Best commercial 7.62x39 round

[dirtymike1]

Well I tried the search function but in all honesty I can't go through 50+ pages to try to find the answer.

What commercial round have people had the best luck with in AK platforms? I've only shot wofl black box and military classic through mine so far with ehh results. My groups were at best 4-5in at 100m. I know this is an AK so I'm not expecting sub MOA or anything close, but I think the rifle (a Sagia) can just do better than that. I would like to get into handloading but the SO isn't having any of that, at least not yet. So what's the best off the shelf round that you've found?

 

[Col. Plink]

Barnaul is better than Wolf, as far as that goes; not sure any American commercial ammo is worth the offset in cost. Barnaul is often sold as Monarch, or the 'bears'.

 

[Hizzie]

4-5 MOA with cheap Russian ammo? Not bad at all. What brand/make of AK you using?

You could try Hornady's new 123gr V-Max http://www.hornady.com/store/7.62X39-123-gr-V-MAX/ or CorBon's 123gr DPX http://www.dakotaammo.net/Self-Defense-DPX/762x39-123gr-Self-Defense-DPX/DPX762X39123-20/200/Product

Both are more expensive, CorBon excessively so, but should provide better accuracy.

 

[dirtymike1]

I just got a Sagia a few weeks ago. I've got a coworker that has teh same rifle and shoots 2-3in at 100m using handloads and I was wondering if there was anything close to that off the self. I'm sure it's also the fact that he's been shooting for ~35-40 years now and I've been at it about 6 months hahahaha

Thanks for those links Hizzie, and good god those are expensive! I might get a box of the Hornady for my first hunting trip but I can't really justify shooting those more often than that!

 

[cdpsrjc]

I have a converted Saiga , I bought several boxes of different ammo to determine what my rifle liked best. I tried Wolf Black box, Wolf Military Classic, Golden Tiger, Cabelas Tula white box, and Brown Bear.

Everything was pretty simular with the Cabelas White box the worst (minute of barn door), and Military Classic (4-5"). I was getting discouraged until I loaded the Brown Bear. 20 rounds slow fire in a 3" pattern, iron sights at 100 yards. A shooting buddy saw the target and asked to try a few Brown Bear rounds in his SKS. It didn't group as well as the AK, but cut his standard groups by 50%. I saved my pennies and just bought a couple cases of the Brown Bear. YMMV.

I handload for all my firearms, but don't think it's cost effective for this rifle.

 

[wnycollector]

My SKS loves brown bear, but my MAK90 prefers silver bear. I think AK variants are such a diverse bunch, that there ammo preferences are just as varied. I currently have wolf black box, mil classic, golden tiger, Ulyanovsk and Chinese copper washed surplus in my ammo stash. I say, buy a couple of boxes of any type of 7.62x39 you can get your hands on and test them out and see which one your gun prefers.

 

[KBintheSLC]

Ditto for Barnaul ammo. Their Brown/Silver Bear ammo is great stuff. Accurate, reliable, clean and hot. I never buy expensive domestic brass x39.

 

[BigNYMini]

Thought the Wolf MC's would give better performance for you. I know the BB is best for "plinking only" but the MC's in FMJ do quite well out the Saiga for me. What barrel length are you running? Trigger?

 

[Zak Smith]

Best?

Lapua manufactures 7.62x39 ammunition.

 

[blackwalnut]

Best 762 X39?

I must be frank I dont know. I have only shot Barnaul and Wolf and I cant tell the difference. My SKS shoots into 2-3 inches at 50 yards and the AK starts to but the groups open up a bit. I have recentyl purchased dies and Hornady 123 bullets and am going to reload. I will try the winchester. In the past I had lousy results with Remington factory. I seem to have experienced this with other Rem ammo. Using their projectiles for reloading has revealed quality control issues with some such as 10 bullets set up in a row and looking at them shows the cannelures in all different positions. They better buy their bullets from someone else. Any way try reloading or a really good brand like Lapua just for the experimental experience. I think these rifles shoot better when there not heated up and given some respect. Use good bench technique too. Good Luck.

 

[dirtymike1]

BigNY - I'm running a bone stock 16in Sagia. I plan on doing a conversion to it and upgrading the trigger and all that.

I'll pick up a few boxes of the high end stuff when and where I can and see how that shoots. Like I said before, I'm not expecting sub MOA out of this rifle but I thought it would be a little better than this.

 

[benEzra]

Best?

