Anyone reloading 7.62x39

[got to go]

Just picked up a 1956 laminated SKS today and was wondering if anyone here reloads for them and are they worth the bother ? I plan on putting a Tech 200 sight on it so that I'm not just throwing steel downrange. I bought 500 rounds of Russian MFS non-corrosive ammo for $170. I won't shoot corrosive ammo in it, I just couldn't be bothered to strip it down every time I shoot it. Call me lazy Jack

 

[gpracer]

I agree no corrosive in my sks rifles either, too many milsurps to be cleaning all the time. I picked up 14 pounds of WC735 from higginsons, worked up a load using the .310 hornady vmax, very accurate in my rifles and cheap to shoot. Get these bullets at a good price from Mystic Precision. Have used may different powders with good success lots of data out there.

Obviously not as cheap as the corrosive ammo, but it works well. I did buy a couple cases of S & B and Remington factory ammo a few years ago to build up a supply of brass, hard to do now given the price of factory ammo...

 

[altaberg]

why would you bother?

Last big order I got on sale for 7.62X39 ended up around $0.22/round. No way can it be cheaper, especially if your time is worth something.

That was non-corrosive from CanAmmo.

 

[Hotwheels81]

why would you bother?

Last big order I got on sale for 7.62X39 ended up around $0.22/round. No way can it be cheaper, especially if your time is worth something.

That was non-corrosive from CanAmmo.

One day that cow will run dry and your going to be paying $1 a bang give or take... We who reload it are just doing our load development a bit early in the game

I have a everything to run x39 on my 650 except a cheap source of brass.

 

[got to go]

Ya, that's cheap alright I think I paid about $0.38 for the stuff I picked up. Question for HotWheels, What's that 650 you mentioned. I bought a RCBS Rock Crusher years ago and I'm not up on the latest.

why would you bother?

Last big order I got on sale for 7.62X39 ended up around $0.22/round. No way can it be cheaper, especially if your time is worth something.

That was non-corrosive from CanAmmo.

I checked out Mystic Precision site and I don't know if this is a typo or not but, " Hornady 7.62X39 (310cal) 123gr Vmax – yes a poly tipped varmint bullet for your SKS $250/1000

Hornady 7.62X39 (310cal) 123gr FMJ $285/100 " Why would anyone reload ???

 

[saskcop]

I agree no corrosive in my sks rifles either, too many milsurps to be cleaning all the time. I picked up 14 pounds of WC735 from higginsons, worked up a load using the .310 hornady vmax, very accurate in my rifles and cheap to shoot. Get these bullets at a good price from Mystic Precision. Have used may different powders with good success lots of data out there.

Obviously not as cheap as the corrosive ammo, but it works well. I did buy a couple cases of S & B and Remington factory ammo a few years ago to build up a supply of brass, hard to do now given the price of factory ammo...

What kind of velocity are you getting with the WC735? I have read that you can't quite get the speeds up there with that powder.

 

[Hotwheels81]

Question for HotWheels, What's that 650 you mentioned. I bought a RCBS Rock Crusher years ago and I'm not up on the latest

Auto indexing progressive reloading press made by dillon precision, one reason to reload x39 I recently found was tracer .. If you buy it it's $1 a shot, I can roll my own with projectiles i buy from the equipment exchange and surplus powder for a bit less then half price.

 

[Jwirecom109]

I know several of the guys at the range reload 7.62x39, they have alot more sucess with placement and grouping with the reloads on their cz 858's the the regular surplus, cost wise its abit better then buying factory but not much.

 

[dthunter]

I personally have never seen the surplus ammo shoot better than minute of watermelon at 100!
I was just very dissappointed with accuracy "that" bad!
8-10" groups with a scope set up.

Wish I had a more accurate SKS!
For those of you who have an accurate sks, keep it & take care of it!
They are rare!

 

[prosper]

I've reloaded 7.62x39 for a while now - both for my SKS (when I had one) and my bolt gun. WC-735 doesn't yield good velocities and the charges are compressed, so you can't get more in there - I think it's a little too slow-burning for this application.

Best results I've got were with RL-7, both in terms of velocity (about 2400fps), and accuracy (VERY accurate in my bolt gun, and much more accurate than surplus in my SKS; especially with the op-rod removed). 4198 might also be a good candidate.

