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Best price for 1,000 rounds of brass cased .223?


Pro2AInPA

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Looks like $299/k for Federal AE plus $12 shipping from Palmetto is the way to go. Most other sites want around $30 to ship a case of ammo. That makes that steel cased Hornady just barely cheaper after shipping costs.

Very true. That Hornady is soooo accurate though - while the case may be the same, don't consider it in the same light as the Russian Bear stuff! While I am new to 3 gun I have been using that ammo for long range shooting for years....it's darn near match grade stuff at a fraction of the cost.

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Looks like $299/k for Federal AE plus $12 shipping from Palmetto is the way to go. Most other sites want around $30 to ship a case of ammo. That makes that steel cased Hornady just barely cheaper after shipping costs.

Very true. That Hornady is soooo accurate though - while the case may be the same, don't consider it in the same light as the Russian Bear stuff! While I am new to 3 gun I have been using that ammo for long range shooting for years....it's darn near match grade stuff at a fraction of the cost.

The thing is that I handload 77gr Noslers when I need that kind of accuracy. This batch of ammo is going to be used for shots 75 yards and in. I may pick up a box or two of the Hornady training ammo just to shoot some groups with though. IF it's really that good, maybe I won't have to handload 77gr bullets anymore. They're pricy. :wacko:

The other issue is I'm still nervous about shooing steel cased ammo in my new CTR-02. I don't know why I'm not supposed to, I just know I'm not supposed to. :blink:

I just sent an email to one of the good folks at JP to get his opinion on the steel case ammo debate.

Edited by Pro2AInPA
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Looks like $299/k for Federal AE plus $12 shipping from Palmetto is the way to go. Most other sites want around $30 to ship a case of ammo. That makes that steel cased Hornady just barely cheaper after shipping costs.

Very true. That Hornady is soooo accurate though - while the case may be the same, don't consider it in the same light as the Russian Bear stuff! While I am new to 3 gun I have been using that ammo for long range shooting for years....it's darn near match grade stuff at a fraction of the cost.

The thing is that I handload 77gr Noslers when I need that kind of accuracy. This batch of ammo is going to be used for shots 75 yards and in. I may pick up a box or two of the Hornady training ammo just to shoot some groups with though. IF it's really that good, maybe I won't have to handload 77gr bullets anymore. They're pricy. :wacko:

The other issue is I'm still nervous about shooing steel cased ammo in my new CTR-02. I don't know why I'm not supposed to, I just know I'm not supposed to. :blink:

I just sent an email to one of the good folks at JP to get his opinion on the steel case ammo debate.

Got it...and can't say I blame you there either! :)Will be interested to hear if they do give you a reason why you are not supposed to.

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I felt the same way when I first got my shiny new $2800 CTR-02. After throwing it in a few barrels and shooting it like a raped ape in a few matches I lost the white gloves and shot it like the cheaper rifles.

I shoot all of my guns like that. My concern is why they say not to use steel. Tighter than normal chamber? Russian ammo not able to reliably cycle the action of a rifle length gas gun?

Edited by Pro2AInPA
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For those interested, here is the reply I got back from JP:

We generally recommend against it. While we do not have a safety warning applied to steel cased ammo in .223, we do address this on the web site concerning steel cased .308, and the same issues will translate over to .223. On the other hand, mixed reviews have come in from customers. I'd say, if you must use steel cased, then use the gray polymer coated cases, rather than the green lacquer or silver zinc plated cases. Since Wolf switched over to the polymer coating the reports (mostly anecdotal) of malfunctions due to ammo seem to have dropped precipitously. Many owners have had no problems with it. It likely depends on a combination of chamber/cartridge runout and headspace, along with the type of coating on the case. Our rifles have been intentionally headspaced rather loosely to enhance reliability, while still maintaining safety and accuracy.

If you are feeling the financial pinch and want to give it a try, then shoot a box or two, then inspect a couple of fired cases for any unusual dents. If you have a failure to extract, take that as a bad sign and forget using the steel cased ammo. We test fire with, and recommend using, Federal's XM193 for the plinking and practice. While still more expensive than the foreign steel cased ammo, it is still well under $.50 a round and is more likely to shoot and feel like your match ammo than Wolf or Cheetah or any of those. The steel cased ammo tends to be a bit underpowered, to the point that if you have your upper tuned into a normal velocity reload or factory match round, the steel cased may not have enough juice to cycle the rifle. Also, a proper regimen, with strong attention to the chamber will keep any malfunctions do to ammo to a minimum, particularly with this discount ammo, as all that I have seen leave a great deal of residue behind in the rifle.

