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Category: Ammunition

PPU 7.62X39

Product review: Prvi Partizan ammo

Geoff 4 Comments

Prvi Partizan ammo has been on the market for years – decades even – but has only just started to make an impact in New Zealand. Or so you thought. Abbreviated to PPU, Prvi Partizan as we know it today has been around since the 1940s, although the company traces its roots back to the late 1920s and has had a few different names as wars and politics have shaped Europe.

My Serbian friend tells me it’s pronounced “pr-ah-vi”, not “privvy” as most people sound it out. It translates roughly to “first partisan” and gets its name from the long and thing rifles produced for partisan forces by the factory in earlier years.

War – what is it good for?

Well, most of the sporting arms and ammunition we enjoy today share their history with their military counterparts. A tonne of the most popular hunting and sporting cartridges today are military cartridges from the past 100 years or more, including:

  • 7.62×51 NATO (.308)
  • 5.56×45 NATO (.223)
  • .300 AAC Blackout
  • 7.62×39
  • 7.62x54R
  • 6.5×55
  • 7.5×55
  • 7.92×57 Mauser
  • 30-06
  • .303
  • .338 LM
  • .50 BMG
The price of PPU makes it hard not to stock up.
The price of PPU makes it hard not to stock up.

Not to mention the endless array of pistol ammunition too. Of course the search for bigger, better and boom-ier things has led to a surge in development in the cartridge market today, much of which is driven by shooters who demand a high level of accuracy. Ammunition that used to only be available to wildcatters for varminting or bench rest shooting is now common place in the USA and is making its way over to New Zealand as well. Rimfire is also growing in leaps and bounds with the .17 WSM making waves in the shooting community.

But what about those stalwarts of scrub hunting and cheap and cheerful plinking? The cut down .303 bush guns and the semi-auto fun-makers in 7.62×39? Well, PPU is your knight in shining armour. For those that love shooting their military calibre rifles without breaking the bank, the ammunition produced by Prvi Partizan is worth your consideration.

On the plus side

While you might think Prvi hasn’t been in the New Zealand market for a while, it actually has. If you’ve shot Highland ammo, you’ve shot PPU. It’s the brand they’ve been using down here. In terms of military cartridges, Highland hasn’t been the cheapest, but it’s a step up from the dirty steel-cased stuff from Russia. It’s certainly better than putting corrosive ammo through your firearms, especially if you’re not that thorough with your cleaning.

Annealing marks on .303 and 7.62x39 PPU factory rounds.
Annealing marks on .303 and 7.62×39 PPU factory rounds.

Prvi Partizan ammunition is brass cased and generally considered to be good brass for reloading. Many Swedish Mauser fans rate the 6.5×55 PPU brass behind Norma and Lapua, but ahead of the American-made stuff. In terms of how soft or long-lasting it is, I can’t personally say. I’m on my second round of firing with this lot of brass and haven’t seen anything untoward yet, but we have a ways to go before anything should be cropping up. When I do get my brass into the higher firing counts I’ll post again to let you know, but considering I have over 140 cases for 6.5×55 alone, I doubt that will be any time too soon.

Considering how good the brass is, it’s certainly worth the price. This is especially the case with calibres like the .303 where you might only have a few options, all of which are more expensive. Not only do you get an acceptable level of accuracy out of it, but you have (I’m guessing) between 6 and 10 more reloads out of them – if not more.

What is the cost? I’ve seen the blue boxes cropping up in a few stores around the country and they’ve ranged in price from $31 to $36 for big rounds like the .303 and 6.5×55. The 7.62×39, which I’ve bought for a reloading experiment, runs at around $30, but if you go to the right Hunting & Fishing, you can pick it up for $25. Most stores will give you a bulk discount if you buy a few packets anyway.

How accurate is it? Well, how long is a piece of string? How accurate a particular round is will be determined by many contributing factors, not least of which are shooter skill and the particular firearm in question. The picture below shows PPU 139gr FMJ 6.5×55 three shot test groups, one is about 1.5 MOA and the other is 2.6 MOA. These are shot from my cut-down 20.5″ barrelled Husky M38. The other target, for comparison, is another reasonably priced brand, Sellier & Bellot 140gr SP, at 2.4 MOA.