 

[Rugerman]

Ya, that's cheap alright I think I paid about $0.38 for the stuff I picked up. Question for HotWheels, What's that 650 you mentioned. I bought a RCBS Rock Crusher years ago and I'm not up on the latest. I checked out Mystic Precision site and I don't know if this is a typo or not but, " Hornady 7.62X39 (310cal) 123gr Vmax – yes a poly tipped varmint bullet for your SKS $250/1000

Hornady 7.62X39 (310cal) 123gr FMJ $285/100 " Why would anyone reload ???

Budget Shooter Supply has the same bullet (Hornady V-Max) for $235/1000. Why reload? Accuracy. I don't have an SKS but I shoot reloads in my 7.62 x 39 AR and in my Mini 30. Surplus doesn't group anything like reloads do. I won't shoot corrosive in any of my rifles. As someone has mentioned, surplus may not be around forever or cheap forever. I build up a good supply of components at good pricing and can reload for around 40 cents a round with very good accuracy. It's worth it to me.

 

[IM_Lugger]

I dont. main reason I have an SKS reload for too many other calibers already

 

[rookie wildcat]

I personally have never seen the surplus ammo shoot better than minute of watermelon at 100!
I was just very dissappointed with accuracy "that" bad!
8-10" groups with a scope set up.

Wish I had a more accurate SKS!
For those of you who have an accurate sks, keep it & take care of it!
They are rare!

A few ways to increase accuracy. Esp if you reload.

1. Fire commercial factory ammo in it. Does this group meet with your satisfaction? If this works, you can still use suplus ammo but you will need to make some adjustments. (ie., pull the bullets, dump the powder, weigh the powder from 10 rounds to find an average, re-charge all of the rounds with this new uniform charge of original powder. I have found variances of up to 2gn in powder weight in the same box of 20 surplus bullets. (I do this especially for hunting rounds. I change the bullet to a hornady but I may go to a barnes next year) I am definitely going to try that V-Max).

2. (Take your SKS to a gunsmith if you can't do this in a straight line.) Using a 21/64ths drill bit, drill into the barrel from the muzzle end 1/2" to 1". Make sure you flush out all of the metal chips before you test fire. (You could just have someone cut the end of the barrel off and re-crown it, but this may ruin the look for you...your call) Most of the SKS's have suffered from years of improper cleaning practices and having a cleaning rod drug over the lands at the muzzle will quickly ruin the crown. Going slowly and straight will also allow you to create a new crown inside the barrel. Now, find a brass screw (you may have to turn it down a little to get it to fit) and chuck it into your drill. Use the head to polish up the new crown you have made.That should cut your groups in half.

3. Smooth up your trigger group. Youtube is good for that. Search SKS trigger group jobs.

4. Make sure that your action is bedded. Yes you can improve the bedding of an SKS.

If you do all of these and your SKS still won't shoot 2" groups, then send it to me. I have done this to 2 of my 4 SKS's that shot 4'-8" groups and they all shoot 1-2" now at 100yds.

 

[mwjones]

My sks throws brass in a 15 foot circle centered on the rifle. Foreward, back, left right, all over the place. Makes picking up brass impractical at best. SKS's are a lot less fun to shoot when you've got one eye looking for where your brass is going

 

[prosper]

pull the op-rod. Straight-pull bolt action, then. At least, during load development

 

[ted_dent]

My sks throws brass in a 15 foot circle centered on the rifle. Foreward, back, left right, all over the place. Makes picking up brass impractical at best. SKS's are a lot less fun to shoot when you've got one eye looking for where your brass is going

This is why I stopped reloading for my SKSs and AK (when I could shoot it) . I bought a bunch of commercial 7.62x39 several years ago and intended to use commercial ammo and reload it but all the guns threw the brass all over the place and I ended up losing half of it in the grass.

Same with my CZ858. Fired 60 Federal commercial rounds with it first time out & found about half of them. After that I switched to non-corrosive berdan steel cased ammo & never looked back.

I still pick up any 7.62x39 boxer brass I find at the range anticipating the day when the cheap, non-reloadable stuff dries up but until then I won't be reloading any. BTW I've got rifles & handguns in dozens of calibres and this is the only one I don't bother reloading for.

