G-ManBart Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I'm looking for some inexpensive bulk .223 for training and the Hornady training ammo in the steel case is pretty inexpensive as is Silve Bear with the zinc plated cases. Any experience with either of these out there? Note, this won't be used in a match rifle...just my duty Rock River (M4 styel). R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I have shot 1000's of the hornady w/o any problems of any kind. It also shoots well under an inch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgunz11 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 (edited) The Silver Bear is not reloadable, but it shoots pretty decent. ETA: I've been selling a lot of the 750 canister pack of Silver Bear in the shop and folks have been happy with it thus far. Edited November 2, 2009 by kgunz11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoky Bear Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I been shooting the Hornady for the last year and my rifle loves it. At 300 yards iron sights getting sub .50 with it. Produces the best groups of everything I have used. Never had a jam or any problems, only thing I use in matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 I been shooting the Hornady for the last year and my rifle loves it. At 300 yards iron sights getting sub .50 with it. Produces the best groups of everything I have used. Never had a jam or any problems, only thing I use in matches. Wow, that is impressive! Normally I'd want to try a little (picked up a 20rd box of Silver Bear to try) before I ordered a bunch, but with Hornady I might just grab a case (around $320 delivered) and see what happens. R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgunz11 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I been shooting the Hornady for the last year and my rifle loves it. At 300 yards iron sights getting sub .50 with it. Produces the best groups of everything I have used. Never had a jam or any problems, only thing I use in matches. What Hornady are you shooting out of an iron sighted .223 that shoots under 1.5" groups at 300 yards? I might want to try some of that too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00bullitt Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I'd take the Hornady all day long over that Silver Bear. The Hornady is good quality stuff and shoots 1-1.5" or better in most guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoky Bear Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I been shooting the Hornady for the last year and my rifle loves it. At 300 yards iron sights getting sub .50 with it. Produces the best groups of everything I have used. Never had a jam or any problems, only thing I use in matches. What Hornady are you shooting out of an iron sighted .223 that shoots under 1.5" groups at 300 yards? I might want to try some of that too! The Hornady that he is asking about. Ok it was not me it was KurtM but still my rifle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 I been shooting the Hornady for the last year and my rifle loves it. At 300 yards iron sights getting sub .50 with it. Produces the best groups of everything I have used. Never had a jam or any problems, only thing I use in matches. What Hornady are you shooting out of an iron sighted .223 that shoots under 1.5" groups at 300 yards? I might want to try some of that too! http://www.hornadyle.com/products/detail.p...d=72&sID=94 It seems to be available from a couple of sources for around $300 before shipping. The lowest I've seen so far was $289+ shipping. I guess that puts it about $20-30 more than the Silver Bear, but I can't imagine it's not better from a quality standpoint. R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.Schmitt Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I have also had good luck with the Hornady. No malfunctions. I shoot it for matches. Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlmiller1 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Which bullet are you guys getting that accuracy with--the 55 or the 75? Has anyone had any trouble with the lacquer finish baking into their chambers? My brother was shooting the lacquer coated wolf & had some real problems once the chamber got hot. Wound up gumming his chamber to the point he couldn't clean it out & had to send it back to the manufacturer. MLM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 (edited) Yes! I got a 1.38" group at 300 yards for 5 rounds out of Smokey's rifle with Hornaday Steel case 55 gr. ammo..no wind and a great day! Wish I could do that every day, but sadly that isn't the case. Edited due to difference of opinion. BTW Insect repelent with lots of deet eats lacquer...so you can work the bugs out of your rifles, if you ever have any. Edited November 3, 2009 by kurtm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMXRACER Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Do the bullets in the hornady ammo have steel cores? Are they safe to use on steel at the matches? shane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbrowndog Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 The Hornady ammo is loaded with Hornady bullets, no steel anywhere except for the cases. Trapr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00bullitt Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Current production Wolf is not lacquer coated. It has a slick polymer coating on it. And the Hornady has a black chrome type finish on their steel cases and they use there top quality Hornady 55fmj projectile. and it is not steel cored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbrowndog Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Todd, I think you are getting the TAP round mixed up with the training ammo, unless they just recently changed. The last batch of training ammo i fired was still a laquered case. But it functioned flawlessly in all my guns and many of my shooting buddies, except for Mike Darby's gun where it seemed to want to be ejected out the left side of the receiver ???????????????? I just bought him some more so he can try it again, maybe he has the problem figured out now. trapr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00bullitt Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 The stuff I shot in the past looked just like the TAP(black but not as shiny). It just came in a white 50 round box marked training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMXRACER Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 The Hornady ammo is loaded with Hornady bullets, no steel anywhere except for the cases.Trapr Thanks trapr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken hebert Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Where are y'all getting this Hornady training ammo at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgunz11 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I don't think this is what they are talking about, but this is the cheapest Hornady stuff I could find with a brief search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00bullitt Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I got it from a local LE supply house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 But it functioned flawlessly in all my guns and many of my shooting buddies, except for Mike Darby's gun where it seemed to want to be ejected out the left side of the receiver ???????????????? After that one I gotta admit that you're getting almost as funny as Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 (edited) You guys have all sorts of facts confused here. 1) Wolf's "Silver Bear" is PLATED with zink (ie galvanized) just like some of the .45 ACP USGI training ammo cases we used to get after WWII because copper/brass was scarce & they reload just like brass. Provided the case is Boxer primed, it should reload just fine. 2) REALLY OLD Wolf .223 used the SAME laquer-type hard dry lub that they used on their military 7.62x39mm ammo for AK-47s. To everyone's surprise, the AR-15 turned out to have tighter chamber tolerances than the AK (who woulda guessed??). Result was: that OLD ammo jammed ARs like nothing else (oh how we laughed!). LAQUER 223 HAS NOT BEEN SOLD FOR YEARS IN THE USA. 3) Newer Wolf 223 uses a grey-color "polymer" coating which works just fine & dandy in ARs and IS FULLY RELOADABLE with boxer primers. Steel cases do not really "grow" in length like brass & probably do not need trimming after the 1st firing. Reloads made from steel cases (or Factory Wolf) is not the most accurate stuff out there. BUT - there's a good chance the cases are only 1x fired if you find them left behind. I don't uses the rusted ones (gee). No big loss if reload it once and you leave it lay (say - at a lost brass match). Can't say I notice the accuracy loss on those "arms-length" stages over high-dollar reloads. 4) Can't say anything about that Hornady steel stuff & I won't trust it until I've tried it. Edited November 2, 2009 by Carlos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgunz11 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I just checked the ammo I have here in the store. I confused the "Silver Bear" with "Golden Bear". I have not fired any of the Silver Bear yet, but the Golden Bear is NOT reloadable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbrowndog Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 We have never let facts confuse the issue!!! Trapr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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