[Highpower]

Originally Posted by jpattersonnh

To bad the surplus ammo is soooo expensive!! Just a few years ago surplus was $12.00 per 60 round pack (.20). Now .75 to $1.20 is the norm per round. if you don't reload you are SOL.

Agreed.

For once in my life I managed to be in the right place at the right time about 2 years ago. Late one evening Midway had posted a new batch of GP-11 on their web site they had just received. Somebody did a big boo-boo and posted a very old sale price for the ammo. $3.00 a box!

I put in a web order as fast as I could, and about 20 minutes later they pulled the ammo off the site. I had ordered 2 cases of the stuff, and being the terrific folks that they are - they HONORED the price they had posted by mistake and shipped me the ammo with no fuss what-so-ever!
A+++++++++++

[JTJ]

Originally Posted by jpattersonnh

.75 a round!! Why would it take a worn "barrel" (bore) to accept .308 bullets. 7.5 is .308! Metric measures the lands, not the grooves! Does anyone have a clue around here!!! 2nd thread I've posted this on today! F..ing dangerous sh!t. If you own a firearm, learn the real deal before posting!!!!!
Update, here is the link. http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f18/military-surplus-german-98k-wwii-where-get-33854/

You may notice I said slug the barrel. That means you check bore diameter first. I know of people using .308 bullets in the 7.5.
I also checked my loading manual and it calls for .308 bullets. It also says do not use in the 1899 model as the pressures would be unsafe. By the way the loads are very close to the 308 Winchester.

[jpattersonnh]

Originally Posted by JTJ

You may notice I said slug the barrel. That means you check bore diameter first. I know of people using .308 bullets in the 7.5.
I also checked my loading manual and it calls for .308 bullets. It also says do not use in the 1899 model as the pressures would be unsafe. By the way the loads are very close to the 308 Winchester.

Again, wrong. Similar to 7.62x51, not .308 which is higher pressure. They are still lower than 7.62x51. Just keep it spilling out!!

[JTJ]

Originally Posted by jpattersonnh

Again, wrong. Similar to 7.62x51, not .308 which is higher pressure. They are still lower than 7.62x51. Just keep it spilling out!!

Do I have to spell everything out for you? Are you the head nitpicker? Tone it down and get civilized.
It is very similar to the 308 Winchester in performance. The book did not list the pressure for the 7.5. It is my understanding that 7.62x51 NATO is the military version of the 308 Winchester or the other way around. Essentially the 2 artridges are the same. The differential between the .223 and the 5.56x45 is in the pressure levels. The 5.56x45 is loaded to higher pressures and should not be used in weapons designed for the 223 cartridge. I do not believe the 7.62 and the 308 have the pressure differential problem but I could be mistaken.

[CA357]

Relax JTJ. There are other people here who also have knowledge & experience and they may have differing opinions. It makes the world go 'round.

Please be careful how you speak to other members. Discussion is fine, disagreement is fine, name calling is not.

[TheOldMan]

Prices being what they are right now, I'd like to suggest getting into reoading your own ammunition. Slight investment up front getting the brass (7.5 x 55 being one of them) but in the end much better cost wise. I reload for all of my mil-surps.

Collecting old rifles will quickly become an obsession so good luck in getting your first one =)

[JTJ]

Sorry about that CA357.
Reloading is the only way to go with old military rifles but it is a good idea to have the head space checked and the bore slugged. There was a lot of variation in some of the bore sizes on some calibers.
7.62mm=.300" The 7.62x51 utilizes a .308" bullet. The 7.62x39 utilizes a .311 bullet. 7.5MM=.295" but the loading data calls for .308. A lot of calibers dont actually depict the real bore size. 303 Savage is .308" while 303 British is .313". 8x57 loading data indicates a .323" bullet but there are cautions because of varying bores. Be very careful. I had a sporterized 8x57 Mauser and had the gunsmith check the head space and slug the bore before I shot it or reloaded for it.
I know one man who is reloading the 7.5 Swiss with berdan primers. He has a supplier for the primers and a special decapping tool. I dont know what it looks like, how it works or where he got it.

[JTJ]

Highpower; 8 years ago I was paying $7.00 a brick for Blazer 22lr. I am now down to 3 bricks from the 12 I bought. PMC 223 was under $4/20.
Last year I caught a deal on 17M2 for my wife. 50 rnds Eley at $4.00 a box. I bought 2000 rnds for her. there are a few deals still out there but they are scarce. Prices have dropped some. OO buck was about $12 a box of 15 at WM yesterday. CCI minimags $6.49/100. 45ACP Win White $33/100. They did not have the Federals.

[Highpower]

Yeah, unfortunately the "good old days" of military surplus ammo are long gone I'm afraid. Glad I stocked up when I did.

I'm surprised that I haven't seen any 8X56R fans chime in yet....

I've got a couple of Steyr 95's that I'm afraid to shoot now for fear of using up the case of ammo I have now.

[JTJ]

8x56R $2.00 per round for 1930's mfg. Corrosive to say the least. That case is worth some money.