Feeding the monster?

kalashnikov47 · 05-27-2008, 06:25 PM

Hello fellow CETME fans,

Just wondering what Ammo you guys have been using in your rifles. Cheaper than dirt has some Igman for sale for $122.97 for 200 rd battle packs. I am looking to stock up on some quality ammo and have been shooting the Winchester white box labeled 7.62 NATO on it. Winchester shoots well, but it's a bit on the $$$ side. Just wondering If anyone has has any experience with either the IGMAN 7.62 x 51 mm ammo which I believe is made in Bosnia. Or Lithuanian 7.62 x 51 mm? Both are supposed to be NATO spec.

Thanks

just_a_car · 05-27-2008, 09:02 PM

No experience with either, but if it's NATO-spec, it's A-OK to shoot in the CETME.

The only stuff I've fired through my Spanish Lady, "Jessica", is a battlepack of South African surplus and a bunch of Wolf .308Win (That stuff is dirty as all heck and it takes forever to clean the receiver).

I actually like the Wolf over the SA stuff. The SA was a little too weak and wasn't cycling well with the weak mag springs I was dealing with. Not really the ammo or the rifle's fault, but something worth noting that the Wolf .308Win was noticeably 'stouter' than the SA 7.62x51NATO.

I don't think I have to go into the diatribe about the difference between the two rounds and that most folk say .308Win shouldn't be fired in a 7.62NATO weapon, due to the difference in max-pressure and such. I've never had issue with the steel-cased Wolf ammo, though, and I'm about 300 rounds into it.

Enscribe · 05-31-2008, 11:30 PM

I've shot every origin of nato spec ammo I can find and it's all good stuff.(1500 rounds since I bought her in Feb) The indian can be dirty since it's bound to be real old. I just bought a 300 rnd ammo can of circa 1968 .308 and it's been the best I've had so far. never shot match grade ammo out of her but I thinkk she could hang. I would go for the cheapest deal you can find and that's usually Wolf or Brown Bear. maybe a nato battle pack here or there. I just can't resist the battle packs and can't readily find Wolf locally so..... Happy ammo hunting.

Big Dog · 06-01-2008, 06:03 AM

The CETME rifle has NO problem with the pressures of .308Win.
The problem is in the use of thinner commercial brass cases. No such problem with Wolf steel cases.

wunhunglo · 06-01-2008, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by just_a_car

No experience with either, but if it's NATO-spec, it's A-OK to shoot in the CETME.

The only stuff I've fired through my Spanish Lady, "Jessica", is a battlepack of South African surplus and a bunch of Wolf .308Win (That stuff is dirty as all heck and it takes forever to clean the receiver).

I actually like the Wolf over the SA stuff. The SA was a little too weak and wasn't cycling well with the weak mag springs I was dealing with. Not really the ammo or the rifle's fault, but something worth noting that the Wolf .308Win was noticeably 'stouter' than the SA 7.62x51NATO.

I don't think I have to go into the diatribe about the difference between the two rounds and that most folk say .308Win shouldn't be fired in a 7.62NATO weapon, due to the difference in max-pressure and such. I've never had issue with the steel-cased Wolf ammo, though, and I'm about 300 rounds into it.

If the SA 7.62 stuff was "weak" did it have the Nato Cross in a circle headstamp?

just_a_car · 06-01-2008, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wunhunglo

If the SA 7.62 stuff was "weak" did it have the Nato Cross in a circle headstamp?

Nope, just a headstamp of 88 over 12. The package called it M1A2 Ball.

I just assumed it was NATO-spec; I certainly could've been wrong.

wunhunglo · 06-02-2008, 12:03 AM

That was why the headstamp was adopted, it confirms that the ammo is to Nato spec; No cross in circle= not guaranteed to Nato spec.

just_a_car · 06-02-2008, 01:56 AM

Yeah, I know to look for it. I think at the time that I had purchased it, I had read something about it being NATO, but not marked as such. I knew about the circle-cross but went with what I'd read. Found out it probably wasn't the case, but the stuff shoots okay and is brass-cased and (I think) boxer primed. Thing is, it has a weird salty/ammonia odor to the gases, so I made sure to clean my CETME really well after shooting it. The Wolf .308Win doesn't have the same harsh odor but is much, much dirtier and leaves a thick black powdery residue on everything in the receiver, including the magazine and any rounds in the mag.

Big Dog · 06-02-2008, 05:59 PM

My CETME likes the South African, and the Aussie ammo - neither is "NATO spec" but are good ammo. The 'proper' ammo for the CETME is Spanish Santa Barbara - also not "NATO spec". But find it isn't as tight-shooting as SA and Aussie.
Don't limit your rifle to just NATO fodder - it can handle others. Quality is the thing to look for. For instance, avoid Indian ammo like the plague!
I've had very good performance with Venezuelan CAVIM ammo - others don't seem to like it.

kalashnikov47 · 06-03-2008, 11:34 AM

thanks for the input guys. I found some lithuanian ammo that I might try. I will see how it shoots. I was also going to ask you guys about hunting rounds in .308. I bought some federal soft point that I might try and use for hunting. I also bought a 5 rd mag so the Game Officers wont fine me. just wondering if anyone has fired reg .308 rounds and had any problems. thanks again.

