Hunting with 7.62x39 and CB

[Coopaloop86]

Does anyone have any experience with this and if so what boolit did you use? I have a really nice load worked up using the Lee 155gr but I don't really want to hunt with a straight spire point. I think I can make the boolit soft enough to deform some if need be but I'm more looking for something with a flat nose but will still cycle reliably through an sks and in the .313-.314 range. Im thinking worst case scenario maybe I can have my mold modified? Thoughts?

[TCLouis]

Many moons ago I know at least on member that is still here converted a bolt rifle to the 7.62X39 and kilt a deer.

Surely others have too.

I will try to test a couple of shots next week and see if the 150 grain RCBS FP will cycle.

Funny now that I think about it, that gun has only fired 4 rounds since I got it NEW, way back when.

[kungfustyle]

if you got something like this http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=31_276&osCsid=vhs7m6t1pmiqoah04ntp2pbmh2 and pushed it to 1900 fps with a 50/50 pb/coww alloy and you could hit where your aiming should be able to put one in the freezer.

[Coopaloop86]

if you got something like this http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=31_276&osCsid=vhs7m6t1pmiqoah04ntp2pbmh2 and pushed it to 1900 fps with a 50/50 pb/coww alloy and you could hit where your aiming should be able to put one in the freezer.

That looks like exactly what I'm looking for! Thanks! Ive got the Lee 155 shooting to jacketed accuracy with straight air cooled WW but I can't get it above 1900fps with good results. Think I'll pick up this mold and try adding some copper babbit to my melt and see if I can get a fp to perform at 2100fps.

[RU shooter]

The Lee 312-185 works very well in the sks for use as a hunting bullet just run a file across the nose a couple times to flatten it .

[res45]

That looks like exactly what I'm looking for! Thanks! Ive got the Lee 155 shooting to jacketed accuracy with straight air cooled WW but I can't get it above 1900fps with good results. Think I'll pick up this mold and try adding some copper babbit to my melt and see if I can get a fp to perform at 2100fps.

The SKS with it's 1:10 twist rate barrel is pretty much going to determine the velocity / accuracy limits with cast lead. As you have found it's going to be around 1900 fps. or slightly less regardless of which bullet/alloy you choose as the bullet is just not going to be stable at higher velocity.

For a cast hunting bullet in the SKS or AK type rifles I would look for a gas check bullet with a decent size meplat that feed reliably on the 160 gr.+ weight side,an drive it as velocity / accuracy allows. I have the NOE version of the 155 gr. FP and it has preformed well accuracy wise in my SKS rifles but I haven't pushed the velocity up past 1700 fps. as of yet just not enough bench time to work up loads with my old reliable Reloader #7. I also have the Lee 160 gr. GC RN tumble lube bullet that I have shot for years an it's a tack driver not the best choice for deer size game though.

I also just picked up the Lee 185 gr. RN which I have been shooting in my Mosin rifles but I'm going to put it to use in the SKS rifles as well over the Winter months,it should be a stable bullet in the 1:10 twist barrel with the additional length and weigh just like the Mosin which shares the same barrel twist. It want be as a fast velocity wise as the 155 gr. but it will be a nice thumper. Here is an old thread on the 185 gr. in a X39 bolt gun http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?224040-7-62x39-first-deer-with-cast

A couple of other options one designed by Ed Harris for the SKS similar to the NOE 155 gr. http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=31_269&products_id=1883&osCsid=vhs7m6t1pmiqoah04ntp2pbmh2 RD X39 http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=30_324&osCsid=b3dcr0js4au3os5gtehikuf334

[Yodogsandman]

The NOE RD TLC313-150-GC with HP pins shoots good and at least looks really deadly. I haven't used it for hunting. I have to PC mine to get them up to .314" using COWW + 1% Sn.

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=30_324&products_id=1738

[Coopaloop86]

Thanks everyone especially for verifying what I was trying to deny through quite a bit of load testing. The sks hates anything over 2000fps. She shoots well enough at 1850 that it wont be a problem though.

[Smoke4320]

1850 with a 150-160 gr bullet and a decent meplat you will be fine
Bullet placement is the Key

I had done exactly the same with a 300 blackout Noe 150 gr HP and 50/50 at 1900FPS deer went a whole NO WHERE ...DRT

[1988-4551]

Sounds like everyone in this group has their ducks in a row on this one, but I hope
I can pick your brains?

does anyone tumble lube their bullet or use another method? I have the 160 spire point tumble lube mold but haven't loaded any yet.

