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Posted: 2/17/2006 9:47:59 AM EDT
[#1]
Compared to the last 5 years, there is hardly any surplus .308 on the market. It's been widely available, and very inexpensive, for about the last 10 years, as countries that used to issue .308 rifles (mostly the FAL, but the G3 in a few cases) have moved to 5.56 or 5.45 weapons.
All that surplus is definitely drying up, though, and once it's gone, it will be GONE. In many countries, .308 is no longer in (military) production at all. Plus, many countries have signed the UN's "Small Arms Non-Proliferation Treaty" and have passed related laws in their countries to ban the surplussing of military ammo. Billions of rounds have been burned instead of being exported as surplus. I've been warning people of this for several years. Back when I started, few people believed me. A lot more believe me now. Many others still have their heads in the sand because they don't want to believe it. In the 80s, surplus .30-06 was everywhere and was cheap. AND much of it was high-quality genuine US surplus. People thought it would never dry up. Try to buy some today. -Troy |
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Posted: 2/17/2006 9:54:00 AM EDT
[#2]
thanks Troy. I recently acquired a 308 MBR and I am currently debating obtaining a lot of surplus to last many years, or just biting the bullet and getting a dillon 650 to roll my own, at least for practice. I will probably obtain several thousand rounds surplus for now, but the 650 just went on the shopping list. Thanks again. |
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Posted: 2/17/2006 10:01:04 AM EDT
[#3]
I think Troy is right on the money. Suuplus ammo has been getting really scarce around here. I rarely see .308 at the shows anymore and the only 30.06 left is Korean corrosive. I just picked up 1200 rounds of SA .308 to replenish my stock. .303 has been scarce lately. 7.62x54R seem to be fairly abundant and cheap, but I don't know how long that will last.
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Posted: 2/17/2006 12:14:03 PM EDT
[#4]
SA Surplus is the only majorly available stuff right now. There is a little linked port.... but it is expensive.
The .308 is dryer now (tho still available) than I have seen it in 5 years.... and it hasn't gone up in price all that much. When it is all gone, it will be MUCH more expensive. I imagine there will still be some coming in from time to time.... but with the current available cheap SA, I wont take the chance. www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/copy_of__308.html Stock up now, while you still can. Only thing that sucks... is good reloadable .308 brass is hard to come by. Once fired .mil if often in bad shape, and most surplus is berdan. Commercial .308 brass is often crap. I *really* should have bought a lot more hirt and aussie. 
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Posted: 2/17/2006 3:04:19 PM EDT
[#5]
If I am wrong, all I have done is stocked up on reasonably priced .308 for a while. If I am right in that it is drying up and will rise in price, then I will save $$$ in the future and be able to shoot at a cost I can afford. Even when I did not have a .308 I watched the prices and kinds of surplus out there in that caliber. I don't see anywhere the amount or kinds I used to see. In fact, when I do find some of the "used to be all over" stuff it is priced like it was made out of brass beaten by virgins by the light of the moon. Stupid prices.
Look for good 5.56 surplus................It'll cost you Look for good 30/06 surplus...............Still out there but not in large amounts Look for handgun ammo surplussed..................Ha! In a year or two look for good .308 surplus...............I don't want to pay what the local shop wants for 20 rounds of just blasting ammo. Somewhere around 50 cents a shot. Ouch. I will bet that we will rue the day the UN stuck their nose in the Mil-surp ammo supply. Probably sooner rather then later. |
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Posted: 2/19/2006 6:24:53 AM EDT
[#6]
Just ordered a couple of cases from AIM
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Posted: 2/19/2006 9:40:04 AM EDT
[#7]
I agree with Troy... Not many countries still using .308/7.62 as their MBR. I think you'll still be able to find a lot of it because most of those countries still use .308/7.62 for their LMGs on the ground and in many vehicles (think of all the M240s on humvees and helicopters - not to mention 7.62 miniguns). Despite the amount of 7.62 needed, used, and surplused, I think the UN's posture is not helping our cause in the US. And that presidental order or whatever it was that forbide DoD from surplusing ammo hurts evenmore because we are doing it to ourselves... Just think of all the taxpayer money wasted on demilling perfectly good ammo that could be sold. 60 Minutes and Dateline would be all over that story if the government found another way to waste that much money. But since the 2 Amendment is "their enemy" I don't think we'll be seeing much of a flap over ammo demilling...
Oh, I just grabbed up another 3 cases from AIM... It will go well with my Radway, Port, and Aussie stash I already have... Spooky |
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Posted: 2/19/2006 9:43:04 AM EDT
[#8]
I missed my shot this past gunshow to get some .308 SA surplus. The ammo lady said she had NINE cases of it that morning, and sold out by noon. She's selling SA .308 for $215 out the door for 1260 rounds.
I'm going early next gunshow to buy up what I can. |
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Posted: 2/19/2006 9:53:20 AM EDT
[#9]
The contract I work on has purchased millions of rounds in the last 2 years since DOD no longer is able to support anyone but themselves. Its mostly crap ammo that I would never shoot in my own guns. If you have a chance to purchase any Nato Spec ammo of any type its probably best to buy it now and stock it away for a rainy day. I dont "Plink" anymore, If Im going to shoot there is going to be a training objective and Im going to limit the ammout of milspec ammo I shoot. For fun I will shoot Black Powder or run a 22 conversion in my AR
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Posted: 2/19/2006 1:01:09 PM EDT
[#10]
I scored today on some SA 5.56!!! ammo and some AUSSIE clipped and bando'd .308 plus some [good lot] Korean 30/06. 5.56 was a bit high but my ARs LOVE this stuff. at $40 per 200 for the AUSSIE, I bought the only 2 cans he had left. Well worth the trip. Yes I checked the Aussie ammo out as I know about the Indian crap that was put on some by jerks. 1983 Aussie all right. WHOOHOO!!
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Posted: 2/19/2006 4:03:13 PM EDT
[#11]
Aussie is very good stuff. However, the bandoleer ammo, while more accurate than blister pack, is berdan primed. If you dont reload, no worries. Most surp is berdan.
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Posted: 2/19/2006 4:40:58 PM EDT
[#12]
Nope, I don't reload, I'd rather shoot when I have the time. If surplus dries up I might change my tune tho. It would take many years before I ran out of surplus tho. 
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Posted: 2/19/2006 5:28:51 PM EDT
[#13]
You can reload the Berdan primed...if you're patient. RCBS makes a tool to dig the primer out that is slow, but works just fine. If you're loading for a bolt gun, it's worth it. A gas gun might not be worth it. (Bolt gun you only have to pull the primer and neck size).
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