Anyone load Berrys bullets in 7.62x39?

Kolby_Groth

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I have recently purchased a box of Berrys 7.62 bullets...Berrys calls for no faster than 1900fps...and the manuals I’ve got all have starting loads around 2100 fps...can’t find anything online either as far as google goes anyways...if anyone has experience loading these and would like to share some of there loads that would be great...I’m not set on any powder so powder choice is open
 
If they're .308 diameter you're going to have terrible accuracy, unless you have some of the few bolt guns chambered in x39 with a .308 bore. Most x39 firearms have a bore diameter of .311 or .312.
 
Not necessarily............I have an SKS+ CZ527 that both shoot .308 sized bullets rather well.The 7.62x39 should be .310 but i load .311 150gr Sierra for game bigger than deer. H4198 or the IMR version was the best powder.
 
I'm looking at doing the same thing with Berry's bullets. I haven't started loading yet but Quickload is telling me that 4198 and H335 might be worth trying. Has anyone tried these powders with Berry's bullets in 7.62x39?
 
After a little more digging around I found a published load on accurate powders website. They call for accurate 5744 17gr start and 19.5gr max. Col 2.10
 
Stolen from Western Powder's site, and their ONLY load listed using Berry's bullets:-
ACCURATE 5744
123gr. BERRY SP
17.0gr. start load produces 1,731fps.
19.5gr. max. load produces 1,954fps. @ 32,436psi. pressure, loaded to 2.10" overall length.

Definitely worth playing with, and should cycle the SKS with no problem
 
The Hodgdon site has data for a 125gr bullet and H4895. The Berry's are 123gr I believe which is close enough to be interchangeable at starting loads. Could apply the 60% rule to the data and work up from there. The published max load is 29.0gr so with the 60% rule you're safe starting load is 17.4gr. I'd start at 17.5gr and go up in maybe 1.5gr increments. See if the action cycles and what the accuracy is like. Hopefully one of the loads will cycle the action and produce acceptable accuracy.

I wouldn't bother with a chrony or worry about 1900fps specifically. Your rifle will tell you when it's going too fast as your groups will open up to shotgun pattern size.
 
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