173gr LC Match .308 Projectiles P.N 8595434 Help

[Greymatter762]

I came into a sealed metal can of x1500 count projectiles from an older neighbor that used to shoot at CMP matches and local Navy matches. I popped the seal myself. I'm finding conflicting info on how to sort these for the best possible accuracy. The sample I measured ( grabbed 11 from the middle with a gloved hand) were very consistent in length (hornady bullet comparator) but the weight were not.
4 @ 174.8
2 @ 174.5
3 @ 174.4
2 @ 174.6
The length never varied more than .0005" @ .7065

I've heard you can sort these by looking at the base, but have no idea where to start. I'm just wondering if I should spend the time sorting, or trade for bullets I know shoot under .75 moa. I'm getting back to basics: shooting without a brake, position fundamentals, recoil management, etc and want to achieve a consistent sub-moa load in my 308 win (shoots .5 moa consistently with handloads and several factory offerings). Any help for using these or a different direction would be appreciated

 

[Greymatter762]

The type of shooting I'm going to be doing the most of will be KD plates out to 600 yards, and 100 yard paper punching.

 

[Ned Ludd]

Using the formula for kinetic energy (1/2mv*2), you're looking at an estimated +/- 1.5 fps solely due to weight variance for the 11 bullets you weighed. In other words, unless there are more extreme weight outliers in the batch, the effect of weight variance isn't worth worrying about. Only weighing a much larger sample can answer that question.

The next question is how do they shoot? I'd answer that question first using bullets not sorted by any method at all. Thus, you will have a baseline precision value with unsorted bullets for comparison once you choose a sorting method.

After that, it might be worth sorting based on any length dimension for which you can find sufficient variance to warrant sorting. OAL and BTO would be the first I'd check, but if they're already very consistent in some length dimension, sorting by that dimension isn't going to help much.

As I understand it, the 173s are FMJ bullets. Is that correct? If so, that alone would limit the time I would spend sorting them by any means as the inherent precision may not be great no matter how they are sorted. If you could sell or trade for some 168/175 SMKs, or some other comparable weight open tip match bullet, that's what I'd probably do.

 

[Greymatter762]

Yes they are FMJBT. They have an exposed lead base. I agree with you Ned. I think the best thing to do at this moment is to shoot some, or trade them and go from there. The CMP/m14/M1 forums have history on the bullets, but broken links on how to use these at max effectiveness. I'll just have to do my homework with them if I decide on using them. I appreciate your help

 

[Greymatter762]

Photo reference

 

[ebb]

You have an almost perfect length, so sort for weight and shoot like weights. Is there anything else that needs to be sorted for?

 

[fkimble@charter.net]

Find someone with an M1 or M1A who wants some inexpensive plinking bullets an sell them. Buy some Sierra 150/168/175 an work up a good load. Why waste powder and primers trying to make a "ball" bullet that at best will shoot 1 MOA maybe into a sub MOA bullet. The "Match" on the can denotes these were the type bullets loaded in LC Match ammo prior to the use of the Sierra 168's in the early 80's if memory serves.. It does not mean they are match bullets as we know them today. Collectors like to scoff this type stuff up.

Frank

 

[Jeff Porter]

These were the M72 / M118 match bullets. Earlier years production were top of the line high BC bullets for the late 50’s and 60’s.

History of the M118 Ammunition

In the late 1950’s the United States military adopted the M14 battle rifle and M60 machine gun as standard combat arms incorporating the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge which was the newly adopted NATO ro…

snipercentral.com

 

[flatlander]

I'd always thought that the 173 BT bullets were an older design used in 30-'06 ammo for machineguns. If IIRC, the CMP (or maybe even back to when it was the DCM) sold these bullets to competitors as a relatively inexpensive bullet that had superior ballistic form to the 152gr M2 '06 and 147gr 7.62 bullets more commonly available. Since you've opened the can, why not load a few rounds with them and see how they shoot for you? I personally don't shoot my DCM M1 Garand anymore, and sold my Krieger barreled M1A to a neighbor a couple of years ago, so haven't been looking for Sierra 30 cal MK bullets, so don't know if you could find any to buy if you did sell these 173s.

 

[Liven The Dream]

Back in the 80's DCM sold them by the 1000 plus .
Small little Brown boxes. Not that of Accurate Bullets , shot them in M1's and M1A's at 200 yards.

 

[mace2364]

I would be interested in purchasing them if you don’t want them. I had a couple hundred a while back, and I really liked them. I loaded them in .308. I had got them fairly cheap, so I used them for less expensive bullets in my match load and used them for inside 500m. Then I figured out they’re damn near ideal for loading 7.5x55 Swiss and I wish I still had some. My K31 really likes them.

 

[David Milisock]

The type of shooting I'm going to be doing the most of will be KD plates out to 600 yards, and 100 yard paper punching.

Better to have and not need then to need and not have. I say keep them, if you're shooting on a range with plates or taking plates into a field at these ranges a miss won't be because of the variation in these bullets.

 

[David Milisock]

I'd always thought that the 173 BT bullets were an older design used in 30-'06 ammo for machineguns. If IIRC, the CMP (or maybe even back to when it was the DCM) sold these bullets to competitors as a relatively inexpensive bullet that had superior ballistic form to the 152gr M2 '06 and 147gr 7.62 bullets more commonly available. Since you've opened the can, why not load a few rounds with them and see how they shoot for you? I personally don't shoot my DCM M1 Garand anymore, and sold my Krieger barreled M1A to a neighbor a couple of years ago, so haven't been looking for Sierra 30 cal MK bullets, so don't know if you could find any to buy if you did sell these 173s.

Historically, (if memory serves) the 173 was developed and adopted shortly after WWl because the military wanted better long range performance from the 30-06 in the Model 17 and 03A3 rifles. The M1 Garand was designed for it, 173 grain 9 degree boat tail at 2670 maybe FPS I believe, standard until 1939.

However due to recoil in training rifles and destruction of backstop at the ranges General Douglas McArthur requested a test to see of the then 3 year old Garand could operate with the old style WWl 150 grain ammo. John Garand developed a new load the M2 Ball adopted in 1939 at 2745 FPS with a powder slightly faster burning.

 

[chkunz]

I shot them in XTC in the M 14 in the 1980s and 1990s and shot Expert/Master scores with them and even got some leg points with them. The 168 SMK was a little more accurate in the M 14 but not by much.

 

[Greymatter762]

I listed them in the marketplace for trade if anyone is interested. I figured if anyone could use this specific projectile to better effect than I, it could benefit both of us. Thank you for the information