Lee 90371 for a 7.62x39

[kens]

Has anyone loaded the Lee 312/185 #90371 for a 7.62x39?
I am finishing up a mauser conversion to x39 and have this mold on hand. the bore looks like .308 and the boolit nose is 308.

How would this boolit run thru a sks?

[ku4hx]

You can't really go on what diameter the bore looks to be. You have to take an actual measurement; otherwise you're just guessing.

[mookiie]

I seriously doubt it. Check COL with one I believe it would be too large for an SKS, and really it is too heavy of a bullet. The bore should be around that dia, but you should really bore slug it to be sure as they can vary by country of manufacture.

[kens]

i really want it to be a plinker in the mauser conversion. I tried to slug the barrel, but my slug was too big, but I did get a bit of rifling out of it, it looks like .300 bore that had a x39 chamber cut in it.
Since the Lee mold is .312-185 gr 1R nose, it would seem it has more weight on the nose than a regular 7.62x39 spire point. With that round nose maybe the COL would be close to the original.
Anybody tried this combination before?

[leadman]

If you bought the barrel from Numrich Gun Parts it is probably .310" in the grooves, except for a spot about 1/2" from the muzzle in mine that was .308"! I cut the barrel off to get rid of the tight spot.

I have shot a lapped out 311291 in my SKS and it worked ok. The Lee 312-160-2R for the 7.62X39 works better in the SKS.

[ku4hx]

Call the outfit you got you barrel from and ask them what the bore diameter is. But even then, you can't be sure since there are tolerances in all manufacturing processes and their response will be only a "should be" but it will give you some data you don't currently have.

If you can't slug you bore with what you tried, try a smaller slug. If that's just not feasible, load a few and shoot them ... you may get acceptable results. Or you may have to try several sizes (.308, .309, .310, .311 and etc.) to home in via experimentation.

My thoughts on your boolit of choice is that it's too heavy. I like boolits in the 120-130 grain range for 7.62x39.

[kens]

I can't remember who I got the conversion kit from ,but numerich sounds likely.
I was recently rummaging through boxes of stuff and wanted to either finish up forgotten projects, or toss them. I thought I could finish this project with little effort, and I got that particular mold on hand.
I am experimenting with camo pattern on the whole thing like the new tactical stuff you see lately.
I cant spend the money on proper parkerizing just right now, but, I can paint it with 2part epoxy and camo it, it is really just a dumb mauser.
I took a M98 stock, cut it down, filled it in, sanded it, and epoxy painted it my own camo pattern.

If you guys say 185gr is heavy for 7.62x39, then how could you say 500gr is too heavy for a straight-walled like 45-70?
I just think that a bottle-neck could throw a heavier boo lit than a straight-wall.
If you said 185gr was too heavy for 30 carb, I would tend to agree. But this is a small bottleneck in a bolt action. A plinker or pig gun.
????

[mookiie]

If you are shooting that on a Mauser action chambered in 7.62x39 you will be fine with that bullet. I was thinking you were trying to run it through an SKS box mag.

[kens]

I do have a SKS also, I just wondering how it would work.
Anybody else done this?

[mpmarty]

Too heavy to stabilize in an SKS and would be inefficient in a bolt gun too.

[kens]

Too heavy to stabilize in an SKS and would be inefficient in a bolt gun too.

What are the qualities that make one boolit more efficient than another?

[Rangefinder]

Just do it--you'll either like it or not, and it will either do well or it won't. I've developed a 220gr load for my AK that would get all kinds of gasps from those on this thread apparently. I even have it in sub-sonic and supersonic variations, and both cycle AND fit the mag if you-----wait for it---SEAT BELOW THE NECK (OH-MY!!). If you start very carefully and work your way through things conservatively, you can actually do what you're talking about very easily.

[kens]

speaking of gasps, and (oh-my). I read and hear a lot of attention to the new subsonic loads as tactical loads, 300 whisper and such.
Well gosh, I had a load for 375H&H under a lyman 375449. It was much supersonic at the muzzle, but, at 250yds, it (according to ballistic tables) was subsonic and still carrying the punch of a mag pistol.
So, whats the big deal of new news on 300 whisper when most of here on this board have been shooting slow loads many moons ago.??

[lotech]

You can generally use heavy bullets in the 7.62x39 without problems or degradation in accuracy. A good starting point for the cartridge is with cast bullets of around 150-155 grs. As with any cartridge, load development & experimentation are necessary for worthwhile results. Some stop short of these requirements and/or only try one or two designs, never realizing the potential of the cartridge. Good luck with your project.

[singleshot]

I've shot the Lee 185 gr boolit in my SKS's, they actually dropped at 193 gr. The fast twist of the SKS will stabilize them just fine, even at subsonic velocities. I've pushed them up to about 1600 fps in my SKS's with no problems, cycled fine. Whether or not you'll be satisfied with that boolit depends primarily on what you want to do with it. In a bolt gun, the 7.62x39 can be pushed to higher pressure than in SKS or AK-style rifles. A longer throat would allow a longer OAL and further increase performance with heavy boolits. What is the max OAL you can load with that boolit in that rifle? That will tell you a lot.

[singleshot]

BTW, I would not use that boolit in a .308 bore. Not that it would necessarily be unsafe, just that there are better options out there...many of the Lee offerings from 130 grains on up would be a better choice.

[kens]

that mold dropped a .300 nose on it with .312 driving bands. My barrel is a .308 groove. wouldnt that make that load a bore-rider? 312 driving bands could easily sized to 309 or 310 couldnt they?

[singleshot]

that mold dropped a .300 nose on it with .312 driving bands. My barrel is a .308 groove. wouldnt that make that load a bore-rider? 312 driving bands could easily sized to 309 or 310 couldnt they?

Sure. If the boolit will chamber, it will shoot. You'd be surprised how little pressure it takes for the barrel to swage 'em down. I like the Lee .309 200 gr boolit for subsonic work better...Again, it all depends on what you're trying to accomplish.

[kens]

Here is a pic. This is my first attempt at camo. i m open for critic for my next project.

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