[Mr Mario]

What do you all think of loading .308 v-max 110grain moly coated bullets for my sks using 26 grains of Hodgdon 4198. Would this be ok or would it rattle down the barrel. Any advice would be cool.:confused: :confused: :confused:

[R.W.Dale]

I've found that in my CZ bolt action 7.62x39 rifle with a .310 bore there was NO diffrence in group size when I used 150gr sierra pro hunters with the exact same loading the only diffrence was I loaded one batch with .311 dia slugs and the other with .308
We're only talking about .002 hardly a large margin.

[Third_Rail]

As a machinist, I'm a bit miffed you said .002" isn't a lot. :neener:


In an SKS, I'd slug the bore, or if you don't have the ability to, load 5-10 rounds with .308" dia bullets and see how they pattern.

[Smokey Joe]

Mr. Mario--Third rail is right, .002" DOES make a difference!

First you need to slug the bore to find out the i.d. of yr bbl. Midway sells a nice kit for that, or take a pc. of pure lead, hammer it to a little bigger than the bore, and nice and round, and pound it down yr bbl with a wood dowel. Then you measure the diameter of the lead slug when it comes out, and voila, that's yr bore diam.

Use pure lead because it is much softer than most alloys. Therefore much easier to hammer down yr bore. I've tried both. Used an alloy cast bullet for the job once, with much cussing.

In my SKS, I've tried bullets of .308", .310", .311", and ostensibly .312" which actually gauged at .3115". My SKS is happiest with the largest of these. I'm looking for some actual .312"ers to try.

But you don't have to take my word for it--Buy some actual .308" ammo in 7.62x39, and some rated .311" or .312", (take a caliper to the gun store with you; don't just read the label) and see for yrself which your particular rifle likes.

Krochus: Best to say about .002" is "it depends." In carpentry, that's not a big difference. In driving from say Chicago to Atlanta, it wouldn't matter at all. But in a firearm bore, yes, .002" is big. Believe it. In modern CNC machining, .002" is a yawning chasm, similar to the Great Rift Valley in Africa.

BTW, I think the CZ bolt gun has a .308" bore. It would shoot .311's, but at a much higher pressure. (You're power-swaging the bullet down two thousandths. Bullets don't like that.) But give yourself credit; you tried it for yourself. In YOUR particular rifle, you report no difference in group size. It would be interesting to shoot that rifle with both bullet sizes, over a chronograph. If no difference there, either, I'd use the smaller bullets--They will be much easier on the rifle over its lifetime.

[Third_Rail]

Smokey Joe, right on. Firearm bores that I've seen are usually held to +/- .0005" or better.

That's one half of one thousandth of an inch, folks. .002" is four times that much.

[R.W.Dale]

Mr. Mario--Third rail is right, .002" DOES make a difference!

First you need to slug the bore to find out the i.d. of yr bbl. Midway sells a nice kit for that, or take a pc. of pure lead, hammer it to a little bigger than the bore, and nice and round, and pound it down yr bbl with a wood dowel. Then you measure the diameter of the lead slug when it comes out, and voila, that's yr bore diam.

Use pure lead because it is much softer than most alloys. Therefore much easier to hammer down yr bore. I've tried both. Used an alloy cast bullet for the job once, with much cussing.

In my SKS, I've tried bullets of .308", .310", .311", and ostensibly .312" which actually gauged at .3115". My SKS is happiest with the largest of these. I'm looking for some actual .312"ers to try.

But you don't have to take my word for it--Buy some actual .308" ammo in 7.62x39, and some rated .311" or .312", (take a caliper to the gun store with you; don't just read the label) and see for yrself which your particular rifle likes.

Krochus: Best to say about .002" is "it depends." In carpentry, that's not a big difference. In driving from say Chicago to Atlanta, it wouldn't matter at all. But in a firearm bore, yes, .002" is big. Believe it. In modern CNC machining, .002" is a yawning chasm, similar to the Great Rift Valley in Africa.

