I see these advertised for sale different places, just wondering how they stack up to the SMK175.

My ordinary recipe is a SMK175 pushed out by Varget, but I'd consider giving these a try-o-rama.

--Fargo007

Quoted: I see these advertised for sale different places, just wondering how they stack up to the SMK175. My ordinary recipe is a SMK175 pushed out by Varget, but I'd consider giving these a try-o-rama. --Fargo007

I think that they're actually 173gr FMJ/BT and many say that they're 1-1.5 MOA tips, which is why M-118 LR has gone to the 175 SMK.  I've got a box of 173s here but had to pull 50 of them down due to ill sized cases not fitting my Savage LE2b, so I haven't actually shot any of mine.

I think that they're good, at a 'cheap' (~$15/100price?) for informal shooting, but you're not going to take them out to any competitions and shoot them for score.

Chris

I pulled some 175gr bullets from M118LR, and reloaded the LC-LR brass with 42.5gr of Varget.

Groups well enough through my 10FP McM.

Quoted: I pulled some 175gr bullets from M118LR, and reloaded the LC-LR brass with 42.5gr of Varget. Groups well enough through my 10FP McM. i120.photobucket.com/albums/o169/paddle3me/M118LR-1.jpg

Yeah...those are 175gr SMKs, so they should group well and you pay for that accuracy.  The M-118 is a 173gr FMJ/BT and it's all over the map for weight.  So not so tight.

Chris

168 AMAX, M118 Special Ball 173gr, M118LR, M118LR 175gr pulled and powder replaced with 42.5 Varget.

Yes, the 173gr M118 does not group well in comparison...



In itself, I have not found M118LR to be consistent: measuring a box of 20 rounds, COAL varied from 2.808-2.824; furthermore, of the 5 rounds of M118LR I pulled, 4 measured 42.5gr of powder, while the 5th measured 43.6.

Quoted: 168 AMAX, M118 Special Ball 173gr, M118LR, M118LR 175gr pulled and powder replaced with 42.5 Varget. Yes, the 173gr M118 does not group well in comparison... i120.photobucket.com/albums/o169/paddle3me/10FP-2.jpg In itself, I have not found M118LR to be consistent: measuring a box of 20 rounds, COAL varied from 2.808-2.824; furthermore, of the 5 rounds of M118LR I pulled, 4 measured 42.5gr of powder, while the 5th measured 43.6.

Yeah, I'm more concerned with what's what.  173gr FMJ/BT and 175 SMK.  Big difference.  You might have 173gr balls weighing between 171gr and 175gr.  Most 175gr SMKs are like +/- .1grs or maybe .15grs, at the most.  Forget all the other stuff.  Good cheap plinking ammo, if that's what you're after, no doubt, but I wouldn't go plunking down $30 for a box of 100 either.

Chris

They're more like extra heavy ball ammo than match bullets.  They can't hold a candle to a Sierra or Nosler.

I remember an article comparing the 173 gr GI bullets to 175 gr Sierras. I believe the writer meeasured 2 grains variation in the GI stuff and something on the order of .1 for the Match Kings. I have a bag of virgin 173's and may weigh them. Of course, the GI specs are performance driven and it is not very tight- something like 8" at 500 yards.

Quoted: I remember an article comparing the 173 gr GI bullets to 175 gr Sierras. I believe the writer meeasured 2 grains variation in the GI stuff and something on the order of .1 for the Match Kings. I have a bag of virgin 173's and may weigh them. Of course, the GI specs are performance driven and it is not very tight- something like 8" at 500 yards.

Sir, based on my experience there are two types of M118 ammo.  At one time M118 was packaged in the Red, White, and Blue Match ammo boxes but was later changed to become the more familiar "brown box" match ammo.  The older M118 match ammo used a 173gr (nominal) bullet.  I qualify that answer due to the weight variation generally found with those bullets.  I've measured the weight across a range of 172gr up to 175gr.  Additionally the boat tail portion of these bullets is somewhat irregular due to the lead core being open at the base.  These bullets are swaged tip to base vs. base to tip as are the Sierra 175gr SMKs.  Brown box M118 was commonly used as a sniper cartridge back in the days our military considered the HPBT Match King bullets not suitable for combat purposes due to the bullet having a "hollow point" and therefore prohibited by the Geneva Conventions.  The bullet weight variation was generally considered unacceptable by match shooters and was frequently replaced with 168gr Sierra MK becomming known as "mexican Match" ammo.

The more modern M118LR uses the Sierra 175gr and chronographs about 2640fps.  Different lots of these cartridges often group differently but I'm not really sure why.  I've measured differences in bullet run out and seating depth and I attribute those to be manufacturing defects, however powder weight variation between lots is common as different lots of powder normally have different burn rates.  HTH, 7zero1.