150 grn slug in SKS 7.62x39mm

Brother, there are literally dozens of threads on this subject here. However, trying to find them with the lousy search engine this site has is almost impossible. Heck, I can't even find threads I posted in myself in the past month with it...LOL!
That being said, I "mexican match" my milsurp ammo all the time with great results. Going from a 123gn FMJ to a 150gn hollowpoint is easy enough to do. I find that setting up a seating die to seat the bullet a little deeper helps break the seal that is on the milsurp stuff and makes it a little easier to pull. I have also found that removing some of the powder reduces pressure build-up. Best to start with AT LEAST 3gns removed and work up from that (my experience gives me between 1.5 and 2 gns less depending on my rifle (my 799 can take them a bit hotter). I have also made up some "bear rounds" using 180gn bullets that are quite respectable for such a round. Since I can't find the thread, I'll repost the results here.
2012-05-01_13-35-10_724.jpg

This was slowest round
2012-05-01_13-35-28_177.jpg

This was fastest round
2012-05-01_13-37-25_596.jpg

This was the target at 50yds. 1.25" spread. Yes, that will stop a bear if it is coming at you and all 5 rounds cycle smoothly in each of my rifles. Interesting to note that the point of aim, usually about 2" high at 50 yds with a 150gn bullet, is exactly where I was aiming. No need to adjust my sights just aim at it and squeeze 5 times.

Sorry I do not have access to similar data for the 150gn ones. Good luck, oh, and BTW, my wife and I have bagged several deer with 125gn bullets from our SKS's.
 
Wow I am impressed. You are shooting 180 grain out of the 7.62x39 and getting 1900 fps - Awesome. I wished i could find your thread. Was it under Reloading?

So you are just pulling the bullets out of your military rounds, dropping about three grains and then reloading them with a heavier bullet?

Are you using 311 dia bullets or your standard 308 dia bullets?

I have tried to locate some of those 155 grain Wolf brand bullets but i am not having much luck.

I bought a box of Hornady 123 grn SST. Anybody had any experiences with deer with that bullet?

Thanks,

Dave
 
Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me!!!

It would be far safer to dump the powder completely, and use a known powder listed in a manual.
Using the original primer should work fine.

I shoot .308"-150 grain bullets in a 16" Ruger Hawkeye with great success.
Today, I shot 2 groups in the 1/2" range at 100 yards. (I was super happy with that!) I was getting 2062fps average.
Pressures are as high as I feel comfortable to shoot.
A bolt action will digest this kind of load better than the SKS action.

Good luck with your pursuit.
 
Simply pulling 123gr milsurp and seating 150gr in their place is not new and not real uncommon. I've never had a problem with it. Don't forget the SKS it pretty seriously overbuilt.
 
If you going to Mexican Match a 123 gr. factory loads and replace it with a 150 gr. bullet it would be wise to reduce the original powder charge by about 2.0 grs. and work it back up.

European ammo is loaded under C.I.P. standards which generally runs at slightly higher pressures than SAAMI specifications. Increasing bullet weight without decreasing charge weight will increase pressure how much it anybodies guess without proper testing equipment. Using equal or lesser weight bullets of same dia. would be fine.

I've loaded my own 150 .311 dia. bullets by Speer,Sierra and Prvi Partizan for several years now. The Lee Second Edition reloading manual has 14 different powder you can use with 150 gr. jacketed bullets,I use reloader #7 since it works so well for me with all bullet weights I shoot. I have some targets I shot with the two loads below I'll have to dig out and scan,needless to say they were better than I expected both under and inch or smaller at 50 yds.

SKS150Gr.jpg
 
Muskyhunter1 said:
I am guessing the jackets of the 311 dia bullets have been designed for slower speeds than that of 308 dia. So you get good expansion on deer with that weight of bullet?

Thanks for replying.
Click to expand...

No really,bullet mfg. design bullets to function at various speeds,ranges and game type there intended to be used on so you basically have to match your bullet type to all those factors.

The bullets pictured above preform at there best when used on game from 30 to 200 lbs. at a MV of 2400 fps. at ranges from 50 to 175 yds. bullet expansions will be in the range of 1.75 to 2 X bullet dia.

However I don't use these bullets as a general purpose hunting load. The area I live and hunt in is very thick and wooded,shots with rifles are basically taken from tree stand distances at 50 yds. or less and within those ranges on deer size game up to 200 lbs. MV is aquatic enough to get 1 to 1.5 X bullet dia. expansion.

If expansion is an issue and 308 dia. bullets shoot accurately in your rifle select one of the 150 gr. 30-30 bullets that are designed to expand at much lower velocities. I've tested those in my SKS rifles and they functioned just fine however accuracy wasn't up to my requirements.

This is typical of what I've seen expansion wise on the Wolf 154 gr. steel jacket SP bullet,it was recovered from a deer a friend shot at 80 yds. from his SKS. It has very little expansion but killed the deer dead in it's tracks from a frontal chest shot..
034.jpg
 
Last edited:
dthunter said:
Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me!!!

It would be far safer to dump the powder completely, and use a known powder listed in a manual.
Using the original primer should work fine.

I shoot .308"-150 grain bullets in a 16" Ruger Hawkeye with great success.
Today, I shot 2 groups in the 1/2" range at 100 yards. (I was super happy with that!) I was getting 2062fps average.
Pressures are as high as I feel comfortable to shoot.
A bolt action will digest this kind of load better than the SKS action.

Good luck with your pursuit.
Click to expand...

Well, as I said, I cannot run the search engine to get any hits for my stuff, or I would, and post the link. This search engine sucks!

However, to salvage my rep from misunderstanding by newbies, I will cite my actual process of "Mexican matching" new lots of cartridges.

First I pull the bullets from 50 mil-surp cartridges. Then I dump the powder from 10 of them into the pan on my scale. Divide that by 10 and it gives me the avg weight per cartridge. Then I drop by 5gns. Then I work up by .5gns increments until I get positive signs of pressure. Then I use the next load down. No worries, no danger. Relax, I have been here for 30 years and have all my appendages.
 
Err on the side of caution and you'll be all right.Just don't be in a hurry and take shortcuts............
 
I agree with the way Rookie Wildcat does his Mexican Match ammo. I have done the same thing with good groups in my Norinco bolt. From my notes, the average rounded was 24 grains of surplus powder so I started at 19 and stopped at 20 grains because it was shooting well with no pressure signs using a 155gr cast lead bullet with GC.

The thing to remember is if you start using another batch of surplus ammo, do the measuring again and work up the load from there just to be on the safe side.

Cactus
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom