Range Report XM118 question

[Addicted]

I'm new to bolt guns and shooting for accuracy. I have a new Tikka T3 tactical in .308. I have a 500 round case of XM118 175 gr HP long range rounds w/ Lake City LR headstamp. 2005 manufacture date on them.

I took the new T3 out to the range with a friend of mine who has shoot for years, however, primarily for hunting w/ hunting rifles. I shot the first round of this ammo and ran a clean patch down the tube. He kinda freaked out and said that the ammo was too dirty and that he wouldn't shoot that ammo through this gun if I intended to shoot it for accuracy, etc... I had a couple of boxes of Black Hills match that I shot the rest of the day.

However, I have 499 rounds left of this ammo. Anyone with experience with this ammo that can give me the lowdown on it? Is it bad ammo for LR shooting and should be sold, or is my buddy over reacting?

Thanks in advance.

 

[deadly0311]

Re: XM118 question

M118 LR are what the military snipers use. It is good ammo but handloads can be better as far as accuracy sounds to me like your buddy is over reacting. I would continue to shoot it is GTG

 

[cemac]

Re: XM118 question

I got some of it, more than likely from the same place you got yours and I'll tell you what if you don't like it I'll buy it from you.

It's .5 moa out of my savage in my unskilled hands.

I want some more of it!

 

[Pain_doc]

Re: XM118 question

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Addicted</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm new to bolt guns and shooting for accuracy. I have a new Tikka T3 tactical in .308. I have a 500 round case of XM118 175 gr HP long range rounds w/ Lake City LR headstamp. 2005 manufacture date on them.

I took the new T3 out to the range with a friend of mine who has shoot for years, however, primarily for hunting w/ hunting rifles. I shot the first round of this ammo and ran a clean patch down the tube. He kinda freaked out and said that the ammo was too dirty and that he wouldn't shoot that ammo through this gun if I intended to shoot it for accuracy, etc... I had a couple of boxes of Black Hills match that I shot the rest of the day.

However, I have 499 rounds left of this ammo. Anyone with experience with this ammo that can give me the lowdown on it? Is it bad ammo for LR shooting and should be sold, or is my buddy over reacting?

Thanks in advance. </div></div>

That ammunition is DEFINITELY not safe to fire from your rifle...oh yeah, it also causes birth defects...and Al Gore has testified to Congress that M118LR is definitely one of the main reasons for global climate change and global warming...and each round you fire will cause a baby to starve in Africa.............so in great concern for your safety, I'm willing to lay my life on the line and buy it from you immediately!

Just like was pointed out, Lake City M118LR is what DOD has been using for a long time and it is generally true <1moa ammunition when fired through a quality weapon with a good trigger puller. One of the very nice things about it is the widespread availability of accurate ballistic data for M118LR, even through different barrel lengths (instead of having to "guess" that you'll lose 50fps per inch of barrel length under 24" or whatever formula you want to use). Can you outperform it with an individual handload, sure, but probably not by enough to justify the volume of time and funds you'll need to put into load development.

The "darkness of the patch test" does not indicate corrosive properties of the ammunition/powder/residue and with proper barrel care (which I'm assuming you would want to perform anyway...no reason to not take care of a steal of a rifle, which is what the T3 is in the price-to-performance category) no harm should come to your rifle. Eventually, your only issue might be if you are planning on reloading the brass, which the subtle differences in .308 and 7.62 NATO chambers will reveal.

If you're looking to unload it, you'll have no trouble finding people lined up to buy it from you. But FWIW, I would say make the most of your trigger time with good ammo...but please don't shoot it at distances like 50 yards....as I will have a stroke. Good shooting!

 

[1shot2kill]

Re: XM118 question

i think that your friend is overreacting it is very good ammo.
i would refrain from telling people on the hide that you have 499 rounds of that ammo you may get mugged for it and al gore may blame you for the climate change

 

[mcm308]

Re: XM118 question

PM me if you decide to sell....That's all. Thanks.