Pulled 7.62X39 Surplus Advice

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Cactus

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Thunder Bay ON
Having several hundred rounds of CZ surplus 7.62X39 ammo on hand I went to work with the collet bullet puller looking to use the bullets in non corrosive rounds.
After pulling and measuring the powder from 40 I got to thinking that I could load the surplus powder into a 7.62X39 brass case and top it with a cast bullet.

All of the pulled charges were 22.4-22.6 grains of surplus powder and my gas checked cast bullets are 156.4-156.8 grains. The surplus powder looks like Alliant #2400.

Here is what I want to try and please feel free to tell me I am out to lunch with this idea...

I want to load a few test rounds at 20 grains of surplus powder which is a little more than 10 percent lower than the original pulled charge and top them with the 156gr cast bullet which is a fair bit heaver than the 121-123gr jacketed pulled bullet.

I am wondering if this is enough of a reduced powder charge because generally a heavier bullet requires less powder than a light bullet in the same calibur but cast uses a little more powder than jacketed and I dont want to have a pressure issue. On the other hand, loading too light can cause problems as well.

Unfortunately I am unable to go to a manual for a surplus powder load so if anyone has done this please post your thoughts.

The rounds will be fired from a Russian SKS.

Thanks,
Cactus
 
As for the charge/bullet weight question, I routinely pull the FMJ and replace with 150gn ProHunters. Dabbling with it, I found that 20gn powder is a pretty good charge with no pressure signs. I have chronied them at a bit more than 2000fps out of my SKS and are somewhat accurate within the rifle's capabilities.
However, these are jacketed SP, not cast and since I don't cast I cannot comment on how fast you should be throwing them out of the barrel before they start stripping and fouling. Hope this helps
 
How do you guys get the darn bullets out of that Yugo surplus stuff???

I've got both an RCBS hammer puller and an RCBS collet puller for my RC2 press and I basically can't get it done. I've tried pushing the bullet inwards first to break the seal, but even then, the collet puller always slips off (zero sucesses at all) and the hammer puller takes about 25 hard whacks on a concrete floor to pull one bullet (crazy inneficient).

There's got to be a better way...
 
sorry, can't help any further than that. That's what I do. push them in, pull them with my collet puller. Don't normally use the hammer since it doesn't work as reliability.
 
Thanks for the input guys and to answer Northman...

I have used the hammer and the RCBS collet in my Lee Classic Cast press. Seating the bullets deeper to break the seal is a must and then tichten your die and lock ring into the press with a cresent wrench to keep the die from turning when you tighten the collet on the bullet.

I tighten a little first to minimize the marks on the bullet but there are those ones that you have to crank the collet pretty tight for the 2nd or 3rd attempt.

The next is up to you... I use a steady pressure on the ram (handle) to get the bullet out but the instructions suggest a sharp hit on the handle. Both work, but the steady pressure gives you more control and you don't spill any of the powder.

With the bullets seated deaper and the RCBS hammer it is about 10 good hits on a block of wood. Some more some less.

Cactus
 
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