load for the 312-185 lee and the sks

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I am looking for a good load for the lee 312-185 boolit in 7.62X39. I will be using reloader 7, but I also have imr4198. I am hunting hogs, so I am looking to get it moving pretty fast without getting into dangerous pressure levels thanks, Travis

[GhostHawk]

My Yugo SKS loves that bullet sized to .312 or a hair bigger and set as long as will still fit in the magazine with a little wiggle room. I shoot mine with a light load of 20 grains of IMR 4895 but I am sure you can find a load with those powders.

Just remember that big (as in 50% bigger than standard 124 gr boolits) does NOT need to go fast.

Anything from 1400 fps up to 1800 fps will give you good results with fewer problems and likely less leading.

Good luck and Enjoy.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I figured 17 gr max for rel 7 and 15 for imr4198

[GhostHawk]

Looks to me just offhand like you figured right.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

ok thankyou, of course I am going to start at 15gr of rel7

[Oklahoma Rebel]

if anyone else has shot this boolit out of an sks, id love to hear your opinion too, I want to make sure I am still in the safe pressure range or that this load (17g rel7-312-185) hasn't shown signs of excessive pressure, I am going into town probably tomorrow to get the mold so I have time. thanks!

[fivefang]

O.R. it shoots well in my typ.56 Norinco, I use 24.0 gr. W.C.846 with a OAL to magazine feed, also Lyman #311291 with same loading/OAL, am experimenting with H.F. Red & Shake & Bake with both, Fivefang

[Oklahoma Rebel]

is wc846 slower or faster then rel 7 or imr 4198 and by how much, sorry for all the questions
ddont have a chart nearby

[Maven]

Will this help? https://www.google.com/search?q=smokeless+powder+burning+rate+chart&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1371&bih=910&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ved=0ahUKEwimhv6_89HRAhUs6IMKHQRLAs8QsAQIOQ

[Oklahoma Rebel]

well I thought I was missing it but I don't see it at all ( wc846) and I have looked at several

[Oklahoma Rebel]

id like to get the boolit going at least 1650, maybe 1700, I don't think that's unrealistic, but it might be, I just need help getting as close as safely and accurately possible, I have never had absolutely no written load info for a load I wanted to put together, usually I could do some math and get pretty close, not this time though,

[Thekid]

I just tried the lee 312-185 in 7.62x39 in my Yugo SKS loaded over IMR 4198. It seemed to shoot well. I didn't put it on paper but was able to hit a steel silhouette at 200 with boring consistency...

[Oklahoma Rebel]

how many grains?

[Oklahoma Rebel]

also I don't PC I just use conventional lube

[hutch18414]

I have been using that 20 grs of 4895 with that bullet in my Yugo. I really really like it. Haven't run it across the chronograph, but it does very well at 100yds, about a 2.5" group. And it cycles the action flawlessly. I can't say how it would work on the factory sight scale because I am using a little fixed 4x scope. If I was hunting hogs it would be my go to load. And hog hunting is one place an SKS really excels. Hunting hogs in Ga is what gave me a new appreciation for that weapon.

[Thekid]

185880 Here is one of my complete rounds..

[RU shooter]

About 20 gr of 4895 was what I remember using with the heavier bullets in mine when I had it . Out shot the 155 bullet with just about every load I tried in it .

[hutch18414]

About 20 gr of 4895 was what I remember using with the heavier bullets in mine when I had it . Out shot the 155 bullet with just about every load I tried in it . It is kind of funny, but I also am getting good accuracy with this load and a heavy for caliber bullet. The best it will do with Wolf 123gr hp ammo is about 3 1/2 to a 4" group. And I am getting about 2 1/2" average groups with the 185 gr bullets and 20 grs of 4895, go figure. Of course the SKS was never supposed to be a target rifle, and the trigger, even after a little work is still more minute of head than minute of angle.

[GhostHawk]

I wonder sometimes why the 7.62x39 ended up with such small bullets.

It seems like they offer a few (very few) in 150 gr soft tip hunting loads. But 95% of all ammo for it is 123/4 gr fmj.

Did the Russians originally use a larger bullet with this caliber and dropped to the small ones for weight considerations?

50 grains times 200 starts adding up.

For whatever reason, every SKS I have ever seen loves those big Lee 185's, and they seem to like them set as far forward as will still fit in the magazine with a smidge of wiggle room.

[hutch18414]

That's how I load them, too. I follow the advise that cast does better set right up to the barrel. With the SKS I am about .35 off because of the magazines. If I were willing to single shot it with tighter fit it would probably be more accurate, but then that isn't what I use the SKS for. And GhostHawk, thanks again for the tip on the load. Since I have tried it, I have never searched for another load for this rifle.

[RU shooter]

I wonder sometimes why the 7.62x39 ended up with such small bullets.

It seems like they offer a few (very few) in 150 gr soft tip hunting loads. But 95% of all ammo for it is 123/4 gr fmj.

Did the Russians originally use a larger bullet with this caliber and dropped to the small ones for weight considerations?

50 grains times 200 starts adding up.

For whatever reason, every SKS I have ever seen loves those big Lee 185's, and they seem to like them set as far forward as will still fit in the magazine with a smidge of wiggle room.

