cheapest .308 ammo?

[Ukraine Train]

I want to get a CETME but my friends shooting 7.62x39 at half the cost of the cheapest .308 I've found makes me reluctant. Has anyone seen any cheaper than ~$175/1000?

 

[itgoesboom]

I was getting my Aussie surplus for about $150 or so for 1K rounds. Haven't seen that price in a few weeks, and we seem to be at the high end of the spectrum right now.

Check around at gunshows, but avoid Indian ammo like the plague, especially in a CETME. My CETME seems to like any of the Aussie stuff.

I.G.B.

 

[Feanaro]

The cheapest is probably Indian. But there is a certain risk involved, as many people report KaBoom!s with them. Whether there is any real danger, I leave that up to you.

http://aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Portuguese_NATO__308.html

That is some very nice ammo and the price is good as well.

 

[hillbilly]

Ukraine Train...

Your friend may be shooting 7.62X39 at about half the price of .308, but he's also getting about half the performance.

The 7.62X39 is really at the edge of its effective range at 300 yards. You "can" stretch out and hit stuff at 400, but you'd have to get a rifle so finely tuned that it would defeat the purpose of shooting the cheapo caliber in the first place.

On the other hand, with a half-way decent rifle, you can reliably hit torso (or "deer" if you prefer) sized targets out to 500 yards with a .308.

I've got a bolt action .308 that's had a bit of accurrizing work done that I've twice taken to sniper classes at Badlands Tactical in Oklahoma.

My .308 will regularly ring "deer" sized silhouettes at 1000 yards if I do my part.

So, think of this way, Ukraine Train.

Yeah, .308 costs twice as much as 7.62X39. But you get more than twice the performance of 7.62X39.

In other words, as far as rifles go, surplus .308 is one of the really good deals out there right now.

Get some.

hillbilly

 

[kfranz]

Indian is the cheapest at about $100 per thousand. Some report quality issues, as many others say it's just fine. I've got a k or two myself, but haven't fired any yet. As for 1st world surplus, it generally runs in the ~$120 to $150 per k range. We seem to be at the high end now...

 

[Ukraine Train]

How accurate is a CETME, would it be as accurate as the ammo is capable? Realistically I won't be shooting past 200 yards since that's the longest range I go to.

 

[itgoesboom]

How accurate is a CETME, would it be as accurate as the ammo is capable? Realistically I won't be shooting past 200 yards since that's the longest range I go to.

That depends on the specific rifle. Unfortunatly, Century is not the most reputable manufacture out there. Quality is really hit or miss.

You might get a great rifle, you might get a dud.

The longest I have shot at with my rifle is roughly 85yards, and prone I managed to get a 1" 3 shot group using aussie surplus, and each shot was only about 3-4 sec apart. To me that sounds pretty darned good.

But be prepared to have to do a little work on the rifle. Most of it should be pretty easy.

So far I have:
Replaced the crappy plastic stock, which is flimsy, with a synthetic HK set (easy)
Filed the mag catch so that it would actually accept magazines (easy)
Adjusted G3 alloy mags to fit (very easy)
Replaced much of the internal firing mechanism with HK parts (firingpin, spring, extractor spring, rollers (Rollers are very important), (easy)
Replaced non-compliant trigger parts with US trigger parts (fairly easy).

Head over to cetmerifles.com and gunboards before buying a CETME, so that you know what to look for, and what you are getting into.

One thing you can do is purchase a woodstocked version, and that will make it a little easier on you, since you won't have to replace the trigger group parts, since Century will already have done it for you. Plus the wood forearm doesn't heat up nearly as much as the synthetics do.

I.G.B.

 

[usp_fan]

Train,

I just bought 200rnds of Portuguese FMJ at the last Bowling Green Gun show for $30. The same seller had 1000 packs for $130.00

This stuff seems to run really well in my FAL. There is another show down here on the 20th and 21st.

Take care and post those pics of the Clelands trip if you have time.

--usp_fan

 

[cheygriz]

How accurate is a CETME, would it be as accurate as the ammo is capable? Realistically I won't be shooting past 200 yards since that's the longest range I go to.

If you will be shooting less than 400 yards, get the AK and blast away. I have two 308s. A HK-91 and a converted M-1 Garand. Both wonderful rifles!

But I shoot 100-150 rounds of 7.62X39 through my AKs for every round of .308 that I shoot.

Think about the last 100 rounds that you shot, and ask yourself how many were fired at ranges of over 200 yards, let alone 400!

Like most folks, I bought several long range rifles when I was younger, and as I grew older I realized that I never shoot at long range.

 

[ftierson]

I just bought 200rnds of Portuguese FMJ at the last Bowling Green Gun show for $30. The same seller had 1000 packs for $130.00

If you can get Portuguese for $130 per thousand out the door at the show, rent a handtruck and get as many cases as you can short of developing a hernia.

 

[usp_fan]

ftierson,

My only refrence for what I bought was the sign on the table and the seller's reassurance. For the price I didn't really care. The 20 rnd boxes are marked:

20 ROUND 7,62 x 51mm ball NATO circle and cross BF 79-74

Maybe you can tell me what I got?

Thanks,

--usp_fan

 

[Telperion]

usp_fan, BF is one of the headstamps used on Portuguese suprlus.

 

[goon]

I have used Portugese and Austrailian surplus and found them to be about the best. Cavim is dirty but it does work (it is also boxer primed). My brother has used Argentinan stuff and British stuff in his Ishapore Enfield and found them to be pretty good as well.
I would avoid the Indian stuff at all costs. No matter how cheap it is, it isn't worth it to risk a $400+ gun, your life, and the lives of anyone within 40 yards of you just to save a few cents on ammo.

 

[ftierson]

usp_fan,

What pipsqueak says...

Portuguese NATO ball is headstamped either FNM or BF...

For you information, I have fired ball from lot BF 79-74, both in FALs and CEMTEs, and it's great ammo...

Enjoy.

And get more if you can...

 

[ftierson]

And, maybe next time I'll check my spelling a little more carefully.

Of course, it's for you(r) information, and fired in CETMEs (not CEMTEs)...

Sorry.

 

[usp_fan]

Cool! I'll have to see if the guy has a table at the next show this weekend.

Thanks for the info.

-usp_fan