7.26x39 loads

[Jimbo1]

I loaded some 7.62x39 loads last night. But I noticed the data I got from the powder company said to compress the max loads. I loaded based on the starter loads which was 26.6 gr of accurate's 2460 with a 123 gr speer sp. That almost completely filled the case.

I doubt I will ever load these to the hot side, just reload them for my wife hoping to find a light load that will come close to matching some old East German ammo I have that shoots very light, but every time and very accurate.

So my question is: How do you "compress" the loads? BTW I just got all the reloading equipment this past weekend, so I am really in the learning phase. All this stuff I've read for the last year or so is starting to make some sense.

 

[Father Knows Best]

You can compress the powder charge just by seating a bullet on it, of course, if the charge doesn't overflow the case prior to compression.

I've never used any other sort of compression with smokeless powder, but I frequently compress black powder loads. Black powder needs a little compression for optimum consistency. When loading black powder cartridges, I use a special compression die to achieve compression prior to bullet seating. The reason for doing that instead of just using the bullet to compress the charge is that I'm loading soft lead bullets over the black powder, and using the bullet to compress the charge can cause deformation of the bullet base. Using a jacketed bullet with smokeless powder, however, I'd think you could just compress by seating a bullet in the charged case.

 

[Jimbo1]

Thanks, thats what I thought, but didn't want to chance it. The difference between a start and max load was only about 3 gr.