Russian manufactured ammo is cheap and plentiful. You can get 1000 rnds. of either JHP or FMJ for $89.00. This stuff uses steel cases and copper gilded steel jackets.
Standard specs are a 123gr. bullet at 2400 fps..
You can get South African surplus military ammo. Brass case and copper FMJ bullet. I'm not sure how much it costs but it's usually under $150 for 1000rnds.
It's not reloadable.
S&B makes FMJ and SP ammo for around $110 a thousand.
You can still get Norinco (Chinese) FMJ ammo pretty cheap. Norinco steel core is hard to come by and is expensive.
German surplus FMJ (steel case) is available but reported to be mildly corrosive.
There is a new brand being marketed called Cheetah. I think it is made in Zimbabwe and is manufactured on old Chinese machinery. It is brass cased and copper jacketed and is reported to be pretty good stuff.
Remington, Winchester and Federal all make it and it is the quality that you would expect from these companies but it is much more expensive than the previously listed ammo.
Cor Bon makes a frangible, defensive round. It uses a Speer 125gr. JHP (TNT) in a Lapua case. Expensive but effective at short range.
I've shot most of this stuff.(except Cheetah) None of it has given me any problems. The German ammo has actually proven the most accurate for me. (2moa from a scoped SA93) As long as you clean your gun properly it's mildly corrosive properties are of no concern.
I've shot thousands and thousands of rounds of the Russian stuff. It's not the most consistant ammo for accuracy purposes but it does ok (3-4moa) and always goes bang. And it's cheap!!!!! Good or blasting.
Happy shooting!
PS Check out Shotgun News for availability of all of this ammo and for tracers. Tracers are usually expensive and are not as readily available as this other stuff but if it's available it's in Shotgun News.
Also check out
www.ak-47.net
[This message has been edited by Jaeger (edited February 09, 2000).]