7.62x39 hunting ammo 16 inch vs 20 inch barrels

Joel

Joel

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Hey lads,

Just wondering if anyone has shot different 7.62x39mm ammo over a chrono, and if so, how much variation did you see?

Yeah, I know theres are charts out there, but small sample size eh? Really curious to see especially 16" vs 20" variation and how much the extra 4 inches of barrel length gets you...or not!

Happy New Year!
 
Joel, you should grab a 300 HAMR barrel from Wilson Combat and import it through Prophet River, it will do everything you want in a 16" barrel.
Trade your X39 for a 5.56 and you'd have a switch barrel.
I received mine a few weeks ago and have been playing with it...awesome speed and accuracy, cheap plinking with 85gr campro at 50 bucks per 500. Brass is stupid easy to make from .223 range pick-up.
2580 FPS over my chrono with full load of CFE BLK and 125gr Sierra Prohunter.
Smashes the 300BO supersonic but still a small enough case to play well with mouse phart loads.

I'm planning on starting a thread about the project when I have more time. In a nutshell it will be a iron sighted 5.5lb hiking/woods loafing rifle with six rounds capacity with flush fit rotary magazine.
125gr Nosler accubonds for anything on four legs out to 300yds and 110gr carbine bullets with 4grs of bullseye for small game.

BdOHSv5h.jpg
 
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Sun_and_Steel_77 said:
Joel, you should grab a 300 HAMR barrel from Wilson Combat and import it through Prophet River, it will do everything you want in a 16" barrel.
Trade your X39 for a 5.56 and you'd have a switch barrel.
I received mine a few weeks ago and have been playing with it...awesome speed and accuracy, cheap plinking with 85gr campro at 50 bucks per 500. Brass is stupid easy to make from .223 range pick-up.
2580 FPS over my chrono with full load of CFE BLK and 125gr Sierra Prohunter.
Smashes the 300BO supersonic but still a small enough case to play well with mouse phart loads.

I'm planning on starting a thread about the project when I have more time. In a nutshell it will be a iron sighted 5.5lb hiking/woods loafing rifle with six rounds capacity with flush fit rotary magazine.
125gr Nosler accubonds for anything on four legs out to 300yds and 110gr carbine bullets with 4grs of bullseye for small game.

BdOHSv5h.jpg
Click to expand...

WOW!

Man that is really, really cool. And nice setup there. Yeah that does sound like about all I want

You know, I'm having a really hard time deciding what to do between that and a 6.5 Grendel with a longer snout now hahaha.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did that barrel cost? I'd love to do up something like that some day.
 
I paid full price but it is on sale currently on the Wilson Combat website...I'm thinking of grabbing another to spin on my Tikka cause where can you get a quality Stainless match chambered pre-fit in canada for under 500$ ??
Comes with barrel nut,wrench and go gauge. Around 450$ after I paid exchange and import fees. Prophet River makes the process super easy.
The cartridge was recently SAAMI spec'd and I bought a die set directly from LEE precision as they have no problem shipping to Canada.

Bill Wilson has done a huge amount of R&D on this cartridge over the last few years on his ranch and the load data he presents is verified speeds in 16" barreled gas guns...no BS.
Much like the Grendel, when you move to a bolt action and move away from STANAG mag length restrictions these cartridges really come alive.
 
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Sun_and_Steel_77 said:
I paid full price but it is on sale currently on the Wilson Combat website...I'm thinking of grabbing another to spin on my Tikka cause where can you get a quality Stainless match chambered pre-fit in canada for under 500$ ??
Comes with barrel nut,wrench and go gauge. Around 450$ after I paid exchange and import fees. Prophet River makes the process super easy.
The cartridge was recently SAAMI spec'd and I bought a die set directly from LEE precision as they have no problem shipping to Canada.

Bill Wilson has done a huge amount of R&D on this cartridge over the last few years on his ranch and the load data he presents is verified speeds in 16" barreled gas guns...no BS.
Much like the Grendel, when you move to a bolt action and move away from STANAG mag length restrictions these cartridges really come alive.
Click to expand...

Very cool

Thanks again for the info, I appreciate it!
 