The history in a nutshell of the problems associated with the steel cased ammo. Steel has a different expansion and compression rate than brass. It's faster. This caused the case to "unseal" the chamber before it was nominally designed to do so. The hot gas would then cause flicks of lacquer to melt off and resolidify in the chambers, creating an obstruction. In rifles such as AK's that use a cartridge case with significant taper, it is hardly a problem. With straight walled cases like .223 there is a lot less give.

Sorry if I ruined your budget, but having said all that, I'd spend a few extra bucks and use the XM193. It is half the cost of match ammo, and being domestically manufactured, adheres to more and better standards than the steel cased ammo out there. Plus, I don't want to have to fix your upper. :-).

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That seems to be the same thing you read on all the forums. The silver bear stuck in my guns in 223 and 5.45x39 the lacquer coated Monarch runs like a champ. Someone recommended running a brass cased round ever 5 or so of the steel cased rounds to clean the chamber so I do that too for insurance. I'm definately not an expert like the guys at JP but it works in my gun.

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Look on PSA's site, see if they have the XM193 still in the 20 round boxes for 6 bucks a box ...... buy 50 boxes of it, you will get 2 500 round cases in boxes for 299.50 plus 12 bucks shipping, its 311.50 total for a case of xm193 in boxes, compared to the bulk box of xm193 at 309 plus 12 dollars shipping.

Thats what I did a month or so ago, I ordered it on wednesday, it was at the house on friday.

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Thanks for getting back to us Pro2A...interesting, although as Jesse said it sounds very similar to what you read everywhere, and seems to be centered around the fact that you *may* have some problems with it cycling, rather than any major damage type concerns.

At this risk of sounding like a Hornaday rep (which I can assure you I'm not...in fact, I think I sponsor them, the amount of money I've spent on that stuff! :D ), that particular ammo also mitigates a couple of his other concerns - unlike the Russian stuff, it is extremely clean burning (and does not stink, either!), and it is not at all underpowered.

I know we're a bit OT here, but here's an article I always like to quote regarding the "melting" lacquer and the caution regarding brass/steel mixed usage - you guys may have seen it, but here you go:

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu18.htm

Edited by DanielW
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I found this place by accident, a pretty good price for Federal xm193

http://www.glensoutdoors.com/Federal-XM193-5-56-x-45mm-55-Grain-FMJ-BT-500-Ro-p/xm193f.htm

Jeff

This deal worked out to be 310.00 shipped to the las Vegas area. A great price for XM193 hot ammo.

They are showing out of stock, been that way since someone posted this a few days ago.

MLM

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I found this place by accident, a pretty good price for Federal xm193

http://www.glensoutdoors.com/Federal-XM193-5-56-x-45mm-55-Grain-FMJ-BT-500-Ro-p/xm193f.htm

Jeff

This deal worked out to be 310.00 shipped to the las Vegas area. A great price for XM193 hot ammo.

They are showing out of stock, been that way since someone posted this a few days ago.

MLM

i picked up some Hornady at ammunitiontogo.com for about 280 per 1000, plus shipping.

:cheers:

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I found this place by accident, a pretty good price for Federal xm193

http://www.glensoutdoors.com/Federal-XM193-5-56-x-45mm-55-Grain-FMJ-BT-500-Ro-p/xm193f.htm

Jeff

This deal worked out to be 310.00 shipped to the las Vegas area. A great price for XM193 hot ammo.

They are showing out of stock, been that way since someone posted this a few days ago.

MLM

Use the AuctionArms search function and Id bet you can find something close.

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I have shot several thousand rounds of steal cased ammo in my JP-15s and ever had an issue. Your results may vary.

When I first started shooting AR's I had a 16" STAG which was fed steel wolf and bear. It only took 3k rounds to eat up the extractor. Haven't shot steel since and after 000's and 000's of rounds haven't had an issue on any gun.

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