Recently a kind person gave me half a box of Dominion factory ammunition to use in my 6.5 x 54mm Mannlicher Schoenauer carbine. I've just got back from the range and thought I would share the results with you.

The cardboard box with cardboard dividers has two batch codes stamped inside the lid. The upper one is EAA15 , and then underneath it is the code IP 14 . On the box it states the velocity of the 160 grain bullet to be 2160 feet per second. The rounds were a little corroded here and there with odd green spots, but not too bad.

As I had the chrono set up for other tests I fired off all ten, with more and more trepidation as the string went on....

Velocities were 1683, 1696, 1629, 1516 (which split badly and hit me with some hot unburnt powder). After a rest to check the rifle the others were at 1670, 1670 again, 1596, 1561, 1587 and 1503 which was also badly split. In fact five of the ten cases had split in various places. All of the shots dropped eight inches below point of aim at 100 yards - good job I was not using them on game!

The unburnt powder was of a conventional short cut stick type, and not Cordite. I wonder if any of you out there can work out how old this batch was, for my curiosity only.

Who said "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth?"