Joel said:
Very cool

Thanks again for the info, I appreciate it!
Click to expand...

Another rabbit-hole to go down,right?

I quite like the Grendel as well, I played around with one extensively in a Howa mini a few years back but I found if you want decent speeds you are going to have a 20-24" barrel and you're at the mercy of 6.5 components costs and spotty availability.

Speaking for myself, I am not going to use one of these stunt cartridges in a bolt rifle as my main hunting rig...and why would you when there is a plethora of short action bolt guns with the same weight and dimensions with full powered cartridges that I could download if need be.
That said I'd have no problem throwing the Ruger Ranch behind the seat of the pick-up when I'm out getting firewood, any legal buck I see within 300yds is just as dead as if I shot it with my Creed.
 
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Sun_and_Steel_77 said:
Another rabbit-hole to go down,right?

I quite like the Grendel as well, I played around with one extensively in a Howa mini a few years back but I found if you want decent speeds you are going to have a 20-24" barrel and you're at the mercy of 6.5 components costs and spotty availability.

Speaking for myself, I am not going to use one of these stunt cartridges in a bolt rifle as my main hunting rig...and why would you when there is a plethora of short action bolt guns with the same weight and dimensions with full powered cartridges that I could download if need be.
That said I'd have no problem throwing the Ruger Ranch behind the seat of the pick-up when I'm out getting firewood, any legal buck I see within 300yds is just as dead as if I shot it with my Creed.
Click to expand...

Pretty much my philosphy right there with this too.

The simple fact of life is 99.9% of the time I am not shooting at a moose lol. And while I do fill my freezer most deer seasons, its only been at over 100 yards a few times in my life. 7.62x39, 6.5 Grendel, 300 BLK etc can accomplish that just fine.

Might as well have a compact, slick, light package thats cheaper to shoot for fun and easier to have with you most of the time (and keep a bigger rifle handy for dedicated Bullwinkle hunting). But is just isn't needed most of the time.
 
Speaking of other rabbit holes to go down, a Howa Mini with a metal floorplate style mag setup would be sweet too! lol
 
Joel said:
Thanks Gatehouse.

Not a big deal with soft points, but I like my monos, and theres a few for 7.62x39 after all.
Click to expand...

If you are handloading for a bolt action with modern brass you may be able to increase pressure and velocity a bit. the x39 is pretty low pressure by todays standards (45K PSI) and designed to use steel case ammo in a semi/full auto.
 
Joel said:
WOW!

Man that is really, really cool. And nice setup there. Yeah that does sound like about all I want

You know, I'm having a really hard time deciding what to do between that and a 6.5 Grendel with a longer snout now hahaha.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did that barrel cost? I'd love to do up something like that some day.
Click to expand...

A 6.5 Grendel outclasses the x39 and virtually all the "mid range" cartridges. I'm surprised that the USA hasn't adopted it or something similar when they wanted more horsepower than the 5.56
 
did not chrono the loads but shot side by side, 16 definatley a loud bugger lol.

no real major notice at 100meters between Bang and Thud.

 
Coincidence but I saw the second video on YouTube watching stuff about hunting and the 7.62x39 and said "hey I recognize that fella!"

Great footage
 
Joel said:
Coincidence but I saw the second video on YouTube watching stuff about hunting and the 7.62x39 and said "hey I recognize that fella!"

Great footage
Click to expand...

just quitely this is great for me to hear- being that You are in Canada and watching Via youtube means to me things are slowly working..
alot of my audience was strictly Australian but i am slowly seeing some UK, Canada and American viewers --- an thats the Goal, Global .

sorry for the off topicness , not to be confused with self indulgence here, but i am just stoked to hear this-

Cheers Joel!
 
WhelanLad said:
just quitely this is great for me to hear- being that You are in Canada and watching Via youtube means to me things are slowly working..
alot of my audience was strictly Australian but i am slowly seeing some UK, Canada and American viewers --- an thats the Goal, Global .

sorry for the off topicness , not to be confused with self indulgence here, but i am just stoked to hear this-

Cheers Joel!
Click to expand...

Hey, happy to hear it!

I'd searched "hunting with 7.62x39" and it was among the results.

Keep kicking ass in the new year!
 
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