Author Topic: Sellier & Bellot? Any good? (Read 1024 times)

bluebayou · « **on:** December 04, 2004, 10:54:16 AM »

Anybody use this ammo? I have a box of 223 that has sat on the shelf for a year or so (was only $3.00). What about in .270 or .308? Ten bucks for a box of 270 softpoints doesn't sound to bad. Just curious if anyone had tried it, especially in larger calibers.

marv · « **Reply #1 on:** December 04, 2004, 11:39:42 AM »

Blue Bayou, This is My opinion , Just bought two boxes of 22
Hornett ammo It wasn't any good, Some sound like 22 LR when
fired did not group. That is the first factory ammo I had bought in
35 or 49 years. Asfor as year old ammo setting on the sheaf, It
should be good. I have fired some of my reloads that had been loaded over 10 years, fired just fine, :-D :-D Marv.

fastvfr · « **Reply #2 on:** December 04, 2004, 11:53:55 AM »

Lots of people have had bad results with it.

Among my shooting buddies, S&B is ranked far below Wolf ammo for quality.

And Wolf is usually cheaper!! I imagine that's because of the fact that a gun that has been firing Wolf for a while starts to smell like it was stored for many years in a filthy litterbox... :shock: :roll:

But, yeah, I'd shoot Wolf before I'd resort to S&B in my weapons.

like2shoot · « **Reply #3 on:** December 04, 2004, 12:06:16 PM »

I have used 8mm soft points and they shot fine. I have not used them on a deer yet, but would like to try them on one. The ones I tried in a 6.5X55 did not shoot well at all.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #4 on:** December 04, 2004, 01:17:18 PM »

bluebayou: I bought two boxes of S&B .270 Win. ammo for less then $10.00 a box. The bullets were 150 grain round nose. As I recall velocity was a little over 2600 out of a 22 inch barrel. Accuracy was around three inches at a 100 yards.

This rifle produces one inch groups with reloads.

In the long run the S&B ammunition was not a good deal for me. The cases are not reloadable. With a steady hold I could keep them on target on to three hundred yards.

I believe there are far better option for the .270 Every round went bang.

I have a few boxes of S&B ammo that was loaded on a contract with the RCMP. It was loaded in Canadian Mil. cases with 150 grain Sierra Bullets. Hopefully I'll get my grandson out next spring and we will crony these loads.

savageT · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2004, 01:28:30 PM »

Well....I'm just amazed at what I've just read here! Now everything I've heard especially on our Military Collectors Site is that S&B ammo is top-notch especially in 6.5x55mm, 8mm mauser, .303 British in hunting SP's.... are all quite accurate loads. I've shot up about 5 boxes of Swedish 6.5mm (at the range) I purchased a couple years ago and have managed to reload the S&B cases at least a couple times before I tossed them because of head thinning. What's not to like at $9.95 a box?

Jim

Siskiyou · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2004, 02:10:27 PM »

Savage T: All the S&B .270 ammo I have bought in .270 Winchester or seen at gunshows are load with Berdan style primers. I find these rather hard on my de-priming tool. I understand that they can be pried out of their pockets with a punch or hydraulic remove. Are they loading their 6.5 Swede ammo with Boxer style primers?

Miwall a large ammunition distributor in N. California and Nevada sells a lot of S&B in different calibers to gunshops and at gunshows. Normally their displays shows the caliber, bullet wt., and velocity. I believe they show a velocity of 2625 for the 150 grain S&B ammo in .270. When they are selling WW .270, 150 grain PP for two dollars more I buy the WW ammo. Boxer primed, and known performance out of my rifle on deer.

To be honest I have not fire one round of S&B .270 ammo at a deer. The bullet looks like one of the older designed 150 grain round nose bullets of years passed. I suspect it will do dandy job on a deer.

savageT · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2004, 02:15:59 PM »

Siskiyou,
I think the best way to clearify this question is to introduce you to the S&B Site <http://www.sb-usa.com/rifle.htm
What you have seen must have not been commercially loaded.

Jim

Siskiyou · « **Reply #8 on:** December 04, 2004, 04:29:41 PM »

SavageT: Thanks for the link. Clearly current production S&B ammo is Boxer primer. I stated in my early post that I "believe" the posted velocity was 2670, I stand corrected. The webpage says it is 2625. Very sub-par for the .270 Winchester. This would be a good low-recoil round for sensitive shooters.

You sure have me going on the primers. I thought I had some great low cost brass when I bought the S&B ammo. In fact I ran out to my ammo box and have some of it before me right now. The box primary color is brown and white, with black letting. It clearly says Sellier & Bellot, Made in Czechoslovakia on it. Other information on it are the letters, NP 39.51, Neroxin anticorrosive-Antierosive. The Bullet No.: 2927, Type: 150 grs, 9,7 g. After firing 20 rounds I tried to deprime the case, because from the outside the primers appeared to be Boxer. But when I used a lite on the inside I could see two prime holes commonly see with BERDAN primers. Now if I made an error and tossed good cases I will be upset with my self.

Accuracy I'll stand by my statements regarding subpar velocity and poor accuracy. I do not regard 3" groups out of the glass bedded M700 rifle as good accuracy. When groups from this rifle average less then 2 inches and with some loads around a inch, 3" groups do not live up to expectation. Bullets with a history of living up to expectation are the Hornaday 150 Spire Pt., WW 150 grain Power Pt., Norma 150 grain boattail match, and 110 grain Serria.

On the day I tested the S&B ammo I also fired WW150, and the Hornaday 150, cleaning the barrel after each series. When I finshed the WW150 was my choice for that deer season, and it successful killed a Mule deer at better then 250. I was also dismayed at the low velocity produce by the Hornaday factory ammo. Accuracy was good.

I must admit that when I tried the WW150 in my M760 it was not a winner. I think I will change rifles when I fire the S&B .270 next time. It maybe more accurate in another barrel.

To bad we live on two different coast. I think we would enjoy poping some caps togather.

bluebayou · « **Reply #9 on:** December 04, 2004, 04:44:25 PM »

Thanks for the quick replies. Winchester and Remington 270 SP's can be had for about the same price. Every dollar counts though. I don't expect much from my S&B .223's as they are 55 grain. My Handi won't shoot anything but the old standby, 45 grain value packs. I have 5 boxes with 10-15 rounds remaining of Hornady 55 VMAX, PMC 69 HPBTs, Wolf, Remington UMC, you name it. No factory loads shoot well in the 223, cheap or expensive. (yeah, I know about the twist rate but I figured what the heck) There were some range guys cracking wise on my cheap rifle until I shot 3 holes into 3/4 inch, then they shut up. One of them wanted some info out in the parking lot later. Nothing like out shooting Weatherbys and Brownings even if I am limited to 45 grains.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #10 on:** December 04, 2004, 07:23:03 PM »

bluebayou: The price of the gun does not make the hunter.