PPU 139 gr FMJ and S&B 140 gr SP
PPU 139 gr FMJ and S&B 140 gr SP

 

This is not bad, considering many are happy to get 3 or 4 MOA groups with milsurp rifles and cheap ammo. However, you don’t get many people bragging about S&B brass for reloading. The picture below shows the S&B group with an unfired round for reference. Bearing in mind that the orange circle is about the size of a kill zone on a deer, this is very reasonable accuracy. If these groups were zeroed in, every shot would be a clean kill.

S&B 2.4 MOA group with unfired 6.5x55 round for comparison.
S&B 2.4 MOA group with unfired 6.5×55 round for comparison.

The negatives with PPU

Well, no one on the range is going to look at your ammo tin on the range and think your other car is a Porsche. But, if you don’t mind that, there’s not much to gripe about with Prvi Partizan. So far I have only shot .303, 7.62×39 and 6.5×55 in PPU and each has performed better than I would expect budget ammo to. I also find it to be quite clean, generally speaking.

However, if you’re wanting superb accuracy without hand loading your own ammo, this may not be the ammo for you. I would suggest trying it – your rifle may love it – but you may be better off paying one and a half or two times the price to get match-grade ammo.

0.64 MOA group shot off a bi-pod with PPU brass, Federal Match primers, 142 gr SMK HPBT projectiles and 34.7 grains of AR 2208.
0.64 MOA group shot off a bi-pod with PPU brass, Federal Match primers, 142 gr SMK HPBT projectiles and 34.7 grains of AR 2208.

There may also be variations in weight of brass and even wall thickness or hardness. This is pure, untested speculation. The only reason I say this could be possible is that the low price indicates that the machinery that produces this brass may not be as thoroughly regulated or maintained as those operated by Hornady or Lapua. The staff may not be as well compensated. But who knows?

What you may wish to do is individually weigh up the clean and empty brass out of a box or two, and see what the variation is between cases. Some spread is to be expected, but too much could have an effect on reloading. You could also see how much water each case holds to determine case-wall thickness and internal capacity. Anyway, I’ve been managing to get smaller than 1 MOA groups out of this brass, so I’m not complaining.

Overall, I think it is well worth the purchase. The accuracy is good enough for hunting ammo if you get the soft point variety, and there’s certainly a place for it in the safe if you just want plinking ammunition or a source of cheap brass.

Shooting a sporterised Husky M38 at Deerstalkers Auckland range.

Get started shooting: How to get an A Category licence

Geoff 2 Comments

While you might go to the range or shoot a .22 on someone’s private land – under immediate supervision – to get your first taste of shooting, if you’re serious about owning or shooting firearms, the next step is getting your A Category licence. Here’s a quick guide on the process, what to expect and what an A Cat licence entitles you to do.

What firearms can I own with an A Cat licence?

There are no restrictions on the amount of A Cat firearms you can own. They’re not registered against your name, and you can go buy one from the store straight away, assuming you have your licence and all the associated safety measures in place.

Firearms that are considered A Cat compliant are basically rifles or shotguns that are manually loaded. This means pump actions, lever actions, bolt actions, etc. You can have any features you want on these guns, as long as the overall length is more than 762 mm (30 inches). Anything shorter than that is considered a pistol, and will require a B-endorsement on your licence – which is a whole other story.

This means you can shorten your barrel, or have it in a bullpup configuration, whatever. There is no real minimum barrel length, as long as the overall length is over 762 mm. Which makes sense, as the issue with handguns is conceal-ability.

You can also own a semi-automatic sporting rifle or shotgun, but there are restrictions on these to make sure they don’t fall in to the MSSA (Military Style Semi-Automatic) category, which is governed by an E-endorsement on your licence.