Thise may be my dumbest question but who in the group uses gas checks for their load? I load for a small number of cartridges but havent used any yet, what velocity does it become recommended you use them?

[richhodg66]

I have a little Charles Daly bolt rifle in 7.62x39. Neat little rifle. I kind of wanted it for lightweight cast bullet loads for small game, but the rifle has a real long throat and seems to do better with longer bullets.

I don't see why it wouldn't work as a big game round. It's just a .30 caliber like anything else with enough case to push normal weight bullets to that 1800-2000 FPS threshold for cast deer hunting assuming your load and rifle is accurate enough with it.

[RU shooter]

Sounds like everyone in this group has their ducks in a row on this one, but I hope
I can pick your brains?

does anyone tumble lube their bullet or use another method? I have the 160 spire point tumble lube mold but haven't loaded any yet.

Thise may be my dumbest question but who in the group uses gas checks for their load? I load for a small number of cartridges but havent used any yet, what velocity does it become recommended you use them?
I have lubed both ways tumble and regular with the TL design both have worked fine I have better accuracy lubing with traditional type lube though . As for gas checks yes I use them for higher vel loads basicly you will need them beyond 1200 fps , but I do shoot a lot of unchecked bullets in the 1000 fps range with acceptable accuracy .

Tim

[GhostHawk]

I have a Yugo SKS, and love the .312 185 gr gas checked lee boolit. I shoot mine over 20 grains of IMR 4895 and lube with Ben's Liquid Lube, although I have also used Ben's Red.


I recently helped someone else who ended up running it over a chrony and this is the data he sent me.

CZ527 18.5" BBL
Remington LR primer
20 grains IMR4895
lee 312-185 (gas checked, sized .313", lubed with 666+1 lube)
bullet alloy 50/50 range lead/coww + 2% pewter
OAL 2.280"
Velocity 1544 fps


Now I have not shot a deer with this load. The 20 grain load is perhaps a little slower than ideal for hunting but going by the way it smacks the gong I suspect it would do just fine if you can put it on target. I mostly shoot paper with a bit of steel so I hate to waste powder just making the boolit go faster.

It will if nothing else give you a starting point. I am guessing here but I suspect your best accuracy is going to be between 20 and 22 grains.

Good Luck

[Coopaloop86]

Ive shot the Lee 155gr spire point both tumble lubed with LLA and Hi-Tek coated all gas checked using straight COWW and air cooled. Best groups came over 23 grains of Shooters World tactical rifle and I noticed no difference between lubed or coated, zero leading with both. This load gives me an average of 1850fps.

[1988-4551]

Thank you everyone. Coopaloop I was unfamiliar with that powder until you mentioned it. Further
down the rabbit hole I go. Actually I'm going. To keep researching it to
see how much utility I can squeeze out of it. Need to research loads for the lee bullet and see if I'm going to need to buy a new powder to load this.

[Coopaloop86]

Everyone at the range thinks im nuts but I love loading 7.62x39. I look at it as a semi-auto 30-30 with my loads. I can get factory ammo accuracy while using a 150+ grain lead boolit that hits like a jackhammer. I plan on taking some hogs and deer in the next few months with it once I feel I have perfected a good hunting load. As far as Shooters World powder I stumbled across it recently and its excellent powder, I use it in 7.62x39, 30-30, 9mm and .45 and it performs flawlessly. If you get a chance to pick some up, give it a try and at 20 bucks a pound you can't go wrong.

[res45]

Sounds like everyone in this group has their ducks in a row on this one, but I hope
I can pick your brains?

does anyone tumble lube their bullet or use another method? I have the 160 spire point tumble lube mold but haven't loaded any yet.

This may be my dumbest question but who in the group uses gas checks for their load? I load for a small number of cartridges but haven’t used any yet, what velocity does it become recommended you use them?

When I first started casting I use Alox thinned with a little mineral spirits,warmed the bullets just a little over room temperature so they weren't cold and warmed the lube as well so the lube wouldn't clump up on the bullets,which gave me a nice even coating all over my bullets,I usually do two light coats once before and one after sizing gas check or not. Years ago I started using the Recluse 45/45/10 lube mix instead of the straight Alox an it worked much better removing all the tackiness from my bullets and leaving the seater die much cleaner over a longer period of time.

