Novice ?? with steel ammo

[Scuba591]

While being $$ concerned... wanting to watch where it goes, I was wondering about shooting steel cased ammo. like Herter's 55 grain, selling around $300.00 per 1000 in my M4 .223. versus a brass cased at almost .50 per round. I've always used brass.
Please educate me on the differences between brass and steel from a cleaning, accuracy and what it will do to my rifle aspect.

 

[Mgderf]

Extractor wear should be your only major concern, and that shouldn't be too bad.
Herter's is good ammo.
If you have a quality made firearm the steel cased ammo should be no problem.
I would clean it a little more.

 

[Joe G]

Herters 223 is just re-branded Tula from Cabelas.

 

[bobbittle]

Where the heck you finding .223 for $300/1k?

 

[HeadlessRoland]

I tend not to buy steel-cased simply because brass is reloadable, and you can recoup most of your initial purchase price if you do reload. Most steel is, from my understanding, non-reloadable or minimally reloadable due to the case not being as pliable as brass during firing. If cost and reuseability are not a concern, steel will do.
The most comprehensive brass v. steel comparison I've yet come across comes from LuckyGunnerAmmo at http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/

 

[Fixer]

Walmart has been stocking Tula ammo for around 5.27 a box of 20. I have accumulated almost 1000 rounds 3 boxes at a time between me and the wife. If my math is close it should be just under $300 per 1000 rds.

I also reload 223 and have a couple thousand pieces in brass but bullets are expensive right now if you can find them to reload.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

For what it's worth, we did an appleseed at Atterbury last summer that Wolf donated the ammo for. We shot a truckload of steel cased ammo that weekend from 25 to 400 yards and it proved very reliable and very accurate.

 

[Joe G]

Walmart has been stocking Tula ammo for around 5.27 a box of 20. I have accumulated almost 100 rounds 3 boxes at a time between me and the wife. If my math is close it should be just under $300 per 1000 rds.

Yep I've done the same thing. Some put the Tul down but it works for cheap range fun.

I dont need need to spend 2x the price on brass for what I'm doing. $0.26/round is right in my budget.

A friend and I both use it and have had NO problems. Clean well after use and I can't tell the difference vs the "good" ammo.

 

[Tydeeh22]

let me go ask the deer in the freezer is steel cased ammo is ok to shoot.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

Here is the the steel cased ammo we shot at atterbury for .30 a round. AGS is an INGO supporter too, so that's double cool points.

AGS Armament | Wolf Polyformace .223REM 55GR FMJ, 20rd. Box

 

[sloughfoot]

Steel cased is no harder than brass cased on extractors or anything else. It can even be reloaded if boxer primed.

 

[Hop]

For what it's worth, we did an appleseed at Atterbury last summer that Wolf donated the ammo for. We shot a truckload of steel cased ammo that weekend from 25 to 400 yards and it proved very reliable and very accurate.

And I broke an extractor using it in the M1A then shot rifleman using it the next day in the AR.

 

[ckcollins2003]

Extractor wear should be your only major concern, and that shouldn't be too bad.
Herter's is good ammo.
If you have a quality made firearm the steel cased ammo should be no problem.
I would clean it a little more.

The steel cases are softer than the steel that your extractor is made out of. Or at least I would hope so. Therefore it does not wear on your extractor any more than brass cased ammo.

Steel cased is no harder than brass cased on extractors or anything else. It can even be reloaded if boxer primed.

This.



As for the luckygunner test, they've edited it since the first release of the testing. The Tula that wouldn't run through their first AR was ran with no issues through an H&K. Why luckygunner edited that part out I have no idea but I'm sure it's just to show bias. The fact of the matter is that some rifles run steel cased ammo very well while others will not. If your rifle will run it, then run it. You probably won't get .5 MOA groups out of it (except maybe Hornady Steel Match), but you shouldn't expect match grade quality and consistency for the price that you pay. Shoot it up!

 

[loony1]

Steel is gtg...it just tends to be a little dirty.

 

[.452browning]

If your gun will shoot steel, then by all means shoot it. I have not seen a difference in shooting steel vs. brass in my guns other than its a bit dirtier. Not quite as accurate also in my experience. Not by much though. At least for what I'm doing.

my 1911 does not like steel.

glocks, AR, AK eat it like candy.

 

[Vamptepes]

I always hear people at different shops talking about how steel cases tear your gun up and they all have lacquer on them and it comes your gun hope real bad. Well most newer steel case has switched or is being switched to polymer coating. And i've never had any problems with steel case out of any of my guns so far. I shoot steel in .223,.40,9mm, and .380 never had a problem. Plus i clean my gun after any amount of shooting anyways because that is good practice so i really don't know how dirty it gets. Doesn't seem to be any different then when i shoot brass.

Like others have said if it runs it then by all means shoot it up. I have a bunch of the regular tula from walmart that i've picked up here and there. I'll continue to buy it.

 

[Disposable Heart]

I've run .223 Tula 55gr FMJBT through a bolt action savage before. Best accuracy at 100 yards was about 1.5"-2" groups. Not horrible, but not great. If I remember, however, accuracy began to degrade after about 40 rounds. When I ran a copper cleaner through the bore, it came out looking like a Smurf, so it must have fouled the barrel, which was decoppered before the shoot. Only had two rounds that were "sticky" on extraction: Wouldn't pull the bolt back easily, so I turned it back closed, then opened with ease and ejected the case like the others. Great ammo for "practice" of bolt gun shooting before going to your good loads.

In ARs, it's not bad. If your AR wont run on Tula/Wolf, there's likely something wrong, JMHO.

 

[308offate]

well with steel on an ar you might notice the deflector gets a little more beat up looking as well

 

[ckcollins2003]

well with steel on an ar you might notice the deflector gets a little more beat up looking as well

You mean one of these? BRASS DEFLECTOR | Brownells

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Extractor wear should be your only major concern, and that shouldn't be too bad.
Herter's is good ammo.
If you have a quality made firearm the steel cased ammo should be no problem.
I would clean it a little more.

The steel used to make the extractor is harder then the steel used to make the cases.