Looking for some good surplus .308 to break in a new rifle. I'm new to this caliber. What is some good surplus to use? What should I avoid at all costs? I read the post on the new coupon codes from Sportsman's Guide. Do they have anything worth shooting? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Shabo

The Aussie .308 they have has been getting good reviews.   Also, I've heard that Portugese is considered very good.  This is mostly from M1A/M14 shooters.   Can't vouch for the AR platform.

Is the military designation for .308 7.62x51?

Shabo

Yep, the South African sportsmansguide has is good stuff for the money.  Think the port has dried up (for now anyway).  The SA is cheapest, and the Aussie gets the best reviews for accuracy.  I use the SA and have been happy with it.  Good clean shooting ammo.

Yes.

For surplus, the Aussie, Port and South African are probably the most common right now. It all seems to be pretty good. I have used the SA and Port in an M1A and like them both. The Aussie stuff is getting great reviews and I soon will try some of it. You may also run across some British Radway Green and as far as I know it's good too. The only .308 surplus I would tell you to completely avoid is the Indian, as it is pure crap.

-Charging Handle

7.62x51 is .308 winchester.  Aussie is very good ammo.  Check the falfiles for more on .308 ammo.

Aussie,Port and SA is great for plinkin or blasting,is certainly cheap enough.For SHTF stash I recommend new production IMI M80 ball,its hot,sealed and excellant components,oh yeah and its NEW!

LONGHUNTER

Can you recommend a source for the IMI?

Haven't seen it at shows.

Thanks,
Mike

The Port. is steel jacket with a copper wash, if you care.  I know some ranges/shooting-events don't like magnetic materials in the bullet.  It's debatable if the steel+copperwash is too hard on your barrel or not.  I shoot the Port. through my chrome lined barrel on my M1A and don't worry about it.  It works very well.

Interested in the Australian  308's from Sportsman Guide. Is it brass or copper washed steel? Otherwords, reloadable?

 

The Australian .308 is Berdan primed - not reloadable without great difficulty.  One other thing I haven't seen mentioned - stay away from the Indian .308 it has a very bad reputation.

I've said it before and gotten some mild flames, but here it goes again:

[b]Templar's Rule on Surplus Ammo:[/b]

[b]NEVER BUY AMMO FROM A COUNTRY THAT PISSES IN IT'S OWN DRINKING WATER![/B]

Follow that and you won't have any problems.

Stay the hell away from Indian, Pakistani, Chilean, Chinese, and Venezuealan ammo in 7.62x51mm.  Also, Israeli surplus TZZ 81 headstamped ammo is bad juju.  I still have scars where a civillian Class 3 M60 let go on me while shooting that crap.  The Israelis are too poor to surplus anything out unless it's trashed.  New Israeli is good stuff.  

The Czechs made some corrosive ammo for there revolutionary brothers in the Colonial Wars in Africa in the 60's and 70's.  SAMCO Global has some, so be advised it's corrosive.

German, Swedish, Dutch, Austrian, British, Canadian, Australian, South African, Portugese, Spanish, Malaysian, Singaporean, and new Israeli 7.62x51mm is all good stuff.  

I personally feel that Port is plated, not Copper washed.  I pulled a port bullet and file into it in the area that would contact the barrel during fire.  The plating is pretty thin, but I think its too thick to be some sort of Copper wash.