Does anyone use the Lee 215 Karabiner in a Yugo 8x57?

[8mmFan]

I received the 215g Lee Karabiner today in the mail from MidSouth. I cleaned it, smoked it, lubed it, and then started casting with it. I'm going to post about that experience in another post. It casts bullets with this particular alloy at 230-234g.

My question is: does anyone here use this bullet in a Yugo 8x57? That's what I'll be using it in. If you do, can you share a favorite load or two with me?

I know that for reduced loads, the Alliant 2400 16g load seems to be a favorite around here, from reading other posts.

What do you load for hunting loads? Target loads?

I'm really liking the way the bullets turned out, although I did turn out a high proportion of "duds."

Thanks,

8mmFan

[ak_milsurp]

The M48s aren't throated as long as Turk mauser are, so you'll have to adjust your seating depth. (OAL) accordingly. Mine dropped at 235-237gr. With WW plus a bit of tin.

I too use 2400. Start at 16gr and work up.... You'll find somethi g that works...... Seemed like I've seen a load using 7383 surplus powder. With this boolit as well...i have 7 lbs of that..... May check it out

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[8mmFan]

Thank you. I'll do as you suggest and report back. Hoping for decent enough velocity to launch it out there and take deer at 150 yards or a little more.

[ak_milsurp]

I do t think you'll have a problem attaining your goal!

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[8mmFan]

I do t think you'll have a problem attaining your goal!

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I think you're right. I should have done a more thorough search for info before I posted this, and I should have posted this in the loads for military rifles forum. There's actually a lot of info on the subject with some good loads listed. Thank you, though, for responding. I even saw a post of yours regarding this very subject on one of Zubrato's threads. Thank you, sir.

8mmFan

[8mmFan]

I loaded 18 rounds yesterday w/ the Lee 215g Karabiner, and I was able to get to the range today. I only had about an hour, so I shot at the 50-yard range just to be able to walk back and forth quickly to the targets.

I used aluminum and copper gas checks, and an OAL of 2.815" in my Yugo M48A. Lee liquid Alox tumble lube before and after sizing. The Lee .324 sizer seems to throw a fat bullet: pretty much every cartridge had a little lead shaved off during seating. All cases were full-length re-sized. I used an old box of Winchester "Large and Magnum" primers just to get rid of them. MOST of the cases were R-P; the last round was three Winchester cases that I had laying around.

13g Green Dot: 3-shot group, .92"
14g Green Dot: 3-shot group, 1.04" two shots overlapping each other
17g Alliant 2400: 3-shot group, .74" two shots touching each other
18g Alliant 2400: 4-shot group, .71" three shots touching each other
19g Alliant 2400: 3-shot group, .86" two shots touching each other
20g Alliant 2400: 3 shot group, 1.16" not shots touching

None of the loads kicked much at all except the last. Felt approximately like a (very) mild hunting load. I didn't take my chronograph today in the interest of time but I do look forward to checking the speeds of the different loads with it. I would have tried Red Dot as well. I thought I had some left, but I don't. If anyone happens to have a load for this bullet with Blue Dot that works well, I'd love to see it!

Thanks for the help, AK.

8mmFan

[ak_milsurp]

Outstanding test session and results. Well done. What was your OAL?

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[8mmFan]

It came out to 2.815". What's your OAL? I used my old Stony Point OAL gauge, and just backed it off about 2/100th's from the max depth of the gauge.

Another thing on the Karabiner: it took so much pressure to size the bullets, that after about 19 of them, I broke the assembly on my 25-year old Lee Challenger press. I know it's a long bullet, but I didn't expect that. It happened with a copper gas check, but it was difficult with the aluminum gas checks too. Not as tough as the copper ones, but still tough.

Are your Karabiner bullets that tough to size? I was using a LEE .324 sizer...you'd think the bullet and the sizer would be pretty compatible.

8mmFan

[ak_milsurp]

I didn't measure OAL... Specifically. I initially seated them long....and seated them incrementally deeper so they'd both fit the magazine and the bolt would close on them. I keep a reference dummy round for each of my 20 or so 8x57 rifles.

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[ak_milsurp]

I size to .325 using a lyman 4500 lubsizer. Have no problems at all with copper or aluminum gas checks. Bullets were cast from WW Alloy with a bit of tin added, and water quenched right out of the mold. I lube twice. First time in the Lubsizer with "Ceresin Purple", then I tumble lube with BLL.

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