With XM193 and Q3131A in short supply, what are you guys shooting these days?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - With XM193 and Q3131A in short supply, what are you guys shooting these days? (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:17:52 AM EDT

For plinking and general blasting, I've been shooting mostly PMC's 55 gr 223A loads. Seems this is decent quality ammo that's a little cheaper than some of the other options.

So what brass cased ammo you using? Or you are just using Wolf?

BTW, was gonna add Federal AE .223, but ran outta room.

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:24:19 AM EDT

[#1]

My own reloads. Being able to make any load you want is the beauty of reloading.

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:38:47 AM EDT

[#2]

Same thing I always used, wolf. My bushy loves it!!

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:38:50 AM EDT

[#3]

I loaded up at the start of the year.

And I bought a few more cases in March.

I shouldn't have to buy any Q3131A until the end of the year.

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:39:56 AM EDT

[#4]

Who can afford to shoot these days? I just horde my ammo!

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:45:08 AM EDT

[#5]

Mostly Wolf. Found a guy at a recent fun show that reloads using LC brass and *supposedly* to mil spec. Several guys on the TX forum say it's good stuff. I picked up 500rnds to test it out. We'll see.

I hate other peoples reloads, I just dont have time to reload anymore.

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:45:20 AM EDT

[#6]

I've been shooting alot of Wolf and Olympic. I've heard the horror stories about olympic but every one has gone bang just fine for me. When I blow up one of my rifles I'll bitch and whine and say I should have listened but I'm kinda thick headed that way

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:46:54 AM EDT

[#7]

My own reloads. Even with premium components, it is cheaper than putting trash through my rifles.

But this isn't an invite for everyone to go out and start reloading. For the average shooter here, it doesn't make much sense, given the trouble of brass retreival, processing and QC. But when you are match shooting where 80 rounds count, only those with deep pockets will spend the money for Blackhills.

Posted: 8/11/2005 1:04:09 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
My own reloads. Even with premium components, it is cheaper than putting trash through my rifles.

You can make 1,000 rounds for under $90 using premium components? Dayum, let me know the secret.

I can do it with surplus stuff, pulldowns and such, but no way, no how can I make 1k of .223 for less than Wolf with good commercial components.

Posted: 8/11/2005 1:14:09 AM EDT

[#9]

I'm still shooting Winchester whitebox, but it's getting much harder to find. I also picked up a .22lr conversion so that helps too

.

Digital

Posted: 8/11/2005 1:37:43 AM EDT

[#10]

Wolf.

I shot it before the "shortage" and I still shoot it.

This thread reminded me that my local dealer has about 10 cases of XM193 non-PD that for $200 ea that I need to ~~buy~~ hoard.

Posted: 8/11/2005 1:59:43 AM EDT

[#11]

I am shooting SOUTH AFRICAN M193

Posted: 8/11/2005 2:00:51 AM EDT

[#12]

"I shoot that green shit, it's good stuff"

Posted: 8/11/2005 2:13:29 AM EDT

[#13]

I get my ammo locally at two dealers. One always has FAE 55gr and the other recently started getting in Win 62 gr.

Posted: 8/11/2005 2:42:00 AM EDT

[#14]

.22 conversion mostly. With Remington Golden Bullet or CCI Mini-Mag.

If I am shooting .223, I go with UMC. It's what Wal-Mart has.

Posted: 8/11/2005 3:16:09 AM EDT

[#15]

Wolf works just fine for paper

Posted: 8/11/2005 3:18:40 AM EDT

[#16]

I have hoarded a combination of Federal AE, Q3131, UMC, WWB and some of my handloads.

Posted: 8/11/2005 3:30:47 AM EDT

[#17]

Georgia Arms 55 gr FMJ.

Posted: 8/11/2005 3:54:39 AM EDT

[#18]

Ammo man still has the milspec 223 just bought 500 yesterday.

Posted: 8/11/2005 3:57:27 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Georgia Arms 55 gr FMJ.

+1 You can't beat the price on that. I always use this even when Q & XM is around.

Posted: 8/11/2005 4:36:24 AM EDT

[#20]

I have a buttload of XM193, so I shoot that still. However, I have increased my production of match reloads for the 20" gun I have, so as to stretch out the practice supply.

So, I shoot both.

Posted: 8/11/2005 4:41:06 AM EDT

[#21]

Except for .22LR rimfire, I have relaoded almost all of my ammo for years now.

Posted: 8/11/2005 4:43:19 AM EDT

[#22]

South African battlepacks.
Bought 10 a month ago and then found a local guy that was selling 20 of them. Bought all he had.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:05:00 AM EDT

[#23]

Wolf, just finished up 1k of the 62gr flavor.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:06:32 AM EDT

[#24]

Dillon 550B - 'Nuff said.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:08:38 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Dillon 550B - 'Nuff said.

I've been considering loading for the .223 I have the 550b and usually leave it setup for the .45acp, how does it do on rifle cases? I've never loaded anything on mine but pistol rounds.

