Recommend a mould for 7.62x39

[johnd5412]

I'd appreciate your input. I have never cast rifle....so think total ignoramus here. Here are my limitations besides ignoramus already mentioned. I don't want to use gas checks....so I need to shoot lower velocity right. I don't want to have to worry about the mix and 5% of this and 20% of that. I use clipon WW's.

If you have a solution with load data you'll get a Christmas card....I like NOE moulds but I'm all ears. Is what I"m asking even possible?

Thanks.

John

[runfiverun]

can't be too ignorant,,, you come to the right place to ask questions.
a couple of questions to help narrow things down.
which barrel diameter?
type of rifle?

by using 7-8 grains of pistol powder I have seen some very impressive 50-100yd groups fired in many rifles with plain base boolits.

[Yodogsandman]

Any boolit cast with a gas check shank can be shot at low velocities without the gas check. That said, NOE has plain based molds for most boolits.

Look for a Harris designed boolit, it's the "Gold" standard. The Lee C312-155-2R or 160 gr tumble lube version is a good start. NOE also has similar molds.

Another question...do you want the action of an SKS/AK to work? Low velocity might mean having to single load a semi auto rifle. It does help to keep from having to go find the brass.

[johnd5412]

Maybe I'm in over my head here. I have a Kvar AK-47...pretty nice but not milled, I was going to print .311 and size to .310. I do want the action to work, so I can effectively.... well you know.

[marlin39a]

I shoot the Lee C312-155-2R, sized .312 with a GC, over 15.5 gr of 2400. Works perfectly in a Chinese SKS. It runs great.

[Yodogsandman]

Maybe I'm in over my head here. I have a Kvar AK-47...pretty nice but not milled, I was going to print .311 and size to .310. I do want the action to work, so I can effectively.... well you know.

No, not over your head. You're just asking the questions like we all have to when starting a new project.

Clip on Wheel weights are about perfect for the AK. When casting, drop the boolits into a bucket of water for extra hardness.

Your boolit needs to almost fill the throat for best accuracy. That ensures that the boolit will start straight in your barrel when fired.To find that dimension do a pound slug or to be close enough, just measure the inside diameter of a case neck from a case fired from your gun. You might find that you need a bigger size for your rifle. Most will take a .313" to .314" diameter which will be .002" larger than the groove diameter of the barrel.

To shoot at the velocities and pressures needed to cycle the action, gas checks will need to be installed. Lee sells a cheap and easy, push through size and lube die kit for less than $30.

[johnd5412]

Awesome, Thank you for the information. I will just use gas checks....so be it. I have a star sizer and it has spoiled me. Time to slow things down a little. :)

[Maven]

"Look for a Harris designed boolit, it's the "Gold" standard. The Lee C312-155-2R or 160 gr tumble lube version is a good start. NOE also has similar molds." ...Yodogsandman

johnd5412, Before you select any mold, you'll need to slug your bore, which you may have already done. If you have, I'd be surprised to learn your AK will shoot accurately with a .310" dia. cast bullet. (I would have predicted larger by several thousandths,) E.g., my two NIB Type 56 SKS's (different factories) required .314" and .316" CB's, which ruled out the Lee .312" bullet/mold Yodog mentioned or the Lyman equivalent which he did not. However, he's correct about a C.E. Harris designed mold. (I have a NOE Harris designed 163gr. mold for my SKS.)

Since you don't wish to use gas checks, you have several options. To wit, you can purchase a mold of suitable diameter and remove the GC shank yourself...if you have a drill press;* or look for a plain base mold which will cast large enough to fit the AK's bore. The Lee 30-150-TL comes to mind as do some of the old Ideal 32-40 designs, or perhaps a larger than normal diameter NOE copy of Lyman's #31141/311041, but plain based?

Powder charges/velocity will be the fly in the ointment with a plain base CB as has already been mentioned, since many of those charges won't operate the action. Unique, Blue Dot, 2400 can be used, but 10gr. Unique gave very difficult extraction with the 163gr. NOE CB I use in my SKS. RX 7 and IMR 4198 are also good choices, but I haven't yet tried the former and have only used the latter with the NOE gas checked CB.


*Search this site's archives for Ben's tutorial on removing the gas check shank.

[runfiverun]

yeah you won't be cranking them through the star.
but it is still effective in lube/sizing & checking 30 cal rifle boolits.

[dkonrai]

Tagged.

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[Oklahoma Rebel]

ok runfive, what did I miss,i am also new to gas checks, I got an sks, so I got the lee 312-155-1r and am looking into getting my stars die opened up from 311 ( haven't slugged it yet) but I will know before I send it off to have it lathed out. but what are you saying about not going through the star?

[johnd5412]

Yeah I'm gonna have to slug this barrel too. I was guessing .310 but you are right about slugging it first. Thank you.

[GhostHawk]

Do not guess. Bullet fit is king followed by a whole string of variables. But Fit is first.

My SKS prefer's .312's although I am sure I could go as high as .314 without issue.

