Anyone Loading 7.62X39 ?

[Hungry1]

A good deal on an AK63D came my way. I jumped.


Not mine, just an image.


I already reload for several calibers.

With x39 surplus selling for .20-.40 in Bulk, I started thinking about reloading.

If you reload for this caliber:

Where are you sourcing your brass?
Favorite Powder?
Favorite Bullet/Boolit?

Thanks in advance for your input

 

[joneb]

I bought a SKS in the mid 90's, I saved most of the reloadable brass i shot though it. I have saved all the reloadable 7.62x39 free range pickup I could find.
I have reloaded Hornady and Extreme plated with good results using H-4198 and Accurate 1680.

 

[medalguy]

Reloading is close to the price of surplus ammo but it's noncorrosive and more accurate. I use AA 1680 because I have a ton of it, and it was designed for that cartridge. Bullets are wherever you can find them, still difficult to find. Reloadable brass has always been a problem but I have about 1,200 pieces now. I still shoot mostly Berdan primed brass cased ammo since I bought a truckload of it years back.

 

[FROGO207]

When I got my first Mini 30 I took the time to work up loads using AA 1680, IMR 4320, IMR 4198, and a couple other propellants. I used X-Treme plated and a couple different .311-.312 bullets as well as some lead GC .313 bullets. I also worked up loads with .308 bullets as that is the barrel size of the Mini 30. I do not have but a couple or three hundred boxer brass to use at the present time and it is mostly from stuff I have tried out in my SKS and Mini 30's for accuracy testing. The price of available steel cased blasting ammo is low enough presently that I do not feel the need to reload as the firearms in question are not used for hunting/serious target competition. I always keep a three years expected shooting supply of components for each caliber in reserve as a rule as a hedge against shortages. BUT if the time comes that the cost rises significantly or supplies dry up I will still be able to enjoy the range toys I own without having to do an expensive work up and spend time scrounging for components. YMMV

 

[IraqVet1982]

Brass is generally expensive for 7.62x39. I stick to steel case ammo on this caliber because is about the same (sometimes cheaper) as reloads.

If I had a bolt gun, is reload but not with an AK or SKS.

 

[rayatphonix]

I have a CZ bolt action in 7.62x39 and plan on reloading for it. I've been buying inexpensive ammo with brass I can reload. So far I've only managed about 30 rounds. I've been able to find .310 Hornady bullets easily enough so I have a couple of boxes of bullets.

I will hunt deer with this wonderful little rifle this fall. If I didn't plan on hunting with it, I doubt I'd bother reloading that caliber.

 

[FROGO207]

^^^^ Privi ammo and Wolf Gold is inexpensive and of what I tried it was boxer primed. Also Winchester makes good stuff in the white box. Or you just sub a better bullet and your worked up load after resizing the brass with decapping stem removed. Kind of Mexican Match like. My Yugo SKS shoots .308 bullets as accurately as the .311-.312 offerings out there. I even tried some light loads with 32 cal pistol bullets designed for 327 FED but they were not all that accurate and did not cycle the action so I abandoned that thought. Might still work OK in a bolt rifle though?? Have fun experimenting.

 

[Gadawg88]

I bought a bunch of Privi PPU ammo at a good price, shot that and collected the brass for my reloads. It is good brass. I use H4198 powder and Hornady Zmax and Vmax bullets in .310. Something else to consider is that the AK is tuff on brass, leaving heavy dents and or creases in the side of the case. Most also sling it like crazy making it more difficult to collect, depending on where you shoot. I put a small piece of auto window trim on the top cover that tames the denting and I use a brass catcher. Good luck.

 

[armoredman]

I've been reloading for 7.62x39mm for a few years, and *GASP!*, I also cast for it. I agree on AA#1680 being a preferred powder, and I've also had good luck with H-335. The best bulets I've found to use are the Hornady spire point, the Berrys 125 gr plated, (can go mid range jacketed velocities, works very well in the 527M), and my hard cast stuff. Yes, I ran cast bullets through the gas operated gun as well, and after I found the right lead mix, I didn't get any more lead up the gas tube. Then I discovered powder coating, and leading went bye bye.
So, yes, to answer your question, I do reload that caliber, and have some good pet loads for it for a bunch of different bullets over the years. There is at least one or two other people here who reload for it, as well.

