sks and lee 312-185 troubles

[Oklahoma Rebel]

loaded some up today and for soe reason if I didn't have them pushed all the way back in the mag, it would jam. I have the shell crimped on the ring before it goes down into the crimp groove, so that 2 lube grooves are in the shell, do you think by making it longer or crimping it further down, and using one lube groove would help, by making the angle less when entering the chamber? thanks, Travis

[GhostHawk]

I set mine as long as it will fit in the magazine, with free space about the same as the thickness of a paper match.

But you may need to make a dummy cartridge and find out exactly where yours touches the rifling. You want it just ready to kiss the rifling, but not engaged so you can unload an unfired round without the bullet pulling out.

May take some tinkering to find the sweet spot.

[jimlj]

What is your over all length? I'm guessing a bullet that is about 60 gr heavier than most factory bullets is a bit long unless you are seating it fairly deep in the case. Can you load some to the same length as a factory round and see if you still have the problem?

[Oklahoma Rebel]

ok, thanks for the info ghost, that would only leave one lube groove plus what lube is in the gas check part, I think that will be plenty though, jimlj, the boolit is almost exactly the same length as the lee 155 that I used before with good success, it is just a more blunt design. it shoots great, and I have shot a few in succession but then the boolits below those have worked there way forward in the magazine and that's when they start to jam. I will make up some dummies, and see if I can't get this solved. by the way, ghost, what type of sks do you have? mine is a norinco and I noticed below the breech of the chamber there is a little square edge, or step. was wondering if they all have that. thanks, Travis

[jimlj]

This has my curiosity up. I had never thought of reloading for the SKS. Back in 80's when I bought my first SKS ammo was cheaper than the components to reload with. Until I found this site I'd never thought of shooting a cast bullet in a rifle. Are you guys using gas checks, or the bullet with no check? Are you using reduced loads? I hope I'm not hijacking this thread.

[Maven]

OK R, I never crimp my CB loads for the SKS, so I must ensure there's enough neck tension to hold the CB to the OAL I want when it feeds from the magazine. In short, you may need to anneal your case necks in order to minimize your problem.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

if you mean the boolits are shifting on recoil or handling, they are not, I checked. I am going to load about a dozen tonight with a longer OAL, because before, they were kinda short, had to be pushed to the back of the mag, and loaded at a sharper angle. with a longer OAL that angle will decrease so I hope that's what it is.

[runfiverun]

the trick is finding a reduced load that operates the rifle.
you want it to just chunk thunk enough to run the rifle while still giving good accuracy, and not tearing the boolit up.

[GhostHawk]

What runfive said.

Mine is a Yugo, made in 52, same year I was born. Still stock with bayonet, ladder sights and gas block that can be turned off. And I do shoot it with the gas off at times so I can find brass.

Stock had virtually no finish left on it so I did put a couple of coats of true oil on it to seal it, keep what it was protected. Including a scratched in name, a burn, some nicks. Mine has been through the fires of war. I wish it could talk.

20 grains of IMR 4895 and the big lee .312 185 grain with gas check. CCI or Win primers.

Once you get your dies set right for OAL so that you get perfect function you just start cranking out ammo and filling boxes. Only issue for me was finding brass. But I'm sitting on about 1k's worth now.

At 20 grains per load that is 350 rounds per pound of powder. Or about a dimes worth per load. Add a 3-4 cent primer and 2-3 cents worth of lead and you have a rifle that is easy to feed with stripper clips, and ready for anything that might come.

Mine sits in the basement, magazine fully loaded, bolt held back on the last round hold open.

So it can't possibly fire without jerking the bolt back and letting it fly forward loading a round first.

But if someone ever tried to surprise me when I am down there casting. Shudder.

Would not be pretty.

Ohh and there is a box of 10 stripper clips with 10 rounds each just below the SKS.

Are you ready? I am.

Not that I want to. I just want to be left in peace.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

oh don't worry about me, i'll be fine

[Oklahoma Rebel]

now how reduced do you guys mean, because, like I have told ghost before, my intentions are hog hunting. I prefer to use the 185 but the 155 cycles reliably and is accurate at just below the max charge. my backstop is a pile of loose sandy soil, and despite the spritzer type design, the boolit mushrooms fairly controlled w min weight loss, usually appears to mushroom to .4-.45. I really like lyman #2

[GhostHawk]

So would you rather be hit by a Kia going 55 mph or a mack truck doing 35?

Momentum is mass times speed. 50% increased mass at 50% decreased speed = same momentum at the point of impact.

In my opinion the 185 will penetrate deeper with its greater mass.

If cast of the same alloy both will mushroom some. How much comes down to specific's of what speed, exactly what alloy and what gets hit.

You do have to remember when talking about reduced loads. We are reducing from the 2400 fps or thereabouts of factory loads.

Remember that the buffalo were all shot with black powder doing 1200 to 1400 fps.
Large bullets, moving slow, hit in the boileroom = dead with minimum fuss and bother.

I'm not having any luck accessing either the hodgen or IMR data sites.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

ok, that's true, when I hear reduced load, I think of so called mouse fart loads, u know,8 grains of unique or something like that, but there is a little reduced and a lot reduced, both are reduced,lol. I am not giving up that easily on the 185, about to load some more, a little less powder this time, but only by .4-.5 grs, because judging by the last shell ejected, it went about 4-6 feet, I am pretty close. in face I could stay were I am, which is 17.2 of rel 7. I think setting the boolit out further will help. last night I put one together(only had a couple minutes) and loaded it between FMJ's and it loaded and ejected fine, while the other shells go about 15 feet or so. ( I keep losing brass) i'll keep y'all updated