Lapua manufactures 7.62x39 ammunition.

Yes, definitely Lapua. Also, since Lapua is brass cased (or at least it was when I got my last box), you can keep the cases for reloading if you ever so choose.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

3 to 5 MOA is about typical for most AKs with cheap steel cased ammo, and not bad at all for iron sights.

For hunting or defensive use, the Wolf Military Classic 124 gr JHP or other options available with the Uly 8m3 projectile are good bets. This projectile tends to be more accurate than most JHP, and expands/fragments far more consistently.

For plinking or random electronic or household appliance disposal, the best stuff I have found legally available in any quantity that I have used is the Yugo M67 ball. It is slightly corrosive, but more accurate and higher quality than commercial FMJs. I could be wrong but it seemed a little hotter too. This projectile is a ~124 gr FMJ with a flat base and a large air pocket in the nose comprising about 1/3 of the bullet's length, to facilitate tumbling in tissue. I use the Wolf 122 gr FMJ a lot because it is loaded with a projectile similar to the Yugo M67 projectile.

It never hurts to shop around, but truth be told, I don't really expect all that much from cheap bulk steel cased Russian ammo. As long as it is reliable and acceptably accurate, I'll use it. Wolf ammo has been reliable and about as accurate as anything else in my Rommie, and I like several of the projectiles they use, so I use their stuff a lot in my rifles. I have little reason to complain about its performance. I can keep tie plates swinging at 200 yards with any of the several AKs or SKSs in the family with it, and that's as much as anyone as any right to expect from these platforms.

 

[M1key]

The Saiga likes the Wolf Military Classic hollow points.

Also Silver Bear/Brown Bear Soft Points...

 

[jsamuel77]

Mike,

I have fired most manufacturers cartridges in 7.62x39. I have a Vector Arms Classic AK-47. The ammo all grouped very similar with the standard rifle. I managed to cut my groupings by 50% by changing out the slant style flash supressor and going with the bridcage(AR-15) style. All the different manufacturers ammo groupings improved following this change. I didn't rationalize it. Was just pleased with the result. I have since harvested four good whitetail bucks using Wolf 154 gr SP ammo at ranges from 35 to 105 yards. I have done some customizing to enhance the shooting comfort of the piece. Leapers 6X32 scope, custom pistol grip(larger and longer) and a 1 inch stock extender. I am very comfortable with the accuracy of this weapon with most any manufactured ammo.

 

[dirtymike1]

Samuel,

Thanks for that bit of advice. I was planning on putting on some sort of flash supressor but it seems that 9/10 that I find are those tacticool talon/shark style ones. I'll track down a birdcage one when I set up to do my conversion later this month.

 

[TonyAngel]

This may be something or may be nothing, but a LONG time ago when I got my first AK, I was disappointed with the groups that I was getting and sought to do some handloading. If I remember right, I think my AK was a Bulgarian milled receiver model. SA91 maybe? It was the model right before they went to chrome line bores.

Anyway, I went hunting for projectiles and was told by a couple of people that I was wasting my time trying to get better groups. The rationale for this was that import 7.62X39 rifles had a .311 bore as opposed to the .308 bore of domestic barrels.

I just thought I'd mention it. I don't know that there's anything to it, but if it is true, you'll need to find projectiles suited to the bore of the AK.

 

[jsamuel77]

The supressor I used was the Tapco AK0685 screw on for standard Russian military barrels.(Left Hand Thread) I purchased it from Cheaper Than Dirt for about 12 dollars.

 

[CornCod]

My Yugo underfolder and stock Saiga like the Brown Bear hollow points. As far as my Chinese SKS goes, its a wash with perhaps Wolf Military Classic FMJ having the slight edge.

 

[Hizzie]

Mike-

Be sure to check out CNC Warrior http://www.cncwarrior.com/comersus/store/comersus_listItems.asp?idCategory=64 before you pick out a FH. They have a great selection, excellent quaility and outstanding CS.

 

[wally]

I suspect the best 7.62x39 will be the new Hornady steel cased ammo loaded with their Vmax bullets. They are getting the cases from one of the Russian armories and loading the ammo. Supposedly the same will soon be available in 5.45x39 which the S&W AR upper in that caliber should really be able to take advantage of.

 

[Bullseye_shooter]

its wayyy to expensive for AK ammo, but Lapua makes some of the best

 

[rangerruck]

I like silver bear, in both hollow point , and soft/solid point.
Very good accuracy results with both.