Author Topic: Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?  (Read 685 times)

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Offline BRL

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Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?
« on: May 13, 2010, 12:06:10 PM »
Has anyone used this ammo? What are your thoughts? Clean? Accuracy? etc.?

I am taking a rifle class in October that will have us shooting 500 rounds of .308. I'd sure like to use an ammo with this kind of price tag. It won't be an accuracy/bench rest shoot so accuracy isn't as important as clean, non-corrosive, etc.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/brown-bear-308-winchester-fmj-145-grain-ammo-500-rds.aspx?a=472419

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/silver-bear-308-winchester-140-grain-sp-ammo-500-rds.aspx?a=472410

Thank you!!
B. Leeber
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Offline diggler1833

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Re: Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2010, 01:07:02 PM »
Personally, I'll never run steel cases in anything other than a cheap, Warsaw Pact weapon.  I like my chambers too much.

If that is what you are running, then go ahead, just clean your rifle real well after shooting.

Offline BRL

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Re: Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2010, 02:56:19 PM »
I don't usually run steel cases. I'm not knowledgeable enough on steel cases to know what they do to a rifle. I will be buying a new Winchester M70 featherweight in .308 for this Practical Rifle class and wondered if I could use the cheaper ammo. I'd be breaking in the rifle with better ammo then just trying to buy bulk ammo for the course.

Thank you!!
B. Leeber
Nutritional Biochemist

Offline diggler1833

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Re: Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2010, 03:59:26 PM »
You may hear different opinions, but my .02 is why run steel on steel inside your chamber when you can run brass on steel?

Offline BRL

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Re: Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2010, 04:07:23 PM »
Good point.
B. Leeber
Nutritional Biochemist

Offline BBF

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Re: Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2010, 06:12:37 AM »
Is there some plastic or other type of coating on the steel cases? If so, that would make a difference to me.
Secondly, are you thinking of or are now reloading? Those steel cases are a one shoot and toss deal.

What sort of class is that that you need to fire 500 rounds. I don't even think Uncle Sam back when I was a happy trooper used 500 rounds of ammo in our MG training per person.
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Offline BRL

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Re: Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2010, 06:48:47 AM »
The class is with Randy Cain. Below is a 2 part write up on it as well as a link to his website.

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=253032

http://forum.1911forum.com/showthread.php?p=2438672
B. Leeber
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Offline helotaxi

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Re: Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2010, 12:43:30 AM »
It won't hurt anything.  The steel used in the case is much softer than the steel in the chamber and there isn't any movement of the case with any pressure on it that might cause any damage to the rifle.  You're more likely to do damage during cleaning.

That said, clean the steel cased stuff is not.  The steel case expands differently than brass and usually doesn't fully seal the chamber allowing a lot of blow-by, sooting up the case and dirtying up the chamber.

Offline BRL

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Re: Brown Bear/Silver Bear ammo?
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2010, 02:50:38 AM »
Thanks for the description of what steel cases do/do not do in the chamber. That makes sense as to why they dirty the chamber.
B. Leeber
Nutritional Biochemist