I've reload this cartridge for the past 12 years and have experimented with many different bullet types and powders that are commercially available for handloading as well as my own cast lead bullets which are pretty much what I shoot the majority of the time these days.
A couple of points about the steel jacket bimetal bullets. All are great for putting holes in stuff an some do it more accurately than others depending on what your rifle likes best but as far as preforming like the traditional SP or HP bullets were all accustom they are not always consistency form one rd. to the next,it really just hit and miss as some preform as intended and some just act like FMJ bullets. Another thing is that the way bimetal bullets are mfg. the core is not bonded to the jacket so often time when you do get expansion the jacket and core separate which gives you fragmentation but you loose penetration when the bullet breaks apart. About the only bimetal HP ammo I put any faith in to give reliable expansion,fragmentation and penetration is the TulaAmmo imported 8M3 made by Ulyanovsk Cartridge Works
http://www.sgammo.com/product/tula/...point-ammo-made-ulyanovsk-cartridge-works-ul0 if you going steel case ammo using bimetal bullets it's what I would go with.
As to commercial loaded 7.62 x 39 the Hornady SST stuff is good ammo if you don't handload. A box of Hornady 100 component SST or V-Max or SP bullets cost about the same or slightly less as a 50 rd. box of the Hornady steel case SST factory loads. I've never loaded or shot any of the SST bullets in the 7.62 x 39 but I loaded and shot quiet a few rds, using the Hornady .310 FMJ,SP and V-Max bullet and they all preform and shoot very accurately in my SKS rifles. There are a few other component bullets in .310 & .311" dia. out there as well for handloading made by Speer,Sierra,Winchester and Barnes and I believe Nosler is trying to get in on the act as well with there ballistic tip bullet although they only show up in limited runs at the moment.
I've loaded and tested many but not all of the available component bullet in .310 & .311 including the Horandy 123 gr. .310" FMJ,SP & V-Max all three can be loaded with the same powders and all shoot the same it just really depends what purpose in mind you have for the bullet used. I've also loaded and shot the Sierra .311" 125 gr. SP bullet and they shoot well but not as accurately as the .310" Hornady do but most people want complain when they compare it to the run of the mill steel case ammo accuracy as they are miles ahead. For heavier jacketed bullets I like the Speer .311" 150 gr. Hot-Cor or the PPU 150 gr. BTRN bullet
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/12615 Both of these bullet will shoot 1" groups all day long at 50 yds. with the iron sights in my various SKS rifles although I don't load many of the 150 jacketed bullet I keep about 50 loaded up for up close bush busting loads and they are great for that.
I shoot lots of cast lead in both my Yugo and Chinese SKS they eat these loads like candy and shoot them vary accurately I have three bullets I cast and load in these rifle one is the Lee .312" 160 gr. tumble lube gas check bullet which drops from the mold right at .314" which is ideal for the groove dia. of my SKS rifles and it also works great in my Mosins as all those rifles just happen to share the same groove dia. an barrel twist rate. My other mold is an NOE 155 gr. RNFP gas check bullet which is more ideal for hunting as it has a blunt nose and last but not least is the Lee 90 gr. .314" 32 cal. SWC which is designed for the 32 cal pistol rd. however it makes a great little sub load for just about any 30 cal. rifle I cast it from 50/50 Lead/wheel weights and shoot it in my SKS,Mosins,30-30,and 300 Sav. but it will work just fine in any 30 cal. rifle up to 30-06 if you want to keep it in the subsonic range for plinking and small game.
For brass I use all the major brands including Remington,Winchester,PPU,IMI an some once fired South Korean stuff I just recently picked up a couple hundred pieces at the LGS.
For powder there are many that will work well AA-1680,IMR or H-4198,Hodgdon CFE Black which is a new powder are just a few. My personal favorite is Reloader #7 which is excellent for jacketed bullet loads an works just as well with the cast bullet loads although I usually use 2400 for cast it always a good backup. For the little 90 gr. sub cast load I use Bullseye.
For primers in Mil Spec rifles with free floating firing pins I use either the CCI #34,Wolf LR or LRM or WInchester LR primers probably be a good idea to read this thread on primers as it denotes which primer are best for these type rifles
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=6dce7fcfbcedbafd6d16c8bf1ba05a11&topic=56422.0
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=6dce7fcfbcedbafd6d16c8bf1ba05a11&topic=56422.0
A few but not all of my various loads.
I had a chance to shoot my hunting load across my Chrony today and was happy with the result-Load winchester 7.62x39 brass, Win. LRP, Reloader # 7. 26.6 gr. 123 gr Hornady SP. Avg. Vol. 2420fps.ES 20.3 SD 10.1
