I found an online manual that billed itself as the "Complete 7.62X39 Reloading Manual". Not so! Mind you, it's a very good manual showing reload data for Sierra, Hornady, and Speer bullets as well as some powders. My little heart went pit-a-pat when I found this because I'm trying to see if load data exists for the Hornady 150 gr. Interlock (#3120) .312 dia. bullets. I love to try a few downrange out of my Howa 1500 Mini-Action. I love that little rifle for a bush punching deer gun and it's dead nuts accurate with Hornady 123 gr. SST's and the Z-Max on top of 25.5 gr. Reloader 7. The damned manual had reload data only for the .308 dia. Hornady bullets. Like many reloaders, I'm always looking for new recipes to expand a rifle's capabilities. Any of my fellow gunnutz used these bullets out of the 7.62X39 platform?
7.62X39 Reload question
- Thread starter LawrenceN
- Start date
I have a lot! RL7, RL15, IMR 4895, 3031, 4360, 4320, 4064 and Hodgdon Varget, H380, H335, H4350, BL-C(2) and Accurate 2495. I'm pretty well set up for powder. I don't know what I did wrong, but when I went to the Hornady site, all I got was the plug to buy their reloading manual. I'll look at the Hodgdon site. Thanks for the info.
OP, a few weeks back, I asked a similar question as you did, for the same rifle.
I read all about CFRBLK and it was suggested from several members here.
The BLK is a great powder for the cartridge with lighter bullets, in the 125 grain range. I know this because, after reading my post, a good friend came over and gifted me a pound of it, so of course I had to try it out. In MY RIFLE, the load I developed, filled the case so that it had to be slightly compressed, to seat the bullet deep enough to be sure there was enough neck tension to hold it in place, under recoil.
Velocities were over 2600fps, with decent accuracy.
My rifle has a .3095 bore with appx a 1-10 twist rate. The specs from Howa, state .311 bore diameter. Maybe why my rifle will shoot bullets from .308 to .312 well??
I ended up going back to an old standby for the 7.62x39. Reloader 7, which is slightly slower than BLK
I did this because I have a lot of it on hand. I don't remember where I got it from but there's enough for the rest of my life, even if I use it regularly.
I get appx 30fps average, less fps than I did with the BLK and accuracy is a bit better.
Again, my load is compressed and I don't believe I could compress it any more, without other issues.
One of the cartridges I liked to shoot in HBR was 308x1.5.
There were a couple of powders I used at the time for a lot of loads. Re7 and H4198.
I did a water capacity on both cases and extrapolated percentages by dividing the capacity of the smallest case by the capacity of the largest case and used this percentage to come up with an approximate starting load by knocking it back 5%.
The 308x1.5 and the 7.62x39 are almost identical in case capacity and I ended up using an accuracy load for my rifle that almost duplicated the load used in my old HBR rifle.
I looked at that old 308x1.5 this afternoon and got the urge to cut off the chamber and make up another 7.62x39, with a 1-10 twist, .308 bore and 26 inches long. Then I gave my head a shake and the urge went away.
Other than that the 308x1.5 uses the parent case of the 308 Win, I can easily see where the idea for it came from. Later it was blown out to the 30BR and again, the 7BR/6BR/22BR.
H4198 and Re7 are great powders for the 7.62x39.
My records show me that 27 grains of 4198 in my old HBR gave me appx 2500fps with a 150 grain bullet. Don't expect more and 2300 to 2350 out of a 20 inch bbl.
I used magnum or CCIBR primers for all of the loads.
Our rifles are considered to be plenty strong enough for cartridges that develop 55K psi or 62K cip on a regular basis. That means there's a bit of leeway built in and if you're very careful, you can safely experiment.
Just remember, small cases develop pressure much faster than intermediate case or magnum cases.
I read all about CFRBLK and it was suggested from several members here.
The BLK is a great powder for the cartridge with lighter bullets, in the 125 grain range. I know this because, after reading my post, a good friend came over and gifted me a pound of it, so of course I had to try it out. In MY RIFLE, the load I developed, filled the case so that it had to be slightly compressed, to seat the bullet deep enough to be sure there was enough neck tension to hold it in place, under recoil.
