Question :Reloading cartridges 7.62x39 ?

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kristian55

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Question : who did Reloading cartridges 7.62x39 and with what weight of bullet and gunpowder?
What results did you get at firing?
Experience of Reloading of cartridge 7.62x39 with bullets 150 grain, 168 grain and 180 is grain results?
Thanks to everybody for an answer.
 
150gr+ bullets are likely too heavy for the charge you can get into the small cartridge. I would think you would get some serious overpressure as well as low velocity. If you can find reloading data I'm sure bullet weights between 100-130gr would be the norm.

There are some instructional vids on youtube showing how to reload burden primed steel cases. I would think finding brass would be best though. Keep in mind US made 7.62 short brass is generally weak so look for euro made brass.
 
reloading 7.62 x 39

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

There is only 125 grains and 150 grain load listed. Anything else you have no load data for.

There is a lot of variance in the bore size for this caliber. It is nominally 310, but they can run from 308 to 315. If you are shooting cast you need a bullet that is slightly over bore for any accuracy.

My experience is 200 Grains I could not get to cycle in an 858. 125, 150,155,160 no problem. Also the bullet needs to be pointy if they are to feed reliably in an sks or a cz 858. A bolt will function with pretty much anything.

I found a major improvement in my sks shooting cast bullets as I could match the bullet to the gun. The chec surplus works very well in the 858 any improvement is pretty marginal.

Also casings are rare and expensive. I do reload for this caliber as I have all the components necessary to make a couple of thousand rounds. If I did not already have everything it would be much cheaper to buy surplus ammo.
 
i bought 200 rounds of lapua brass from hirsch precision, and a couple hundred hornady 123 grn fmj bullets from a local shop (the wood joynt) and loaded them up with 28.0 grains of hodgdon H322 over winchester large rifle primer's.

hodgdon's online manual lists the minimum as 28.0 and maximum as 29.0 grains respectively, not much variance, but for me at 28.0 grains the load appears to be tight or even slightly compressed.

as to accuracy, i'm still waiting to mount a scope, and rig up a brass catcher, as the brass wasn't extremely expensive, but enough so to warrant recovering them all:)
 
You will likely have issues with OAL on the longer bullets (150gr+) due to the radius of the ogive and thus location of the bearing surface. Basically, they will be too long for the mag.
 
I use a load very similar to the one given by hutchster. The only negatives I've experienced are that both X 39 rifles I have CZ858 and SKS beat up brass, (dented shoulders, gouges). To stay on the safe side I only use the brass about 4 times, with the way my rifles throws em that's about the life expectancy of the brass in my possession anyway.

jasonburnsdundee, cast bullets for 7.62x39, now that is perverse:D where can I get some?
 
I've loaded the 7.62x39 with bullets weighing from 123gr to 230gr, for use in my bolt action JW-103.

I used surplus WC-735 (a tad slower than H322 in burn rate) and achieved the following:

123gr FMJ - 28.0 grs - 2050 fps
150gr FMJ - 26.0 grs - 1950 fps
174gr FMJ - 24.0 grs - 1800 fps
230gr CMJ - 20.0 grs - 1350 fps

These are all moderate loads, limited by case capacity (almost full cases) and mag length (I had to keep loaded OAL to a max of 2.220"). I could go higher with the 123gr load, up to about 30.0 grs (or a full case).
 
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Thank you all.

All this information very interesting.
Thank you.
P.S.
What gunpowder is used interchangeability of gunpowder?
 
If you want to really see some nice groups try using Hornady 123 gr. VMax with Rel 7. I know Mystic Player had some. They are around.
Also, if you don't like beat up brass- get an AR with a 7.62 x 39 upper. Just my $.02 worth.
 
Try this website. It will answer 90% of your questions I would think.

file:///Firearms%20Stuff/Reloading/AK-47.net-%20Reloading%207.62x39%20FAQ%20%232.webarchive
 
Harold Manback said:
jasonburnsdundee, cast bullets for 7.62x39, now that is perverse:D where can I get some?
Click to expand...

You have to cast them yourself. I am using the c e harris designed lee mold for the 7.62 X 39 160 grains with 15 grains of hercules 2400.

858targets.jpg


It is the group on the left hand bottom corner. The sks or 858 are a decent autoloader to cast bullets for. The gas system is accessible for cleaning.
 
Reloader 7 is supposed to be very close and the best overall for this cartridge...I haven't tried it yet myself as I can't seem to find RL-7 anywhere on this island.

Also I wouldn't bother going beyond the 123 - 125 grain bullets.
 
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