick is much cheaper than shooting more expensive ammo to clean chamber. And certainly much more effective.
 
Cleaning the chamber real quick is much cheaper than shooting more expensive ammo to clean chamber. And certainly much more effective.
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If what people are saying about steel dirtying it up fast is true, then a range trip would end fast before it needed that quick cleaning. I'm just suggesting a way to shoot steel without having to worry about those cleanings, and also not have to shoot brass exclusively and pay the premium for that. I'm just suggesting a compromise that could work well, and save money and trouble all at once. I was just hoping someone here might have tried that with any success.
 
What other people say about steel doesn't have anything to do with how your gun is going to run with steel. Pretty sure most people run steel with few issues. You haven't even ran a box of ammo through your gun and already trying to figure out some gimmick to a problem that may or may not exist.
 
12Pump said:
Perhaps instead of my original idea of 5 steel, then 1 brass, you could just alternate 1 steel, 1 brass. That way, hardly anything from the steel case would buildup and then the brass case would clean out what little buildup there was. Just an idea.
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Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't your AR round count (actual fired rounds) currently at 0?

I think you need to stop wringing your hands over every little bit of minutia in thread after thread. Just go out and shoot the darn thing.

You keep worrying yourself to death over crap that simply does not matter.

Just go shoot your rifle.
 
What other people say about steel doesn't have anything to do with how your gun is going to run with steel. Pretty sure most people run steel with few issues. You haven't even ran a box of ammo through your gun and already trying to figure out some gimmick to a problem that may or may not exist.
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It's just the laquer buildup (or whatever they put on the outside of the steel cases) that I was attempting to address

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't your AR round count (actual fired rounds) currently at 0?
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No sir! My current round count is 1. But you were close! :) All I had were those 2 rounds I found at a range a long time ago. I fired one, noticed the dent in the primer of the other after it chambered, and then I saved it to photograph for the thread I started last night. Haven't fired it because of all the grief everyone gave me about using found ammo from a range.

I haven't bought any ammo yet, but plan on going shopping at a couple places tomorrow. If I can find something at decent prices, I'll get it. I was considering steel-cased ammo for that reason, but have heard some negatives about it, which is why I started this thread about it.

I'm really not much of a shooter, so I haven't been in a big hurry. But I'll get to it. The local range here that has a public night every Thursday starts it at 6:30pm and it's dark by 7:00, so I don't even know if I'll be able to go again until next Summer.
 
Online prices for brass 223/5.56 is between $.40-.45/round. PSA has 5.56 M193F right now for $8.99/20rds. They've also had the Cases of 1k at $399, and about $440 for XM855 (green tip).

Walmart will have those similar prices, if they are available in your area. I've seen the 1k cases of M855 for $440 but they go quick, and very limited amount. I saw only 2 cases last time I saw them a few weeks ago.

Otherwise, you are looking at around $.50 or more per round locally. Go buy it in bulk at Palmetto state armory's website. That's really the cheapest you can find for brass-cased.
 
In addition, there is not much sense of going with steel-cased ammo unless you are on a really tight budget, and have a quality Milspec AR (Colt, BCM, Daniel Defense, PSA, etc). Any other lower-end rifle may have issues with FTE's (Failure to Eject) and stove pipes.

My recommendation is to always use brass-cased ammo if at all possible. It helps to keep the rifle cleaner and problem-free. Right now they can be found around $.45/rd online for quality ammo.
I didn't see what rifle the OP has, so buy your ammo accordingly. Even if you only shoot 50-60rds per range session with brass ammo, that is better to me than shooting hundreds of rounds of cheap steel ammo. You can also choose to use steel ammo sparingly, or use it a lot if it works in your rifle (just clean after shooting).
Just my 2c..
 
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Just got an e-mail from bulkammo.com, advertising PMC 55gr fmj @ $435 per k.
 
Nearby Wal Mart has Federal 62 gr ammo @ $420.00/1000. They have stacks of this stuff and it doesn't appear to be selling too fast. .22 LR is still somewhat scarce.
 
