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Thread: Ruger American Ranch 7.62x39

  1. #1
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    HABCAN's Avatar
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    Ruger American Ranch 7.62x39

    Having successfully fired a selection of LEE cast boolits (92 gr. - 160 gr., PC'd and sized .311) through it, can anyone who KNOWS tell me what size jacketed bullets I might buy, as in .308 or .311/2??? Did Ruger make special bbls. or just use a run of .308s? Just being lazy and fearful of sticking a boolit in the bore trying to 'slug' it. Did that once and don't wish a repeat.
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  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy adcoch1's Avatar
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    Ruger supposedly used a .310 bore on the American ranch, but some people I've talked with have had great luck with flat based jacketed .308 bullets. I haven't bought one yet to try, but the same has been true in my cz527.
    "Give me liberty, or give me death!" Patrick Henry ,March 23, 1775

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy 43PU's Avatar
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    When I bought mine I called and they said .310 I size my lee 150 flat nose after PC to .312 and I’m getting 1 inch groups at 100 with IMR4198

  4. #4
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    Thanks, guys.......that's the kinda stuff I wanted to hear. Will follow your examples.
    43PU: my loads were on 5.0 Red Dot (Whiffenpoof/Mousefarts) and up to 24.5 grs. Reloder7. The LEE 160 gr. TL PC GC got 20.5 grs. Reloder7, which is within a skinch of the 'speed' of IMR4198 and meters better IMO.
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  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by HABCAN View Post
    Having successfully fired a selection of LEE cast boolits (92 gr. - 160 gr., PC'd and sized .311) through it, can anyone who KNOWS tell me what size jacketed bullets I might buy, as in .308 or .311/2??? Did Ruger make special bbls. or just use a run of .308s? Just being lazy and fearful of sticking a boolit in the bore trying to 'slug' it. Did that once and don't wish a repeat.
    I am a big fan of the Hornady 123gr SP .310 bullets. Shoot great in my mini-mauser.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    How do you find load data with heavier boolits? (new to boolits in a rifle just seems like the load data points to jacketed sizes around the 123 gr weight)

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I use the Hornady, 123 gr, JSP, in my American Ranch. .310.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy 43PU's Avatar
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    They sure shoot a fireball!!

    Click image for larger version. 

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  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Midway has the 123 gr FMJ, and the JSP on sale. They also have Speer Gold Dots, 123 gr, in .310.

  10. #10
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    Didn't I just read an article in the new Rifle Mag that said the bores on the Ruger Mini30's were .308. That action is not nearly as strong as the bolt gun. Also the M77's have .308 bores.

    When you think about it a little you would realize that if you shoot a .311 bullet thru a .308 bore it is only .0015 on a side which will increase pressure a little but not to an unsafe level. Also you must assume that all of these guns could get Commie ammo fired in them, and Ruger has to know this.

    Thus I wouldn't worry about sticking a bullet in the barrel because it is .003 bigger. With 45,000psi behind it, believe me, it is going thru the hole.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
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  11. #11
    Boolit Master northmn's Avatar
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    Savage used the oversized bullet principle way back in the 303 Savage and the 22 IMP. This was for the 99. While there is a little debate on the 303, as one company loaded it with 311 bullets and one with 308, the principle was that they could get a little more velocity out of the OS bullets. Marlin shooters using micro groove barrels tend to load harder cast bullets at well over 308. 310 for a cast in a 308 barrel is nothing out of the ordinary. As another pointed out 308 barrels have been used for the 7.62X39 and the 32-20. I used to collect old military rifles and the Russian guns were hardly consistent in their bore diameters.

    DEP

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
    marlin39a's Avatar
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    The American Ranch and my Mini 30 are .310 bore.

  13. #13
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    HABCAN's Avatar
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    lukewmtdew, the 'heavy-boolit data' for the M43 cartridge is in the Lyman Cast Bullet manual.
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    Founder: IPSC in Alberta.
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check