What's your favorite second tier rifle ammo

[Kingfish]

I am primarily interested in 308/7.62x51. The top tier is the match grade stuff at around $2 a pop. Tier 2 is what I consider brands like PMC, American Eagle, Sellier and Bellot, Privi Partisan, and maybe some I am leaving out. Those in the $1 per pop range. Tier 3 is what I consider some of the various mill surplus of which are many. Tier 4 is the steel case stuff. I would like to know of the tier 2, which do you consider the most consistently accurate. I have been shooting primarily AE 168gr OTM. I am getting low and want to order another K or 2. AE seems to be in short supply so I am looking for alternatives. Would like to get y'alls feedback on this. I just want good reasonably accurate consistent ammo.

 

[JEVapa]

Is it for blasting or for quality shooting?

 

[Kingfish]

Is it for blasting or for quality shooting?

I want quality shooting, but am not looking to shoot cloverleafs on paper. I want to reliably shoot 12" steel at 600 yds. Something that is dependably available in the future so I don't have redo everything. The ones I mentioned seem to always be around. I want to work up my dope for that range then look to extend it out to 800 or more to shoot ram silhouettes.

 

[conditionzero]

I have always had a good experience with S&B and Prvi. I pretty much only shoot Prvi and IMI 5.56. Should be good for the 2 MOA requirement.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Another vote for Prvi Partisan...

 

[JEVapa]

Is it for blasting or for quality shooting

I want quality shooting, but am not looking to shoot cloverleafs on paper. I want to reliably shoot 12" steel at 600 yds. Something that is dependably available in the future so I don't have redo everything. The ones I mentioned seem to always be around. I want to work up my dope for that range then look to extend it out to 800 or more to shoot ram silhouettes.

1MOA is not cloverleaf. Cloverleaf is sub1/2MOA. Remember, 308/7.62 diameter is larger than 1/4MOA at 100yds/m.
You're asking for cheap-ish quality 1 MOA ammo and maybe don't know it or want to buy good match ammo for cheap and don't know it. 12" at 600 is 2 MOA. If you settle for 2 MOA ammo, you'll probably miss close to half your shots just from dispersion (ammo, shooter, gun). Same with your 800 desire. You can't really work up "dope" on cheap ammo because it's usually inconsistent.

Now, there is quite a bit of affordable 1 MOA ammo out there. Go to Ammoseek and plug 175gr in the filter. S&B make good-ish match ammo for around $1 a round. PPU will have some too. SG Ammo has 1/2 cases of IMI Razor 175gr SMK for $1.25 a round. Good deal because that's basically M118LR. If you want good ammo for garbage ammo prices, then it's best to roll your own. There are good recipes for it including the equivalent for 175gr GMM.

 

[KurtM]

Be careful of any of the M-80 ball type ammo. In general the 147-150 grain bullets are not very accurate (ball type with canalure) and many are actually a steel jacket that is copper washed. The Winchester is, as are many of the M-80 ball type ammos. I do know Federal is not, it is a copper jacket! But I wouldn't consider it to be a MOA capable ammo.
The heavier bullets like Privi usually are ok and in the range your looking at.

 

[danc46]

If you reload the PRVI cases are really small for rifle primers. You’ll have to ream the primer hole to seat primers. .
I’ve found that to be true across 5.56, 25/06, 308, and 30/06.

 

[gmar]

I haven’t used their .308 ammo but IMI makes great 5.56 ammo at a great price. I would assume their other calibers are just as good.

 

[KurtM]

I've been working my way through a bucket of 308 Privi brass for my pig reloads. I haven't had any problems with the primer pockets being too tight, maybe you got a bad lot.

 

[danc46]

I've been working my way through a bucket of 308 Privi brass for my pig reloads. I haven't had any problems with the primer pockets being too tight, maybe you got a bad lot.

Read my post. Comprehension helps when responding, I said I found that across 223, 25/06/, 308, and 30/06 brass I have found the primer holes a tad too small, needing to be reamed in most PRVI brass I have.. They couldnt have come from one lot. NOr did they come from one range. Or one time frame.
i just toss most of the PRVI brass into a bin to be reamed or swaged in the future, except for the 25/06 brass.
That brass is hard to find. I used it on developing a load for hunting on a new used Encore barrel. I had a mixture of once fired 25/06 brass given to me and I reamed the PRVI before loading. I had maybe 15 out of a hundred that were PRVI
The rifle and load worked well.i took a 10 pt buck the first time I shot it in the field.
Generally I’m not too picky what brass I use for hunting rifles in reloads. And I can’t really say anything about PRVI loaded ammo because I’ve never used it to take game. But Scout’s honor, I’m not going to look for PRVI brass to reload.

