Jrob24
Member
Right now I use wolf ammo for my sks. I've heard that wolf if one of the less accurate brands. Could someone please tell me what the most accurate brand(s) is/are?
most accurate 7.62x39 ammo
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SodaPop
member
Spend about $125 and get a single stage press and some dies. You can reload 7.62x39 ammo and get 1.5MOA groups with 150gr bullets.
Start reloading!!!!
Start reloading!!!!
mattd
Member
You should spend the money on a better guy like the ak, that alone will improve your groups and get a rpk barrel to improve it more. And I think soft point bullets are the most accurate of the wolf ammo.
Sir Galahad
member
Don't get me wrong. I love the Kalashnikov. But reloading for the AK or SKS is like breaking out a '74 Cabernet for a Domino's pizza. With my AK, good luck finding the brass! When I shoot my AK, Mexico finds my brass (actually, my laquered steel I should say.) Why would I spend time chasing brass when I could be shooting? The AK and SKS are not made to be benchrest rifles. They're made to blow stuff to pieces. Not saying they're inaccurate. On the contrary, my AK has plenty of accuracy and much stuff lies perforated as testament. But if I can buy Wolf or my fav, Silver Bear at a couple Andy Jacksons per 500, why would I chase brass just to hit the "p" on the Campbell's soup when the Wolf will hit the soup can anyway, just maybe on the "C" or the "e"? Like I said, my AK throws brass so far, it isn't worth the effort to find it for maybe 1/2" more of accuracy. For what it's worth, the Silver Bear is more accurate than the Wolf, in my experience.
Lapua...if you can find it.
Federal also seems to to pretty good too. The brass for both of these is reloadable.
As for reloading, I'm using IMI brass and Hornady 123's with pretty good success.
Now if someone would only make brass cased 5.45x39...
Federal also seems to to pretty good too. The brass for both of these is reloadable.
As for reloading, I'm using IMI brass and Hornady 123's with pretty good success.
Now if someone would only make brass cased 5.45x39...
1. In general the average SKS is more accurate than the average AK.
2. Surprisingly, Wolf is pretty good 7.62x39 ammo. Someone on another board did a chrono test and found that Wolf was more consistent than any U.S. made factory 7.62x39 ammo.
There are two grades of Wolf ammo, I believe the above results apply to the better grade.
2. Surprisingly, Wolf is pretty good 7.62x39 ammo. Someone on another board did a chrono test and found that Wolf was more consistent than any U.S. made factory 7.62x39 ammo.
There are two grades of Wolf ammo, I believe the above results apply to the better grade.
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I read a pretty detailed field report on this exact issue on another board. I'm sorry, but I can't remember where. Anyway, three points: (1) I remember thinking this seemed to be a well done survey and test, (2) the clear winner was Barnual soft-points, and (3) my own experience has been consistent with favoring the Barnual soft-points.
Nightcrawler
Member
I've heard (but cannot verify) that the 154 grain soft points provide better accuracy.
MacPelto
Member
The rumor is, and my experience bears out, that Barnaul and the 'Bear' ammos made by Barnaul are the best shooting of the former commie imports. There have been big discussions of this on AK-47.net, and I seem to recall that Wolf uses .308 diameter slugs, but the other 2 use .311 diameter.
I have shot and chronographed Wolf, Silver Bear and Barnaul.
The Wolf was the most consistant, but not the most accurate.
The silver Bear was the most erratic, but more accurate than Wolf.
The Barnaul was somewhere in between, in both consistancy and accuracy.
Remember though, this was in MY rifle, it may be different in yours.
Just buy some of all thre and try them, see which one your rifle likes.
The Wolf was the most consistant, but not the most accurate.
The silver Bear was the most erratic, but more accurate than Wolf.
The Barnaul was somewhere in between, in both consistancy and accuracy.
Remember though, this was in MY rifle, it may be different in yours.
Just buy some of all thre and try them, see which one your rifle likes.
Tamara
Senior Member
This info may be out of date, as I stumbled across it...
...back in '94 or '95.
One interesting factoid:
"7.62" to Eastbloc manufacturers means .311", while "7.62" to Western manufacturers means .308". This means that Wolf in your Mini-30 or 7.62x39 AR upper is going to get swaged down to bore size, while Winchester White Box, American Eagle or UMC is going to rattle down the bore of your SKS. This may have changed in the last few years, and if so, then disregard all previous...
[Edited because I had "swaged" and "rattle" bass-ackwards. ]
...back in '94 or '95.
One interesting factoid:
"7.62" to Eastbloc manufacturers means .311", while "7.62" to Western manufacturers means .308". This means that Wolf in your Mini-30 or 7.62x39 AR upper is going to get swaged down to bore size, while Winchester White Box, American Eagle or UMC is going to rattle down the bore of your SKS. This may have changed in the last few years, and if so, then disregard all previous...
