Cheaper .308 Ammo Options

[Aliqua]

Was at the range today and the guy next to me noticed the rounds I was shooting. He suggested these two as a cheaper alternative... admittedly I've asked the question here before doing my research but was just wondering if anyone has had a shot with them and if they are worth giving a go (after I've already sighted in my current ammo).

He said the PPU's were $27 for 20, and the Fiocchi were $41 for 20. I'm shooting hornady superperformance sst 165gr at the moment and they're a little more expensive.....

[SCJ429]

Reloads run out about $1 each and if you are good enough can shoot one inch groups at 300. I know what I choose.

[in2anity]

Oh yeah one inch groups at 300m aye - you’d need quite the rifle and still day, not to mention skills to consistently pull that off.

[Blr243]

I’m hoping to get my first 308 soon. Ppu factory 150 softies is what I’m going to start with .....then I’ll research some accurate effective proj at a sensible price and go from there

[in2anity]

Aliqua, PPU isn’t known for its accuracy. It’ll get the job done out in the sticks, but it’s not benchrest ammo. The brass is good and thick however, primer pockets are often tight but can be opened up as a smart reloading option.

Not so sure about fiochi - never collected data about it.

[MinuteofGoat]

PPU will shoot ok in My tikka 308. It goes subsonic after 700m or so, in case you're into long shots. I pay $30 a box

Outback river/ADI ammo is decently priced, and it's well regarded.

My reloads range from 97c each for cheapies all the way up to $2.87 for big boy deer rounds. Once you factor in buying the reloading gear, you would need to shoot 1500 rounds before it pays for itself. Have a look at how much shooting you're doing I guess.

[SCJ429]

Aliqua, PPU isn’t known for its accuracy. It’ll get the job done out in the sticks, but it’s not benchrest ammo. The brass is good and thick however, primer pockets are often tight but can be opened up as a smart reloading option.

Not so sure about fiochi - never collected data about it.

You open up the primer pocket? Why? Don't your primers seat in this brass. Might be why you cannot shoot a decent group at 300.

[TassieTiger]

Don’t throw your brass Aliqua...collect it and others if they will allow - you’ll probably end up reloading and brass is one of the expensive parts

[Sergeant Hartman]

Mate ppu are quite decent considering the price. I would suggest adi/osa/buffalo river 168gr or 135gr over the fiocchi. These are made in Australia and the brass is probably better than even hornady and probably as consistant as your hornady in most rifles.

Even if you are not planning to reload now keep your brass, esp hornady or adi/osa as you can sell them to others later on.

If you want to decide you like to shoot a lot than reloading is the better choice. But never go into it thinking you will save money, lol.

There are a few threads about it on the forum, also you can pm me (i am lot more nicer in pm..hehehe)

[in2anity]

You open up the primer pocket? Why? Don't your primers seat in this brass. Might be why you cannot shoot a decent group at 300.

Umm yes. PPU primer pockets are sometimes an extremely tight fit; enter stage primer pocket reamer. Let's not make this personal. Comon, you and I both know a consistent 1" group at 300m is no mean feat - OP was asking specifically about lowly PPU and Fiochi factory, I doubt he's goal is to group into 1" at 300m.

[Aliqua]

.. or use reloads. Mine is a cost cutting option without doing reloads. Just want to know if these are any good or any other options. Or that are cheaper per 20 for 308.

[Ferrisweil]

What’s the purpose of your time at the range? Are you into long range shooting, sighting in for a hunt or just for s**ts and giggles? That’s gonna drive your ammo choice as well.
I’m personally not a fan of the PPU or Fiocchi ammo, but if your just shooting for fun at the range and that’s the main reason, then go the cheapest you can find.

[Rwd22]

My Tikka 22-250 quite likes the PPU factory stuff, but no experience with it in 308.

If you're planning on always using factory, grab a few boxes of various flavours and try them out, see what your rifle likes.

[Harrynsw]

The PPU shot like crap out of my .308, not sure about the other.

[Sergeant Hartman]

It shot very good inner 1 moa pout of my rifle. Used to be a member who shot lots of kangaroos with ppu as in QLD it is like 17 bucks a box

Depends on the rifle

[Bravs]

I use the hornady steel match at the range. Bought a couple of boxes a while back at $58/50.

[marksman]

in all honesty Aliqua your rifle will tell you what it likes and when it does just pay for it
when your at the range you want to be able to shoot at the rifles best so you can learn
if you want a range plinker get a 223 and a 22 rimfire they are much cheaper to run
use your 308 but dont burn it out at the range

[Farmerpete]

.. or use reloads. Mine is a cost cutting option without doing reloads. Just want to know if these are any good or any other options. Or that are cheaper per 20 for 308.

In my experience reloading is like homebrewing you get into it to save money but it turns into it's own hobby and you wind up spending more than if you just bought the beer/bullets

[Aliqua]

Some great advice guys - thank-you very much.

At the end of the day, I don't want to spend time re-zeroing my rifle to new ammo just to find that it doesn't work and then have to re-zero my original ammo (lazy + cost ). At the same time, I don't want to just focus on one round, in case it's not going to be the best for me and what I want to achieve. That being said, I've only shot a box of one ammo type through the rifle, and the advice from the guys at the shop seemed to have been pretty good. I shot to 100m with a 308, and the ammo I use (Hornady SST) they say it's flies 200yards before the drop - so I'm going to zero at 200, on a nice day with little/no wind, and see how it groups. From what I saw the other day it shot a TREAT.

