bb07

I recently picked up a few boxes of Winchester .308

And this is what I found



This is the first time I've run into ammo like this by any manufacturer. It really surprised me, but in all fairness to Winchester they don't have any control of how their ammo is stored or handled after it leaves their factory, so I really have no quarrel with them concerning the condition of this particular ammo.
However, I do hold them responsible for the very inconsistent seating depth shown in the pic below. All previous Winchester ammo I've bought over the years has always been consistent.
Is this common? Or is it just a case of a bad run of ammo?

rammerjammer

I bought some 9mm NATO from Winchester and it was marked up in a similar manner. I'm curious to read other's replies.

andybothel

No experience with rifle ammo, but my experience with their handgun ammo has been good. I had a few WWB 38's that were shorter than they were supposed to be, but most has been fine for plinking ammo.

I've heard the Super X brand is rather cheap, but just rumors. I wouldn't be happy if I got what you did. I'd call them and send them these pics. It may be fruitless, but you never know. I too would be more worried about the inconsistent lengths rather than the cosmetic flaws (although still frustrating since it's factory ammo, not surplus).

JK55

I've shot a fair amount of Winchester brand rifle and handgun ammo but never seen anything like this before...

I agree with you on the condition of the brass may not be directly Winchester's liability, whatever it is, blemishes, pitting???

But the inconsistent depths of the bullets would have to stem from their factory production line I would say...

Sorry couldn't help ya out, I too am interested in how other members respond...

johnsxj

I don't have any experience with their larger caliber stuff but I do know Super X .22LR is the ammo my 10/22 hates.

Larry the Liberal

Has anyone ever seen counterfeit ammo?

bwinters

i have used winchester ammo rifle and pistol for years and never had ammo that looked like that.

RAC55

That almost looks like something that might have happened after it left the factory...rough handling in transit and exposure to something that was very corrosive to stain the brass like that. I have boxes of 20 year old ammo that looks cleaner than that...Wow!

krwada

The bullet seating may be consistent. I have run into this before. As a reloader, I checked the ogive-2-base and found that all the ogive-2-base measurements were within +/- 0.003". The problem was with the consistency of the projectile. I had this exact same problem using pulled military surplus 7.62 M80 ball. The COAL was all over the place. But when I measured the ogive-2-base, it was very consistent. It shot OK, but was not very accurate. To me, accurate is getting at least 1.5" groups at 100 yards minimum.

The condition of the rounds look like it may be a handling problem.

I am guessing that these rounds will probably shoot OK. However, the accuracy may not be really good. I am guessing that you could probably easily print 6-10" groups with this stuff at 100 yards.

OldCrow

Winchester is not manufacturing a lot of ammo with their brand on it. I know for a fact the Winchester Metric ammo is manufactured by Prvi Partizan. It appears the Super X line is headed overseas as well. Lets hope that is a counterfeit box of ammo.

bb07

Thanks for the replies guys. I don't think it's counterfeit ammo as I purchased it from a reputable dealer. I also purchased half a dozen boxes at the same time.
The box shown was the worst for staining/corrosion on the brass, while the other boxes had a much lesser amount, nothing that would concern me.
However, all boxes have inconsistent bullet seating depths. I've been using Winchester ammo for over 40 years without ever having seen this before.
All the ammo in question is from the same lot #.

My son also purchased a few boxes of the same ammo and while he experienced no corrosion/staining, every box also had inconsistently seated (and therefore crimped) bullets.
As mentioned above, I think it would be advisable to contact Winchester Ammunition to see what they think but for the life of me I cannot find an email address for them.
Here's a pic of two of the worst that I pulled from another box


And another full box

bb07

I agree that it must have been exposed to something to do that to the brass (not Winchesters fault, but rather improper storage after leaving the factory) , but rough handling? In my opinion, the only thing that would cause such seating inconsistencies would be a fault at the factory with their equipment.

DQL5150

I get great results from Winchester Power Point ammo in my .270, in fact I use it for my hunting rounds. I wouldn't be concerned about the appearance of the case. The seating depth may be within spec as well. Can't tell without measuring them. You could see if they all chambered smoothly in your rifle. If so, I'd shoot 'em.

Icon

I have talked to Winchester on this issue. I was told the country of origin is printed on the box. So yes, some is made overseas.

bb07

Update: After contacting Winchester I received a very speedy response. They offered to pay to have the ammo shipped to them for replacement. They were also quite accommodating and pleasant to deal with, so I certainly can't complain about their service.