Ammunition

[EddieWalker]

Havn't had it out on a hunt yet, but was thinking it might be good for dangerous game.. like ... tyrannosaur

Seriously though.. I picked it up and a 416 rigby, and a 375HH for a safari hunt that just hasn't occured yet.

Only thing it has shot was paper.. and believe me.. the paper was dead.. Dropped on the spot. didn't have to track it any... took out the target frame too.

416 Rigby was always one of the callibers I wanted for a very long time. Then the 416 Ruger came out and it sounded like an even better round!!! But after going on two safaris to Africa and one hunting trip to New Zealand, I've found that it's so much easier and nicer to use the guns they have there then going through all the issues of traveling with them. I've also heard to many stories of guns being messed with, or lost for a week from friends who hunt Africa that it has proven this to be a good theory. I'll bring my own rifle for trips in the US, but not overseas.

 

[Soundguy]

416 Rigby was always one of the callibers I wanted for a very long time. Then the 416 Ruger came out and it sounded like an even better round!!! But after going on two safaris to Africa and one hunting trip to New Zealand, I've found that it's so much easier and nicer to use the guns they have there then going through all the issues of traveling with them. I've also heard to many stories of guns being messed with, or lost for a week from friends who hunt Africa that it has proven this to be a good theory. I'll bring my own rifle for trips in the US, but not overseas.

I've often wondered what guns they have available. I talked to a buddy one time and he said the guides all carried 30-06 !! Quite surprised me since it's not a dangerous game legal caliber.. but I guess if you are just the guide..

 

[westcliffe01]

I shoot exclusively golden tiger through my SKS. Reliable, non corrosive and cheap. I do clean the SKS once in a while and I think if you do a thorough job, you will get the chamber clean too. make especially sure to get the firing pin clean and free. SKS rifles have been known to slam fire if the firing pin seizes up. I have the brass cased yugoslavian ammo, but I will keep that sealed for a more serious situation when there is no more cheap commercial ammo. The yugo milsurp ammo IS CORROSIVE FOR SURE. Even the stuff with mid 80's headstamps.

I do shoot some of the yugo M75 "sniper" ammo through my 8x57, it is a custom rifle based on a Savage 16 and has a stainless match barrel on it, so I am less concerned about corrosion, but still clean it after every shoot. 50c for a big cartridge like that with a 200gr projectile is pretty cool. Can forget about that with 308 or 30-06 today. I will also say that cleaning up after corrosive ammo is a lot simpler with a bolt gun. You don't have primer salts to flush out of several orifices, gas system and the entire inside of the receiver like in a semi auto, especially an AR15 based semi... I had one of those, AR15 7.62x39... Bad idea, especially with corrosive ammo.

 

[rtimgray]

The only guns that I shoot corrosive ammo in are my old bolt guns. I generally treat any surplus ammunition as if it were corrosive, whether it actually is or not.

Incidentally, is anyone familiar with how troops in WWI/WWII cleaned their rifles when using corrosive ammo, or did they? I know most of the Mosin cleaning kits come with a 2-part "oiler", and I assume one side would have been for a solvent (maybe ammonia-based?) that would clean the salts and the other side had some kind of oil. I've read some theories, but I don't know that I've heard for sure how it was done.

Just curious if anyone here had that tidbit of information.

 

[Soundguy]

If possible, I'd avoid shooting any gun with a gas system with corosive ammo.

A bolt gun? sure.. easy to clean.


On SKS slam fires.. assuming trigger group ok.. many times I've seen people with slam fires, and you open the gun up and it's packed with cosmoline!

 

[oldpilgrim]

Incidentally, is anyone familiar with how troops in WWI/WWII cleaned their rifles when using corrosive ammo, or did they?

My father is a D Day vet and lasted 7 weeks before his wounds brought him home. He was right in the thick of the heaviest part of the fighting. I asked him how he cleaned his stuff.

He said he never cleaned a gun. If it got too dirty due to shooting it or just from laying in the mud, he said he never had to look too far to find something else to shoot with. There were plenty laying on the ground.

 

[Garycw]

The only guns that I shoot corrosive ammo in are my old bolt guns. I generally treat any surplus ammunition as if it were corrosive, whether it actually is or not. Incidentally, is anyone familiar with how troops in WWI/WWII cleaned their rifles when using corrosive ammo, or did they? I know most of the Mosin cleaning kits come with a 2-part "oiler", and I assume one side would have been for a solvent (maybe ammonia-based?) that would clean the salts and the other side had some kind of oil. I've read some theories, but I don't know that I've heard for sure how it was done. Just curious if anyone here had that tidbit of information.

I've heard you could also just take a whiz down the barrel to neutralize the salts. If that's the only ammonia based cleaner at hand

 

[rtimgray]

This is what I've heard repeated most often - I just didn't know if it was true or just a wives tale. Kind of what oldpilgrim said - if the gun you were using wore out, maybe it wasn't too tough just to find another one...

 

[TCJatko]

416 Rigby was always one of the callibers I wanted for a very long time. Then the 416 Ruger came out and it sounded like an even better round!!! But after going on two safaris to Africa and one hunting trip to New Zealand, I've found that it's so much easier and nicer to use the guns they have there then going through all the issues of traveling with them. I've also heard to many stories of guns being messed with, or lost for a week from friends who hunt Africa that it has proven this to be a good theory. I'll bring my own rifle for trips in the US, but not overseas.

Good article on the .416 Rigby in this month's American Rifleman. At $13 K + per rifle I'll leave it alone

 

[rtimgray]

I've just received my most recent order from Academy (3 business days after placing it) and I am really impressed. I got a bulk box of .22 (325 round) for $18, a couple of other 50 round boxes for $2.19 and some of the Monarch .308. As long as they are running the $25/free shipping deal, I think I'm going to be picking up some more from them.

The whole reason that I looked at them was for the Monarch ammo, and I've tried out some of the 9x18 Makarov in my P64. It functioned fine, and seemed to be as accurate as I am, so I was pleased with that. I tried the .380 in my Taurus 738 and every time I loaded a full magazine, I had a jam at feeding the first round. After that, it functioned fine. I tried some of my other ammo in the 738 and had no jams, so I don't know what the difference was with the Monarch that causes the jam problem. It seems fine for practice ammo, though.

Just thought I would share that. Don't know if this is a good option for many folks that may not be able to have Fedex leave a package on the doorstep, but it works well for me.

Good luck and take care.