In order to keep your semi-automatic firearm in A-Cat compliant condition, you’ll need to make sure:

  • The magazine holds 7 rounds or less of centrefire or 15 rounds or less of rimfire ammo
  • The mag also can’t “appear” to hold more than the above
  • The butt isn’t collapsible, telescoping or folding
  • There is no bayonet lug present
  • There is no flash suppressor
  • It doesn’t have a free-standing “military style” pistol grip

The pistol grip is the latest addition to the MSSA restrictions, and has been met with a cold-shoulder from the shooting community. Essentially it made a whole lot of unregulated A-Cat firearms illegal and meant people had to modify their rifles or dispose of them. New rifles or shotguns are now usually provided with thumbhole or Dragunov-style stocks.

SKS with Dragunov stock
The SKS my friend Nick is shooting here would be illegal with a free-floating pistol grip instead of the Dragunov-style stock

What do I need to do get my firearms licence?

Well, there’s the obvious stuff first. For those with criminal records or histories of domestic or other violence, a licence to hold a potentially lethal weapon isn’t exactly on the cards. The police firearms officer will do a background check on you, and they’ll also ask to interview two referees. If you’re married or otherwise attached, one of those referees will have to be your spouse, while the other must be a non-related person you’ve known for a couple years or more. Those referees are basically to attest to the fact that you’re a fit and proper person to own a firearms.

However, before you’ve even done this step, you’ll have to sit a test that shows you have a solid understanding of how to safely store and use hunting or sporting weapons. Start your study by asking your local police station for a copy of the Arms Code or get it online. Once you have a thorough understanding of what is involved in the responsible and safe ownership and operation of firearms, you can apply to sit the test.

The test will be held at your local police station, and is facilitated by volunteers who have a wealth of practical firearms experience. They’ll take you through the main points of gun safety, including how to carry a gun in the field and ensuring the firearm is made safe before and after use. There’s a short video and practical demonstrations of how to hold, load and unload a rifle or shotgun.

After all this there is a multi-choice test, for which you have to get almost all of the answers right in order to pass. If you don’t get it right the first time, you’ll have to study up some more and attend another information evening before you can sit the test again.

Once you have your proof of having passed the test, you can go to the local post shop and pay for your licence. The cost is $126.50. You’ll need to get proof of payment along with passport photos to the police. At this point you’ll arrange for your safety check to be done at home. Talk to the police or your local arms officer about what the safety standards are.

For an A Category licence, a good standard is to have a lockable safe with separate ammo compartment (bolts and ammo must be stored separately so as to make the firearm inoperable). These can be picked up for a few hundred bucks on Trademe or other websites, and are usually supplied with expanding bolts and pre-drilled holes so you can secure the safe to either a concrete floor, or the walls and floor if you’re securing to wood (say, inside a closet). The firearms officer will check to see if the safe is actually securely fastened – it’s no good if a potential thief could just lift it up and take the entire safe away, guns and all.

Once you’ve sat your test, paid for your licence and supplied photos, had your referees interviewed and safety checked, it’s just a matter of time before your licence arrives in the post. It could take a few weeks or more, depending on how busy they are – so don’t freak out! Also remember that your licence is valid for ten years and will have to be renewed before it expires if you’re to keep your firearms. Which reminds me…

100 yard shooting with Husqvarna M38

The benefits of shooting with your significant other

Geoff Leave a comment

There are a lot of guys who go out hunting or shooting to escape everyday life, and for some this means domestic bliss too. And fair enough. Everybody needs some downtime –  a hobby or pursuit where they can unwind. However, there are also distinct advantages to shooting with your significant other, whether you’re a man or woman. And I said shooting with. Not shooting.

Learn new skills

I go out shooting with my wife a fair bit. And since she has taken up shooting sports we have tried out several clubs and different guns, and we’ve both tried things we wouldn’t have otherwise. We’ve also both found different things that we are good at.

Where I like to technically analyse every part of my shoot, from my reloaded ammo to the wind dope and projectile weight, my wife is very good at reactionary shooting – such as trap shooting. Which, if I’m honest, I’m hopeless at. With a bit of practice, I’m sure I could get the hang of it, but it’s not for me.

Establish yourselves

Shooting is a great way to bond as a couple. I’m not about to give relationship advice on my firearms blog, but suffice it to say that picking up a hobby and spending time together certainly doesn’t hurt when it comes to getting to know each other a bit better.

