Your take on Wideners 30cal 145gr M80 bullets

[alpine44]

I have been loading the 30 cal 145gr M80 bullets from Wideners for years in "plinking" ammo with minimally prepped cases and thrown ball powder charges. They always grouped better than surplus/factory ball ammo. (I know this performance and price point is not the typical SH territory but I see little value in using ultra-precision ammo to hose down 3Gun targets.)

With the green boxes getting scarcer on my bench I sorted some of the M80s by weight and loaded them in Lapua cases with hand weighed charges. So far I am really surprised how well these bullets perform compared to the typical "Match" bullets.

Did anyone have negative experiences with these M80s like drastic flyers from out-of-round bullets, etc?

 

[leadbullet]

I load them in my 300 blkout, perfect plinker ammo.

 

[catgunguy]

Wideners has Hornady 150 gr. bulk for even a little less than the m80's.
https://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=7239
https://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=1942&dir=278|281|1079|1090|1576

 

[alpine44]

I load them in my 300 blkout, perfect plinker ammo.

That's what I originally ordered the M80s for some time ago.

My favorite cheap and very accurate range bullet for the 300 BLK is now the 123 gr ZMax in .310 diameter. I resized them first and then found that loading the .310 bullet did not cause any pressure issues nor did the accuracy suffer in my barrels - YMMV.

 

[alpine44]

Wideners has Hornady 150 gr. bulk for even a little less than the m80's.
https://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=7239
https://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=1942&dir=278|281|1079|1090|1576

Thanks for the info. The M80s were cheaper when I bought 2000 last time.

 

[timelinex]

I don't have experience with them, but I'm assuming where the 'match' portion really matter is at distance.... (400+ yards). Most nothing can group 'well' at 100 yards with a decent amount of preparation and load development

 

[mtrmn]

I have been loading the 30 cal 145gr M80 bullets from Wideners for years in "plinking" ammo with minimally prepped cases and thrown ball powder charges. They always grouped better than surplus/factory ball ammo. (I know this performance and price point is not the typical SH territory but I see little value in using ultra-precision ammo to hose down 3Gun targets.)

With the green boxes getting scarcer on my bench I sorted some of the M80s by weight and loaded them in Lapua cases with hand weighed charges. So far I am really surprised how well these bullets perform compared to the typical "Match" bullets.

Did anyone have negative experiences with these M80s like drastic flyers from out-of-round bullets, etc?

I have found them to be fairly accurate when segregated into lots by weight. I think they are made by PRVI. When developing utility loads for my 308 AR I have gotten sub MOA groups at 100 yds with segregated bullets teamed up with 42 gr IMR 4895 and 42 gr TAC.
These bullets can vary over 2 grains from one to the next. I try to keep them in lots that vary no more than .3 grains min to max. Onc I've developed my load, then for utility use I just grab some up and load. My groups with these random weight bullets will grow, but like you they still shoot much better than factory loaded FMJ's. My utility loads will stay around 1.5 MOA.

 

[JRM83]

I don't understand why you would pay $0.20 per bullet for a 150gr FMJ when you can buy a 168 Nosler for $0.21.

 

[alpine44]

I don't understand why you would pay $0.20 per bullet for a 150gr FMJ when you can buy a 168 Nosler for $0.21.

Me neither ;-) When I last bought a larger quantity of the M80s they were a lot cheaper.

I should have checked the current prices at Wideners before posting but one issues remains: The M80s are available in quantities whereas the popular 30 cal bullets have to be hunted down box by box these days.

 

[alpine44]

I have found them to be fairly accurate when segregated into lots by weight. I think they are made by PRVI. When developing utility loads for my 308 AR I have gotten sub MOA groups at 100 yds with segregated bullets teamed up with 42 gr IMR 4895 and 42 gr TAC.
These bullets can vary over 2 grains from one to the next. I try to keep them in lots that vary no more than .3 grains min to max. Onc I've developed my load, then for utility use I just grab some up and load. My groups with these random weight bullets will grow, but like you they still shoot much better than factory loaded FMJ's. My utility loads will stay around 1.5 MOA.

Thanks for the details. This is exactly my observation so far. Over 2 grain weight variation in a lot but very accurate after sorting. I got ragged holes with IMR4064 and around 1 MOA with WC846 surplus out of a SCAR 17; will try H4895 next week.

These bullets may be an option to keep me shooting until the current supply crisis for the "usual suspects" ends.

 

[mtrmn]

Like you I had not checked the prices lately. When I bought mine they were about the cheapest thing going besides pulled bullets. Being a cheap SOB I can usually find ways to make cheap components work with reasonable success.

 

[oldfudd]

As a newbee I'd like to ask a couple of questions regarding military pulls. Years ago I got a lot of M80 and M61 pulls. When sorting these (separately, obviously) what increment of weight would you suggest? I sort better projectiles to 0.1 grain. Would this standard be optimal for pulls? So far, for the ones I've used, the M61's seem to be more accurate. Thanks.

 

[FLIGHT762]

People throw the "M-80" bullets description around a lot. Real U.S.G.I. "M-80" specification bullets have a mild steel jacket. I do buy "M-80" pulls, but these steel jacketed bullets never get fired through my precision rifle barrels. I shoot them in my M1A's, HK-91's, FAL and Garands.

There are commercial and some foreign 147 Gr. FMJ bullets that have gilding metal jackets and are okay for all barrels, but true M-80 Ball is steel jacketed.