Author Topic: What's wrong with Winchester ammo? (Read 2341 times)

Mt_Sourdough · « **on:** October 10, 2009, 10:34:13 AM »

I have notived on this sight as well as other sites that I go to, that it seems that nobody ever recomends the use of Winchester ammunition. As far as factory ammo goes, Federal usually gets the nod first and some suggest Remmi. Am I reading things wrong or is there something that is not appreciated about Win Ammo?
I have used XP3 with impressive results on elk and I am currently using their Ballistic Silvertips as my Antelope and deer ammo.
I noticed on another thread, that somebody else is asking about 270 Win with 150 gr loads for elk. Nobody mentioned the XP3, so I am just curious.

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** October 10, 2009, 11:27:42 AM »

I don't believe there is anything wrong with it tho personally when I use factory ammo I use in order Hornady, Remington or Federal for the most part. Federal is a distant third for me really. I guess Winchester would then fall into fourth place and I don't think I've ever used any Speer other than in handgun rounds.

LONGTOM · « **Reply #2 on:** October 10, 2009, 12:42:06 PM »

Nothing really wrong with it or any other brand ammo for the most part.
I think it is just what you are use to or have had good luck with.
I use about 90% of my factory ammo is Winchester with hardly ever a issue.
I have had some bad experences with some of the older Remington ammo and that is why I don't use a lot of it, but I do still use it in the guns that like it.
Just my thoughts.

LONGTOM

jro45 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 11, 2009, 01:20:38 AM »

If your rifle doesn't like it the rifle will not shoot a small group with it. It will be all over the place. You have to find a brand it likes.

Savage .250 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2009, 01:36:59 AM »

I use all three ( Win, Remington and federal) in different rifles and have had no problems.

BBF · « **Reply #5 on:** October 11, 2009, 05:06:24 AM »

I hardly ever use factory ammo but did use some Win. components. When they were available I loved their old Silvertips but shied away from the Power Points. Those bullets were to fragile for my taste. I've switched over to RN's and Win hasn't got anything to offer and neither does Rem.
I still use some of the Win. powders, brass and primers when I can get them.

mattri · « **Reply #6 on:** October 11, 2009, 05:40:19 AM »

Check out my post on factory 270 ammo for elk. Win rounds were so bad I thought there was something wrong with my rifle/scope. Federals were better but if you want accuracy hand loads are the way to go.

Retsof · « **Reply #7 on:** October 11, 2009, 09:19:30 AM »

mattri, though it was only a sample of 1, I also had an experience with bad accuracy with Winchester ammo. Years ago I owned a Winchester 70 Sporter in 270 Winchester. I tried several boxes of different ammo and the only inaccurate load was with Winchester Supreme ammo. At 100 yards, I could barely keep it on paper. I know that it probably was not the ammo per se but just the fact that that particular rifle did not like it. However, I've never had ammo group that badly before or since. The experience was bad enough that I might in the future try Winchester ammo in a particular rifle but only as a last and desperate resort. There seems to be alot of other people who like Winchester ammo. So I know my feelings are not logical but there it is.

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #8 on:** October 11, 2009, 10:22:40 AM »

Over the years I have shot a little factory ammo. Right now I mostly use 150 grain WW Silvertips and hollowpoints in my .30-30, 300 grain Silvertips in my 375 H &H, 150 grain PP and Silvetips in my .300 Sav., 200 grain Silvertips in my .358 Win. Accuracy is fair in all, but the 358, there it boards on poor, but it is not a long range rifle anyway, in my .300 Win sporter I sometimes use 220grain WW Silvertips. The most accurate factory ammo I have fired is Fed. 130's in a 721 270. It would group 1" all the time. Blue box Fed. .270's did even better in a friend' s Stevens .270. Rem. Rem. 150 grain fac. would group right at 1" in both and old 721 300 H & H and in a .300 Win. Mag. Rem. 150 grain in the 300 Sav. beats the groups of the WW stuff pretty badly, but I have only fired a couple groups with it. So based on my limited use of factory ammo, WW comes in dead last. ...

$:-\$

LONGTOM · « **Reply #9 on:** October 11, 2009, 04:52:02 PM »

Just like jro45 stated-

"If your rifle doesn't like it the rifle will not shoot a small group with it. It will be all over the place. You have to find a brand it likes"

That statement can also be said about almost any rifle and any ammo out there.
There are exceptions to both though.

LONGTOM

Harry Snippe · « **Reply #10 on:** October 16, 2009, 03:25:52 PM »

Well I used to use silver tips until one day I shot at a buck at about 40 yards and it went straight up in the air and ran away. the Lads thought my scope must have gone off siting , so we went to the loacal dump to try her out . you could see a puff of smoke and little flake slots on the paper target .
The bullets were blowing up before they reached the target . So that deer just got stug with little flakes of lead .

