I looked at the various categories and the topic doesn't fit anywhere. I am contemplating buying a case of surplus hirtenburger 308 ammo loaded in the 1980s. The bullet itself is a lead core, covered in mild steel covered with a copper wash. It draws a magnet. My question is will this type of bullet wear down the rifling in a sporter rifle quicker than pure copper jackets of cup and core bullets. I am told the barrels of military rifles are much harder steel than a commercial sporter. If I buy this ammo it is just for practice, so i don't have bother with reloading. Also are there any other issues with this hirtenburger ammo. Ie too hot and cases sticking in chamber etc. If I could buy some locally to test I would but No one seems to have any. What say you experts? Thanks in advance.
This doesn't completely answer your question, but it's a start.
https://www.uspsa.org/front-sight-magazine-article.php?Should-I-Buy-BiMetal-Ammo-8
https:/
why take the chance with a non chrome lined barrel? The various battle rifles that fired this type of bullet most often have chrome lined barrels. Harder substances erode slower don't you know. Personally I would not fire a steel bullet through my Kimber Montana in 308 winchester.
Originally Posted by rbell
I looked at the various categories and the topic doesn't fit anywhere. I am contemplating buying a case of surplus hirtenburger 308 ammo loaded in the 1980s. The bullet itself is a lead core, covered in mild steel covered with a copper wash. It draws a magnet. My question is will this type of bullet wear down the rifling in a sporter rifle quicker than pure copper jackets of cup and core bullets. I am told the barrels of military rifles are much harder steel than a commercial sporter. If I buy this ammo it is just for practice, so i don't have bother with reloading. Also are there any other issues with this hirtenburger ammo. Ie too hot and cases sticking in chamber etc. If I could buy some locally to test I would but No one seems to have any. What say you experts? Thanks in advance.
Where are you getting it? Price?
Never heard of it
The steel is so soft it will not hurt your bore.As far as them being too hot.Who knows??
Originally Posted by 4ager
Originally Posted by rbell
I looked at the various categories and the topic doesn't fit anywhere. I am contemplating buying a case of surplus hirtenburger 308 ammo loaded in the 1980s. The bullet itself is a lead core, covered in mild steel covered with a copper wash. It draws a magnet. My question is will this type of bullet wear down the rifling in a sporter rifle quicker than pure copper jackets of cup and core bullets. I am told the barrels of military rifles are much harder steel than a commercial sporter. If I buy this ammo it is just for practice, so i don't have bother with reloading. Also are there any other issues with this hirtenburger ammo. Ie too hot and cases sticking in chamber etc. If I could buy some locally to test I would but No one seems to have any. What say you experts? Thanks in advance.
Where are you getting it? Price?
4ager..sgammo has had in in inventory for a while now. Never shot it but read it's good quality stuff
Not me in a sporter barrel, soft or not.
Hirtenberger surplus has been available for over a decade as I remember, and was popular back then in M1-A rifles as blasting ammo for those guys who had some desire to do that. It went bang and hit close enough to the backstop to make them happy I guess.
I was never into that sort of thing so I had no interest.
I don't have any specific info about this particular lot, but there are reasons why ammo gets surplused because after testing it fails to meet minimum acceptable standards for performance or storage, and chamber pressure is one of the issues of concern as powder ages.
Personally, I wouldn't waste my barrel life or money that could be used for high quality bullets and other components, but then I generally don't shoot factory ammo anyway.
I was never into that sort of thing so I had no interest.
I don't have any specific info about this particular lot, but there are reasons why ammo gets surplused because after testing it fails to meet minimum acceptable standards for performance or storage, and chamber pressure is one of the issues of concern as powder ages.
Personally, I wouldn't waste my barrel life or money that could be used for high quality bullets and other components, but then I generally don't shoot factory ammo anyway.
Wouldn't take the chance. Have seen plenty surplus that was only "mildly" corrosive.
I've shot it in the past. It's good stuff. Shoots reasonably well, and is non corrosive. However, it is Berdan primed, so don't buy it for the brass.
Norma Ammo came with a copper or cupro-nickel metal wash steel jacket for decades and no one in Sweden or elsewhere will ever tell you it did any harm.
Also, please explain the excellent condition of Swiss Military surplus rifle barrels when GP-11 ammo is steel jacketed yet the bores are not chromed. Perhaps the Swiss and Swedes have magic barrels.
Please explain the use of steel jackets in M1 Garands in WWII. Pleas explain the use of steel jackets by the Germans in WWII.
You are off base and making an assumption that flies in the face of actual data points.
Google up some guberment tests and you'll see throat erosion wears a rifle bore out long before friction between projectile and bore. The steel used in jackets is very soft and doesn't wear the bore down enough to make the military not consider it usable, and logisticians plan to use a typical rifle barrel for 8k rounds based on the engineer's analysis and tests.
Also, please explain the excellent condition of Swiss Military surplus rifle barrels when GP-11 ammo is steel jacketed yet the bores are not chromed. Perhaps the Swiss and Swedes have magic barrels.
Please explain the use of steel jackets in M1 Garands in WWII. Pleas explain the use of steel jackets by the Germans in WWII.
You are off base and making an assumption that flies in the face of actual data points.
Google up some guberment tests and you'll see throat erosion wears a rifle bore out long before friction between projectile and bore. The steel used in jackets is very soft and doesn't wear the bore down enough to make the military not consider it usable, and logisticians plan to use a typical rifle barrel for 8k rounds based on the engineer's analysis and tests.
Originally Posted by Deflagrate
Norma Ammo came with a copper or cupro-nickel metal wash steel jacket for decades and no one in Sweden or elsewhere will ever tell you it did any harm.
Also, please explain the excellent condition of Swiss Military surplus rifle barrels when GP-11 ammo is steel jacketed yet the bores are not chromed. Perhaps the Swiss and Swedes have magic barrels.
Please explain the use of steel jackets in M1 Garands in WWII. Pleas explain the use of steel jackets by the Germans in WWII.
You are off base and making an assumption that flies in the face of actual data points.
Google up some guberment tests and you'll see throat erosion wears a rifle bore out long before friction between projectile and bore. The steel used in jackets is very soft and doesn't wear the bore down enough to make the military not consider it usable, and logisticians plan to use a typical rifle barrel for 8k rounds based on the engineer's analysis and tests.
Also, please explain the excellent condition of Swiss Military surplus rifle barrels when GP-11 ammo is steel jacketed yet the bores are not chromed. Perhaps the Swiss and Swedes have magic barrels.
Please explain the use of steel jackets in M1 Garands in WWII. Pleas explain the use of steel jackets by the Germans in WWII.
You are off base and making an assumption that flies in the face of actual data points.
Google up some guberment tests and you'll see throat erosion wears a rifle bore out long before friction between projectile and bore. The steel used in jackets is very soft and doesn't wear the bore down enough to make the military not consider it usable, and logisticians plan to use a typical rifle barrel for 8k rounds based on the engineer's analysis and tests.
Don`t try and baffle these guys with facts.
I bought several thousand rounds of the 80's hirtenberger years ago. Shot it out of my NM M1A's and my bolt guns. It doesn't hurt barrels any more than anything else, but it's still ball ammo. If 2-4 MOA at the yardline suits you, buy all you can afford and go blasting, cause that's all it's worth IMO.