Big Dog · 06-03-2008, 05:33 PM

I have shot about sixty rounds of Remington 150 grain softpoint commercial ammo, and in general, it did well. Til one case was ripped in half! The next round was stuck in the neck of the broken one, and the bolt could not seat - luckily!

The CETME has a violent extraction/ejection cycle, and standard commercial cases can fail. You can use it for hunting, just be careful!

05-27-2008, 06:25 PM	#1
kalashnikov47 Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: smack dab in the middle of it. Posts: 62	Feeding the monster? Hello fellow CETME fans, Just wondering what Ammo you guys have been using in your rifles. Cheaper than dirt has some Igman for sale for $122.97 for 200 rd battle packs. I am looking to stock up on some quality ammo and have been shooting the Winchester white box labeled 7.62 NATO on it. Winchester shoots well, but it's a bit on the $$$ side. Just wondering If anyone has has any experience with either the IGMAN 7.62 x 51 mm ammo which I believe is made in Bosnia. Or Lithuanian 7.62 x 51 mm? Both are supposed to be NATO spec. Thanks

05-27-2008, 09:02 PM	#2
just_a_car Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Edmonds, WA Posts: 3,522	No experience with either, but if it's NATO-spec, it's A-OK to shoot in the CETME. The only stuff I've fired through my Spanish Lady, "Jessica", is a battlepack of South African surplus and a bunch of Wolf .308Win (That stuff is dirty as all heck and it takes forever to clean the receiver). I actually like the Wolf over the SA stuff. The SA was a little too weak and wasn't cycling well with the weak mag springs I was dealing with. Not really the ammo or the rifle's fault, but something worth noting that the Wolf .308Win was noticeably 'stouter' than the SA 7.62x51NATO. I don't think I have to go into the diatribe about the difference between the two rounds and that most folk say .308Win shouldn't be fired in a 7.62NATO weapon, due to the difference in max-pressure and such. I've never had issue with the steel-cased Wolf ammo, though, and I'm about 300 rounds into it. __________________

06-01-2008, 06:03 AM	#4
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,219	The CETME rifle has NO problem with the pressures of .308Win. The problem is in the use of thinner commercial brass cases. No such problem with Wolf steel cases. __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

06-02-2008, 01:56 AM	#8
just_a_car Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Edmonds, WA Posts: 3,522	Yeah, I know to look for it. I think at the time that I had purchased it, I had read something about it being NATO, but not marked as such. I knew about the circle-cross but went with what I'd read. Found out it probably wasn't the case, but the stuff shoots okay and is brass-cased and (I think) boxer primed. Thing is, it has a weird salty/ammonia odor to the gases, so I made sure to clean my CETME really well after shooting it. The Wolf .308Win doesn't have the same harsh odor but is much, much dirtier and leaves a thick black powdery residue on everything in the receiver, including the magazine and any rounds in the mag. __________________

06-02-2008, 05:59 PM	#9
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,219	My CETME likes the South African, and the Aussie ammo - neither is "NATO spec" but are good ammo. The 'proper' ammo for the CETME is Spanish Santa Barbara - also not "NATO spec". But find it isn't as tight-shooting as SA and Aussie. Don't limit your rifle to just NATO fodder - it can handle others. Quality is the thing to look for. For instance, avoid Indian ammo like the plague! I've had very good performance with Venezuelan CAVIM ammo - others don't seem to like it. __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

05-31-2008, 11:30 PM	#3
Enscribe Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 142	I've shot every origin of nato spec ammo I can find and it's all good stuff.(1500 rounds since I bought her in Feb) The indian can be dirty since it's bound to be real old. I just bought a 300 rnd ammo can of circa 1968 .308 and it's been the best I've had so far. never shot match grade ammo out of her but I thinkk she could hang. I would go for the cheapest deal you can find and that's usually Wolf or Brown Bear. maybe a nato battle pack here or there. I just can't resist the battle packs and can't readily find Wolf locally so..... Happy ammo hunting.

06-02-2008, 12:03 AM	#7
wunhunglo Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: currently "Sunny West Africa" Posts: 1,659	That was why the headstamp was adopted, it confirms that the ammo is to Nato spec; No cross in circle= not guaranteed to Nato spec.

06-03-2008, 11:34 AM	#10
kalashnikov47 Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: smack dab in the middle of it. Posts: 62	thanks for the input guys. I found some lithuanian ammo that I might try. I will see how it shoots. I was also going to ask you guys about hunting rounds in .308. I bought some federal soft point that I might try and use for hunting. I also bought a 5 rd mag so the Game Officers wont fine me. just wondering if anyone has fired reg .308 rounds and had any problems. thanks again.

06-03-2008, 05:33 PM	#11
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,219	I have shot about sixty rounds of Remington 150 grain softpoint commercial ammo, and in general, it did well. Til one case was ripped in half! The next round was stuck in the neck of the broken one, and the bolt could not seat - luckily! The CETME has a violent extraction/ejection cycle, and standard commercial cases can fail. You can use it for hunting, just be careful! __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.