 

[dthunter]

Thanks for the offer. "BUT"

A few ways to increase accuracy. Esp if you reload.

1. Fire commercial factory ammo in it. Does this group meet with your satisfaction? If this works, you can still use suplus ammo but you will need to make some adjustments. (ie., pull the bullets, dump the powder, weigh the powder from 10 rounds to find an average, re-charge all of the rounds with this new uniform charge of original powder. I have found variances of up to 2gn in powder weight in the same box of 20 surplus bullets. (I do this especially for hunting rounds. I change the bullet to a hornady but I may go to a barnes next year) I am definitely going to try that V-Max).

2. (Take your SKS to a gunsmith if you can't do this in a straight line.) Using a 21/64ths drill bit, drill into the barrel from the muzzle end 1/2" to 1". Make sure you flush out all of the metal chips before you test fire. (You could just have someone cut the end of the barrel off and re-crown it, but this may ruin the look for you...your call) Most of the SKS's have suffered from years of improper cleaning practices and having a cleaning rod drug over the lands at the muzzle will quickly ruin the crown. Going slowly and straight will also allow you to create a new crown inside the barrel. Now, find a brass screw (you may have to turn it down a little to get it to fit) and chuck it into your drill. Use the head to polish up the new crown you have made.That should cut your groups in half.

3. Smooth up your trigger group. Youtube is good for that. Search SKS trigger group jobs.

4. Make sure that your action is bedded. Yes you can improve the bedding of an SKS.

If you do all of these and your SKS still won't shoot 2" groups, then send it to me. I have done this to 2 of my 4 SKS's that shot 4'-8" groups and they all shoot 1-2" now at 100yds.

After much frustration, I just sold the rifle.
My ruger bolt shoots to my satisfaction now

If I want accuracy, I will just stick with my bolt rifles.
But the SKS was fun,...........for a week or two.

 

[hunter64]

cleaning all the time.

You clean an SKS? Learn something new everyday, lol.

 

[periculumnexnecis]

I use hodgdon bl c2, winchester case, winchester primer, hornady 123 gr soft point, pretty accurate for a surplus rifle 3 '' at 100 yards,

 

[got to go]

Lot's of good thoughts there Gents. My rifle somehow is refurbed but unissued.. Non chromed barrel and all serial # match from what I have seen through the cosmo. I'm picking up a different laminated stock this weekend that I'm going to refinish and do some action bedding. Another thing I plan is some different sights. I quite like the idea of pulling the bullets from non corrosive Russian ammo and checking powder/changing bullets. Do you use carbide dies when you reseat your bullets ?

A few ways to increase accuracy. Esp if you reload.

1. Fire commercial factory ammo in it. Does this group meet with your satisfaction? If this works, you can still use suplus ammo but you will need to make some adjustments. (ie., pull the bullets, dump the powder, weigh the powder from 10 rounds to find an average, re-charge all of the rounds with this new uniform charge of original powder. I have found variances of up to 2gn in powder weight in the same box of 20 surplus bullets. (I do this especially for hunting rounds. I change the bullet to a hornady but I may go to a barnes next year) I am definitely going to try that V-Max).

2. (Take your SKS to a gunsmith if you can't do this in a straight line.) Using a 21/64ths drill bit, drill into the barrel from the muzzle end 1/2" to 1". Make sure you flush out all of the metal chips before you test fire. (You could just have someone cut the end of the barrel off and re-crown it, but this may ruin the look for you...your call) Most of the SKS's have suffered from years of improper cleaning practices and having a cleaning rod drug over the lands at the muzzle will quickly ruin the crown. Going slowly and straight will also allow you to create a new crown inside the barrel. Now, find a brass screw (you may have to turn it down a little to get it to fit) and chuck it into your drill. Use the head to polish up the new crown you have made.That should cut your groups in half.

3. Smooth up your trigger group. Youtube is good for that. Search SKS trigger group jobs.

4. Make sure that your action is bedded. Yes you can improve the bedding of an SKS.

If you do all of these and your SKS still won't shoot 2" groups, then send it to me. I have done this to 2 of my 4 SKS's that shot 4'-8" groups and they all shoot 1-2" now at 100yds.