BTW, why would I reload such a common caliber? Easy - during the ammo shortage of 2008, I was the only person on the range sometimes. When Walmart ran dry, surplus sellers were selling pocket lint, and scalpers were haunting the gun shows...I was still shooting.

 

[boom boom]

Reload for a Russian made SKS. Found good accuracy 2-3 MOA @100 yards using H 4198 and Accurate 1680 with 123gr Hornady V-Max type bullets using Tech Systems peepsight. Bit worse with their 123 gr Softpoints. Personally, I like the 4198 a bit better than 1680-it shot cleaner with a bit smaller outlay of powder.

I usually get my brass for reloading from firing factory ammo in my SKS rather than buying new. No problem with most of it but Fiocchi brass was problematic with wide variations in brass dimensions from the ones that I fired. Prvi and Winchester brass were great, Remington was ok.

Started reloading for the caliber in 2008-9, at current prices just shoot factory reloadable brass and save it for another drought. Have steel cased as reserve.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I reload for my SKS. Local range no longer allows steel jacketed bullets, I have about 1,500 rounds of Norinco & Soviet in steel cases. Cost was between 1 & 2 cents in the late 80s.

I pull the bullets, empty and resize leaving in the Berdan primer. Fill with powder in seat a Speer 150 gr. My favorite powder thus far is 4227, a group of 5 covered by a quarter.

 

[SSN Vet]

I reload for x39

But it's a PITA finding brass, and it gets beat up pretty good. None the less, my reloads are my most accurate x39 ammo in my converted Saiga.

The problem is, since building ARs, the Saiga gets very little range time.

 

[highlander 5]

I reload for my CZ 527 using surplus 1680 and 4227 with jacketed,plated and cast bullets. Brass has been no problem as I have Remington,Federal,Winchester,PMC,PPU,Fiocchi and IMI brass.
The Remington brass uses small rifle primers the rest use large rifle.
Got most of my brass from fired ammo the rest from various sources.

 

[mstreddy]

I've only reloaded 30 pcs so far, testing some loads with BL-C(2) and Rainier 123gr out of my SKS. They worked well. I will load up some more.

For brass, I've bought some through the Buy/sell/trade forum here, and picked up some at the indoor range I shoot at. They have an AK rental and don't allow steel case ammo, so most 7.62x39 brass found is reloadable.

Yes, steel case stuff is cheap again these days, but, it's good to be able to load my own.

 

[TimSr]

Its hard to find ammo in reloadable brass. I did run across some Samson ammo a while back, and saved enough cases for a few batches. I was loading .308 30 carbine bullets I happened to have. No tack driver, but fun to play with. I always wanted to try some 150gr bullets but never managed to find any load data. Most of the typical stuff was chaper to buy in bulk than reload.

 

[waffentomas]

I load for it. Started out with the usual AK, a NHM-91. With cheap steel cased, though, I haven't done much as it beats up the brass a lot. I'm getting a Mini-30 tactical, soon though and I have 600 pieces of brass, and 1500 rounds of brass cased, so those will be just for the Ruger. I like 335 for it, 4227 is good too, and 5744. I worked up a 170gr lead load for it using 2520 and hope to hunt with that, one day. PM me if you want the data.

 

[armoredman]

Where did you find a 170 grain lead bullet that will fit the COAL restriction? That would be interesting.

 

[Walkalong]

I tired it, and worked up a good plinker with H335 and the Hornady 123 Gr FMJ. I didn't have any 1680 at the time, but I do now so I could use that if needed.

I went back to shooting cheap steel ammo, but have all I need to reload it if needed.

