What are these rounds? And why

So over the long weekend we went on our annual tahr hunt early this year. After spotting a bull up very high decided to climb up after it to a ridge that would give about a 400 yard shot at said bull. Only to be shafted buy him standing up and heading over the top, got to the ridge anyway decided to have a rest and glass from up high only to take 5 more steps and run into these. There would have been about 200-300 rounds in a pile up there didn’t have my phone so put a few in my pocket to carry down and take a photo of. We thought maybe it was some kind of army training up there but it seems very weird to be on a ridge in the middle of the hills, and if it was maybe they could have picked up there mess just my thoughts. Anyway does anyone know what these are and used for cheers
Attachment 164553
Attachment 164554

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr300WSM

So over the long weekend we went on our annual tahr hunt early this year. After spotting a bull up very high decided to climb up after it to a ridge that would give about a 400 yard shot at said bull. Only to be shafted buy him standing up and heading over the top, got to the ridge anyway decided to have a rest and glass from up high only to take 5 more steps and run into these. There would have been about 200-300 rounds in a pile up there didn’t have my phone so put a few in my pocket to carry down and take a photo of. We thought maybe it was some kind of army training up there but it seems very weird to be on a ridge in the middle of the hills, and if it was maybe they could have picked up there mess just my thoughts. Anyway does anyone know what these are and used for cheers
Attachment 164553
Attachment 164554

---

7.62 blanks fired out of a machine gun.
Grandpamac.

Blanks and links, comes in a belt. Machine gun ammo

Yep, blank 7.62 belt. It’s older stuff too.

Ditto all the others.
Surprising where you find them too. Years ago found them way up the Tauranga-Taupo River.
GPMG fodder.

Thanks guys it’s kinda what we thought but why someone would carry all that ammo up there I have no idea

Training. Where the soldier goes so does their ammunition.. they not quite as effective without it lol.

Army field exercises which happen in remote areas quite frequently. Those blanks were fired in an old GPMG. Later events would have you finding 5.56 blanks and link fired from a C9 Minimi. "Little Malaya" up behind Oxford in North Canterbury was a busy training area for many years and such finds were very common. I was involved in a couple of the exercises years ago.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stagstalker

Yep, blank 7.62 belt. It’s older stuff too.

---

Correct. They use brass blanks nowadays.

A door firing LMG blank belt kicked out of a chopper.

That would result in them landing all over the show.

He found these in a small pile of 200-300. 200 is a belt of 7.62. I think we stopped using black plastic blanks in the mid 90's?? I am sure a cracker stacker or DFSW instructor will put me right:thumbsup:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr300WSM

Thanks guys it’s kinda what we thought but why someone would carry all that ammo up there I have no idea

---

They would carry it up because someone else carried up the machine gun and thats what they were ordered to do.

You can buy the from Gun Shitty, they're surprisingly useful. A mate uses them in his coke can launcher made from an old BSA action with a modified barrel extension

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

They would carry it up because someone else carried up the machine gun and thats what they were ordered to do.

---

I can understand live rounds maybe, and maybe spaying them into the shingle scree. But I don’t get blanks may as well just shoot them on the range. Only possible benefit would be fitness from carrying it all up there

War games.
Live ammo may upset those being fired upon.

Would have been a training exercise on the ridge. When you go on exercise blanks are what you fire at each other.

Live fire exercises / assaults are part of training but less frequent. We used the black ones into the 90s.