BTW, I think the CZ bolt gun has a .308" bore. It would shoot .311's, but at a much higher pressure. (You're power-swaging the bullet down two thousandths. Bullets don't like that.) But give yourself credit; you tried it for yourself. In YOUR particular rifle, you report no difference in group size. It would be interesting to shoot that rifle with both bullet sizes, over a chronograph. If no difference there, either, I'd use the smaller bullets--They will be much easier on the rifle over its lifetime.


Why does every body incist on telling me my rifle has a .308 bore:cuss: I guess cause of that ONE completely uninformed review from "American Rifleman" I've slugged the darn thing twice to make shure .310 groove to groove and .300 land to land. As for chronographing the two loads, I did and again there was NO diffrence

BTW I've NEVER found any 7.62x39 factory ammo loaded with .308 bullets I've checked. I don't know where it got started but that is an internet gun myth.

[R.W.Dale]

Here is a link to a similar thread with lots of info.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=178431

[MCgunner]

I load the 135 grain .308 sierra pro hunter "pistol" bullet in 7.62x39 for my SKSs and they group 6" at 200 yards, as good as any mil surp or wolf ammo I've tried. That bullet is KILLER on deer with the SKS. ;) It is designed for the .30-30 Contender pistols and is a spitzer. I'm loading it to a bit over 1000 ft lbs at 200 yards, so I figure 200 yards is its power limit anyway.

I've killed ONE deer with it, straight on in the throat, bullet went out the right rib cage behind the right shoulder. The deer ran about 100 yards with a 4" hole in the rib cage, bullet passed about 2" from the heart. That was a tough angle shot, but I managed to make it and fortunately find the deer. Would have been a HUGE blood trail, but just after the shot it started pouring down rain. :banghead: He didn't make it to the woods before collapsing, though. Can't fault the bullet, expanded well, just had a hard angle and didn't have a choice but to take it or let the deer go. But, accuracy wasn't a problem.

Okay, looked up my notes on the load. I'm loading 27.0 grains IMR4198 behind the Sierra 135 pro hunter for 2205 fps and 1457 ft lbs at the muzzle. The day I chronographed it, I shot three 3" center to center five shot groups at 100 yards (4.5X scope) and two five shot groups at 200 yards that went into 6 inches. The load hits considerably lower than mil surp Norinco ammo. Once sighted for this load, the surplus stuff hits way high, but that's no biggy to me. This load is a very effective hunting load.

[steve4102]

MCgunner, If those Sierra 135's are working for you, you might want to use them sparingly. Sierra has discontinued them.

[The_Antibubba]

It would be nice if my SKS and Mosins slug to .308". There is a much more interesting selection for them than for .310-.312. :(

[MCgunner]

MCgunner, If those Sierra 135's are working for you, you might want to use them sparingly. Sierra has discontinued them.

That figures...:rolleyes:

I haven't loaded any in quite a while. Haven't messed with the gun since I got my .308. Been infatuated with that gun for a while. :D

[MCgunner]

I may have to try this one next, or maybe a Barnes X. Nosler BTs expand well at lower velocities, why I use the 150 in my Contender .30-30.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=741609#video

See, this is one reason why I cast my own bullets for my handguns and have pet loads for those bullets. I know THAT bullet will always be available so long as I can buy or find lead. I also hesitate to deviate from traditional powders, though powder availability seems to be more a constant than other components.

Maybe I need a .45-70 so I can start rifle hunting with cast bullets. I've taken one deer from a carbine using a .357" 158 grain SWC gas check from a Lee mold. I like those Marlin guide guns.

[armoredman]

This thread is very interesting. I just bought 100 Speer .310 123gr SP bullets, at $16.50, because that was the only .310 bullet they had. If I can get a few .308s to try, I'll check it out - MANY more choices, cheaper.
Can't find cheap ammo, can't find expensive ammo, and almost everyone is out of components...it's a vast left wing conspiracy to deny us 7.62x39mm!
Gotta buy a Dragunov clone, and stock up on the 7.62x54R befaor they go after it!!!!!:what: :neener:

[jerkface11]

Why bother slugging the bore? Just load 10 rounds and see how they shoot.

