reloading Port 7.62 with 150gr SP's for hunting???

[Forrester]

I was thinking it might make sense to try re-loading port with 150gr sp bullets more suitable for hunting here in florida.

Has anybody pulled down some of their surplus and simply dropped in a different bullet??

Couldn't find anything in a search, but when i think of al the port I have laid-up I thought it might be worth a try.

Thanks for any insight, Forrester

[MAINER]

Old trick with mil. 30-06 ammo years back. As long as you replace with a equal or lesser weight commercial bullet you should be OK. If You want to err on the safe side, drop the powder charge 5% or 10%.

[ftierson]

Originally posted by MAINER
Old trick with mil. 30-06 ammo years back. As long as you replace with a equal or lesser weight commercial bullet you should be OK. If You want to err on the safe side, drop the powder charge 5% or 10%.

What MAINER says, as long as the replacement bullet is a conventional type bullet and not a solid copper or zinc bullet (which are likely to require slightly different loads)...

Forrest

[Survey Punk]

I do it all the time.

JB

[Hebrew Battle Rifle]

I do this frequently when loading hunting ammo. The reason is that I am not concerned with losing a berdan primed case. That and PORT is so freakin accurate in two of my FNs and putting a quality 150 gr hunting bullet on top does not change the POI. So,I do not need to reset my sights.

[ggiilliiee]

your biggest problem will be shearing (more than likely) the soft point off as it feeds ..stock weapons are pretty abusive to ammo sometimes ....helped lots of folk stop the dammage ...easy fix if ya need it later ...:wink:

[newfalguy101]

I have done it in the past

I didnt get the results I was hoping for though.

Come to think of it, I think I dumped the powder and used 165's over a fresh powder charge.

[Bwana John]

Around here we refer to it as "Mexican Match" ammo.

[Forrester]

Thanks!

any links to outcomes etc.?

[lutefisk]

I've written about my experiences several times, but the 150 grain SPs on top of existing Radway everything else cut my 5 shot group sizes approximately in half(1.5-2"). Match military OL...long might help accuracy but deform the SP's in the mag. Light crimp.
Sample size is 4-5 groups and I threw out the one's where I sucked(actually, I reshot after I pulled a shot and didn't complete several.

The bullet performance out to 150 yds on cow elk is just fine. I think it's 4/4 one shot. The last cow is tough, but the reloads are not the problem...big cow, little cow, leader, follower, drag. (pick selections #2 and 4 for fine eatin', 1 and 3 for much burger, #5 is for those who like abuse and want to see if their knife will really hold an edge).

Someplace in the Great Outdoors are my wife and some backstrap outcomes.

[GySgt D]

Isn't Port 147gr or some such? I've been considering doing the same thing, but I'll be sure to download the charge at first.

[Hebrew Battle Rifle]

Originally posted by GySgt D
Isn't Port 147gr or some such? I've been considering doing the same thing, but I'll be sure to download the charge at first.

Why?

[Clark]

http://www.barnesbullets.com/images/mrxbullets.jpg

This year I will be hunting with Barnes MRX bullets .308 130 gr

The cost $1.60 each, but are cheap compared to the $1k in gas I will spend.

[ftierson]

Originally posted by Clark
http://www.barnesbullets.com/images/mrxbullets.jpg

This year I will be hunting with Barnes MRX bullets .308 130 gr

The cost $1.60 each, but are cheap compared to the $1k in gas I will spend.

Keep in mind that the Barnes MRX bullet (with the delrin tip and tungsten rear core) will probably require somewhat of a different load than 'standard' lead cored, guilding metal jacketed bullets...

Just like the solid copper X bullet requires somewhat different loads...

Forrest

[GySgt D]

Originally posted by Hebrew Battle Rifle


Why?

I meant that I would download it before replacing (the 147gr bullet) with a 150gr one, as the OP proposed.

Three grains probably isn't much is the big scheme of things, but I sure don't want to find out different.

[ggiilliiee]

ya gootta do your powder charge o bullet weight ..more than likely it will shear 10 grns off he bullet nose ..just going in da hole with a stock rifle ...dont forget to calc that in .hehe ..youll fid out later ...trust me :devil:

[Hebrew Battle Rifle]

Originally posted by GySgt D


I meant that I would download it before replacing (the 147gr bullet) with a 150gr one, as the OP proposed.

Three grains probably isn't much is the big scheme of things, but I sure don't want to find out different.

You can do as you please devildog, but it is completely unnecessary.

[Clark]

I have overloaded allot of 308 ammo, but the Portuguese is Berdan.

The weak link in the 308 is usually the 1889 7.65x53mm Mauser case head built with large rifle Boxer primer.

Load book loads are complete BS [print low loads and high velocities, make money and don't get sued], but the military loads are the real thing.

I have some Port 1978 brass allowing into the country by the Clinton administration to give the post apartheid South African economy some tear down biz.

The Port ammo [not pulled down] had a rep for very good accuracy.

There is some black sealing material in the case neck. If you figure out how to clean that without harming the primer, let me know.

The case head looks like it could take more pressure than a large Boxer Mauser case head. A 6mmBR or 6.5x47 can take more with the small rifle primer.