Bullet fell into water, still usable?

[Sako75Hunter]

So I shot a sika yesterday, and as always cycled the bolt immediately on taking the shot. On locating the dead deer, I made the gun safe by unchambering the unspent round, but, instead of pushing it down into the mag as I normally do on opening the bolt (the rifle is a Sako 75, which allows this), for some reason I tried to eject it into my hand. This didn't work as planned and the round fell/disappeared into longish grass and a few inches of standing water at my feet. It took about 30 seconds of fumbling about to find the bullet and retrieve it.

Any thoughts on whether the round could have been compromised by lying in water for a short while? I fully dried the outside immediately, but don't want to run the risk of having a deer in my sights and the bullet misfiring. It's a Sako Powerhead 2 (copper) 6.5x55. It's only one round, so no big deal at all, so it's more out of curiosity and the desire to learn that I'm asking, than wanting to save the cost of a single bullet!

Thanks.

 

[enfieldspares]

It should be fine. But in your mind it won't be. It is only one round, life is short, use it for zeroing practice or pull it, decap it, reload it with fresh powder and primer. Why put strain on your brain for the sake of it. But yes it should be fine as the seal between primer and case is gastight...ergo watertight and the fit between bullet and neck should also be near impossible for water to pass As the air inside will have been compressed when you seated the bullet. So a very slightly greater pressure exists inside the case than the water in your shallow puddle will ever exert on the surface between bullet and case mouth.

 

[Sako75Hunter]

It should be fine. But in your mind it won't be. It is only one round, life is short, use it for zeroing practice or pull it, decap it, reload it with fresh powder and primer. Why put strain on your brain for the sake of it. But yes it should be fine as the seal between primer and case is gastight...ergo watertight and the fit between bullet and neck should also be near impossible for water to pass As the air inside will have been compressed when you seated the bullet. So a very slightly greater pressure exists inside the case than the water in your shallow puddle will ever exert on the surface between bullet and case mouth.

Many thanks for the reply, very informative. And your philosophy about the bullet "not being right in my head" is bang on, confidence in all your equipment is vital when out stalking.

I was thinking I'd set it aside for zeroing whenever the need next arises alright. I'm in the Republic of Ireland, so should have mentioned there's no reloading permitted here and this is a factory round.

 

[finnbear270]

Many thanks for the reply, very informative. And your philosophy about the bullet "not being right in my head" is bang on, confidence in all your equipment is vital when out stalking.

I was thinking I'd set it aside for zeroing whenever the need next arises alright. I'm in the Republic of Ireland, so should have mentioned there's no reloading permitted here and this is a factory round.

Seems a bit "OFF" the wall when you still have short guns.

 

[SunnyDays]

Many thanks for the reply, very informative. And your philosophy about the bullet "not being right in my head" is bang on, confidence in all your equipment is vital when out stalking.

I was thinking I'd set it aside for zeroing whenever the need next arises alright. I'm in the Republic of Ireland, so should have mentioned there's no reloading permitted here and this is a factory round.

If it is a factory round, then a few seconds in a puddle should have impact at all.
The military use factory ammo, and they works well enough after wading through rivers, and crawling through muddy fields.

 

[User00056]

It'll be fine. Don't overthink it

 

[Donkey Basher]

It’ll be fine, just make sure it’s dry & any debris is removed from the cartridge before chambering it so it doesn’t cause any over pressure and the bullet doesn’t damage the barrel by dragging grit down it when fired.

 

[enfieldspares]

As I posted elsewhere it was a fairly common practice at Bisley, England on a wet day for competitors to have a jam jar or similar of water with them and dip their cartridge (all loading was single loading not from a magazine) into the water just before loading. This was so that all the cartridges were "wetted" and so all shot to the same point of impact. As wet ammunition gives higher pressure and so higher velocity. Others frowned on the procedure (and had elaborate range boxes with fold out flaps to shield their ammunition from the elements) as a wet cartridge will result in more thrust back on the bolt lugs. Indeed proof cartridges in the UK are oiled for that reason to maximise thrust on the bolt lugs.

 

[finnbear270]

As I posted elsewhere it was a fairly common practice at Bisley, England on a wet day for competitors to have a jam jar or similar of water with them and dip their cartridge (all loading was single loading not from a magazine) into the water just before loading. This was so that all the cartridges were "wetted" and so all shot to the same point of impact. As wet ammunition gives higher pressure and so higher velocity. Others frowned on the procedure (and had elaborate range boxes with fold out flaps to shield their ammunition from the elements) as a wet cartridge will result in more thrust back on the bolt lugs. Indeed proof cartridges in the UK are oiled for that reason to maximise thrust on the bolt lugs.

Couldn't think of poorer practice myself.

 

[ShootyBang]

I have dropped belts of 7.62 link into a swamp, carried them around in the rain for a week, then blatted them off with nary a thought. No different here. I would not think twice about using this round. Wipe it off and put it back in the mag. My only worry would be a bit of corrosion so I might leave to air on my bench before putting away at the end of the day.

 

[Sako75Hunter]

Lots of interesting replies, thanks to all.

I reckon @enfieldspares is right on the money though, in saying that while the cartridge will almost certainly be fine, the thought that I might spend a half a day putting a lot of effort into getting a deer in my sights to then risk it all going wrong, and the resulting loss of confidence, for the sake of a 3 euro round, just wouldn't make sense.

I'll put it by for a future zeroing session, but learned quite a few things from your responses, which is what it's all about. Thanks again

 

[Mr. Gain]

It would be interesting to hear what Sako have to say. Try copying your initial post to them?
Congrats on your Sika, by the way.

 

[C h r i s]

Regarding the comparisons to military ammo, be aware that most military ammo has sealant around the primer and also the bullet,.so can be dropped in water etc and then used..Civilian factory ammo doesn't usually have this environmental sealing.

That said, the round will be fine if it was dried off ASAP.

 

[reiver]

I had 5 rounds of Norma orex go through the washing machine in my jacket .
All shot to zero on paper afterwards.

 

[Sako75Hunter]

I had 5 rounds of Norma orex go through the washing machine in my jacket .
All shot to zero on paper afterwards.

Pretty impressive!!

 

[dropmdead]

It's worth marking the case with a Sharpie, have someone load the mag with 3 rounds, the wet one included, and see if you or your rifle really does know which one is which on the paper target ...

 

[Grannysmith]

Just deep six it or knock it apart and get on with life