12Pump said:
It's just the laquer buildup (or whatever they put on the outside of the steel cases) that I was attempting to address



No sir! My current round count is 1. But you were close! :) All I had were those 2 rounds I found at a range a long time ago. I fired one, noticed the dent in the primer of the other after it chambered, and then I saved it to photograph for the thread I started last night. Haven't fired it because of all the grief everyone gave me about using found ammo from a range.

I haven't bought any ammo yet, but plan on going shopping at a couple places tomorrow. If I can find something at decent prices, I'll get it. I was considering steel-cased ammo for that reason, but have heard some negatives about it, which is why I started this thread about it.

I'm really not much of a shooter, so I haven't been in a big hurry. But I'll get to it. The local range here that has a public night every Thursday starts it at 6:30pm and it's dark by 7:00, so I don't even know if I'll be able to go again until next Summer.
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One round? You better let the barrel cool down.
 
At my local WM yesterday; they wanted $12.49 for 20 rd box of Winchester 55 gr plinkin stuff.
No thanks.....
 
@Gidaeon: That link is very informative indeed! I'm only about 2/3 done reading it, and it is full of great info. Thanks for posting it!

At my local WM yesterday; they wanted $12.49 for 20 rd box of Winchester 55 gr plinkin stuff.
No thanks.....
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That's surprisingly high for Walmart. They're usually the first place I check for good prices.

I didn't see what rifle the OP has, so buy your ammo accordingly. Even if you only shoot 50-60rds per range session with brass ammo, that is better to me than shooting hundreds of rounds of cheap steel ammo. You can also choose to use steel ammo sparingly, or use it a lot if it works in your rifle (just clean after shooting).
Just my 2c..
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The upper I have is a CMMG upper with a 5.56 chamber. I'm told the barrel shape is that of a government model.

One round? You better let the barrel cool down.
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It's been a few days, so it might be ready for another round soon. :D

Well, today I made a trip to Scheels. Most of their ammo was high priced. Mostly $1, $1.25, even $1.50 per round! Then they had some stuff made by Ultramax, which I've never heard of. They say it's "remanuafactured". It cost 46 cents per round. The only thing they had cheaper was 45 cents per round for American Eagle 1,000 round case, on sale for $450 before tax.

What do you guys think of this remanufactured stuff. Good quality? Trustworthy? Check out this nice pic!
 

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wow6599 said:
At my local WM yesterday; they wanted $12.49 for 20 rd box of Winchester 55 gr plinkin stuff.
No thanks.....
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The Winchester White Box Walmart carries hasn't been very well priced lately.

For pistol ammo the Federal bulk is the best bet, then the Remington/UMC, and of course Tula is the cheapest (price and quality).

And for 5.56 you are better off with Federal XM855 than Winchester White Box, even.
 
How about that Ultramax ammo I bought? Is it safe? I did some looking around online and there seems to be a huge number of gun blowups and injuries. Can't seem to win!

Has anyone here had experiences with this ammo?
 
I don't know about Ultramax ammo but I quit buying any Winchester a few years ago due to too many reports of case failures. Their shotshells seem to be fine though... last I checked.

I've been searching for the last couple of days and can't find any .223 REM for less than 40 cents per round in bulk and delivered. Most of it is close to 50 cents delivered or higher and most of that is plane-Jane 55gr FMJ.
 
No sir! My current round count is 1. But you were close! All I had were those 2 rounds I found at a range a long time ago. I fired one, noticed the dent in the primer of the other after it chambered, and then I saved it to photograph for the thread I started last night. Haven't fired it because of all the grief everyone gave me about using found ammo from a range.

I haven't bought any ammo yet, but plan on going shopping at a couple places tomorrow. If I can find something at decent prices, I'll get it. I was considering steel-cased ammo for that reason, but have heard some negatives about it, which is why I started this thread about it.

I'm really not much of a shooter, so I haven't been in a big hurry. But I'll get to it. The local range here that has a public night every Thursday starts it at 6:30pm and it's dark by 7:00, so I don't even know if I'll be able to go again until next Summer.
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Buy some of this and have it shipped to you.

Its steel cased and not great ammo(russian). It wont hurt your AR though. 5.99 per 20 + shipping.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoo...=SBC;MMcat104792580;cat104691780;cat104532480
 
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