[Edited because I had "swaged" and "rattle" bass-ackwards.
]
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Kaylee
Member
thanks Galahad. I needed a giggle tonight.
-K
I think I found the link I referred to above, but, assuming it's the same one, I was wrong in my earlier statement. The Barnaul soft points were very good, but the Barnaul JHP's rang the bell. Sorry for the probable misinformation, but here's the link:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=4&f=54&t=56018
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=4&f=54&t=56018
igor
Member
Tamara's right - for Eastern bores, get Eastern fodder. My original Izmash JSC -made Saiga M3 eats the absolutely cheapest Chinese Norinco stuff and Tula ammunition factory FMJ "Hunting Cartridges 
" with success. No use buying the prime Lapua fodder for double the price and almost double the group size...
OTOH, once I get the 1700€ together for a Sako M92S one day, it'll only be fed the finest Lapua...
" with success. No use buying the prime Lapua fodder for double the price and almost double the group size... OTOH, once I get the 1700€ together for a Sako M92S one day, it'll only be fed the finest Lapua...
Actually wouldn't .308 rattle down a bore designed for .311? Am also guessing a .311 would be swaged down in a .308 bore?
Am also seriously doubting any statement about Lapua doulbling group size? In two rifles tested in (Nprinco sks and Bulgarian Ak, it almost halfed group size.
Huge difference between what actually functions in your rifle, and what the original poster asked about accuracy.
The only way to get HDY's new bullet is to handload.
Am also seriously doubting any statement about Lapua doulbling group size? In two rifles tested in (Nprinco sks and Bulgarian Ak, it almost halfed group size.
Huge difference between what actually functions in your rifle, and what the original poster asked about accuracy.
The only way to get HDY's new bullet is to handload.
Tamara
Senior Member
zeke,
Yeah, I had that backwards, didn't I...
Yeah, I had that backwards, didn't I...
igor
Member
zeke, you're most welcome to come over and watch me shoot those groups if you a) aren't tagged "red" because you're a dangerous gun nut and b) can afford the air fare... Eastern 7,62mm just isn't.
And that's what all the big boys at the range say too. Many have their Norinco 56's rebarreled with Lothar Walther pipes because of big deviations in measurements in the already over-sized bores - the Saiga barrels are more consistent but clearly bigger than western 7,62s as well, alternating according to one gunsmith between 7,94 and 7,95 mm at the bottom of the rifling. The Norinco bores tend to start up from 7,97 and go to 8,03mm. The Russians and Chinese are generous in both the reference measure and deviations from it in QC...
A local gun rag published the following test groups from their Saiga at 100 meters: Lapua 8-gram 166mm, Lapua ALS 149mm, Norinco 90mm. The bullets measured between 7,88 and 7,92mm in diameter. They also had some surplus ammo stamped LEI (where from?) that went all over the target, bullets measuring 7,84 to 7,85mm in diameter.
Think about your testing through this: with Lapua Nammo you got halfed group size from what? What if you could take yet a third off it?
You're most correct in pointing out the importance of what works in your rifle, that obviously is the point. And, in rifles not made in the third world, Lapua most definitely will work very well, often best.
and b) can afford the air fare... Eastern 7,62mm just isn't. And that's what all the big boys at the range say too. Many have their Norinco 56's rebarreled with Lothar Walther pipes because of big deviations in measurements in the already over-sized bores - the Saiga barrels are more consistent but clearly bigger than western 7,62s as well, alternating according to one gunsmith between 7,94 and 7,95 mm at the bottom of the rifling. The Norinco bores tend to start up from 7,97 and go to 8,03mm. The Russians and Chinese are generous in both the reference measure and deviations from it in QC...
A local gun rag published the following test groups from their Saiga at 100 meters: Lapua 8-gram 166mm, Lapua ALS 149mm, Norinco 90mm. The bullets measured between 7,88 and 7,92mm in diameter. They also had some surplus ammo stamped LEI (where from?) that went all over the target, bullets measuring 7,84 to 7,85mm in diameter.
Think about your testing through this: with Lapua Nammo you got halfed group size from what? What if you could take yet a third off it?
You're most correct in pointing out the importance of what works in your rifle, that obviously is the point. And, in rifles not made in the third world, Lapua most definitely will work very well, often best.
Igor-can't afford the airfare, am appreciative of fine sportin firearms (some with standard capacity mags) and have no experience with Saiga's. Have gotten less than 2 in groups at 100 yds with Norinco (threaded barrel and no can't do it every time) sks, bench rested. Federals get about 3 in, cheaper brands around 5 inches. The SKS has a recever mounted peep sight. Have had Wolf ammo double out of same sks.