.310 is Jacketed size, cast needs to be 2 to 3 thousandths bigger than groove.

The faster/harder you push that boolit the better it is going to have to be. Wheel Weights are good but you might want to be able to add 1 or 2% of tin.

Enjoy the journey, every new caliber is a learning experience.

[johnd5412]

I slugged it at .313, let the fun begin.

[RogerDat]

Don't forget Powder Coating as an option. I'm using PC and gas check in .223 but I think with the SKS I may try a plain base with no gas check and just powder coat..... I'm already loading up some of the Lee .312 160 grain as mild plinkers in a 303 Enfield so I figured to use it with PC in the SKS also. Those have gas checks.

I may be wrong but to me it seems like PC is more accurate than same bullet through same sizer without PC. Maybe it is just better lube or grabs rifling better or... heck I don't know but even in a .38 special more bullseye hits with PC than with just tumble lube. Same size, same load.

[Maven]

181857johnd5412, et al., Here's a pic of the Harris designed NOE CB + a Lee 175gr. 8mm CB sized to fit my SKS. Truth be told, the Lee 8mm CB is a tad more accurate from that rifle. (The Lee CB is on the left.)

[krallstar]

I see the 7.62x39 jacketed is around 124gr. Has anyone used the NOE 314-129-SP SKS-AK. Been looking for a mold and found this. Don't see much about it.

[Artful]

I slugged it at .313, let the fun begin.
the throat or the bore?

[Yodogsandman]

I see the 7.62x39 jacketed is around 124gr. Has anyone used the NOE 314-129-SP SKS-AK. Been looking for a mold and found this. Don't see much about it.



The SKS/AKs have a 1 in 10 twist and from all I've read on it, will spin off the lands at higher velocities with that boolit. Lower velocities will not produce enough pressure, with the right pressure curve to cycle the action. So, it won't cycle the action at low velocity and at velocities that will cycle the action, it will skid off the tracks (lands). Velocities would need to be kept low for best accuracy. So, you'd have a straight pull bolt action instead of a semi auto rifle. Easy to find the spent cases that way! I saw a reference that, it needs a 1 in 18 twist. This is only what I've read, so YMMV.

The boolits that weigh in the 155 gr and over class (up to about 190 gr) will cycle the action, with rifle powders at higher velocities (1800-1900 FPS).

[johnd5412]

I see the 7.62x39 jacketed is around 124gr. Has anyone used the NOE 314-129-SP SKS-AK. Been looking for a mold and found this. Don't see much about it.


Funny you mention this piece, as it is exactly what I purchased from Al. I got the 3 GC mould. Artful I ran it from the muzzle to the throat and out of the throat. Not sure that makes sense.

[krallstar]

Thanks, this does help.

[Artful]

You got the rifled bore dimensions then
http://pictures.bisonballistics.com/chamber-diagram@2x.png

the throat will be larger - hopefully by only a couple of thou.

http://ranchdogoutdoors.com/bin/TLC313150RF/chamber/TLC313150RF_chamber_02.jpg
http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/bin/TLC313150RF/Original/chamber/TLC313150RF~A_Ruger5854_01.jpg
take one of your fired cases that hasn't been resized and measure the inside of the neck.

[Yodogsandman]

Note that the Ranch Dog TL310-150 was made for bolt action rifles like the CZ's. I didn't care and got the TL313-150 RD, powder coat it to bring it up to size it .314", it hits something and is slightly deformed at the nose when chambering in my SKS's. Accuracy is still good nuff though and Smoke's yellow-green is just too cool.

[CHeatermk3]

"...take one of your fired cases that hasn't been resized and measure the inside of the neck."---Artful


You'll want to use a fired case from a full-power, jacketed-bullet load. If your cast boolit will just slip into the neck of such a fired case, you're approximately at the correct size for your rifle's throat.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I wanted to get that mold but thy don't have any left, besides PB or PB/GC combo, you in need of any molds .458,460,360? to trade? huh...huh....huh??? lol

[Oklahoma Rebel]

good luck johnD and enjoy your SKS, I am going hog hunting with mine this weekend!

[Stars & Bars]

Just FYI - I slugged my Romanian SKS using a Lyman 170gr shiny cast bullet. This bore measures .312" I.D. bore with .302" lands.

[armoredman]

I use the NOE /314 129 gr boolit all the time. I used it with a vz-58 and currently use it in a CZ 527M. It works wonders in the 527, powder coated or hard lubed. I had to play with hardness a bit in the vz-58 to keep from spraying lead up into the gas tube on to the piston face. THAT was fun to clean out.
I currently powder coat and then size to .311 through a Lee push through sizer while mounting the gas check. I ring steel out to 300 yards with that bullet over 21.5 gr AA# 1680 all day long, wonderful stuff. I have the Lee 160gr mold, use the boolits once in a while, but with the NOE, I usually don't bother because it runs so well.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

hey maven, is that pic of the 8mm bullet before or after sizing, I am thinking of getting the same mold, but want to make sure there would still be sufficient lube grooves after sizing to .314 thank you