Is this stuff any good for around 45 cents a round?

I love using the HXP 30.06 in the Garand (when I can find some) but this is the first time I have come across the 7.62.  

Anyone ever used it in .308 or 7.62?

Wow...I don't think I've ever seen HXP NATO before.

 If you get some put up some pics of it and it's packaging please

+ 1 !!

It's rare but it exists. It's been found mixed up in the CMP 30-06 before.

Here is a mini-review:

12 case delivery (800 rnd/case), 9600 rounds.
Ammo was still in 20 round factory cartons. Some were falling apart, (nothing major - little rips & such). They taped up about a dozen boxes.
Mfg years were 1976 thru 1989.
Majority of ammo was from 1984/83.
Brass has typical aging from sitting in storage (slight discolor typical of surplus).
About 20 rounds were corroded from dampness, but they should cleanup ok.
Condition was better than greek .303 offered. I checked a pallet of greek .303 so i have a good baseline.

Some people mentioned that turk zqi is a better buy, i found the opposite:

Saved around $150 delivered buying the greek. This is counting sales tax, shipping, etc.
Walmart doesnt carry much stock, i would have to go there dozens of times if not a hundred to get this quantity of zqi.
Greek hxp is nato spec and i value that higher.
Turk ammo is hit and miss, some  people are reporting fair to poor groups on the lower end of accuracy.

Summary:

Buy it now and stock it deep. I highly doubt it will be coming back as there is tremendous pressure in the eu to destroy surplus nato stock. Doubt we will ever see german, austrian, portuguese stocks again and if we do price will be high (or suffering corrosion damage as with samco/spg). I envy the texas guys that are local, they will be getting a sweet deal.

This is a non-shooting review, i dont have time to do a range test.

I hope that helps. Dont buy it all as i have to go back for seconds...

I bit the bullet and bought 6,000 rounds.  If it arrives even close to the condition that you described I will be happy and so will the customers.

Does that Greek ammo have a bi- metal jacket ? I read that it does.

Joboo - i look forward to your review.

Pointman - The bullet is magnetic so its likely bi-metal construction.

I believe all Greek HXP has a bi-metal no matter what flavor.  Not sure about .303 but I know the late year 30.06 does.

Thanks, that's the deal breaker for me then , I'll stick with new production ZQI  as I can find it, easier on my M1a barrel for 2 cents / rd more assuming I picked up the Greek in person.

More for you guys

A lot of USGI M80 is gilding metal now.  So was (is) port, and a few of the other "good" surplus.

I got a box in, its clean and 80's vintage.  Have not shot any yet

Price was too good to pass up

Exactly, gilding metal is preferred. Bi metal contains steel and wears bbls faster. M14 types are not cheap or easy to replace like AR types are.

Gilding metal is a type of jacket material, not a jacket construction alone. Most, but not all, USGI LC80 is thin steel jacket covered with a gilding metal jacket, its what you are calling bi metal, some people call it gilding metal jacket, which is misleading to its construction.  ( Bi-Metal is a term that seems to come about from Wolf ammo and 7.62 russian surplus, [not the same as the old coperwashed steel jacket chinese ammo. it was very thickly jacketed with mild steel.] )  

Many of the popular surplus NATO spec 7.62x51 ammo is constructed this way. Vey few are not. Its not bad for the rifle. Steel core has shown to increase wear to a degree. Just because a magnet sticks to a bullet doesent mean its steel core either, a steel jacket with a gilding metal jacket will attract a magnet as well. Something to check. Its a very low attraction so use a good magnet.

Where are you finding this ammo?

Oops.

That's what I was trying to say, thanks for saying it more clearly/correctly.

I was with you the whole time, should have said " what Eat_Beef means is... "

this gets brought up every few years and it gets strangled and mangled.

Speaking only of the jacket construction.

Gilding metal is a copper alloy, a brass, comprising 95% copper and 5% zinc. No steel in jacket.

Bi metal is a thin layer of copper over a thin layer of mild steel.

Again only concerned with jacket construction, which makes contact with the rifling.

Not opposed totally to the surplus Greek ammo but this along with its age combined with how it has been stored ( as evidenced by reported condition of packaging and reports of corrosion on the ammo itself) makes me think there are better options  for a bit more money.

For only slightly more, the ZQI from Wal Mart is surefire new production. The reports of poor accuracy mentioned before from what I read on The FAL files were mostly from FALs , which in general are not exactly known for top notch accuracy. Testing with other types and bolt guns provided much better results. Acquiring large amounts is the problem with the ZQI ammo as was mentioned earlier.

PPU is 10 cents/ rd. more for someone needing to stock up and has a good rep.

ETA I would probably consider Wolf  at under $9 a box if looking at the Greek surplus.

Personally I prefer newer production as I still have quite a bit of decades old boxed S.A , boxed Port and then 3k linked 1993 production Port & other misc types to burn through before getting to anything purchased now.

JMO

your saying what I am saying, material name vs construction.. Its not always thin copper over the metal, sometimes its thin gilding metal, sometimes its cupro nickel, some times its pure copper, pure guilding metal or pure cupro nickel with no steel jacket at all..

until the russian stuff came out with the thin copper jacket over thick steel, it wasnt a big deal really. The thick steel  russian jackets needed a thin layer to keep corrosion down, you will have steel on steel in your barrel, where as  the NATO rounds that use the steel jacket, its a very thin steel with a thick GM/CU/CN jacket, and you wont get any steel on steel in your barrel, so no body ever mentioned it or cared... Make sense?

its just a name game.


Surplus WW2 German 8mm can have any of the above jacket types, and even a tin jacket, or straight nickle jacket. Times were hard....

Looks like Cheaper Than Dirt has it...  Which makes me sad because I think their dirt is overpriced...

Well , now that the name of which we do not speak has been spoken,it won't last long.



Just be sure to take note of all the disclaimer's listed in the description.
( as is, no returns, no refunds)

I think "they" are "not the best retailer of firearms-related items" by far.  But it only took a quick search and Google found a large number of discussions about this stuff on various forums.  I didn't think I was letting any cats out of any bags by posting the name.  But I also didn't post a link, because if you want to buy really overpriced dirt, you should have to work for it....

Open up 3 cases today to take a look.  2 of the cases are loose pack in 50 round boxes and were way nicer than I expected.  The last case came in original 20 round boxes and again were much nicer that I expected.  I will post some pictures when I get a chance.  Weather permitting I will fire off a few round this weekend as well.