Cast for 308 win and 7.62x39

ghughes

ghughes

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A couple questions about bullet sizing and powder coating,
How thick is the powder coat layer on a .309 bullet? Will it size to .310?
Are there smaller 7.62x39 than the 155-160gr that Lee make and will smaller bullets stabilize?
Is it necessary to slug the 308 win barrel or just the 7.62x39 before I buy sizers? Assuming I'll need one for each gun.

Just trying to take a straight line to my destination.
What I have,
Mod 88 Win 308 win (1:12)
Zastava bolt action m85 7.62x39 (1:9.44) yet to arrive
A .308 gas check maker die on order
Lee 90367 single cavity .309 160gr
5 gal pails of wheel weights
Lots of 700x and other powder to choose from.

I'm just looking for a plinking round up to 100yds and if this works possibly rounds for deer and bunnies.
 
The powder will add 1 or 2 thou to the diameter, depending on how thick you apply it.
A coloured powder will add a thicker coat than a clear one.
I sold off about 7 coloured powders that I had and only use clear now.
A powder with pigments can be used if you want to increase the diameter of your bullet.

Keep in mind that sizing does little for the accuracy of the bullet, and you want to do as little as possible.
I just do enough to seat the gas check properly, as long as I can still chamber the round.
Of course, you still have to have enough room so the cartridge can release the bullet.
But, us cast bulleters usually operate at more modest pressures, so it is less of an issue.

Back in the eighties, or so, Al Miller in Handloader magazine did a test on a half dozen milsurps and found that the more the bullet was sized, the worse accuracy became.

Gas check makers can be a real help. I've had several cases over the last decade where store bought gas checks won't grab the bullet shank, or the bullet shank is too large to accept a commercial gas check. This is due to the larger number of bullet mould makers nowadays and their variations, and the type of alloy you might be using.
 
So it sounds to me a .309 powder coated to .310 in theory could be more accurate than a .312 sized down to .310?
Assuming a .310 bore.
 
I've downloaded Lyman 3rd edition and bought the 4th edition.
The lighter 130 gr (Lyman 311410) is listed for 308win and 7.62x39 which is great but the 308 lists 700x and the 7.62x39 doesn't.
Does anyone have a tried 700x recipe for the 7.62x39?
Is it common to use say a Lyman 160gr projectile data with a Lee 160 gr projectile?
Who might have a Lyman 311410 mold in canada?
How much flexibility might there be in taking the lightest load and moving it to another case (308 to 3030, 3030 to 7.62x39 etc...).
I've always used bullet manuals from each manufacturer as a Bible, but casting seems different.
These are for a Zastava bolt action BTW.
 
ghughes said:
Is it common to use say a Lyman 160gr projectile data with a Lee 160 gr projectile?
Click to expand...
If I’m using a specific manufacturer’s bullet I will look at their load data for it, Hornady for example. But I will cross reference loads from a couple different manuals/sources while picking a powder and a start point, be it powder manufacturers data or other books.

I start low and work up loads for that rifle so not concerned with using Hornady data for their bullets or Speer for Speer etc, you’ll notice differences in listed OAL with different bullet profiles. Hornady especially as they will list all their bullets for say 150-155gr 30cal, you can go off listed oal or figure out CBTO measurements for that rifle once you start going down the rabbit hole.

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Butcherbill said:
If I’m using a specific manufacturer’s bullet I will look at their load data for it, Hornady for example. But I will cross reference loads from a couple different manuals/sources while picking a powder and a start point, be it powder manufacturers data or other books.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reminder, that's what I used to do but it's been a while.
I just have one source of cast data so it's tough to compare. I will be doing that though. 👍
And looking at the 30 cal loads there are less or none 700x loads as the case size shrinks due to pressure increase. I guess it will only be a 308 load. Too bad because I have so much of it.
 
ghughes said:
Thanks for the reminder, that's what I used to do but it's been a while.
I just have one source of cast data so it's tough to compare. I will be doing that though. 👍
Click to expand...
For cast you have less to pick from than jacketed for sure, the Lee load book is one with a fair bit of cast data. Lyman, which you have as well. There’s some older manuals out there on pdf that have cast data, if you do some digging you should be able to find some more.
 
ghughes said:
A couple questions about bullet sizing and powder coating,
How thick is the powder coat layer on a .309 bullet? Will it size to .310?
Are there smaller 7.62x39 than the 155-160gr that Lee make and will smaller bullets stabilize?
Is it necessary to slug the 308 win barrel or just the 7.62x39 before I buy sizers? Assuming I'll need one for each gun.

Just trying to take a straight line to my destination.
What I have,
Mod 88 Win 308 win (1:12)
Zastava bolt action m85 7.62x39 (1:9.44) yet to arrive
A .308 gas check maker die on order
Lee 90367 single cavity .309 160gr
5 gal pails of wheel weights
Lots of 700x and other powder to choose from.

I'm just looking for a plinking round up to 100yds and if this works possibly rounds for deer and bunnies.
Click to expand...
Honestly don't worry about sizing unless the loaded cartridge won't chamber.
 
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