7.62x39 Options

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Nice buy. That is a handy rifle. I don't know how much you're gonna shoot the rifle or how much steel cased ammo you're gonna run through it, but just some food for thought. When I was younger (a long time ago), you could get this Chinese 7.62X39 for $100 a case of 1200 rounds. It came is bright yellow boxes. Anyway, at that price it was worth it to have an SKS or AK just to be able to shoot so cheaply, and that's what I did. A LOT. Well, I decided I was going to upgrade and got myself a Mini-30. That's when my woes started and I became educated.

When I got my Mini-30 home and read the manual, it distinctly said NOT to shoot steel cased ammo in the rifle. I thought, pffft. $100 for 1200 rounds, I'll get rid of the rifle for what U.S. 7.62X39 costs to shoot. I decided to call Ruger and actually got a nice guy on the phone. What he told me was that the warning wasn't due to the steel casings. It was due to the varying bullet diameters of the steel cased ammo and the danger of shooting over sized projectiles.

So...as it turns out, the bore diameter of the imported rifles like the SKS and AK chambered for 7.62X39 varied, but had a nominal diameter of .311. The ammunition manufactured for these rifles had bullets with a nominal diameter of .311 as well, give or take a hair. Now, I found out that in the U.S., 7.62 means .30 caliber, as in having a nominal diameter of .308. Yep, U.S. manufactured rifles in 7.62X39 have a nominal bore diameter of .308. Finding all of this out wasn't easy either. No internet back then.

I recently read an article where some ammunition supplier tortured a bunch of poor Bushmaster AR15s by putting 10,000 rounds of different makes of ammo through each of them. They noted that the rifles shooting steel jacketed bullets showed premature wear in the bores. For an AR15, the savings in shooting steel jacketed ammo will probably justify having to replace a $150 barrel. Not so much with a bolt gun.

I'd suggest slugging your barrel to get a bore diameter on your rifle and then putting a micrometer on your favorite steel cased ammo (if you intend to shoot the stuff) and checking the diameter of the bullets. If you're anything like me and put 1K to 2K rounds a month through your rifle because it's your favorite date, running .311 steel jacketed bullets down a .308 tube could mean an early death for the barrel.

Of course, things may have changed since I last messed with 7.62X39, which was over ten years ago and everything above might be moot.
 
Oh, and if I remember right, that rifle is pretty handy. You sure you want to put that much glass on top of it. I mean, small rifle...big scope. On those sorts of rifles, there are many 1-4X, 1-6X or 2-7X compact scopes with smaller objectives that won't destroy the rifles personality. Some of the Vortex scopes come to mind, like one of the Vortex Strike Eagles. I don't know how you're built, nor do I have a clear memory of the profile of the rifle, but using a scope with a 40mm objective might have you putting that scope up higher off of the axis of the bore than it needs to be.

Considering the effective range of that round, you probably won't need that much scope. I know guys that shoot 600 yard, .308 steel matches with a 10X.
 
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TonyAngel said:
Oh, and if I remember right, that rifle is pretty handy. You sure you want to put that much glass on top of it. I mean, small rifle...big scope. On those sorts of rifles, there are many 1-4X, 1-6X or 2-7X compact scopes with smaller objectives that won't destroy the rifles personality. Some of the Vortex scopes come to mind, like one of the Vortex Strike Eagles. I don't know how you're built, nor do I have a clear memory of the profile of the rifle, but using a scope with a 40mm objective might have you putting that scope up higher off of the axis of the bore than it needs to be.

Considering the effective range of that round, you probably won't need that much scope. I know guys that shoot 600 yard, .308 steel matches with a 10X.
Click to expand...

they look funny like that
 
helitack32f1 said:
I vote for a quality SKS, preferably the carbine version if you can find one. One of the most fun guns I have.

Edit: I meant to say the paratrooper version. Unfortunately they cost lots of money if you can find one.
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I have one of those, handy rifle. My Son got his first Deer with it. I was shooting it a couple of months ago and went through a lot of steel cased Russian ammunition. Good accuracy for a Military Surplus and built to last. I have no idea what they go for now. a Note: Not really a "Paratrooper" or "Cowboy" Carbine. Just a factory made SKS for the U.S. market. AK's and SKS's.jpg AKSI.JPG
 
I went Ruger Ranch. It is light and stupid accurate with Hornady steel cased ammo and that red plastic tip bullet they load. I get easy one inch groups at 100 yards. I run a Nikon Monarch 3 1-4 optic with German #4 reticle. I also installed a Surefire muzzle brake. Feels like a .22 cal. No recoil or muzzle rise. It is a favorite gun.
 
I went Ruger Ranch. It is light and stupid accurate with Hornady steel cased ammo and that red plastic tip bullet they load. I get easy one inch groups at 100 yards. I run a Nikon Monarch 3 1-4 optic with German #4 reticle. I also installed a Surefire muzzle brake. Feels like a .22 cal. No recoil or muzzle rise. It is a favorite gun.
 
I would go with a Ruger American Ranch in 7.62x39. Best bang for the buck. A buddy of mine has one in .308 and says it more than earns it's keep in terms of accuracy and reliability.