I sent the box back to winchester with a letter on what happened to the bullets I had used . they just sent a replacement box of ammo . Never bought a box of winchesters since , though I do use their brass and some of their powders .
Happy

Siskiyou · « **Reply #11 on:** October 16, 2009, 07:35:00 PM »

A lot of years back I bought a number of boxes of WW 150-grain Power Points in 270 Winchester as go to ammunition in case I did not have time to do a bunch of reloading before season. A brother had had good luck with the 150-Power Point and bought a 1000 in bulk for reloading. I got a good deal on the loaded ammunition post season.

My old M760 has been accurate with most ammunition I have tried but it did not like the WWPP ammo. I plan on shooting it up and using the brass for reloading. When I re-scoped a M700 in 270 I found the ammunition to be very accurate in that rifle. It was far below advertised velocity but accurate. I made one shot kills on Mule deer with it.

Last week I spotted a doe, and then a legal buck. I advised my hunting partner to take it. The 150-grain WWPP sent a spray of blood, and lungs out the far side from his 30-06. I have seen him take other deer with the same rifle and load. A classic mushroomed WWPP was recovered from a bear he shot with the same load. The bullet penetrated about 25-inches of bear before stopping.

I am still hanging on to the factory loads for hunting.

I might revisit it in my M760, I had been shooting it a fair amount at the time and cooper fouling might have caused the accuracy problem.

Argonaut · « **Reply #12 on:** October 17, 2009, 01:31:35 PM »

Mostly I reload but when I buy factory ammo I usually buy winchester, As I have not had particularly good accuracy with remington fodder in my rifles except for my m700 heavy barrel .222 remington. Which will shoot 3/8's inche groups with Remington ammo.. Federal is also a favorite but somefolks say the brass doesn't last as long for reloading. It all depends on who you listen too. Generally American ammo is of very good quality. or it wouldn't be on the market long. I might buy or make something a little better for Elk but for Deer or Antelope, corlokts or power points or my favorite silvertips all work well. and I have seen elk shot clean though with a 30-06 and 180 gr corlokts (side to side).

torpedoman · « **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2009, 01:36:33 PM »

S&B makes a lot of ammo for them

Swampman · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2009, 01:51:42 PM »

I prefer Remington. I will use other brands for rough sight in jobs or if I can get them really cheap.

454Puma · « **Reply #15 on:** October 21, 2009, 08:52:28 AM »

Well I use mostly reloads for my hunting ammo- Now I picked up a bunch of 30-30 Win PP to get some more brass on hand. I have chrony'd both the 150/170 Win PP and I see why they don't shoot as accurately as my loads. The 150's were pretty accurate with good ES/SD's But the 170 gr load the ES/SD were way to much in my book for factory rounds. They shoot great in my Marlin but my Win 94 don't shoot them anymore accurate then the 150's - my cast 170gr work just as good with an ES/SD half of the Win PP 170gr bottom line more accurate then Factory rounds, half the cost!

1marty · « **Reply #16 on:** October 21, 2009, 03:25:18 PM »

I have a Rem 700 7-08. Found the Winhester Balistic ST and the Federal BT shot 1" groups. The Regular Federal, Remington, and Win seemed to walk all over the paper. I guess it comes to what your rifle likes.

nomosendero · « **Reply #17 on:** October 29, 2009, 04:43:50 PM »

As factory ammo goes, why not. I rarely use factory ammo, bt I will be using some Leverev. 45/70 stuff this yesr, it shoooots!!!

30-30man · « **Reply #18 on:** October 30, 2009, 04:15:43 PM »

I've used a lot of Winchester, Federal, Remington, Privi Partisan, Monarch, Wolf Gold, and SandB without any problems. I usually buy what is cheap, and the Federals are often cheaper than the Winchester in the calibers I shoot. S and B use to be cheaper, but lately they are the same price as the US stuff. I've been using Privi Partisan and Monarch lately with good results. The only factory I've ever had a failure to fire has been Hornady. I tend to buy less of it not because of the problem, but I find it too expensive for what you get.

mannyrock · « **Reply #19 on:** October 30, 2009, 05:06:31 PM »

I only shoot factory, and if possible, I only shoot Remington Green Box Core-Lokt ammo. I find it to be very accurate, and perform great on game. Yea, sometimes I find that it costs $2.00 to $3.00 more than a box of Winchesters or Federals, and frankly, I don't care.

The only time I might shoot something different would be on a big-time Elk or Moose hunt, in which case I would use Hornaday factory ammo with very high grade bullets, which I believe to be superior to them all.

If you are looking for someone to tell you that all Winchester factory ammo is great stuff, . . . nobody is going to do that.