My wife shooting her .22 at the NZDA Auckland 100 metre range.
My wife shooting her .22 at the NZDA Auckland 100 metre range.

Become competitive

Whether you like to compete against yourself, each other or other participants, shooting sports are competitive. And the great part is, you don’t need to be particularly athletic or gifted to be moderately competitive at a club level.

This is a great way to enjoy the thrill of and success of competition, and will enhance your enjoyment of your shooting. Get out and try local competitions and learn more about the kind of shooting you like. You’ll also meet some great people who have plenty of advice to give.

Spend more money

Having a buddy on the spotting scope or putting up targets is another advantage.
Having a buddy on the spotting scope or putting up targets is another advantage.

Let’s be honest, every time you try and justify the cost of some new rifle part or reloading accessory – the last one you’ll ever need, promise! – it doesn’t go down too well. I know people you hide their hobby expenditure from their partner, using cash jobs to pay for ammo and new toys.

If your husband or wife is just as into their shooting as you are, it’s easier for them to understand why that new shooting rest or a higher magnification scope is actually necessary.

Share the load

If you’re out hunting or setting up targets on the range, it’s great to have a buddy around to help lug things about or give their opinion when necessary. If you’re shooting partner is your spouse, well, you’ve pretty much always got someone you can count on to help you on the spotting scope or skinning a deer.

It’s not for everybody, but for some, taking your spouse to the range or teaching them how to reload could be a great way to enhance your enjoyment of the sport you love.

Spent shotgun shells at Waitemata Clay Target Club.

Where to shoot in NZ: Waitemata Clay Target Club

Geoff 1 Comment

As somebody who spends a fair bit of time behind a scoped rifle, let me say, aiming “without looking at the gun” is a real challenge. As my wife and I set up to try our hand at down the line (DTL) trap shooting, Andy – our supervisor/guide/instructor through this process – informed us that the way to successfully shoot clays moving at 45 kph is to not aim the gun. Yup, don’t aim he said, or you’ll stop moving in line with the target.

The Waitemata Clay Target Club

Firstly, let me put this out there, as far as gun clubs in New Zealand go, this is a sleek organisation. They have a nice website, excellent facilities and a club room that would make you think of a golf course, rather than a shooting club.

There are a few different positions to shoot from, a patterning board and even an Olympic trap facility. What’s the difference with the Olympic version of the sport? More than triple the speed – 140 kph, and a greater variety of directions the clay pigeon could shoot off into.

The impressive Olympic throwers of the Waitemata Clay Target Club.
The impressive Olympic throwers of the Waitemata Clay Target Club.

Back to the club. It’s about 25 or 30 minutes from the centre of Auckland, and took me around three-quarters of an hour from East Auckland. It’s conveniently close to the Hallertau Brewery, if you wanna grab a bite and a beer (after you shoot). If you’re familiar with the NZDA Auckland branch, it’s just round the corner from there.

There’s ample parking and you don’t need to trek through bush or anything. It’s a very accessible club all round.

The Beretta under and over shotguns were a treat to shoot.
The Beretta under and over shotguns were a treat to shoot.

Shooting DTL Trap

As I mentioned before, shotgun shooting apparently just doesn’t come naturally to me. Although, I’ve got to admit, it sure was fun. The five positions you shoot from all have a mic that picks up your command to “pull”, releasing a clay. Aiming at the top of the trap house or just above, you try and move your head (and the shotgun which is welded to your cheek) along with the clay as it appears – not aiming, but simply following the target. Pull the trigger when you’re ready, and that’s all she wrote.

The mic can be set off by the loud ‘clack’ of pump or semi-auto shotgun, or people nattering away about how their last shot went. Because there are a limited number of clays available to shoot, this can be a bit frustrating if some are wasted by chatter and loud actions.

There are five different shooting positions with a shooter on each. After a shooter takes their shot, they break open their gun (or open the action on semis or pumps), and the next person loads, ready to call for their clay. Usually after five rounds, the shooters rotate to the next position, although we didn’t go through all the rotations on our first go.

The Clever Mirage trap loads were light and easy on the shoulder.
The Clever Mirage trap loads were light and easy on the shoulder.

