Good deal or great buy?

[Zwetschgen]

Hey, here in Missouri we had GREAT weather and I was out and about and came across an estate sale selling a few random gun related items. They had something that caught my eye... A box of Western .308 150gr. Silvertip cartridges. The box looked old, and I was a bit shocked to see "Winchester-Western Division" as well as names such as the Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp. I was too curious and at $5 for the 20 round box, I figured even if it isn't all that rare, for $5 it had to be a steal.

A) What is the value of having a silvertip. From what I've read it is very similar to a softpoint round, is that right?

B) How old is this box of ammo? Obviously there may not be a way to tell exactly, but from the looks of the new stuff (going for ~$30) it has a silver casing with a black bullet and silver tip. This ammo still has a brass casing and copper jacket. I can get some pictures if it would help, but if there was an easy way to look it up based on the number stamped in the box that might be helpful.

C) Anything special about Olin or Western?

D) Anything else I should know? Was it just a good deal getting them $25 dollars off, or are these fairly rare, making them a great buy!

 

[Bozo]

Back in the sixties and seventies I used to hunt with ww 180 gr. silver tips. I dont know how long since they have been made. It was good ammo. Olin was the parent company. I honestly would not see much value in them. It was just regular hunting ammo.

 

[230RN]

I retrieved my .30-06 from one of my sons recently for something and since I can't stand not having ammo around for a firearm, I made an "emergency" stop at a gun shop. He didn't have any known noncorrosive Boxer-primed ammo at that moment but did have this box. It was a little pricey and he told me it "was a bit of a collector's item."

I do not know why, and the box was sealed in plastic, as if were not meant to be fired, but protected from handling, etc.

Never did fire it. I gave it to my son when I gave him back the .30-06 rifle and told him the ammo was supposedly a collector's item, but I kind of wondered about it since.

Paid something like $22 for the box. That was about a year and a half ago.

So your post reminded me about it... Win-Western, but military ball ammo.

Anyone know what's the deal on this particular ammo as well as Zwetschgen 's ammo?

BTW, the $5.00 seems to be a good deal, but since that exact ammo can't be easily replaced, you'll use what, five-ten rounds to sight in? And then all you've got is ten-fifteen rounds for hunting with that sighting for that particular ammo.

'Course there are some hunters who never sight in, buy a box of 20 rounds, and it lasts nineteen years... because of one bad shot back in 1993.

After all, five bucks didn't eat into your gas money budget much, so I'd just hang onto it for a while and see what turns up, just like I did with the pictured ammo until I gave it to my son with the rifle.

But I'm constantly amazed at what turns out to be "collectible," like on the Antiques Road Show. You never know.... "Why, this torn,dirty old dishrag from the 1950s is a prime example of the deco nouveau design work of famous artist Kalksfj Doiudf in his early period, while he was working at the Hsdopi Dishrag Factory in Brooklyn. At auction, I'd expect $2300 out of it in its present condition."

One of these days I'd like to see one of those guys drop a $10,000 antique vase just after they've appraised it: "Ooopsie! ....Ummm...sorry.... did you have it insured?"