[MCgunner]

I've heard some left wing (Venezuela) south American country has bought up a passle from the Russians, or something, and cut the American consumer off for a while. I do have a couple of cases stashed for when the reds charge across the Rio Grande. ;)

My interest in reloading the caliber was to get as effective a deer hunting load as possible, thus the Sierra "pistol" bullet. Most .308 diameter bullets are designed to expand and 3,000 fps or higher than the 2200 I can push that 135 grainer anyway. A 150 is a bit big for the case and intrudes too much on the case capacity or I'd switch to the Sierra BT I use in my .30-30. It's a good bullet out of the Contender at Contender velocities. I don't wish to go to a flat point for obvious BC reasons. The 135 grainer is awesome out to 200 yards, it's accuracy limit anyway. A flat nose .30-30 bullet would be out of poop before 150 yards.

I think I'm going to try the Wolf hollow point "hunting" loads next time I actually use the gun on game. I think I'll try shooting hogs with it, smallish hogs. It ain't enough gun for monster boars, but meat hogs would fall quickly, likely, if the bullet will work. If it don't, all I've lost is a hog, LOL. I won't shoot anything over 200 lbs with it. Hoping that cheapo Wolf ammo works cause I don't have to set the scope different than the standard Wolf ball ammo.

[RaySendero]

What's wrong with just picking one of the bullets from this selection?

midsouthshooterssupply.310 (http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/department.asp?dept=%52%45%4C%4F%41%44%49%4E%47&dept2=%4A%41%43%4B%45%54%45%44%20%52%49%46%4C%45&dept3=%2E%33%31%30%20%44%49%41)

or this one?

midsouthshooterssupply.311 (http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/department.asp?dept=%52%45%4C%4F%41%44%49%4E%47&dept2=%4A%41%43%4B%45%54%45%44%20%52%49%46%4C%45&dept3=%2E%33%31%31%20%44%49%41)

or this one?

midsouthshooterssupply.312 (http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/department.asp?dept=%52%45%4C%4F%41%44%49%4E%47&dept2=%4A%41%43%4B%45%54%45%44%20%52%49%46%4C%45&dept3=%2E%33%31%32%20%44%49%41)

[steve4102]

MCgunner, I don't shoot an SKS but, I do shoot a Mini-30. After I ran out of the 135gr Sierra's I switched to to the .308 125gr Sierra Pro Hunter. Very accurate and devastating on whitetails. I also came up with a 150gr Sierra Pro Hunter load that is very accurate and puts out 2100fps.

Sierra makes a 125gr .311 Pro Hunter that your SKS just might take a liking to.
Hornady makes a 130gr SP in .308. I tried em out and was very disappointed in the accuracy.

[MCgunner]

The 123 bullets designed for the caliber would be okay, but I'd be skeptical of the performance of any bullet designed for 303 brit or the Arisaka on game at SKS velocities.

Neat thing about the about the 135 pro hunter sierra was it offered a little more bullet which was designed for exactly the velocities the SKS could push it. Probably the best choice otherwise are the hornady .310 123 grain offerings.

[R.W.Dale]

I had been experimenting with the 125 NOSLER ballistic tip with great results . That is untill everybody discontinued them:mad:

[RaySendero]

Two friends at work deer hunt with an SKS - Both use Remington's Express 7.62 x 39mm R762391 125 PSP.

One has killed a 9 point, an 8 point and a doe. The other has killed 3 does with his SKS. Both said that the bullet left 2 holes except for the 9 point - It was hit in shoulder bone. Interestingly, the 9 point was the only Bang-Flop. The others ran short distances. None needed a second shot.

Notice above link - MSSS has these Remington bullets for $11.65 per hundred.

[armoredman]

RaySendero - shipping costs. I can get the Speers local for roughly the same price they have listed, without the huge shipping costs. What I would like to do is see if the cheaper brands of .308 might work, too.
Gotta get range time too, though...mandatory OT bites.

[Mr Mario]

Thank you for all the usefull info. It will help alot in my reloading advencher, as for this is my first time. I am using a LEE anaversery kit and pace setter dies how much crimp is to much, loaded a few rounds and crimped with the LEE factory crimper and i'm not shure when enough is enough.