Jump to content

Why run crap ammo?


Recommended Posts

If you're spending big money to get your Saiga to run, well, everything, then you are either a victim to marketing ploys or not very handy with a Dremel. As long as your ports are open, a little profiling and polishing is all it should take to run everything. MAYBE a new puck, at the most. If you're replacing springs, you're doing it wrong....

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Plus, it's kinda embarassing to speak with one's friend about a future shoot and said friend expresses interest in shooting the S-12 so you have to e-mail him a list of ammo that will cycle your gun which he never prints out. Instead he just remembers one thing on the list and when the store is out of that, and they ALWAYS are, he grabs something else that he THOUGHT was on the list, turns out that it wasn't though, and now we're all bored because we can't drum dump the S-12 without dumping an empty hull out of the action every second or third shot. It's a lot easier to just tell him to bring 12 gauge ammo.

 

If you think I only do this with the S-12, you are wrong. All of my weapons cycle what I feed them regardless of case-type, load, whatever, that's the epitome of reliable...

I have never even considered the first point, but it is an excellent one. I have become complacent to some degree and I just tell them to grab whatever they want to shoot. They see the prices of buck and slugs.... and grab that Federal or Winchester bulk, lol. Good thing I can run it well.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I kinda feel the same way as the OP. I still havent decided if I am interested in this thing running bulk pack Wal-Mart but I do want it to be reliable as it can be. We had qualifying today and I took it to show the guys since we are writing a new shotgun policy. It did great with the last of my high power ammo on setting number two, however when I tried to run the Federal LE low recoil stuff it FTE almost every one of them. I will tweak it enough to run that stuff since it is what the department provides if we get them approved. What irritated me was that when I got home my 500 rounds of Remington Express 00 buck had just been delivered. I have three gas ports and they are open all of the way so I am just deciding if they need to be a little bigger, it needs a polish, or just more shells thru it. Either way my number one choice to shoot is the high power stuff and I know this thing is rock solid shooting it.

Edited by kingjason
Link to post
Share on other sites

If you're spending big money to get your Saiga to run, well, everything, then you are either a victim to marketing ploys or not very handy with a Dremel. As long as your ports are open, a little profiling and polishing is all it should take to run everything. MAYBE a new puck, at the most. If you're replacing springs, you're doing it wrong....

 

Thats what I did and I have few problems.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It all depends on the gun some require more work then others. I have a 107 that required a ton of work while my 109 ran like a scaled dog out ofthe box and i haven't checked the ports i see no reason to. Both will digest whatever i put through them and that's just the way it should be no if's and's or but's. Short of ammo that explicitly states it is for manual cycle weapons only.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

If you are running buckshot on setting 2, your ports are miniscule...

 

When I look into the gun they are very visible and appear to be of decent size. I am going to blow thru this case of Rem Express 00 first and see if the break in period corrects this. If not then off to pauly for a polish, and then I will pull the gas block and re drill if needed last. The new trigger group and spring appear to be a bit tighter then the originals and may need some time on the gun. It is very reliable shooting this ammo so I am fine with it at this point. If it was having issues all the way around I would be more concerned. I would hate to over do the gas ports and then the gun loosen up too much after a lot of use.

Link to post
Share on other sites

CrapMart's Winchester bulk pack ammo is known for having squibs, and wads sticking in the barrel.

 

It's like running 85 octane gas in a race car.

 

Ya get what you pay for.

 

With that crappy ammo, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

 

Want cheaper and better ammo? A Lee Load-ALL II is $47.99 and will load whatever you want, cheaply.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

CrapMart's Winchester bulk pack ammo is known for having squibs, and wads sticking in the barrel.

 

It's like running 85 octane gas in a race car.

 

Ya get what you pay for.

 

With that crappy ammo, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

 

Want cheaper and better ammo? A Lee Load-ALL II is $47.99 and will load whatever you want, cheaply.

 

Got one. I want cheap buck and slugs, and each time I look in to it it works out to a couple minutes per shell, and about the same in materials as I can buy them for online. For cheap birdshot, factoring time, I haven't seen any one publish a cost very much lower than $.20 per shell. What is your cost & time investment per round? If it is really cheap I would love a PM with a shopping list so I can get this thing going.

 

I still want to be able to run whatever I get, whatever the store has, and whatever my friends bring, including light slug home loads.

Edited by GunFun
Link to post
Share on other sites

CrapMart's Winchester bulk pack ammo is known for having squibs, and wads sticking in the barrel.

 

Plus it's dirty as hell & smells like shat. After blasting off a 12 round mag it reeks to high heaven. Actually made me want to clean the gun lol

Link to post
Share on other sites

I haven't seen any one publish a cost very much lower than $.20 per shell. What is your cost & time investment per round? If it is really cheap I would love a PM with a shopping list so I can get this thing going.

 

I cant get down to $0.20, but

 

Wads WAA12 500 for $10.99 = $0.021 a piece

Green Dot 1 lb = 7000 grains = $17.99

22 grains per shell = 318 loads = $0.056

Primers $26.00 = 1000 = $0.03

Lead $1.50 = 1 lb = $0.09

 

Wad .02

powder .06

primer .03

lead .09

 

 

Now if you get any of the supply's free (lead) or at a better price.

You could get it below the price you are looking for, I enjoy making my loads

and my time is my time, that my son likes reloading as well.

The cost of fuel for the melt, or mold is not in there.

That is the best I can do.

ETA: I buy my supply,s local to save shipping, lead I buy on line.

And I misfigured the powder. got it down a bit, not enough.

Edited by RED333
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks. That is what I was afraid of. Considering that you can get century round ball or similar for 21 cents from time to time, it only makes sense for me if I was making something special.

 

Can you load #4 buck into say federal bulk hulls with that recipe efficiently with a load all? That would be worth it by your formula.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I misfigured the powder.

I dont know about #4 buck, I do reload 00 buck that I make with a mold.

I did get my MEC reloader for very little at a yard sale, so saved a bit there.

Link to post
Share on other sites

These guns don't really "loosen up" and I'd seriously re-consider the gun-related advice from whoever told you that...

 

All my information on this particular gun has come from this site. I have read countless threads about people buying these guns and going straight to polishing or gas ports with out putting enough shells through them to get them to get worked in little. I am not arguing the fact that this one may need some gas work. I am just starting from the bottom and working my way up. Like I said previously it shoots what I want it to reliably so I am not upset with the gun at all. I figure when I get to about 250 shells thru it I will re evaluate it. Plus I dont want to give my bolt up just yet for a month or so since I have not gotten to play as much as I would like yet.

Link to post
Share on other sites

No need to surrender your bolt, Pauly, C&S, Cobra, and the others do awesome work but you can do it yourself. In my opion and the opinion of others on this site, "breaking in" the weapon is a waste of time, frustration, and money when you can just pull out the old Dremel and spend a few hours polishing everything for free. It doesn't "loosen up" though...

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Chatbox

    Load More
    You don't have permission to chat.
×
×
  • Create New...