7.62x39 - which brand ammo is the most accurate?
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rocinante
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good question. www.sksboards.com has a forum dedicated to ammo.
trueblue1776
Member
Privi Partisan Brass cased ammo would be a good place to start, for overall accuracy I would stay away from economy ammo in steel cases.
AK103K
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I always have had the best luck with the old "Barnaul" 125 grain soft points. They are the only import 7.62x39's I've found that have a jacketed base. Its my understanding that they now sell it under the Brown and Silver Bear brands.
This was from my Russian SKS at 100 yards using the 125 grain Barnauls.
Wolf has always been hit or miss for me. Some lots shoot well, others not so great. The last lot of 154 grain soft points has been pretty good. This was the results at 200 yards from a SAR1 using open sights. The bottom was shot from a rest to confirm zero, the upper from a cross legged sitting position at a steady cadence.
This was from my Russian SKS at 100 yards using the 125 grain Barnauls.
Wolf has always been hit or miss for me. Some lots shoot well, others not so great. The last lot of 154 grain soft points has been pretty good. This was the results at 200 yards from a SAR1 using open sights. The bottom was shot from a rest to confirm zero, the upper from a cross legged sitting position at a steady cadence.
Gary G23
Member
Barnaul, AKA Bear or Monarch.
R.W.Dale
Member
Out of my CZ bolt gun the WOLF 154grn SP has proven to be the most accurate 2" @ 100 or so and the Remington SP the least 8" groups, Everything else I've tried usually falls somewhere in between with handloads being the most accurate.
But your rifle is an individual unto it's self (as all rifles are) and may like an ammo my rifle hates, You'll just have to experiment, which is half the fun
But your rifle is an individual unto it's self (as all rifles are) and may like an ammo my rifle hates, You'll just have to experiment, which is half the fun
Thanks for all the responses. I was surprised and dissappointed to hear reports that the domestic ammo in this caliber isn't much better than the Russian -- Federal American Eagle, for instance, has been said to have poor consistency/accuracy.
From what I own, the most accurate I have is a bunch of Chinese milsurp I liberated from a can about a year ago. That, Silver Bear and Wolf are all I've used, but I don't think I've tried the Silver Bear in the SKS, so I'll certainly give that a run next time. I've never really noticed much difference between the Wolf and the Silver Bear in my AK's, but I doubt I was bench testing them.
I would prefer not to purchase any more ammo online, so I'll have to fish around at local stores, and then wait for the next gun show to come through town. But I'll keep some notes with me on these suggestions.
From what I own, the most accurate I have is a bunch of Chinese milsurp I liberated from a can about a year ago. That, Silver Bear and Wolf are all I've used, but I don't think I've tried the Silver Bear in the SKS, so I'll certainly give that a run next time. I've never really noticed much difference between the Wolf and the Silver Bear in my AK's, but I doubt I was bench testing them.
I would prefer not to purchase any more ammo online, so I'll have to fish around at local stores, and then wait for the next gun show to come through town. But I'll keep some notes with me on these suggestions.
5string_dean
Member
My Yugo definitely prefers Silver Bear 123g (124? 125? -- I forget) over the Wolf 154gSP. The groups are half the size w/ the Silver Bear, although I'm not sure I can say it's the brand or the bullet weight difference.
wnycollector
Member
my norinco sks' love chinese steel core! I bought 2k rounds back in 1992 and I am down to ~300 rounds. I normally shoot golden tiger as my plinking round.
DWARREN123
Member
Should have around a .310 to.311 bore (can be larger or smaller) so need ammo to fit. Some (American) use .308 bullets, most Euro ammo uses .311.
R.W.Dale
Member
Please enlighten us. What american ammo uses .308 bullets?
chris in va
Member
Winchester, Remington, et al. Wolf uses .311.
270Win
Member
+1 to Bernaul - very nice stuff!
R.W.Dale
Member
Well seeing as I can buy the .310 diameter component 7.62x39 bullets from Winchester and Remington. Why would I be led to believe their ammo is loaded with .308 diameter projectiles.
WINCHESTER BULLETS
WINCHESTER AMMO
REMINGTON BULLETS
REMINGTON AMMO
I have measured the Remington ammo and it is loaded with a .310 dia bullet
WINCHESTER BULLETS
WINCHESTER AMMO
REMINGTON BULLETS
REMINGTON AMMO
I have measured the Remington ammo and it is loaded with a .310 dia bullet
aka108
Member
Hand loaded stuff run thru a bolt action is best. Shot a bunch of Cheetah and it was no better than Wolf or Barnaul. Just a little cleaner.
Mike U.
Member
My SKS and AK love the Silver Bear FMJ "nippled" rounds. How I wish that stuff would make a widespread comeback here.
After that, Sapsan wasn't too shabby in my rifles either. Wolf is enhhh...so-so okay. Good enough.
After that, Sapsan wasn't too shabby in my rifles either. Wolf is enhhh...so-so okay. Good enough.
Thin Black Line
Member
+1 on using the Barnaul since it's still available. If you can still find some
Chinese, it's decent as well. I found the Yugo ammo to be very accurate,
but it's also corrosive. The East German is no more accurate than Wolf
and it is VERY corrosive and will rust everything back to the bolt carrier
within a day. You'll still see the East German from time to time at shows
in 10 rd clear plastic packs --avoid this stuff.
Romanian Match is very accurate, but harder to find than hens teeth.
Original Czech mil ammo is also very accurate --moreso than the S&B
civie version. FNM and PMC were both decent, but it's been a long time
since I've shot either.
+1 on the US made ammo being of mediocre accuracy despite the price.
However, it is the only brass you can reload and once you throw some
consistent powder in your handloads (which the factory does not), you'll
be very happy with what you can do. BTW, some rich guy left some
once fired RP brass laying around the range last week which I was more
than happy to give a new home
Chinese, it's decent as well. I found the Yugo ammo to be very accurate,
but it's also corrosive. The East German is no more accurate than Wolf
and it is VERY corrosive and will rust everything back to the bolt carrier
within a day. You'll still see the East German from time to time at shows
in 10 rd clear plastic packs --avoid this stuff.
Romanian Match is very accurate, but harder to find than hens teeth.
Original Czech mil ammo is also very accurate --moreso than the S&B
civie version. FNM and PMC were both decent, but it's been a long time
since I've shot either.
+1 on the US made ammo being of mediocre accuracy despite the price.
However, it is the only brass you can reload and once you throw some
consistent powder in your handloads (which the factory does not), you'll
be very happy with what you can do. BTW, some rich guy left some
once fired RP brass laying around the range last week which I was more
than happy to give a new home
R.W.Dale
Member
I've also found the Barnual to be VERY fast as well, The last box I bought chronographed almost 2600 FPS out of my CZ bolt gun
Kymasabe
Member
Wolf is OK but not as accurate as Barnaul in my SKS or AK. I've also had good luck with Golden Tiger.
crazed_ss
Member
I've had really good luck with WWB. It's expensive as hell though. 25 bucks for a box of 40 at Walmart.
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