Choosing affordable .308 ammo for 500 yard target shooting

[nachosgrande]

Anybody know the best .308 ammo for the price and where to get it? My local range just extended to 500 yards so I thought I could have some fun with the bolt action. Problem is, the cheapest I can find it is at Walmart where they have the core lokts and the Winchester X for $18 a box. At almost a dollar a shot that could get expensive real quick. I've heard too many horror stories about the Wolf and various surplus, but if that's wrong, let me know.

 

[jbkebert]

Better start reloading. A dollar per shot is about the going rate for cheaper ammo. I don't think you'll find a much better price. Even Cabela's bulk winchester ammo or HSM is running that price.

 

[jpwilly]

Federal Power Shok is $12.97 a box at my Wally World

 

[nachosgrande]

I don't get it, the 30-06 is the same price. I figured less brass and powder, cheaper ammo. I was wrong.

 

[Javelin]

.308 and .30-06 are very similiar in components. The .308 has developed a good amount of demand.

 

[rangerruck]

either reload, of find some good milsurp. English, canadian, singapore, potuguese, australian, american, or any of the old Nazi , S. american stuff;
Venezuelan, argentine, stuff like that. NEVER USE INDIAN!!!!!

 

[rangerruck]

S. African is decent; not super accurate, but consistency is good and reliable.
I can't remember ever getting even one flyer with them, when I shot 308...

 

[BHP FAN]

The Australian is the most consistant milsurp .308,in my opinion.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

www.grafs.com

Prvi Partizan 175 gr match ammo is $16.50 a box, they only charge $4.50 handling charge, so its a pretty good deal.

They also have Federal 150 gr FMJ for $13.99/box.

 

[W.E.G.]

I've never saved any money by handloading.

I just get to shoot more.

 

[nachosgrande]

Thanks for that link, Redneck. At that same site they have this milsurp for $10.99 a box:

http://www.grafs.com/product/236033

Can anybody recommend it?

 

[ArmedBear]

I've never saved any money by handloading.

I just get to shoot more.

LOL

Ain't that the truth.

nachos, buy some milsurp, and save that brass.

If you find that you really like 500 yard shooting, you will probably find that the only kind of ammo you really want costs a lot more than that -- and you can still load it better yourself.

Handloading is half the fun/challenge/learning experience of long-range shooting. Maybe more than half.

 

[tjj]

Reload is the way to go. Not really that much of a chore unless you let it stack up on you. I reload match ammo about every other trip to the range. Shot about 1700 rounds last year. Could not have done that with over the counter ammo. Just too expensive for my budget. Besides, you have the options of so many bullet, powder, primer combinations that you won't find commercially loaded.
Downside....when you miss or throw one out you have no one to blame but yourself. You loaded, you shot, you missed ( or hit !!!).
And it's true. You don't save money in the long run because you shoot more. But it sure is fun.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

Since I'm buying for my Remington 700 SPS Tactical, I'm not putting the milsurp crap in it, the stuff on graf's is corrosive. I'll be buying the Federal 150 gr FMJ's, since I spent over an hour sighting in with Remmy Core-Lokt 150's. In the end, I got it within an inch of the bullseye at 200 yards, I'm calling it good, done screwing with it.

 

[ArmedBear]

500 yards is a whole other ball of wax, though.

Guys handload for long-range shooting, and for some, it's got nothing to do with money.

 

[Samgotit]

Reload.

1000 round breakdown:

Primers - $30
Brass - 200 pc. R-P brass - $100
Bullets - 1000 168gr SMK - $270
Powder - 8 pounds - $150

Total - $550

1000 rounds of factory Federal Gold Match (from Bud's)

Total $1497


You'll make out EVEN WITH your initial purchase of the reloading press and equipment (that's even considering buying the cheaper stuff at Walmart). And your ammo will be better and tailored to your gun. Shouldn't run you more than $300 to start, maybe less.

Sorry to be one of the for-Pete's-sake-are-you-nuts-RELOAD guys, but it's worth it.

 

[rino451]

Corelokts are junk for target shooting. 180's knock 'em down if you're hunting, tho.

I have a CZ and broke in a titanium A-Bolt today that both lone Winchester Silvertip 168's. Not going to save any cash, but I was able to call head shots on steel at 300 yards with the A-Bolt shooting off my fist. At least MOA ammo in that rifle with my Nikon 8x, floaters and all.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Rino451-
Your results vs. mine just go to show that every rifle is a law unto itself. My Ruger M77 won't shoot ANY Winchester factory stuff under 2 inches at 100yds, yet those core-lockts you disparage will run under an inch at 100 for me all day long......

What this means for our chip and cheese loving friend is this: You'll have to spend a lot of money trying a lot of ammo. You'll find one or two loads that your rifle shows a definite preference for. And as shown above, if you have the space and time reloading is far cheaper. And the added bonus that hand loaded ammo tailored for your rifles individual chamber will be more accurate than any commercial ammo(that by definition must fit any SAMMI spec chamber in any make or model rifle) better than 95 percent of the time if you take the time to do it right.

If mid-range target accuracy is your primary goal though, I'd recommend you try out the 168 grain Sierra Match King first.

 

[lipadj46]

Get the Pvri Partiszan match ammo. They have the hollow tip boat tail bullets in two different weights I believe 175 and 165 grains.

 

[taliv]

interesting, ben. my 308 experience has been kinda weird. core lokts for me have been horrid (like 3 moa+) but i know they work fine for others. i had a post here a while back about the PRVI match ammo, too. i bought 200 rnds to try. shot 20 like crap in my sr-25. sold the other 180 the next day to some guy who came back after the following weekend and said they were awesome in his gun. go figure.

 

[lipadj46]

Well the 175 and 165 shoot different in different twist rate barrels. I know they are designed for 7.62 Nato rifle barrels though and service rifle match shooting.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I was getting one inch today, with the 150 gr Core-Lokt's, at 100 yards. I kept them within 2.5" at 200 yards. Before you disparage that, this was my FIRST outing at 200 yards, I need lots of practice, well aware of that.

The Winchester 180's print well in my rifle, I just don't enjoy the shoulder pounding. The 150's are much more pleasant, at least for me.

 

[browningguy]

S&B makes decent commercial ammo although not match grade, their milsurp should be as good as anyones. Keep in mind that most mlsurp is going to be manufactured to tolerances allowing 2-3 MOA, it might do better but you shouldn't count on it. The PP match is probably the cheapest match ammo you will find, Federal Match is sort of the standard that all others are judged by, and few live up to it. Black Hills match is also very good when you can find it.