Cosmoline
Member
OK, I've got my sturdy new CZ and I'm going to pursue a long-planned effort to probe the limits of the 7.62x39.
The first load is at the low end. I'm loading .308" Speer "plinker" rounds over 8 grains of Unique pistol powder. This is to be a 25 yard squirrel/ptarmigan/grouse/hare load to replace the .22 LR out of the CZ 452. The 452 was more than accurate enough, but on more than one occassion I nailed a big grouse or ptarmigan COM only to have it take off. I even lost one, though it's possible I only shot him through the feathers. The .22 Mag isn't a good option as it tends to tear the bejesus out of small game and is more of a varmint round. This load is based on pretty sound data on lyman cast bullets and others in the 100-110 range. The "plinker" rounds are cheap semi-jacketed lead rounds with an odd shape that aren't supposed to expand. They'll be moving at around 1,500 fps with this load.
The second load is more experiment and more dangerous. I've loaded 174 grain Woodleigh .312" bullets over 17 grains of IMR 4198. I'm basing this load on a mix of data and math, since there is no reliable published or on-line data for bullets in this weight range. At 150 grains 21 to 23 grains of 4198 are suggested and at 125 grains 23 to 25 grains. At 162 grains cast lead, 17 grains are advised, so that's the low end I'm going with.
My load is well within OAL specs and the ogive also seems to be low enough. The load is not compressed.
Velocity should be about 1,850 fps if my math is right (it probably isn't). That puts it within the published parameters for expasion on the woodleigh slugs for close range shots.
I'll let you know if I still have all my fingers tomorrow
This is NOT the most extreme efforts at heavy bullets with the x39. The accuratereloading guys came up with these results, going all the way up to 240 grain bullets bigger than the cartridge itself!
http://www.accuratereloading.com/76239.html
The first load is at the low end. I'm loading .308" Speer "plinker" rounds over 8 grains of Unique pistol powder. This is to be a 25 yard squirrel/ptarmigan/grouse/hare load to replace the .22 LR out of the CZ 452. The 452 was more than accurate enough, but on more than one occassion I nailed a big grouse or ptarmigan COM only to have it take off. I even lost one, though it's possible I only shot him through the feathers. The .22 Mag isn't a good option as it tends to tear the bejesus out of small game and is more of a varmint round. This load is based on pretty sound data on lyman cast bullets and others in the 100-110 range. The "plinker" rounds are cheap semi-jacketed lead rounds with an odd shape that aren't supposed to expand. They'll be moving at around 1,500 fps with this load.
The second load is more experiment and more dangerous. I've loaded 174 grain Woodleigh .312" bullets over 17 grains of IMR 4198. I'm basing this load on a mix of data and math, since there is no reliable published or on-line data for bullets in this weight range. At 150 grains 21 to 23 grains of 4198 are suggested and at 125 grains 23 to 25 grains. At 162 grains cast lead, 17 grains are advised, so that's the low end I'm going with.
My load is well within OAL specs and the ogive also seems to be low enough. The load is not compressed.
Velocity should be about 1,850 fps if my math is right (it probably isn't). That puts it within the published parameters for expasion on the woodleigh slugs for close range shots.
I'll let you know if I still have all my fingers tomorrow
This is NOT the most extreme efforts at heavy bullets with the x39. The accuratereloading guys came up with these results, going all the way up to 240 grain bullets bigger than the cartridge itself!
http://www.accuratereloading.com/76239.html
