Trying to get some feed back on what would be a good budget/bulk round for my Savage Axis in .223 ? Just for plinking/target shooting. I'm trying to decide between WOLF Gold (brass cased), PMC Bronze, and American Eagle (black box) all 55 gr FMJ. I don't expect match performance, just consistent and reasonably accurate. So what's a good choice ? -Thanks
Best "budget" .223 ammo for bolt rifles ?
- Thread starter kyron4
- Start date
- Status
gotboostvr
Member
I'd suggest Privi if you can find it. Their "Match" line, really isn't but it is slightly more accurate than their standard line, which performs pretty favorably over most econo-ammo.
PMC is my least favorite in most calibers, so I avoid it in all my others now as well.
PMC is my least favorite in most calibers, so I avoid it in all my others now as well.
AWorthyOpponent
Member
I shoot the PMC Bronze out of my AR. It's dirty and slow, but almost always the cheapest I can find. Never have issues with cycling or anything like that so I doubt you would experience anything less with a bolt gun.
Last edited:
C-grunt
Member
Ive had really good luck with American Eagle. Ive used a lot of it as that's my works main supply for practice ammo. Ive never had a problem with its accuracy out to 400 yards keeping it on a 2/3 sized IPSC steel target.
I remember there was a thread a while back where the poster chrono'd a bunch of 223 and PMC was significantly slower than the rest.
I remember there was a thread a while back where the poster chrono'd a bunch of 223 and PMC was significantly slower than the rest.
AWorthyOpponent
Member
Yes...this is a good point and why I made the comment about my AR cycling it okay. In a bolt gun, not an issue. OP, defiantly something to take into consideration if you're looking to hit distances.
American Eagle works pretty well in my Savage 12. Wolf is about the worst I've tried. I shoot some PMC but generally I don't like to buy a lot of plinking ammo. It isn't that high to buy a box of Black Hills remanufactured ammo and it is night and day better than the other stuff. I just bought some for $33 for 50 rounds. That's about $10 more than AE but it's well worth it.
I'd like to hear from people who have put the current .223 Wolf Gold to an accuracy test in a gun with proven MOA or better capability. I wonder if it shoots decently? It apparently has a decent bullet, and some people have reported pretty consistent MVs. I bought some but haven't had a chance to try it out. I wasn't terribly impressed with the visual inspection, though. Too many rounds look like the mouth of the brass has been hammer-crimped to the bullet with the back of a machete. Some flat spots and just too uneven around the mouth to give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about the quality....
2ndtimer
Member
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/fio...ngton-hornady-polymer-3650-rdbx-p-110280.html
I have shot a lot of this ammo and it is excellent in a 1 in 12" twist and shoots decently in a 1 in 8 twist AR-15 as well. Buy it in bulk and you get it for around .40 per round for decent V-Max bullets and nice brass, too.
I have shot a lot of this ammo and it is excellent in a 1 in 12" twist and shoots decently in a 1 in 8 twist AR-15 as well. Buy it in bulk and you get it for around .40 per round for decent V-Max bullets and nice brass, too.
bannockburn
Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 26,297
I found American Eagle and Ultramax ammo to be pretty decent in terms of practice ammo that was reliable and fairly accurate.
sappyg
Member
Not sure what "budget" we are trying for but I did run 40 rounds of 55 gr. Tula steel through a 223 Ruger American last week and it seemed fine to me. At $0.30 per round that's close to what I can load 223 for.
I could only try it at 25 yards but 10 rounds looked to go about an inch from a non benched rest. Haven't tried it in the Axis yet but would expect similar results and 2" or less at 100 yards.
Never had an issue in an AR either. Basically, if I shoot non reloaded 223, I'm usually shooting Tula steel or Monarch brass (rebranded privi?). May not be the most accurate but it is in my budget.
I could only try it at 25 yards but 10 rounds looked to go about an inch from a non benched rest. Haven't tried it in the Axis yet but would expect similar results and 2" or less at 100 yards.
Never had an issue in an AR either. Basically, if I shoot non reloaded 223, I'm usually shooting Tula steel or Monarch brass (rebranded privi?). May not be the most accurate but it is in my budget.
MIL-DOT
member
I have some of this purple-tipped Fiochi. I used to shoot on a buddy's property (he died last year
), and he was always shooting jugs of water to test expansion and deformation of various ammo types. We tried this 40g. Fiochi, through my CZ-527, (shooting into about 6 lined-up jugs of water from 50 yds) and when the round finally came to rest, all that was left was like a jagged metal dust down in the bottom of one jug. These projectiles almost vaporize !! We all thought it was very cool.
Jackal
Member
Shh, dont say it out loud, or this stuff will get harder to find, lol. I agree, its very accurate stuff.
aka108
Member
I lrun Tula 223 through a Howa bolt action rifle and a Saiga w/o any problems. Also reload for that round and feed both that to.
wnycollector
Member
I have had great luck with Hornady 55gr Steel Match ammo in both of my bolt actions (Marlin X7VH and Savage 10FP) as well as my Shilen barreled AR-15.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
When I see it on sale or reasonable I like the Federal American Eagle 55 gr Boat Tail and the 50 gr Varmint flavors. The stuff shoots well in my old Remington 725 originally 222 I chambered to a 1:12 223 rifle. I also like the brass I get to reload after shooting the stuff. It simply works well in my bolt gun.
Ron
Ron
Rusty Luck
Member
+1 on the Federal Boat tail (assuming we're talking about the same ones in the brown boxes)
I use mainly American Eagle and Federal with trying to get consistent accuracy. I've also found Tulammo to be pretty decent as well but I've never shot it in a bolt action.
I use mainly American Eagle and Federal with trying to get consistent accuracy. I've also found Tulammo to be pretty decent as well but I've never shot it in a bolt action.
Tried out all three today at the range. All seemed about equal, with the WOLF Gold leading the pack slightly, followed by AE, then PMC. The PMC hit lower than the other two and always had a flier in the group. The WOLF turned out the best group of the day, 1/2" at 100 yds. and was the most consistent. The AE produced some nice groups also but not as consistently as the WOLF.
PJSprog
Member
Handload your own. You'll never find "factory" ammo as cheap as you can make your own ... and likely not as accurate.
- Status
