My babies....(first cast bullets loaded)
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Finally...here they are....
WW cast in a Lee 312-155. Both left and center were pan lubed with 50/50, center was tumbled in LLA afterward. On the right is one of my bulk FMJ reloads for comparison.
Hornady gas checks were applied and then crimped and the bullet sized to .311 with the Lee sizing die.
CB were loaded into new Win. x39 brass with a CCI 200 primer. Cases were FL sized and then the necks belled just enough to drop the bullet in to the top of the GC w/ the Lee Unniversal Expanding Die.
Loaded over Herc. 2400..... five of each bullet loaded at 14.5 gr, 15 gr. and 15.5 gr and a pair of each loaded at 16 gr (which is a recommended max. load). All loads individually trickled on the scale.
Bullets were seated well below the "min. oal" of 2.20" published for 150 gr. jacketed, in order to put the rim at the crimp groove on the bullet. They wound up being 2.15" long and a light crimp was applied with the LFCD to take the bell out of the case neck. A slight amount of lube "squeezed out" of the neck (especially on the LLA coated bullets). I hope I didn't size down the bullets by crimping them. The crimp marks are well above the level of the driving bands on the bullet....so I think I'm O.K.
All catridges dropped right into the chamber on my converted Saiga x39 (with the bolt carrier removed)
I loaded a dummy round to test stripping from the mag. and chambering.....
Only a small scuff was observed on this round, as it impacted the pseudo feed ramp.
Though there is some good data out there about shooting this bullet from an SKS, I found zippo info. for Kalashnikov action rifles. So perhaps I can make a meaningfull deposit into the tribal knowledge bank.
The only problem is that we're taking the kiddies on an outing over Memorial day weekend, so I won't be able to test these out untill next Saturday at the earliest.
Will post results and hopefully determine...
1. does the LLA improve performance?
2. what's the best 2400 load for my 16" Saiga.
Follow up testing will be done with 1680.
I don't have a chrony, but I'm hoping to get upwards of 1,800 to 2,000 fps.
and OBTW....Though I made up the dummy round from a culled bullet, I will definately turn up the heat on my next casting session.
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ain't no slack in Fast Attack!
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well done sailor
,and won't until the group buy gets here.
enquiring minds