It's my understanding that they developed the ctg trying to mimic the Then new German assault rifle ctg I believe it was 8x35 mm it too had a light weight 125 ish gr bullet . Maybe they figured a heavier bullet in shoulder fired full auto wasn't a good idea ?

[GhostHawk]

A I got lucky. Big time.

B I did the research first.

C I compared, cross compared, ran the data forward, backward and sideways.

D I got lucky, no ever told me I couldn't. So I did it, my way.

It is indeed a hammer. It is the only load I have ever seen that knocks over my big AR500 gong.

7.62x54r dimples it more, does more damage to the steel.

Sks, just squeeze the trigger twice and bang flop the gong is on the ground.

If I ever went after feral Pigs the SKS would be my #1 choice.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

well, I am getting better penetration with the 155 and also about the same expansion,,that along with greater feeding reliability, I have chosen to use the 312-155 for hog hunting. today I was hitting orange clays at 50 yards every shot.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

but I have gotten the 185 working as well,even got it to feed well. and the clays weren't a problem with this boolit either. it just didn't penetrate half a good as the 155

[GhostHawk]

So you have the 155 working, so what is the problem?

Different OAL, different powder might solve it, might not.
You want to fix it, figure it out. You can do it. Step by step, be methodical, take notes.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

nothings wrong... I got the 185 going too, maybe you missed my last post. thanks for your help. yeah, they are both working great, I am just getting better penetration with the 155, I don't want to go any higher with the 185, because of how far its ejecting, and just the feel of it, you know? it seems like the bolt is coming all the way back and hitting kinda hard. I backed off from 17.2 of rel7 to 16.9 with the 185 and it is smoother now. about as smooth as the 155, but when digging the rounds out of my soft dirt backstop the 185 is about 10 inches back, and the 155 is about 14" back, which is against the back plate of thick steel

[Oklahoma Rebel]

oh both hit orange clays at 50yds every shot! which for my eyes is good with iron sights

[res45]

if anyone else has shot this boolit out of an sks, id love to hear your opinion too, I want to make sure I am still in the safe pressure range or that this load (17g rel7-312-185) hasn't shown signs of excessive pressure, I am going into town probably tomorrow to get the mold so I have time. thanks!

I loaded up a batch of the Lee 185 gr. bullets cast from WQ'ed WW's with a bit of tin about a month ago,I bought the mold to use in my Mosins but it shoots great in the SKS as well roll crimped in the provided crimp groove. I use 22 grs. of IMR-4895 an fired a mag. full just to see how they would do. Cycles fine,no leading an they shot to point of aim at 50 yds.

I was shooting at some 2" by 6" soft steel swing target an the bullet sure puts the smack down on those plates leaving a nice deep dimple. Not sure what the velocity was as I didn't get the chrono out but will soon next time I have a shooting day. I would estimate they were somewhere in the 1400+ fps. range. I could probably easily get another grain in the case before I started to compress the load but I still want run into pressure issues even if I did. I will have to try some powder coated as well.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

yeah, imr 4895 is next on my powder list, I think I can get more velocity without that high pressure spike, maybe gain 100-200 fps?

[GhostHawk]

IMO and it is JUST my opinion. The 185 grain sheds more energy faster, so yes a little less penetration. But ribs, skin, and lungs are not as solid as dirt either.

I bet if you shoot a hog in the boiler room clean it goes right through, and the hog drops quick too.

But just my opinion. The smaller ones are a bit more pointy, streamlined.

I used a drill press to put some square noses on some of those 185's for a winchester .30-30. Then sized them to .309 and have them loaded. Whatever that hits is going to hurt.

[res45]

IMO and it is JUST my opinion. The 185 grain sheds more energy faster, so yes a little less penetration. But ribs, skin, and lungs are not as solid as dirt either.

I bet if you shoot a hog in the boiler room clean it goes right through, and the hog drops quick too.

But just my opinion. The smaller ones are a bit more pointy, streamlined.

I used a drill press to put some square noses on some of those 185's for a winchester .30-30. Then sized them to .309 and have them loaded. Whatever that hits is going to hurt.

I totally agree,tissue is made up of mostly water. Hogs tend to be a bit tougher tissue an bone wise than deer but I don't think it going to have much of an adverse affect. I wouldn't be surprised if he get full penetration on side shots with good placement. Blunting the nose or adding a shallow HP with the Fosters HP tool just to get a little nose expansion wouldn't be bad either.

I don't plan on shooting lots of the 185's in my SKS rifles but I will keep a hundred or so loaded up for close range bush busting purposes.

[sundog]

Not an SKS, but a carbine length 7.62x39 AR upper. I've been experimenting with the RCBS 7.62x39-130-SPL. It's a pointy thing that weighs in about 140ish when checked and PC'd. Yesterday I shot some over 20.0/DP73 with excellent results @ 50 yds.

[Larry Gibson]

For an excellent pig hunting load in an SKS with the RCBS 180 FN check out my tests for Junior1942. I can repost the pictures if you ask.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?250083-Junior1942-s-7-62x39-SKS-loads-with-LeveRevolution

Larry Gibson

[Shooter6br]

I shoot 200 g 314299 clone in Chinse SKS with H322 .

[Oklahoma Rebel]

yeah, that is something to think about, I could just alternate them in my stripper clips for the best of both worlds!