The guns provided to us were very nice looking Beretta under and overs, and they shot like a dream. There were no malfunctions of any kind, and they were smooth and easy to operate. The Clever Mirage trap loads were light and didn’t leave us feeling bruised and battered at the end of the day.

The overall cost was not too much, considering all that is provided. For $52.50 each we got range fees, gun hire, a box of ammo each (25 rounds), 25 clay targets and some ear plugs (we forgot our hearing protection at home – although even with ear plugs, it was absolutely fine). Considering it’s a good afternoon’s entertainment, it’s well worth it – especially if you haven’t tried it before. And, speaking to Andy, it’s apparently much cheaper to shoot once you become a member. However, there is the high cost of trap or skeet shotguns to consider. Although, for the beginner, a cheap semi-auto will get you going.

For those that are interested in a casual shoot, check out the Waitemata Clay Target Club range calendar and call ahead if the weather is foul. The club rooms are easy to find and there’s a nice big sign on the road – you’ll find it easy enough.

At the end of the day, if you’re into your shotguns – this is something you should definitely try. For those that haven’t ventured into other shooting sports, it’s worth giving it a go. You never know, like my wife you may have a natural ability for reactive shooting.

Lyman bullet puller with 6.5x55 round in large collet.

Product review: Lyman Magnum Inertia Bullet Puller

Geoff 2 Comments

It’s an unfortunate fact of life for reloaders – at some point, you’ll need to pull bullets and start again. For me,this happened recently when I made a mistake with my mechanical scale while reloading for 6.5×55. I was tossing up between a press mounted bullet pulling die and a ‘hammer type’ inertia puller, when my mind was made up for me.

As often happens when you’re at your local gun store, you see something that you’ve been meaning to get for ages. For me, it was a bullet puller (as well as some dies, a cleaning rod, solvent, shell holders and more, but hey…). My initial leaning towards an inertia bullet puller was (typically) the cost saving. Most hammers are able to handle a huge variety of calibres, while a bullet-pulling die requires a collet for each calibre you’re pulling.

When I saw the Lyman Magnum Inertia Bullet Puller under the glass counter, the decision was made. Most of the impact-type pullers I’d seen did not cater for larger rounds like .416 Rigby or .338 Lapua Magnum, or even Winchester WSMs or Remington Ultra Mags. According to the packaging – the Lyman does! While I didn’t need to pull a big game magnum round any time soon, I liked the idea that I could if I really wanted to.

Putting it to the test

The Lyman Magnum Inertia Bullet Puller has all the instructions you need on the packaging.
The Lyman Magnum Inertia Bullet Puller has all the instructions you need on the packaging.

Well, how did it work? Simply and easily. I did make a simple mistake, which I’d be remiss not to share. I didn’t want to mark the plastic of my brand-new-hammer-looking-thing, so I started rapping it on a piece of timber. No dice. Then on a laminate bench. Damn… That bench top now has a massive bulge in it from being hammered into oblivion with no bullet-pulling success.

Resigned to the fact that I had made a dud purchase, I gave it a few quick raps on the concrete floor, and lo-and-behold – success!

The long and short of it

Using the Lyman bullet puller is extremely easy. It covers just about every calibre you can think of and is a cinch to use. You simply select one of the two collets, depending on the calibre you are dealing with. You slip the loaded round into the collet so the rounded edge is facing the primer end. It will sit nicely in the extractor groove.

The next step is to put the loaded round in the body of the hammer, while the collet keeps it suspended. Screw in the retaining cap and give it a few good whacks on some concrete or something to separate your ammunition into powder, projectile and primed case. I found the end cap could come a bit loose, which may require tightening after a couple blows – not a big deal really.

The instructions are on the packaging, including the size of collet you want for various calibres, so the whole process really is super easy.

I don’t like pouring powder back into the container once it’s been loaded for a while. No particular reason, I just don’t. I prefer to know the powder I’m using is 100% what it’s supposed to be when I’m loading fresh rounds. So, for that reason, powder from pulled rounds gets put straight into the hopper and used for plinking ammo. Or, if I have another jar of powder that is almost empty, I’ll put it in there and use fresh powder from a new bottle for my target loads.