Having said that if money were no object (but we all know it is), I would still love to have a CZ 527
 
army_eod said:
I went Ruger Ranch. It is light and stupid accurate with Hornady steel cased ammo and that red plastic tip bullet they load. I get easy one inch groups at 100 yards. I run a Nikon Monarch 3 1-4 optic with German #4 reticle. I also installed a Surefire muzzle brake. Feels like a .22 cal. No recoil or muzzle rise. It is a favorite gun.
Click to expand...
That Hornady steel case with the 123-grain SST is getting tough to find. If you find some in the 50ct boxes, buy all you can. They figured out it was pretty good stuff and packaged it as the "BLK" ammo, and doubled the price. Still the same ammo. Just smaller packages and more expensive. But that steel case Hornady shoots lights-out from every gun I have fired it through, and it kills scht dead. I quit reloading 7.62x39 because of it.

I've lost track of how many sub-MOA groups I've shot with that ammo out of my Savage and Howa rifles over the years.
 
bannockburn said:
I would go with a Ruger American Ranch in 7.62x39. Best bang for the buck. A buddy of mine has one in .308 and says it more than earns it's keep in terms of accuracy and reliability.

Having said that if money were no object (but we all know it is), I would still love to have a CZ 527
Click to expand...

I did go with the RAR...but if I win the Lottery, the CZ 527 will come home with me! :D
 
TonyAngel said:
When I got my Mini-30 home and read the manual, it distinctly said NOT to shoot steel cased ammo in the rifle. I thought, pffft. $100 for 1200 rounds, I'll get rid of the rifle for what U.S. 7.62X39 costs to shoot. I decided to call Ruger and actually got a nice guy on the phone. What he told me was that the warning wasn't due to the steel casings. It was due to the varying bullet diameters of the steel cased ammo and the danger of shooting over sized projectiles
Click to expand...

The 308 barrels were only for a very short run. Ruger cut a long tapered leade to give an oversized 310 to 312 bullet some distance to squeeze down without a huge pressure spike. I'm sure the barrels have all been 310 since the second or third year of production. Ruger does still recommend using only brass ammo. That is due to different casing specs. The steel cases are slightly different dimmensions so they seat deeper into the chamber versus US ammo. Leaves issues with the firing pin having insufficient protrusion to consistently fire that ammo. People will put in stronger springs and longer pins to compensate.
 
Back in early 1990's a gunsmith was doing smallring mauser and Carcano conversions.
The fellow was using old P-14 enfield barrels and setting them back to 7.62x39.

I used to own a converted carcano years ago ($280)
A buddy bugged me to no end to sell it to him and thats the last i saw of the 7.62 Carcano.
 
I'm late to the party.:(
TonyAngel said:
Oh, and if I remember right, that rifle is pretty handy. You sure you want to put that much glass on top of it. I mean, small rifle...big scope. On those sorts of rifles, there are many 1-4X, 1-6X or 2-7X compact scopes with smaller objectives that won't destroy the rifles personality. Some of the Vortex scopes come to mind, like one of the Vortex Strike Eagles. I don't know how you're built, nor do I have a clear memory of the profile of the rifle, but using a scope with a 40mm objective might have you putting that scope up higher off of the axis of the bore than it needs to be.

Considering the effective range of that round, you probably won't need that much scope. I know guys that shoot 600 yard, .308 steel matches with a 10X.
Click to expand...
I absolutely LOVE the Vortex Strike Eagles I own 4 of the 1-6x24 scopes on different guns. My Ruger American oddly enough has a Leopold 2-7x32, but that's only because the gun came with it. The 3 lug bolt on the American lets you mount the scope as low as you want.

If you choose to swap to a SE, don't be tempted to get the 1-8x24. The exit pupil is so small it's INCREDIBLY annoying to try and actually use. You'll never use the 8x power and the 6x is ~$100 less expensive MSRP. Once the light gets lower, you'll not want to go past 4x and the illumination is VERY handy. 1x is great for derping about and making things explode at 25-100 yards.

If you want iron sights for cheap, you can take 45 degree AR flip-up sights and mount them on the extra receiver rail space so they are on the left side. Not super accurate due to the EXTREMELY limited sight radius, but get it sighted in and you can get close enough to anything you might want to shoot, despite the broken scope, out to 50-100 yards.

The best part about it using Mini-30 magazines is those trash aftermarket 20-40 round mags. They are jam city in the Mini-30, but function just fine in the Ruger American. Does it look stupid having a 40-round mag in a bolt gun? Yes. Do I do it anyways because I can? Yes. Find them at gunshows for cheap and buy them up.

You'll like the Ruger American. No it's not as nice as the CZ, but you also won't be afraid to take the Ruger out and let it get dinged up,
 
My CZ runs ragged holes with Tula HP. They are designed for European steel exclusively, the dimensions are slightly different than CIP. Sightly smaller at the shoulder, and a different shoulder angle, just enough to screw with primer strikes. Never had a problem with cheap steel, have to neck size the reloads though.
 
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