Best,
Mannyrock

TLARbb · « **Reply #20 on:** November 28, 2009, 02:17:16 PM »

I would say there is nothing wrong with it any more so than any other brand of factory ammo, but fact is that various rifles will like various loads. I almost always load my own. I will sometimes use factory loads if I need some brass for reloading.

I have a 700VLS in .260 Remington that did not like the new Remington 140 Premium ammo at all, but shot the standard 140grain Corelokt very well. I've loaded everything else we've ever shot in it.

I had picked up some .25-06 120gr corelokt ammo for .25-06 several years ago and it isn't shooting worth a flip in my current rifle. I want to try some of the WW 120 PEP ammo for grins.

It is all in what the rifle likes. You know some folks don't like coffee. Same deal.

EJ

jro45 · « **Reply #21 on:** November 29, 2009, 04:02:33 AM »

I load all of my rounds EXCEPT Some of my home protection. So as far shooting goes I know about the bullets. I had to find the right powder Not the manufactour.

His lordship. · « **Reply #22 on:** December 04, 2009, 08:55:25 AM »

I had a squib load burst my barrel on my CZ-75 pistol during the summer of 2008, the ammo was Winchester white box in .40 S/W. I worked it out with the factory and we went 50/50 on getting a replacement barrel. They sent me a coupon for $50.00 worth of Winchester ammo for my troubles, I sent the coupon back and told them their ammo was dangerous and I don't want to blow up another expensive gun. They sent me a check to use on other brands.

I have read that the quality on the American ammo has been going down due to the high demand in Iraq and Afghanistan with the military. One of my shooting members had several misfires on Remington .308 factory ammo, so there might be some truth to that.

There is no way that I would buy Winchester brand ammo again. I was lucky I was not injured by the barrel obstruction of the Winchester ammo. CZ's use very good steel!

charles p · « **Reply #23 on:** December 04, 2009, 10:56:00 AM »

I mostly use reloads as well. I frequently purchase bulk Winchester brass.

bobg · « **Reply #24 on:** December 04, 2009, 11:22:44 AM »

I reload all of my rifle ammo. I do use winchester shot gun shells. Winchester slugs shoot the best in my slug gun. Remingtons were all over the place when i tried them.
bobg

jro45 · « **Reply #25 on:** December 26, 2009, 03:04:26 AM »

I use Hornady ammo mostly you see I reload everything. Haven't had any reason to change.

rickt300 · « **Reply #26 on:** December 26, 2009, 06:01:15 AM »

I find the pointed Remington corelokts a bit soft for my use. I have also gotten several duds with Remington ammo, but by far the worst were the last 4 boxes of Remington Express 150 gr. 30-06 I bought on closeout from a Kmart. more than half this ammo had primer pockets that the reamer had only been run half way in so there was a step. I buy Winchester and Federal now though I mostly shoot factory ammo up for the brass and when testing new rifles for the first time. As for factory loaded hunting ammo in my 270 I have used the 150 gr. Power points more than any other with good enough accuracy and pretty good bullet performance. If you are stuck with factory ammo you just have to test several different types to get what you want.

Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #27 on:** December 27, 2009, 02:03:59 PM »

Quote from: Mt_Sourdough on October 10, 2009, 10:34:13 AM

I have notived on this sight as well as other sites that I go to, that it seems that nobody ever recomends the use of Winchester ammunition. As far as factory ammo goes, Federal usually gets the nod first and some suggest Remmi. Am I reading things wrong or is there something that is not appreciated about Win Ammo?
I have used XP3 with impressive results on elk and I am currently using their Ballistic Silvertips as my Antelope and deer ammo.
I noticed on another thread, that somebody else is asking about 270 Win with 150 gr loads for elk. Nobody mentioned the XP3, so I am just curious.

Nothing “wrong” with Winchester ammo. I use it occasionally (or whatever else is cheap at the time) when sighting in a new rifle I’m not set up to reload for. In doing so I’ve found the white box Winchester 180g .300WM ammo to be both accurate and fast – faster than my handloads by a significant amount. Frankly, I’d consider using Winchester ammo any time I would use Remington ammo.

My preference for hunting is Federal because of the bullets available – I don’t use cup-and-core bullets except in my .44 Mag and .375 Win leverguns. (I prefer premium bullets – North Fork SS, Barnes TTSX/MRX, Swift A-Frame, Swift Scirocco, even Nosler Partitions and AccuBond and Speer Grand Slams.) The Federal 160g Partition loads were my backups to my 7mm RM handloads for a couple of decades. These days I just take two rifles, both with handloads.

The Winchester XP3 ammo never excited me as I think the premium bullet choices with Federal ammo are generally better.