150 grain in 7.62x39

madtrapper143

madtrapper143

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Gentlemen, I have acquired some CIL component bullets. They are 150 grain Sabre Tips in .311 for the .303 British. I was wondering if the Sabre Tip style of bullet would offer some expansion at 7.62x39 velocities? I think a stout load of Re 7 would work for the heavy cover I hunt around here. Do any old-timers remember any performance issues of the Sabre Tip bullets offered by CIL.

Darryl
 
I have a Tula SKS. I have shot CIL 150 grain soft points out of it. They were .311 and shot very well. Accuracy is not my concern. (100 yard rifle, with Williams peep) I just wondered if the Sabre Tip bullet was somewhat fragile like the Nosler Ballistic tip for instance.

Darryl
 
Ah, good . No worries on pressure spikes then. As a decent warm load with RL7, start with 24.0 gr. which should net you 2100 fps. Verify with the chrony as well as watch for flattening of the primers. We ended up with a max load of 26.0 gr. for an average of 2258 fps. and that was starting to show pressure signs. The rifle we used for testing was a Ruger M77 MkII, which was .308" bore so we used 150 gr. Speer soft points.

The RL7 gave mediocre accuracy compared to the load we found using 25gr. of IMR 4198 which gave us an average 2252 fps. with groups going into 1/2 MOA at 100 yds. This was with 2 shooters using 2 separate Ruger MkII's.

Seeing how our rifles performed on deer inside 100 yds. back then, I can say for sure that the 150's opened up enough to create a decent wound channel without coming apart.

I used to load my old Lee Enfield down to 2000 fps. using the CIL 150 grainers and the results on deer were nearly the same as far as expansion goes. Put the pill in the right spot and ye should have good luck with 'er.
:)
 
Gratuitous bump.

I'm interested myself but feel velocity will compare more to the turtle than the hare.
Let's see what the pros have to say.

Expansion aside, have you loaded any to see how they shoot?
 
Ganderite said:
The Sabre Tip is fragile, like the early Ballistic Tips, so should be perfect at SKS velocities.
Click to expand...

Very good. I have not loaded any yet. Wanted some advice from the experts. I have some IMR 4198 also. I will put some loads together with both Re7 and the IMR 4198. I don't have a chrony but with the above noted loads a deer should be very dead out 100m at least. The Sabre Tips are cool with the black tips and all. Thanks for all the quick advice. Once I load and shoot some I will report back. Shell Shucker the 150 grain Speers you used were .308?

Darryl
 
I remember my dad using them when they first came out in a 30-06 and the bullets blowing up on the hide of a moose , then sending a couple days tracking it down with him .
this was possibly the angriest I have every seen him .

at sks velocities it might work fine .

considering past experience , myself , I would fire them at close range into some pails of water , just to see how they would react at the slower speed .
 
Well I have discovered that the cannelure location on the Sabre Tip bullet is unusable due to making the cartridge too long overall. I loaded 24.5 grains of IMR 4198 and seated the bullet to magazine length for my SKS. Very little if any powder compression. So I will load a few more and give it a try. Let you know the results.

Darryl
 
burnt_servo said:
I remember my dad using them when they first came out in a 30-06 and the bullets blowing up on the hide of a moose , then sending a couple days tracking it down with him .
this was possibly the angriest I have every seen him .
Click to expand...

I find that strange. My dad used that bullet in his 30-06 for many years to harvest deer and never mentioned any problem. Never shot a moose though.
 
I have used H335 with a 150 grain sierra for years. They penetrated very well through bears I have shot. I havent recovered any of them yet.

I have been experimenting with shooting a 200 grain cast bullet (311299) with varget. I have managed to get 1-1/4" groups at 100, with velocities around 1875fps. Not too bad for such a small case!

I am shooting this in a Ruger Hawkeye, and I replaced the mag well with a 308 length, and the follower. It allows me to load 3 in the magazine and still function well.
 
With most agreeing that the actual FPS of a 150 grain bullet from a 20" carbine in .30WCF is around 2100 fps that should make the SKS with a 150 grain bullet @2100 about equal. Having said that I feel that the 7.62x39 with properly loaded 150 grain bullets is a very legitimate deer cartridge for short range hunting. (150 yards max)

Darryl
 
dthunter said:
I have used H335 with a 150 grain sierra for years. They penetrated very well through bears I have shot. I havent recovered any of them yet.

I have been experimenting with shooting a 200 grain cast bullet (311299) with varget. I have managed to get 1-1/4" groups at 100, with velocities around 1875fps. Not too bad for such a small case!

I am shooting this in a Ruger Hawkeye, and I replaced the mag well with a 308 length, and the follower. It allows me to load 3 in the magazine and still function well.
Click to expand...

I like yer style. I'm working on a load for my CZ 527 using Bullet Barn 180 gr. RNFP gas checked, sized .311 and pushed at a leisurely 1600 fps. or so. Due to the short magazine length of the CZ, I'll have to single load these but that's no worry fer me.:)

Who the fook needs a .300 Blackout when they have the 7.62x39?;)

*A note of caution to folks using hot loads in SKS's*

Autos tend to have generous chamber dimensions in order to function reliably with the vast variety of milsurp
ammo out there. Those working up hot loads should do so with caution, say 1 gr. or 2 of powder at a time, especially with heavier than standard bullets. I've always used factory ammo in the SKS's that I owned in the past.(American Eagle & Norinco in particular.) I never bothered handloading for these because I'm not a fan of chasing tossed brass in the bush or on the range.

Folks should use good quality, fresh cases for hot load development and check for signs of over pressure.
Flat primers are a sign and enlarged primer pockets after a couple of reloadings are a definite warning to back off on the powder charge. :eek:

That said, I was at the range a couple of years back and this older British chap was targeting away with his
SKS which was scoped and had a synthetic stock. I didn't pay much attention to this as I was busy plinking
away with my Rossi carbine. After a cease fire was called to collect our targets, I noticed the fellow with the
SKS was all smiles. He'd just fired a 5 shot group with his Chinese SKS that measured .750" at 130 yds.!!
I wish I'd asked him what his handload was, dang.

Wonders never cease.;)
 
I believe Wolf Ammo (Russian) made ammo loaded with around 154 gr. soft point bullets. I never bought any myself but figured they would be decent on deer size game.
 
I've loaded the 150gr .311 Sierras in both a CZ527 and the SKS.........Accuracy is VG ..........21gr of IMR 4198 ...haven't chronied but estimate 2100fps.I have data somewhere for 200gr "mouse fart" loads designed for suppressed weapons. Harold
 
ted_dent said:
I believe Wolf Ammo (Russian) made ammo loaded with around 154 gr. soft point bullets. I never bought any myself but figured they would be decent on deer size game.
Click to expand...

They do/did indeed make these soft points. They are bimetal jackets and don't mushroom much if at all. They certainly penetrate though.
 
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I had complete broadside penetration on two WT bucks under 100 yards with the 123gr Hornady SP so the 150's can only be better.........Harold
 
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