regarding a 5.45x39 bolt action

[DirtyHarry]

considering building one of these since you cannot reload ammo any cheaper than what spam cans of this caliber can be bought for. Lothar Walther has a chrome lined barrel they can ream & thread for just about any action, maybe Pac Nor would do the same also.

[Tim K]

What are your specific accuracy desires? I don't have a lot of experience with that particular cartridge, but surplus ammo typically delivers 3" or worse groups at 100 yards. If that's good enough for you, proceed.

[OgenRwot]

Yeah that's kinda what I was thinking. If it's for p-doggin you're gonna need MOA or better because those things are less than MOA out at 300 yards.

It doesn't make much sense to me to build a rifle around surplus ammo. Kinda defeats the purpose of building a rifle in the first place...accuracy.

[DirtyHarry]

it can be done for cheap with a savage action, most expensive part would be the barrel. Build a rifle for accuracy but most of all- to shoot it, lots.

[DOC]

Sounds like fun. 3" is good enough for prairie dogs.

[Tim K]

3" is good enough for prairie dogs.

I suppose that's true if you don't shoot past 75 yards.

[DirtyHarry]

a Russian SKS can shoot groups tighter than 3" at 100 yds. Guess the only way to find out the true accuracy is to build it though

[ERNO]

Hornady sell's the new steel cased 5.45x39 topped with the A-Max bullet, though I have not bought any from Natchez yet for my Polish Tantal and my Smith & Wesson AR-15; which I can shoot all day at pine cones and Magnoila cones that I throw up against the 100 yard backstop at the range where I have permission to do so.
Target shooters used the 5.45x39 shell casing as the base for the 6mm PPC, I believe.
Green River might be making a new barrel for the Tantal.

P.S.- I can really make those pine cones dance!



Erno

[Tim K]

Out of curiosity, what is the cost of that ammo?

I reload .223 for $0.19 a round. Is it much less than that?

[jerrymrc]

Out of curiosity, what is the cost of that ammo?

I reload .223 for $0.19 a round. Is it much less than that?

I agree. On top of that ya normally would want something along the lines of a Vmax 40-55Gr for Pdogs.

[DOC]

I think .10 a round isn't unheard of. 7.62x39 use to cost around that much then it double overnight around the time Katrina happened.
ETA: I just checked at sportmans guide and for a 600 rd spam can at $87.97 it comes out to .14 a round loaded. But that is surplus ammo not match grade but should be good for plinking.

[jmg8550]

Hornady sell's the new steel cased 5.45x39 topped with the A-Max bullet, though I have not bought any from Natchez yet for my Polish Tantal and my Smith & Wesson AR-15; which I can shoot all day at pine cones and Magnoila cones that I throw up against the 100 yard backstop at the range where I have permission to do so.
Target shooters used the 5.45x39 shell casing as the base for the 6mm PPC, I believe.
Green River might be making a new barrel for the Tantal.

P.S.- I can really make those pine cones dance!



Erno

7.62x39 is the basis for the 6mm PPC. Just clarifying. And has small rifle primer holes (thought to be better for accuracy)

[Tim K]

By the time you add shipping, you're going to be close to $0.15 a round. If you already reload and don't mind it, I'd probably go the route of buying some sort of accurate .223 and shooting for $0.17 a round. A bud has a Savage in a tupperware stock that puts out 1" groups with an untuned load out of my Dillon. It's probably capable of better.

If you don't already reload, or if you hate it like I do, it might make for a fun shooter. Further, if quality ammo is available for those times when you might want more precision, then it's an even more reasonable idea.

[DirtyHarry]

seems hot & dangerous to me. + it would keep those sponges with AR-15s off my ammo cache. j/k

reloading a decent .223 round is looking more like .25 a round to me. BTW love the .52 gr Speer hollow points that are open like a trash can

[Tim K]

reloading a decent .223 round is looking more like .25 a round to me. BTW love the .52 gr Speer hollow points that are open like a trash can

I'm sure you're right. I've only loaded about 7,000 of them.

[DirtyHarry]

oh, well since you reload it for .19, have no idea what powder or bullet I am using, & have loaded 7,000, we must accept this as the pegged cost per round for a reloaded .223 Remington anywhere in the world. We are foolish holy one.

[Hoser]

oh, well since you reload it for .19, have no idea what powder or bullet I am using, & have loaded 7,000, we must accept this as the pegged cost per round for a reloaded .223 Remington anywhere in the world. We are foolish holy one.

You need to chill out.

[DirtyHarry]

whoa you must have loaded 8,000 of them

[C Ward]

Corrosive inaccurate ammo whats not to like about that .

[cstone]

whoa you must have loaded 8,000 of them

Resurrect a zombie post to pick a fight with a mod who probably reloads 8k in a year. Wow! Just wow!

Where is the popcorn smilie?

[El Caballo Loco]

Resurrect a zombie post to pick a fight with a mod who probably reloads 8k in a year. Wow! Just wow!

Where is the popcorn smilie?

Just 8k?

From what I hear Hoser knocks out a lot more than that. Not in just one caliber, but we're talking more rounds than there is stars in the universe.

[cstone]

Lets ask. Hoser, ballpark figure, how many 5.56 do you normally reload in one year?

I will never get the images of his Dillon reloading setups out of my head. Just awesome!

[Hoser]

Corrosive inaccurate ammo whats not to like about that .

Funny stuff Chuck. True, but funny.

[Hoser]

Lets ask. Hoser, ballpark figure, how many 5.56 do you normally reload in one year?

As many as it takes....

As a rough wag, I go through 1-2 cases (6K per case) of Hornady 55s a year and a barrel or two in my main rifle. I also go through 1,200-1,500 Sierra 69s.

Bolt gun ammo I might load 2,500-3,000 rounds. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Depends on how many Prairie Dogs and Coyotes are out and about.

My 9x19 and 40 usage is a lot. Maybe 4-5 cases (3700 per case) a year. And thats down huge from what is was in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Shotgun used to be a lot. A lot. Then the closed the range on base and it became a pain to shoot skeet/trap/5-stand/SC.

I would load rimfire ammo if I could.

So, how about them Broncos?

[DirtyHarry]

zombie thread....so, what is cost per round of a .223 now that politics have really driven prices up?

now compare to a spam can of 5.45, in a savage bolt action that you could shoot the barrel out of with the cost difference-so to hell with its corrosive qualities.

I'm just kind of chuckling at considering a .17 cent reloaded .223 from range brass all that far from spam can ammo. But I seem to have disagreed with THE MASTERS so my posts get deleted & I'm told to chill. gun nuts are not to be disagreed with lolz

If anyone can load me a 52gr Speer hollowpoint or BTHP bullet with some winchester ball powder for .17 (can't use wolf primers though) I'll be happy to hear about it.

[Hoser]

You have a good evening DH.

Maybe see you out there sometime.

[Wulf202]

for what its worth I've gotten 2moa out of an ak74 and 545 ar with surplus ammo.