Yugo amm with a shooter kit
- Thread starter WaA509
- Start date
BishopofBling
Senior Member
I've shot a few hundred rounds of 50s Yugo from different lots and years and I haven't personally experienced the case cracking people complain about. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen but I just have never personally experienced it. I've had worse experience with 70s Romanian as I would have a ton of gas blowback when firing. Fortunately, I had safety glasses on as well as the Mauser 98 has a gas shield which is nice.
Only two downside with that ammo imo is hard primers and it is corrosive.
Only two downside with that ammo imo is hard primers and it is corrosive.
WaA509
Member
That’s good to know, I think a good deep cleaning after shooting would be a wise choice for me
daltrey99
Senior Member
I suppose that you could use it through a G43 but why bother running it through it. It is old, corrosive and why risk shooting surplus. I know it is cheaper but G/K43s arent being made anymore and they arent as stout as a K98. I run only commercial or my own handloads through mine.
WaA509
Member
Is the Prvi the better of the commercial ammo to shoot? I haven’t shot anything but Romanian steel case through mine in the past, I was told it was the closest load to wartime spec so that’s what I went with. I got the yugo ammo for my K98s but adding the G43 to the mix is a different ball game entirely
Sauer_Kraut
Senior Member
I only run factory ammo, it just feels better knowing there is little to no risk.
WaA509
Member
Is the PPU stuff the best option?
k98dave
Senior Member
I would take PPU over any surplus ammo. Even with shooter kit and new springs I only shoot my reduced hand loads. 42 grains of IMR 4166 or 4064 under a 150grain bullet. Both loads are very accurate and does not beat up the cases during ejection.
BishopofBling
Senior Member
PPU is definitely the safest bet despite being underpowered. Romanian is LB with a 154 gr bullet so it isn't has heavy as German spec ammo which I believe to be 196 or 198 gr. I've heard Yugo M49 is basically a copy of the German ammo but I've never chronographed the stuff or done any sort of testing. The problem with surplus ammo is storage, you could have two types of surplus ammo made in the same country but because one wasn't stored in a temperature controlled environment you'll have fluctuations in pressure.
G43s aren't cheap or common so I'd recommend either shooting newer surplus that is known to be really reliable or new production PPU which is excellent stuff. I've heard new S&B 8mm Mauser is built to spec but it's not easy to find. I'd save the M49 ammo for a Mauser action.
G43s aren't cheap or common so I'd recommend either shooting newer surplus that is known to be really reliable or new production PPU which is excellent stuff. I've heard new S&B 8mm Mauser is built to spec but it's not easy to find. I'd save the M49 ammo for a Mauser action.
When handloading for semis only use the hardest primers available, like CCi34 or even CCI200, NEVER use Federal !
johnstanley
Member
I would not use the surplus Yugo in your G43. I was using Yugo (dated 55) and a case head split. It knocked the bolt carrier off its tracks and gave me a good blast of gas (wear safety specs!). Luckily no damage seemed to have been done, but I think it could have been worse. I then inspected my unused rounds, from a sealed case of 900. Several had case head splits in them, I'm glad I didn't shoot them and I returned them to the seller.
This case head issue is well known and consequently I would not use this ammo.
This case head issue is well known and consequently I would not use this ammo.
reich1900
Senior Member
Just went to the range last week to adjust an added scope to my shooter G43 and used the Yugo ammo. The third round fired but case jammed in the receiver so I was only to pull back the bolt just enough to see that the locking lugs were working. At home my wife held back the bolt as far as it would go, I put a rod down the barrel and gave it at tap with a hammer, the bolt went back ejecting the case. I'll never shoot that Yugo ammo in a G43 and will stick with the FNM that I have. Dirty ammo too. Had the shooters kit installed too.
Cyrano4747
Well-known member
I've had two 50s Yugo cases crack on me, both in K98ks thank god. I got a very exciting tutorial in how a mauser bolt routes unexpected hot gasses. After the second one I just pulled the remaining bullets.
At this point I trust my hand loads far, far more than I trust 70-ish year old ammo. Dial up a hand load you like, use a powder bulky enough that you can't double-charge without overflowing the case, and use a shooter's kit. Between a mild load and a dialed in gas system I've got a very pleasantly shooting gun that doesn't send the brass into orbit.
I keep this in my desk as a reminder not to use cheap ammo in expensive guns.
johnstanley
Member
The picture above is exactly what happened to me. If you examine the cases before use you can see the cracks already in them. I think the Yugo 54 and 55 is a gamble.
Cyrano4747
Well-known member
There's a picture floating around out there (heck, I think I might have saved it from this very forum . . . either that or the old G/K forum) of someone who had a K43 receiver split firing Yugo ammo. I think I've got the picture saved on an old hard drive somewhere, I'll put it up later if I can find it if someone doesn't beat me to it.
Guns are expensive, ammo is comparatively cheap. People are free to do what they want with their own things, but my take these days is that getting cheap with ammo is a false economy. Heck, even if you are shooting expensive $2/rd 8mm you'd still need to put 1500 rounds through a G/K43 before you matched the value of the gun at today's prices (and that's assuming a relatively cheap rifle). I don't know about you all, but mine doesn't get that kind of round count. It gets a decent amount of use, but not enough to make the savings from using cheap ammo worth it.
k98dave
Senior Member
Reloading for k98 I use Winchester brass (WW Super head stamp) Rem. # 9 primers, 150 or 170 grain bullet (Hornady or Speer which ever I can find). IMR 4166 powder 43.0/ 42,0 grains respectively.
For G43 i use only Norma brass, found 500 virgin cases some time back. CCI mil spec primers, 150 grain bullet with 41.5 grains of 4166.
These are in the 2300 FPS and 45k pressure range so well under Mil Spec numbers
I have also made these same reloads using 4064 powder with no appreciable change in results. Accuracy is very good with either powder At 41.5 G43 doesn't beat up brass, at 42 43 lots of case mouth dents.
As always your mileage may vary
For G43 i use only Norma brass, found 500 virgin cases some time back. CCI mil spec primers, 150 grain bullet with 41.5 grains of 4166.
These are in the 2300 FPS and 45k pressure range so well under Mil Spec numbers
I have also made these same reloads using 4064 powder with no appreciable change in results. Accuracy is very good with either powder At 41.5 G43 doesn't beat up brass, at 42 43 lots of case mouth dents.
As always your mileage may vary