I'm not sure just how fast you can shoot a tumble lubed bullet before the lube breaks down but I've shot my bullets with the Recluse lube in between 1700 /1900 fps. range fairly often and my bores are always nice an shiny. White Label Lubes sells a premixed version of the Recluse lube if you don't want to mix your own or you can get X-Lox from him as well which is the same as Alox http://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

I just recently bought a used RCBS Lube A Matic mine is the older version that precedes the newer version. All in all it was in great shape and just needed some replacement O rings which RCBS sent to me free just for the asking. I'm currently using it to lube and gas check all my standard grease groove bullets but I still use the TL process for the TL type bullets as well as low velocity plinking loads and just run them through my Lee sizers. The lube I use in the RCBS is White Label Lubes 2500+ http://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=4 My RCBS doesn't have a heater and the 2500+ doesn't require one as it stays soft at room temperature.

If you don't feel like you getting enough lube on your standard grease groove bullet designs you can always Ranch Dip them,let them sit overnight and run them through the sizer,it's basically a poor man's alternative to a lube sizer unless you want to pan lube personally I liked the dipping better using the ALOX or XLOX /JPW mix. http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/Tips/Alox/

Here is a few of the Ranch Dipped bullets I used to do.
http://i1042.photobucket.com/albums/b428/reloader7sixtworeloader762/test_zpsieja9pfu.jpg

I use gas check pretty frequently especially in my rifle loads mainly and a few pistol loads usually of HP design where both high velocity/pressure are present at the same time an is more than the BHN /strength of my alloy can withstand without the check. Sometimes I cast bullets using a softer alloy intentionally because I want some expansion,but not wanting to lead the bore I use the check. I also use gas checks in handguns and rifles that are new that haven't had the bores lapped or had enough jacked bullet shot through them to smooth the bores out.

Gas checks also give you a little extra grip on the rifling in firearm that have shallow lands and grooves. I used to use Hornady check but switched to Gator checks years ago because there cheaper and do just as well. In general I have found that rifle loads at 1200 fps. and at lower pressure as well as handgun loads with soft cast bullet at 38 spec. velocity that I can leave the gas check off those type bullets and they shoot very accurately,expand well and don't lead the bore with just a couple light coats of TL.

Below is a pic of my NOE 360 dia. 160 gr. double crimp groove SWC with HP pins installed on the mold. The bullet on the Left is gas checked and cast for good expansion at 357 Mag. velocity and pressures,slightly harder ally so as not to over expand. The bullet on the right is cast from 50/50 with a bit of Tin,lightly tumble lubed before and after sizing and the gas check left off and shot at 38 Spec. +P pressures from a snubby.

http://i1042.photobucket.com/albums/b428/reloader7sixtworeloader762/100_1006_zpsfqguitm9.jpg

[1988-4551]

Thanks res, I thought everyone just called it 45/45/10. That's definitely an appealing one to me for the tackiness solution l and affordability of stretching the alox. I'll probably pick up some jpw this week and take a crack at it. I'll try some variation of ranch dog style lining or hand dipping. I picked up one of those combo round ball real bullet molds to use with my inline muzzleloader. Only issue is I need to break in the real bullet side of the mold less, getting good round balls but not that many good real bullets out of it. So I think there is either a burr or I just need to work on my technique. The next largest bullet I've cast is just a 230 gr round nose for my 1911.

[TXGunNut]

150-180 gr CB @ 1800fps sounds like a good hunting load for a 30WCF or a 32 Special, if you can make it work in your SKS by all means take it hunting! SKS's are cheap and fun but there's no reason you can't take it hunting. Don't worry about what folks at the range think, if they pay attention they might learn something.

[Yodogsandman]

I've been shooting my SKS's with 3 coats of Ben's Liquid Lube with great results. The resent load is with the NOE 314-160 Harris Designed boolit and 21.0 gr Reloader 7 for about 1850 FPS.

I've shot these rifles with PC'd boolits too but, accuracy is better with BLL. BLL has stood up to about 2500 FPS in my FR-8, 7.62x51 (308 Win).

Just too heavy of a rifle for me to hunt with in the brambles. Great truck guns, though.