Gorenut came up with a BRILLIANT idea...
how about a sticky for the top inexpensive ammo available for the mini 30?

I'll volunteer to collect the data via PM.
what I would like you guys to do is send me what brand of ammo, how many rounds you have shot and the failure rate (if any) and what you paid for it per box. (not necessarily where you bought it - gotta leave a little something for the noobs to research -can't do all the work for em')
Only ammo easy to obtain should be sent to me for the list -if it's obscure or difficult to find, or no longer available (even if it was cheap) it's of no use to the list.
When a decent amount of data is compiled - I'll clean it it up and format it as a sort of "top 10" list with FTF rate, cost, and cumulative amount fired as the criteria for where it is on the list. and post it in it's own thread - then lobby Kevin to sticky it.

I'll bet the list the list will be pretty short...
remember people -I want to hear about the "good" cheap stuff... anything with a significant FTF rate won't even be put onto the list -suspect Tula, wolf, etc. will not even be on it.

expect bear ammo (silver and gold) Yugo milsurp, SandB, Fiocchi, MFS (maybe?) and a few others to make the grade. Surprise me!

price criteria for "cheap": $11 or less a box of 20. (regular price - limited time only sale prices won't work)

this will only work if you guys help out - so at this point... it's in your hands.

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I think you need to have a good and bad list if you are wanting to keep the mini 30's well fed and noob questions, 'what about brand x?'

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" If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would send an entertainer..... our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent a Savior."

I may be looking for a Mini 30 in my future. Thanks for this thread. Subbed.

that could happen...
would be a bit of extra work -

I guess you guys could also include stuff that just doesn't work for a "rounds to avoid" list

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Yugo surplus - No FTF's - $3.90 per box of 15 and $10 per box of 40 (with SKS stripper clips).

Silver Bear SP - No FTF's - $5.50 per box of 20 (In case qty. price per 500)

Here are my results from a day at the range with SIX boxes of eastern bloc 7.62x39mm ammo (and my SKS to eat the ammo that my Mini-30 won't):

1. Tula: feeds fine, but still gives me a failure to fire on about 30% of the rounds. All of those rounds show a dent in the primer, and all rounds DID fire in the SKS. Some, but not all, fired on a second try in the Ruger.

2. Wolf (WPA): No failures to fire, but occasional shells had difficulty loading (meaning that they got stuck feeding from the magazine). I'm guessing that this has something to do with the polymer coated steel casing. Maybe it's catching on the magazine. Or maybe there was something about the soft point on these rounds that was not feeding into the breech smoothly. I couldn't really determine which was the problem.

3. Brown Bear: Exactly the same results as with Wolf. The casing appears to be identical, and probably comes from the same source.

4. Corrosive Yugoslavian brass case ammo: No issues of any kind. Shoots great.

5. Silver Bear: This is zinc plated steel case, I believe. No issues either loading or firing. The Mini-30 loves this stuff.

6. Golden Bear: Brass plated steel, I think. Identical results as with Silver Bear. No issues of any kind. Slightly more costly than the Silver Bear.

Well, I ordered a bunch of Finnish milsurp in Norma cases. Shoots fantastic, but the supply seems to have dried up. I was hoping to catch most of the cases for reloading, but I'll need to get a metal detector first.

I have also bought some W-W in the beginning that shot well, but it was pricey.

I have a variety of Golden Bear on its way to me: FMJ, SP, and HP.

I have an urge to try the Yugp stuff, but the corrosiveness concerns me.

Wil

does the supplier of the Lapua say whether or not any further comeing available?

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'the beatings will continue until morale improves'

Marlin,

No, sorry to say that I haven't seen any more Finnish Lapua surplus other than some oddball armor piercing boxes going for gold plated prices.

I don't recall the dealers name that supplied it, but I suspect it all dried up in the early Obama Guns and Ammo Rush days.

Wil

Mr. Snuff, you DID get my message, right? It WAS one box of each of those on the day that I was testing various brands of ammo in my Mini-30.

yes i did, Thanks!, added to my list. didn't want to spam ya

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Surplus Yugo - functioned great;
Winchester - functioned great;
Tula - occasional feed/fire failure (acceptable to me for cheapie);
Golden Tiger - lots of fail to feed/eject;


I'll add that all cheap/surplus shooting 4" to 5" groups @ 100 yards with stock rifle and 3-9x scope. Winchester was under 2".

how many rounds of each did you fire, or attempt to?

also out of how many attempted for the tula and tiger - what number or percentage(approx) gave you trouble?

and approx cost of the winchester? may be outside the "cheap ammo" parameter we set.

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Surplus Yugo - functioned great (25 rounds);
Winchester - functioned great ($16, out of cheapie requirement);
Tula - occasional feed/fire failure (acceptable to me for cheapie)(40 rounds);
Golden Tiger - lots of fail to feed/eject (45 rounds);

added to data base

KEEP IT COMING GUYS -NEED MORE INPUT

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

silver bear SP: flawless 100 rounds.
golden bear FMJ: flawless 240 rounds
Golden bear SP: flawless 40 rounds.

Edit: updated for round count... again for silver bear typo.

how many rounds you think you have fired of each?

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alot

Magic Bananas!

magic bananas ......poof GEORGE CARLIN

shoot the FU*K and walk away !!

Just couldn't keep me blocked eh?


You had to peek out of your beloved primordial swamp and see what horribly unfair and untrue things i was saying about you, didn't you?
so much for your sad attempt to "be the better man" and Ignore me and the rest of the guys that are on to your antics. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. Oh so Predicable...
pathetic!

here is a clue son:

Your existence here is a Joke, not only to me - but the entire community. (well maybe Magog likes you, two peas in a pod you two...)
We don't get riled up at your pathetic attempts at comebacks We could care less. Hell, you are so dumb you can't even be funny when you try... except when you inadvertently set yourself up for a zinger at your own expense.
all you are doing when you post is supplying ME with more material to bury you with

keep digging that hole, bunny boy...
I'm having allot of fun.

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i missed you man

I remain unimpressed - please try harder.
pretty please with sugar on top?

I have a nice can of gold paint and a safeway bag all ready for you.

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Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

party time