Velocities were over 2600fps, with decent accuracy.
My rifle has a .3095 bore with appx a 1-10 twist rate. The specs from Howa, state .311 bore diameter. Maybe why my rifle will shoot bullets from .308 to .312 well??
I ended up going back to an old standby for the 7.62x39. Reloader 7, which is slightly slower than BLK
I did this because I have a lot of it on hand. I don't remember where I got it from but there's enough for the rest of my life, even if I use it regularly.
I get appx 30fps average, less fps than I did with the BLK and accuracy is a bit better.
Again, my load is compressed and I don't believe I could compress it any more, without other issues.
One of the cartridges I liked to shoot in HBR was 308x1.5.
There were a couple of powders I used at the time for a lot of loads. Re7 and H4198.
I did a water capacity on both cases and extrapolated percentages by dividing the capacity of the smallest case by the capacity of the largest case and used this percentage to come up with an approximate starting load by knocking it back 5%.
The 308x1.5 and the 7.62x39 are almost identical in case capacity and I ended up using an accuracy load for my rifle that almost duplicated the load used in my old HBR rifle.
I looked at that old 308x1.5 this afternoon and got the urge to cut off the chamber and make up another 7.62x39, with a 1-10 twist, .308 bore and 26 inches long. Then I gave my head a shake and the urge went away.
Other than that the 308x1.5 uses the parent case of the 308 Win, I can easily see where the idea for it came from. Later it was blown out to the 30BR and again, the 7BR/6BR/22BR.
H4198 and Re7 are great powders for the 7.62x39.
My records show me that 27 grains of 4198 in my old HBR gave me appx 2500fps with a 150 grain bullet. Don't expect more and 2300 to 2350 out of a 20 inch bbl.
I used magnum or CCIBR primers for all of the loads.
Our rifles are considered to be plenty strong enough for cartridges that develop 55K psi or 62K cip on a regular basis. That means there's a bit of leeway built in and if you're very careful, you can safely experiment.
Just remember, small cases develop pressure much faster than intermediate case or magnum cases.
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Bearhunter, THANK YOU!!! Most informative and definitely food for thought. Currently, I have an excellent hunting load with either the Hornday SST and/or Z-Max bullets on top of Reloader 7 (see target at 100m). I'm trying to work up accurate loads for the 125 and 150 gr. bullets more as an attempt to expand my rifle's versatility than for a pressing need for a whitetail hunting load. I did find reloading data for the .312 dia. 150 gr. bullets on the Hodgdon site. Currently, I have the Federal and CCI200 large rifle primers but you and others have suggested magnum rifle primers so I'll be trading 100 standard for 100 magnums to see if there's an appreciable increase in accuracy. Where I hunt, most of the game engagements happen within 40-60 yds. with only 2 areas that provide a 120-150 yd. shots. For those areas, I have my .308 Mossberg or my Ruger M77 HBar.
I had a single box of CIL 150 gr Round Nose bullets for the 303. I used these in my Mini-30 because the RN bullet is shorter than a spitzer. Similar length to a 125 spitzer.
I pulled some military bullets , dropped the powder charge 2 gr and loaded the 150s. They worked well. Never did any load development.
Does nyone offer a 150 RN now in .310, .311 or 312?
I pulled some military bullets , dropped the powder charge 2 gr and loaded the 150s. They worked well. Never did any load development.
Does nyone offer a 150 RN now in .310, .311 or 312?
I don't believe anyone makes a 150 grain round nose bullet anymore, other than in 308 diameter.
My Howa shoots the 150 grain Hornady, 30 cal Interlock very well. I would think the Ruger offerings would also.
The 7,62x39 does not have much powder capacity. A RN bullet does not go as far into the case as a spitzer of the same weight, so it is preferable.
I have about 25 of the CIL 150s left, in case I go hunting again, and want to try my little bolt gun or an SKS.
I have about 25 of the CIL 150s left, in case I go hunting again, and want to try my little bolt gun or an SKS.
