Many avid rifle hunters are also avid gun collectors, so a lot of folks like to use their surplus military rifles for hunting. If this sounds like something you’re interested in trying, your first thought might be to use the surplus military ammunition that accompanies the rifle, right? Don’t! Buy it if you want to, stockpile it, and use it only when the aliens are coming down or the zombies are rising up. The full metal jacket of military ammunition is hard-tipped, which means it will over-penetrate in both hunting and target-shooting situations. This can be dangerous to fellow hunters and to spectators. The bullets are also corrosively primed, which deteriorates over time, which makes your ammunition less consistent and less accurate.
Instead, pick up some of the soft-pointed ammunition now being offered for the older calibers. Companies like Remington, Federal, and Winchester all offer options for a 30-caliber carbine, the classic 30.06, the .303 British, .30-40 Krag, 6.5x55mm Swedish, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x54R, and of course, the 7.62 NATO. If your surplus rifle is any of these, then modern ammunition should be readily available from a large number of retailers.
There are even some options for those of you with eclectic tastes in the caliber of your military rifles. Do you have 8×57 Austrian? Check out the options offered by Czech company Sellier & Bellot, which offers several varieties for the 8×57 alone. You can always find a modern bullet that is safer and more accurate than the surplus stuff, no matter what old rifle you have.
You should note that several of these products can be pretty expensive straight from the companies that make them, so check with other firearm enthusiasts to see if they have any extra that they don’t need. You can save a fortune and still get the same high quality ammunition that is safe for use while hunting with your surplus military rifle.