I have 200 Winchester factory rounds, several hundred OF/ range brass, a few hundred Hornady 123 Gr .310 FMJ and a few hundred 123 Gr .310 Z Max bullets. (My 300 BLK loves the 123 Gr Z Max. - Be careful about loaded neck diameter if you try them.)

 

[entropy]

I got lucky and happened into about 400 rounds of Lapua that had sat at a small out of the way gunshop for years, becuase Wolf was still 1.99 a box. The Lapua was 6 a box of 30. My friends and I bought them all, and I kept the brass, being the only one who reloads. Otherwise, I might have 50 or 60 Federal cases I've found over the years at the range.

I had to search my buddy's yard far and wide to find all that Lapua, too. We were shooting it out of AK's and SKS's, and the SKS's in particular seemed to want to launch the brass into orbit!

As for loads, I've used BL-C2, Varget, and IMR3031, with 123 gr Hornady bullets and CCI #34 primers.

 

[armoredman]

What load worked well with 3031? All I use that for is 8mm Mauser.

 

[joneb]

I got lucky and happened into about 400 rounds of Lapua

That's the best I have found in 7.62x39, nice find.

 

[4895]

I've been lucky enough to have been given about 40-50 pieces of boxer primed, brass cased, once-fired range pick-ups from a buddy of mine. I don't have bullets or dies and probably have around 150 rounds of brown bear ammo to use first. If I came across a set of dies cheap enough, I would load for it since I only shoot about 20 rounds/year of that caliber. A box of bullets might peak my interest in the old Yugo SKS, but it seems coyote accurate at 100 yards with open sights and $5.99 HP ammo.

 

[entropy]

armoredman, I tried 25.0, 25.5, and 26.0 gr. of IMR 3031 topped with 123 Hornady SP set off by CCI #34 primers. (these were loaded for a Yugo SKS, a Norinco SKS, and an AMD-65.) The Yugo shot them best, 2" at 50 yds. The AK was 3.5" at 50. I noticed no real difference between the three loads in accuracy; the 26.0 gr. did show more pressure signs on the primer and base.

BTW, IMR 3031 is great for loads for Mosin carbines.

 

[M1key]

Colt carbine and Ruger Mini-30 Tactical

Sierra 125 (.312) Soft Points over 26.5 grains of A1680 are my best loads. MOA or less in the Colt and sub-2 MOA in the Ruger.

BTW, unless you have a very early Mini-30, your bore is .311-.312 and NOT .308 although some are still getting decent results with .308 bullets.

http://www.brownells.com/GunTech/Ruger-Mini-30-Bore-Specs/detail.htm?lid=15904

Ruger Mini-30 bore specs
This rifle is chambered for the 7.62 x 39mm cartridge. This cartridge, traditionally, uses a projectile with a nominal diameter of .311 to .312 inch.

At the time the Mini-30 was introduced very few bullet makers where producing .311/.312 inch bullets for reloading in the light 125-130 grain weight required. Ruger initiated the use of barrels with a groove dimension of .308 inch and a long tapered throat. The throat allowed the use of ammunition with .311/.312 projectiles by gradually squeezing them to the .308 diameter. In addition, ammunition loaded with more commonly available .308 diameter bullets could also be used.

Commencing in 1992 Ruger initiated a change to using .311/.312 nominal groove diameter, 1-10 inch right hand twist barrels in all Mini-30's. It was likely well into 1993 before all rifles coming of the production line incorporated the .311/.312 barrels.

M

 

[Ledhore]

Have been handloading for my mak 90 for many years and exclusively shoot cast bullets from reclaimed range lead. I size 135 grain bullets to .314 and make gas checks out of aluminum using a brit .303 check maker tool. H4198 is my powder of choice . I get very good accuracy for an ak and with annealing get 20+ reloads from my brass. It gets dinged up but still shoots good. I bought a few thousand pieces of IMI brass several years ago and am still using it. Used to get some lead in the gas tube until I went to the .303 gas check and never get any now. My bore slugged out to .312 which is not uncommon for ak's.