Once I have it zeroed to my satisfaction, I'm going to try another type and see how it compares, and if I notice a huge difference, then I know it's not the one. Once my skills allow me to shoot out to a greater distance, I might try and repeat the process (300+?) -- that will help me determine the best ammo. Some of the posts here have given me a couple of alternatives, which I want to try and see how I go - ferriswell, at the end of the day, the "end goal" is to shoot as far as I can, with the best groups that I can. I'm not using vices, or a 'precision rifle' for competition purposes, nor do I want to just shoot for the hell of it. I want to learn to shoot my rifle the best I can as straight and accurate as i can, and that way I have the skills for range, hunting, or the apocalypse I'm not sending 100+ rounds down the range a day so from a cost perspective, I don't mind spending a little more to ensure that I'm getting the best results - but at the same time, no one wants to spend 75$ a box, when we can get the same result for say, $50 a box?

I don't think I'll shoot the Fiocchis, as I didn't like the reviews and datasheets, the PPU's seem to be quite... hit and miss - or perhaps rifle specific. A lot of the review on my firearm have said (and many people on these forums concur) that the firearm will tell you what ammo it likes and doesn't like quite definitively.

Thanks again for your all your input guys, might head down to the LFD in the coming weeks and buy a box of some alternative and just see how it goes

Enjoy the weekend.

[Ferrisweil]

I can’t speak for the long range stuff, as 99% of what I do is for hunting/vermin eradication, so for the purpose of doing that, don’t get too hung up on shooting past 300m.
TBH, you’ll rarely shoot over 200m, if not half of that. The more you’ll get into, the range or hunting path will drive the round you choose

[Blr243]

Regarding the chosen sport impacting on the ammo u choose I can relate to that..... from an accuracy’s point of view My pigs don’t matter if it’s a bit of ppu or anything ..... but my foxes and cats necessitate some vmax handmade to ensure tight poi and I don’t miss

[Aliqua]

Regarding the chosen sport impacting on the ammo u choose I can relate to that..... from an accuracy’s point of view My pigs don’t matter if it’s a bit of ppu or anything ..... but my foxes and cats necessitate some vmax handmade to ensure tight poi and I don’t miss

Haha, I just imagined that split millisecond between the bang and the impact where a pig is saying to himself, "oh crap -- i hope he loaded the FMJ's..."

[marksman]

200 is IMHO what you want to practice at, it is what l do as well as my kids and friends,
l dont know if l am understanding this " I shot to 100m with a 308, and the ammo I use (Hornady SST) they say it's flies 200yards before the drop"
l'm not trying to be a sm@rt@rse but hope you understand the bullet is dropping from the time it leaves the muzzle
so lets use the PPU ammo you asked about as an example, sighted at 100m the drop at 200m will be 13.5cm/5,3" inches
and if sighted at 200m at 100m the bullet will be 6.8cm/2.6" inches high
http://www.prvipartizan.com/search_rmb.php?id=A-496
you have also said you would like to shoot deer ect... and l suggest the sst's do work on deer if they will shoot well in your rifle
the 2 brands you put up (PPU and Fiocchi) are hollow point boat tail bullets and are mainly used for target use
TBH the rem cor-loked in 150gr, or 150gr blue box federal have worked for guys l have taken out, nothing fancy, just worked

[Ziege]

Buy a 22 and pretend it's a 308, cheap as

[Aliqua]

Never said I wanted to shoot deer. I've always said I want to shoot at the range.

My statement was based on the box (see attached). If I've misunderstood fool on me, but hopefully anyone would understand what I meant based on it...

[Rwd22]

The chart supplied on ammo boxes is a rough guide on trajectory based on that muzzle velocity, barrel lengths can make quite a difference.

The chart just mentions a sight-in/zero distance of 200yards, meaning at 100yards the alleged impact will be 1.8" higher than your aim point and at 300yards will be 7.6" lower than your aim point (Assuming no scope adjustments are made, your rifle produces that muzzle velocity and no mention of incline degree etc). As marksman stated, the bullet starts dropping as soon as it leaves the muzzle, every projectile calibre/weight has a different distance in which it starts dropping like a stone, as you can see by the difference in impact height between 300-500yards on the box. Use the box info as a rough guide and confirm it for yourself by shooting at different distances and noting where your impacts land.

[Aliqua]

Thats exactly what I meant, and I failed to mention (or I think I did in another thread) that I want to zero in at 200, but I couldn't the other day because the winds were too high. So yeah, if i run comparisons at 200m for each of the different ammo's I can make a better choice as to which ones to try - in saying that, I just found a shop on the way to the range that I goto which is selling my ammo for 13$ a box cheaper -- so that made me happy!

Thanks again guys -- appreciate your insights and experience with all these 'noob' questions I'm having!

[Stix]

Regarding the chosen sport impacting on the ammo u choose I can relate to that..... from an accuracy’s point of view My pigs don’t matter if it’s a bit of ppu or anything ..... but my foxes and cats necessitate some vmax handmade to ensure tight poi and I don’t miss

Haha, I just imagined that split millisecond between the bang and the impact where a pig is saying to himself, "oh crap -- i hope he loaded the FMJ's..."

LOl...
Hey i dont wana be the fun police...but that split second between the bang & impact is from your perspective...

Because...the bullet is travelling near enough to 3 times faster than the speed of sound, so the pig gets the bullet first, then it probably doesnt hear the 'bang' sound because its all F'kd up from the bullet...
Unless of course you missed...!!...

[Aliqua]

Disclaimer: I knew that before i said anything... hehe

Rebuttle: Maybe the pigs in this story have spider sences!

I hate the fun police...