Reloading copper plated bullets for 7.62x39 - Safe to use Jacketed load data?

harbl_the_cat

harbl_the_cat

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I bought a 500 bullet bag of 7.62x39 copper plated bullets from Proline Shooters at the last gun show. They don't have the max velocity listed and my reloading manual doesn't have any load data for 123 gn copper plated bullets.

Does anyone know if it would be safe to reload these using the lower end data for FMJ bullets of the same weight?
 
Sounds reasonable to me. I'm curious too since I happened to pick up a couple boxes of the copper plated game ranger 308 projectiles for plinking. I think Marstar was where I got them.
 
Plated bullets differ greatly from jacketed. As a rule, they can be loaded to mid range jacketed data but even Berry's states not to exceed 1800fps in rifles. Again, it is all dependant on the plating thickness for that particular bullet. Thinner plated bullets can experience structural integrity compromise just from the rifling cutting through the surface of the bullet plating. Just be careful and dont load hot. If you do have a problem, the accuracy will be negated but the sound of the bullet separating while heading downrange is interesting. I have had it happen and altho it was an eerie sound coming from 2 directions the bullet turned out to be entertaining for the effect, not the result.
Cheers
dB
 
I am using Berry's 150 grain .308 copper plated bullets for 30-30 plinking rounds and they are limited to 1700fps as well,haven't been able to chrono them yet due to rain...maybe this weekend.
I was wondering what would happen at higher velocitys, my guess was that there would be copper/lead left behind in the rifling...thanks for the info daBear good to know.
 
Well, I loaded 20 rounds up and shot them at TSE today.

25.0 grain AC2230 using 123 gn 7.62x39 projectils (.312).

The load date for 125 gn FMJ said 26.6 would yield a velocity of 1943 FPS, while 29.5 would yield 2206 FPS (I believe) according to my reloaders manual.

I know it's not linear and my projectiles were 2 gn's lighter, but theoretically, dropping the load 1.6 gns should drop the velocity 145 FPS according to published data, yielding about 1798 FPS.

Unfortunately, my chono didn't agree with me at the Edge, and I wasn't able to get a reading. However, they cycled reliabily and I got some pretty decent group sizes at 25 yards with my ultradot red dot through my CZH2003. They bullets didn't sound any differently from what I'd normally shoot too.

I think to get a 50 yard zero, these should suffice. I think I'll stick with that load though and load em up.
 
With most plated bullets you would use load data for a gas checked hard cast lead bullet. Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook has a lot of loads for many calibres and I've actually had excellent results using cast bullet data with jacketed bullets for reduced power loads in larger cartridges. I am currently playing with .308 level velocities with 150gr bullets in 300WM and am getting phenomenal accuracy.

Generally with hard cast, gas checked bullets you want to limit yourself to 1700-2200fps roughly (depends on cartridge, powder, and rifle) and plated bullets would be best kept in the same range. Unjacketed projectiles pushed too hard will have horrible accuracy and often lead the barrel something awful. When I push cast bullets too fast in 308 my groups open up from 1" at 50yds to as much as 8".
 
LUTNIT said:
With most plated bullets you would use load data for a gas checked hard cast lead bullet. Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook has a lot of loads for many calibres and I've actually had excellent results using cast bullet data with jacketed bullets for reduced power loads in larger cartridges. I am currently playing with .308 level velocities with 150gr bullets in 300WM and am getting phenomenal accuracy.

Generally with hard cast, gas checked bullets you want to limit yourself to 1700-2200fps roughly (depends on cartridge, powder, and rifle) and plated bullets would be best kept in the same range. Unjacketed projectiles pushed too hard will have horrible accuracy and often lead the barrel something awful. When I push cast bullets too fast in 308 my groups open up from 1" at 50yds to as much as 8".
Click to expand...

That's about what I was experiencing - only if I dropped the charge too low, I had lots of cycling problems in both my SKS and 858's - FTE or FTL's.
 
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