Pulled SMK bullet and PPU brass.
My freshly pulled SMK ready for reloading.

The bullet itself is obviously reusable. The primed brass is too – unless, you are taking your round apart because of an issue with the primer. Now, do not try and decap an unfired primer. I shouldn’t need to explain this, but it’s basically crushing the primer from the anvil end – which will make it go bang. Not fun for your decapping pin. Not fun for you. The best way to get a primer out so you can reuse the brass is to fire the round in your rifle. You can simply load the primed case into your gun and pull the trigger (outdoors, with the muzzle pointed a safe direction – i.e. the same way you would treat it if it were a normal round). Now you can decap.

What you shouldn’t do with an inertia bullet puller

Pulled bullet with powder and case.
A pulled bullet resting in powder.

Lyman recommends on the packaging to not use the product without safety glasses. There’s not much danger in it, but you can guarantee that if anything is ever going to go wrong, it will be the one time you’re not wearing protective gear. So, as with your regular reloading (because you’re working with explosive components), chuck on some safety glasses.

You should never try and pull bullets from rimfire ammunition. It will go bang. You will regret it.

You shouldn’t expect perfect bullets if you’re using projectiles with plastic tips. Kerry from thebloke.co.nz tells how his Nosler Ballistic Tips were damaged when using this exact same puller. Bear in mind, when a bullet is moving at supersonic speeds, there is a cushion of air in front of the projectile, which means slight deformities aren’t the end of the world. This is why hollow points aren’t less accurate than FMJs. They are often more accurate because of the weight distribution.

The collet sits in the extractor groove, holding the round in place.
The collet sits in the extractor groove, holding the round in place.

That’s the theory behind Sierra Matchkings anyway, and it seems to be working well so far. So, while I wound’t mind if my lead- or plastic-tipped rounds got a bit of a crumple in them, I wouldn’t use them for target loads. Repeatability leads to accuracy. I would use rounds like this for hunting at normal ranges or general plinking or practice – they’ll still do their job and expand on game.

If you are concerned about the condition of the your match rounds or long-distance projectiles, a press-mounted bullet puller might be what you’re after. However, I have used the Lyman puller for SMKs, and it’s worked out just fine, with no damage to the projectile tip that I can see.

Reloaded rounds in MTM 50 rounds ammo container.

The importance of a good reloading bench

Geoff 2 Comments

Reloading is a great way to extend your enjoyment of shooting in New Zealand. In fact, for many it becomes a hobby in its own right. There are only a few items you need to start reloading, but there are many added extras that can enhance accuracy, ease of reloading, confidence and even the appearance of your completed rounds.

It may not even cross your mind, but a solid reloading bench is one of the most essential tools for your first foray to into producing your own ammunition.

Solid

First off – is your bench of solid construction? When reloading, you are reshaping the brass – especially with full length sizing dies, as opposed to neck-sizing dies. This can require a fair bit of force, and if your table is flimsy, it may bend a bit before you fully cam over and get the full effect of your sizing die. This can mean the shoulder won’t be bumped back quite enough, or the base of the round (before the extractor groove) will be slightly too large. This isn’t the end of the world, but it can make it hard to chamber your rounds, and can introduce inconsistency into your reloaded rounds. Inconsistency is the enemy of accuracy.

Level

Is your bench level? A solid chunk of wood supported on cinder blocks may be fine in terms of taking the pressure exerted in sizing a round, but if it’s not level, your powder scale could be off.

This is less of a problem with electronic scales, but as I covered in a previous article, it can affect mechanical scales such as the Lee Safety Powder Scale.

Height, light and storage

This is more about comfort and ease of operation than anything else, but it’s not hard to realise that good conditions lead to a quality product. If you’re sitting in the same spot for hours on end, you’re much more likely to produce something of value if your back isn’t aching and you can actually see what you’re doing.

Storage is a must, and investing in a storage solution like a bin rack is not a bad idea. Keeping your brass separated by number of firings is easier this way. You can also organise your products by calibre or even the specific rifle they’re for. Lockable storage is a good idea for powder and other dangerous components. Don’t forget to store powder, primers and completed rounds separately and in their appropriate and labelled containers.