 

[KurtM]

Ahhhh.... The picture explains it nicely. You need to spend more time lifting weights so you have the strength to properly seat a primer.

If you have trouble finding 25-06 you can always make it out of 30-06 brass...... You know the way it was first made

 

[JEVapa]

Read my post. Comprehension helps when responding, I said I found that across 223, 25/06/, 308, and 30/06 brass I have found the primer holes a tad too small, needing to be reamed in most PRVI brass I have..

Lol, what you said is this

If you reload the PRVI cases are really small for rifle primers. You’ll have to ream the primer hole to seat primers. .
I’ve found that to be true across 5.56, 25/06, 308, and 30/06.

Just because you change what you said or say you said something else, doesn’t mean that you didn’t say it.

You definitely said Prvi brass has small primer pockets and they have to be reamed to fit primers.
I reload Prvi cases and never saw this phenomenon EXCEPT for Prvi made M193. They will crimp primers for their milspec ammo.

But I agree with Kurt, you might should prolly do some PT so’s you can get them primers in there.

 

[danc46]

Hard to lift after radiation treatments that I was at. But if you had to lift weights to seat your primers you probably need gun bearers grasshoppers to carry those guns.
You can tell from the picture that I don’t!
Definitely use the Dillon swage on them. I try not to smash my primers like some trains chimps around here might do. You know the ones that travel in pairs!

 

[JEVapa]

Be careful of any of the M-80 ball type ammo. In general the 147-150 grain bullets are not very accurate (ball type with canalure) and many are actually a steel jacket that is copper washed. The Winchester is, as are many of the M-80 ball type ammos. I do know Federal is not, it is a copper jacket! But I wouldn't consider it to be a MOA capable ammo.
The heavier bullets like Privi usually are ok and in the range your looking at.

This is true. M80 ball is combat rifle and MG ammo. If you have a good 308 gas gun, don't use it because there are plenty of cheaper ammo options that are copper or gilding metal jacketed. Now, if you have a gas gun with a cheaper barrel, or one that's sole purpose is blasting and to beat up, or if you have a SCAR17, then M80 all day.

 

[ClintC]

I tend to stick with what ammo works best in my rifles. If we are talking pistol ammo I just look to see how cheap I can go. Now that I’m reloading I will buy factory ammo if needed but it will be Hornady match or Berger ammo for my rifles. Federal match if i can’t find Berger for my 223 bolt and AR.

 

[danc46]

This is true. M80 ball is combat rifle and MG ammo. If you have a good 308 gas gun, don't use it because there are plenty of cheaper ammo options that are copper or gilding metal jacketed. Now, if you have a gas gun with a cheaper barrel, or one that's sole purpose is blasting and to beat up, or if you have a SCAR17, then M80 all day.

IMI has great brass and ammo has worked well for me. No one should expect great accuracy from military ammo, even match ammo., no matter what rifle you shoot it with.
As expensive as ammo now is, you could consider the quality of the brass for reloading when you buy ammo. It will save you money down the road if you buy good reloadable brass over blasting ammo.

 

[danc46]

Ahhhh.... The picture explains it nicely. You need to spend more time lifting weights so you have the strength to properly seat a primer.

If you have trouble finding 25-06 you can always make it out of 30-06 brass...... You know the way it was first made

I said the brass was hard to find sweet pea, not impossible. . If I had too, I would have. From sizing, trimming, to annealing.
I take care seating my primers with either the RCBS or old Lee tools. That is just good reloading practice grasshopper. If you didn’t know, you feel the primer seat and if there is too much force required you will smash the primer. You know from feel if the primer pocket and/or primer are oversized or undersized. You need to know these things to reload.
Ill be glad to help you out if you need reloading lessons.

 

[danc46]

One other thing you might consider buying ammo. If you want brass marked with the metric designation or not, The + sign (NATO designationj and 5.56 or 7.52x51 designate mil ammo if you didn’t know.
That makes a difference when reloading. 223 or 308 marked brass is my preference but I’ve still reloaded an awful lot of nato marked ammo.

 

[RickN]

One other thing you might consider buying ammo. If you want brass marked with the metric designation or not, The + sign (NATO designationj and 5.56 or 7.52x51 designate mil ammo if you didn’t know.
That makes a difference when reloading. 223 or 308 marked brass is my preference but I’ve still reloaded an awful lot of nato marked ammo.

I shot 223 and 556 through my mini 14. Haven’t had a problem yet. They both make a hole.