Nothing against Saiga's, or the privledge of still be able to afford in expensive rounds for it (ain't USA great?) For anything resembling serious social purpose, will prefer the rounds that work best (reliable and accurate) . Every firearm is different, can only speak for the one's have experience with. For mine, Lapua is the best, by far. Doesn't mean i buy great quanitys of it and use it for plinking.
Again, the original question was for most accurate from a sks. The preceeding is just opinion
Nothing against Saiga's, or the privledge of still be able to afford in expensive rounds for it (ain't USA great?) For anything resembling serious social purpose, will prefer the rounds that work best (reliable and accurate) . Every firearm is different, can only speak for the one's have experience with. For mine, Lapua is the best, by far. Doesn't mean i buy great quanitys of it and use it for plinking.
Again, the original question was for most accurate from a sks. The preceeding is just opinion
Sir Galahad
member
Igor, a few points, if I may:
1.) Re-barreling an AK with a custom barrel is the answer to a question no one asked. Making a match rifle out of an AK is the same as making a custom benchrest rifle into a combat rifle. The Soviets never mixed those things up. Neither should we.
2.) Lapua is fine ammunition. But, again, this is missing the point. Lapua is expensive over here. I don't know what you pay for it over there. Lots of us shoot AKs because they're inexpensive to shoot. And, I extend the invitation to you to come out to the old volcanic cinder pits we all shoot at in this part of Arizona and watch me hit cans first shot as far as you can see that can all day long using a Romanian AKM clone and Wolf and Silver Bear ammo.
3.) Russia (or China, for that matter) are not "Third World". That phrase came into usage to mean anyone who wasn't Europe, United States and Canada, Soviet Union/Warsaw Pact and China. It included all of Central America, Africa, North Africa, the Middle East (except Israel), some of Southeast Asia, India and Pakistan in some circles, Central Asia's "stans", and many of the South Pacific islands. They were the "Third World" because they did not, for the most part, have electricity, running water, sewers, phones, Charmin toilet tissue, Healthy Choice microwave meals (I bet you don't even have Charmin in Finland), and other such civilized necessities. As you may know, the Soviets undertook massive industrialization campaigns in the 1930s (such as Magnitogorsk, for example) that cost millions of lives in the doing (many of whom Stalin shot---see the book titled "Ghost of the Soviet Engineer".) As a result, for better or worse, the Russia of today has many of the same things we have in the West, though perhaps not Charmin toilet tissue. So, Russian made ammunition is certainly not coming from a "Third World" economy. Neither is China a "Third World" economy. Maybe you didn't know this, but many American machine tools these days are coming out of China, not Germany. China can make an injection mold at a fraction of what Germany or the U.S. would charge and they do a lot of turn-key parts manufacturing for U.S. firms. That's not "Third World".
1.) Re-barreling an AK with a custom barrel is the answer to a question no one asked. Making a match rifle out of an AK is the same as making a custom benchrest rifle into a combat rifle. The Soviets never mixed those things up. Neither should we.
2.) Lapua is fine ammunition. But, again, this is missing the point. Lapua is expensive over here. I don't know what you pay for it over there. Lots of us shoot AKs because they're inexpensive to shoot. And, I extend the invitation to you to come out to the old volcanic cinder pits we all shoot at in this part of Arizona and watch me hit cans first shot as far as you can see that can all day long using a Romanian AKM clone and Wolf and Silver Bear ammo.
3.) Russia (or China, for that matter) are not "Third World". That phrase came into usage to mean anyone who wasn't Europe, United States and Canada, Soviet Union/Warsaw Pact and China. It included all of Central America, Africa, North Africa, the Middle East (except Israel), some of Southeast Asia, India and Pakistan in some circles, Central Asia's "stans", and many of the South Pacific islands. They were the "Third World" because they did not, for the most part, have electricity, running water, sewers, phones, Charmin toilet tissue, Healthy Choice microwave meals (I bet you don't even have Charmin in Finland), and other such civilized necessities. As you may know, the Soviets undertook massive industrialization campaigns in the 1930s (such as Magnitogorsk, for example) that cost millions of lives in the doing (many of whom Stalin shot---see the book titled "Ghost of the Soviet Engineer".) As a result, for better or worse, the Russia of today has many of the same things we have in the West, though perhaps not Charmin toilet tissue. So, Russian made ammunition is certainly not coming from a "Third World" economy. Neither is China a "Third World" economy. Maybe you didn't know this, but many American machine tools these days are coming out of China, not Germany. China can make an injection mold at a fraction of what Germany or the U.S. would charge and they do a lot of turn-key parts manufacturing for U.S. firms. That's not "Third World".
Jrob24
Member
Thanks guys. I'll try to get some silver bear and barnul and test them out.
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