7.62x39 Handloading

[Ranch Dog]

I needed to do some load work for my Mini-30; both cast and jacketed.

I can't find that Speer bullet in stock anywhere. Got any good sources for another choice?

I found these 123 gr. JSP but they are quite pricey to have no name on them.

.....and these at a better price. Graf and Sons.

EDIT - Oops. Aparently barrels for AR15 platforms chambered in 7.62X39 can have .308" (NATO style) bore or .310" (AK47 style) bore. I sent an email to the seller of the barrel (that's not here yet). So I may need .308" bullet advice instead.

I just posted a reply over on the Rossi-Rifleman to a similar topic that is open, so here it is...

I need a bullet. The rest is easy.

PPU 123-grain FMJ or PSP. When I purchase bullets, I buy them through Grafs because of their $7.95 flat rate shipping. The PPU also come in a heavy bag so you can usually reduce five hundred bullets to two bags, helps the storage issues.

I'm known as a bullet caster, but I'm going to jacketed with my 300 Savs, 308 Wins, my Rem 600 35 Rem. It is easy to shoot the 30 calibers with a cast bullet as long as you turn them down to 30-30 performance. I have plenty of 30-30s, and I miss their 2500 to 2600+ velocity, so I stopped trying. Same with the Rem 600, in that rifle, you can make the 35 Rem perform like a 358 Win. I'm on the fence with the 303 British. With a heavy bullet and its lower operating pressures (48.0K PSI), it's possible, but it also has some large chamber features that get in the way., I'm still working on it.

Where this is leading is I've been a Speer Hot Core fan, but Speer is slowly discontinuing those bullets. They have dropped the only bullet specifically designed for the 300 Sav and their 7.62x39 offering. I've been switching all my 30's to the PPU offerings and the shoot as well, if not better than the Speer, and their performance on big game has been outstanding. When it comes to brass, I look for PPU first, even over Starline.

[Ranch Dog]

I needed to do some load work for my Mini-30; both cast and jacketed.

I can't find that Speer bullet in stock anywhere. Got any good sources for another choice?

I found these 123 gr. JSP but they are quite pricey to have no name on them.

.....and these at a better price. Graf and Sons.

EDIT - Oops. Aparently barrels for AR15 platforms chambered in 7.62X39 can have .308" (NATO style) bore or .310" (AK47 style) bore. I sent an email to the seller of the barrel (that's not here yet). So I may need .308" bullet advice instead.

I was going to mention the bore issue in a reply next door but will address it here. The "groove", the greater diameter of the barrel, is important. Privi Partisan addressed that with a .308" bullet for the 7.62x39, but it is only available as an FMJ.

If given the choice, take the .310' groove. I have both and what happens is that you end up with a slightly longer freebore leade as you still have to taper off the case spec dimensions to the .002" smaller groove. It takes a bit more length to do that. I personally don't like it as it can affect accuracy. If a .308", you will not want to shoot Eastern Block/Chinese ammo through it because of the metal to metal wear.

[GasGuzzler]

Click here for Lee's webpage

So do you think I need the riser or not? The riser is supposed to keep the measure from hitting the primer system on the LCT and Lee says it is needed with BOTH the AutoDisc and the AutoDrum. If you are using the AutoDrum (what I'm going to order to use on 7.62X39) without the riser then I should be able to also.

Looks like your bullet choice is the exact one I found and linked on the Lee Loader site early this morning.

Sorry for the overlapping info here as we were typing at nearly the same time.

[Ranch Dog]

If given the choice, take the .310' groove. I have both and what happens is that you end up with a slightly longer freebore leade as you still have to taper off the case spec dimensions to the .002" smaller groove. It takes a bit more length to do that. I personally don't like it as it can affect accuracy. If a .308", you will not want to shoot Eastern Block/Chinese ammo through it because of the metal to metal wear.

This is specifically why the early Mini-30s were turds. When Ruger started cutting a spec chamber, bore, & groove, the performance improved.

As a bullet caster, you should be able to relate to this comparison. With a 7.62x39 chamber and barrel, it takes about 150-grains of lead to fill the features with a bullet that will be seated at the base of the neck. When the barrel has a .308" groove, it will take a 165-grain bullet for the same fit. So there is about .09cc more volume in a .308" groove chamber. Doesn't sound like much but it is enough to upset a short bullet.

[Ranch Dog]

Sorry for the overlapping info here as we were typing at nearly the same time.

Well heck, it looks as though I did it without blowing up either forum!

[mod="Ranch Dog"]In a non-levergun area of my Rossi-Rifleman forum, GasGuzzler was documenting his introduction into the 7.62x39 and reloading for it. The posts might have an overlap but I thought it important to have that information here as I see more and more of the same interest locally and on the web.[/mod]

[GasGuzzler]

Sorry to cause all the trouble.

I went ahead and ordered the riser along with the AutoDrum because Lee says I need it and it was only $10.00.

I'll wait for a response from the seller on the groove diameter or at least until it arrives before I buy any bullets.

[Ranch Dog]

Sorry to cause all the trouble.

No problem at all!

[RBHarter]

A few observations from an SKS I had .
24" 59/66 Yugo grenade launcher cut off sights etc

The first observation is that 6" at 50 yd was as good as it got with wolf steel case FMJ, SP or HP 123s . Cast was better when fitted . It did however get a lot of lead in the piston .

The actual dimensions were closer to 8×39 than 7.62 . A fired case would loose slip fit a .323 dia bullet . The barrel was .305×.316 , with a long lead that would accommodate a no touch .318 nose . In fact I shot quite a few 323-175 2R Lee's from a plain based mould . Sized from .325 to 323 .

Later I paper patched a 200 gr cast spire point sized .310 and wrapped and sized .3165 .
Loaded long to accommodate 25 gr of I4350 1800 fps was a best ever 3×5 at 100yd backed down to mag length they would accommodate only 22.5 for 1600 fps .

[Ranch Dog]

I decided to go ahead and try some cast out of the Mini-30 now that my jacketed load is settled. I didn't load many, six to be exact, and shot them at 50-yards. Honestly, I'm surprised that they hit the target!



This was a fairly clean barrel that had not had cast shot through it. I was happy to see the left, upward trend stop between shots 4 and 5, and then shots 4 through 6 form the basis of a group. I was running out of daylight but loaded three more as quickly as I could and shot them at 25-yards. They formed an intersecting cloverleaf so may the barrel has fouled/stabilized.

For the 150-grain cast, I switched to H322.



I'm not to happy with the gas check seater, I think I will fire him. I sure have a lot of crooked rejects! Rejected more than nine to get nine bullets! Aweful. Might just melt them and cast them again.

Bullets sure are pretty!



Performance was exactly what QuickLoad forecast, 2050 FPS.

[GasGuzzler]

It does look like it settled. 150gr is pretty heavy. Is the Mini30 a 1:10 like most 7.62ARs?

Still no answer from the seller on diameter and they're about ten days behind on getting stuff out so I bet I'll be waiting another week. In the mean time I'm looking to over-spend some more by buying an optic set up.