I've been mainly worried about having lube in the case neck and allowing bullet setback during chambering.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:10:17 AM EDT

[#26]

None of the above.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:14:33 AM EDT

[#27]

I was plinking with reloads before XM193 went short. Shit! I wasn't too dumb to see that coming.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:22:43 AM EDT

[#28]

Wolf is the shizzle.....it seems quit a few people are realizing that.
Save the comments, I'm off to another thread......

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:27:06 AM EDT

[#29]

tag

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:30:20 AM EDT

[#30]

My own reloads, circa 1990.

I loaded these in the barracks aboard Marine Corps Air Station Tustin back in my bachelor days. These were all loaded using a Lee Loader (I had a lot of time on my hands).

Being in California, it is much easier to reload than it is to shoot. So I built up quite a cache over the past 15 years. But nowadays, there is little time available to do any reloading. Perhaps one weekend a year, that's all.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:37:00 AM EDT

[#31]

wolf - ak47 that is. Got a few boxes of wolf .223 laying arround, and a couple hundred blasting reloads. Really prefer handloads on my rilfe, but have not gotten in out to really play with in ages. Press is set up for pistol loads at the moment, and I have about a full folgers can of winchester 223 waiting it's turn. (after I crank out the next 1k of pistol ammo.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:41:28 AM EDT

[#32]

I have always used Wolf to plink, and I buy XM193 and all other brass cased .223/5.56 in small enough spurts that supply isn't too big of deal. Plus, it seems easier to find XM193 around these parts. Just this last gunshow, the ammo guys were selling 500 round cases of boxed XM193 for $97 a pop. They even had cases of Winchester .223 that has been in such short supply for relatively cheap.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:54:01 AM EDT

[#33]

I tried shooting Wolf,but my rifle won't cycle it reliably. Reloads have gotten much more expensive now that the supply of pulldown powder is disappearing.

Posted: 8/11/2005 6:05:34 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
For plinking and general blasting, I've been shooting mostly PMC's 55 gr 223A loads. Seems this is decent quality ammo that's a little cheaper than some of the other options.

i have been shooting alot of it myself, found it to be pretty much on par with xm out to 200m accuracy wise.

Posted: 8/11/2005 8:32:01 AM EDT

[#35]

AE223. It's not bad, but it's not XM193.

Posted: 8/11/2005 9:00:40 AM EDT

[#36]

OHhhh how I miss those $25 SA battle packs.

I wish I had another 20k rounds put away.

Posted: 8/11/2005 9:09:47 AM EDT

[#37]

I have 500 rounds of Q3131A left from last December.

I have around 250 rounds of XM193 bagged in an ammo can.

I haven't used Wolf in my BM M4gery since replacing the barrel after the AWB sunset.

How is the UMC .223 working for you guys that use it?

HS1

Posted: 8/11/2005 9:24:54 AM EDT

[#38]

Winchester Value packs. But those have become hard to come by, so I'm probably going to switch to Wolf...

Posted: 8/11/2005 9:27:42 AM EDT

[#39]

XM193 and Q3131

They will make more and I have a bunch.

Posted: 8/11/2005 9:36:42 AM EDT

[#40]

I don't have a .223. What's with the shortage? Mil supplies low for Iraq?

Posted: 8/11/2005 9:42:05 AM EDT

[#41]

Radway-Green $160/900 rounds

Posted: 8/11/2005 10:45:47 AM EDT

[#42]

Canned Heat from a local ammo mfg.

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:06:56 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
I have 500 rounds of Q3131A left from last December.

I have around 250 rounds of XM193 bagged in an ammo can.

I haven't used Wolf in my BM M4gery since replacing the barrel after the AWB sunset.

How is the UMC .223 working for you guys that use it?

HS1

It's loaded noticably lighter than XM193, but it works reliably. Couldn't really tell you much about accuracy.

Posted: 8/11/2005 12:30:55 PM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:
XM193 and Q3131

They will make more and I have a bunch.

Can I quote you on that in 1 year?

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:49:14 PM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:
I don't have a .223. What's with the shortage? Mil supplies low for Iraq?

My local dealer who gets the Win 62gr for me says "most likely".
It seems Lake City is straining to supply the 1.5 billion rds DoD wants for this year, and Federal may be using some of its commercial lines for that effort as well, because his supplier is getting only spotty supplies of FAE .223.
IMI got a big contract to supplement LC's production, and he suspects that caused Q3131A to dry up, because his supplier says he can't get any.
Wnchester also got a contract, and that has caused its commercial .223 supplies to thin out; only recently has he been able to get some 62 gr (not even 55 gr, which he suspects is going first to big outfits like WalMart).

In all cases, he says his supplier has advised him ammo prices are headed up, and .223 prices especially.

Posted: 8/12/2005 8:41:47 AM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:
Quoted:
XM193 and Q3131

They will make more and I have a bunch.

Can I quote you on that in 1 year?

Sure, I am guessing in a year I will have more ammo than I have now.
It has been that way for thew past 25 years or so. I buy more than I shoot so the stash keeps getting bigger and bigger.