Excellent results!
I've done this over 30 years ago with the first SKS I owned which was a Chinese model with the screwed in barrel. I was using the Lyman 311284. I don't remember the powder and load, but would say the powder was more then likely 4895. The distance I shot at was 100 yards. The ammo worked the action and I also can't remember if it fit the magazine or not. Too long ago. The groups were decent meaning they were useable.
Not as long ago as that I turned a Yugo SKS into a 8mm Kurtz. This was my version of the Kurtz, I bought a new 8x57 Yugo Mauser barrel and kept turning the breech end of the barrel back to I got a chamber shape that was close to a Kurtz, then cut a set of LEE 8 Mauser dies to form the brass. The brass donor I used were 6.5x54MS. Was shooting the LEE 175 grain cast from it. I used both H4198 and IMR4198. The velocities were 2074 fps and 2207 fps respectively. Junior was still alive then and I told him about it and he thought it was pretty cool and that it would make a nice deer rifle for him. I also shot Hornady 8mm 125 grain hollow points.
In wesson357's first post he says that his 160 grain bullets aren't big enough to fit the bore on his SKS. On my SKS (and also on my 7.65x53), I increase the diameter of 30 caliber cast bullets by using powder coating. If a mold casts at .310", I can easily increase that to .3125" with powder coating. If you're casting with a .31 caliber mold you can get an even bigger jump. Depending on your bore diameter this may, or may not work, but just a thought.
My bore is .314. My lee 160 once powder coated are .313/.314.
Can size to .315 with the Lee 180gr.
My Yugo SKS is either .310 or .311, can't remember have to check it again. Another thing the Yugo's aren't chromed lined.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |