7.62x39 reloading for Accuracy?

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joneb

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I have a SKS that I have reloaded for a bit, I tried some Xtreme 123 gr plated fp with H 4198 and they shot very well.
I have not considered loading this cartridge for accuracy until now, I am thinking about buying a Ruger American Ranch in 7.62x39.
I have been digging out brass, and prepping Lapua and Remington SRP brass. I will be using H-4198 or Accurate 1680. I am shying away from Federal primers, but I noticed Federal now makes a AR SRP.
I'm hoping for those that have been were I am now could share their experiences.
Thanks.
 
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I found that Hornaday .3105 123gr spire points worked quite well for me. Also cast 129grain NOE bullets powder coated still work well. I use a lot of Accurate Arms 1680, great powder, brass is mixed, but mostly Winchester, with Remington 9.5 primers.
 
125 Sierra Game Kings over 26.5 gr Accurate 1680. CCI #34 primers are a good idea too for an SKS.

M
 
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I have used the Hornaday 123 SP and the Xtreme 123 plated FP in my SKS's and Mini 30. I used Magnum primers and AA1680 with mixed brass. Both shot well and although none I have are target rifles they are good enough for taking a whitetail at 100 YDS if need be. I will be interested with your results with the Ruger American Ranch I wonder what the barrel size will be in it. My mini 30 has a .308 barrel so I get fair results with any .308 sized 110-150 grain bullet seated to fit the MAG. The SKS's have larger bores and .311-.312 bullets shoot more accurately in them.
 
I have used the Hornaday 123 SP and the Xtreme 123 plated FP in my SKS's and Mini 30. I used Magnum primers and AA1680 with mixed brass. Both shot well and although none I have are target rifles they are good enough for taking a whitetail at 100 YDS if need be. I will be interested with your results with the Ruger American Ranch I wonder what the barrel size will be in it. My mini 30 has a .308 barrel so I get fair results with any .308 sized 110-150 grain bullet seated to fit the MAG. The SKS's have larger bores and .311-.312 bullets shoot more accurately in them.
I think it is a .310" groove diameter, 1:10" twist 16" barrel.
 
Also cast 129grain NOE bullets powder coated still work well.
Is it for bolt gun with reduced load or it cycles semi-auto? Can you share the load? I can only run powder coated cast bullets at reduced load. Smoke when I got to 80-85% of 4895. Xtreme 150 gr plated 308 bullets shoot well at reduced load in my 7.62x39 bolt gun built on Mauser which has a 308 bore. Speer 125 gr TNT (308) shoot well in my bolt gun and also 7.62x39 AR. I load with 4198, 4895 and 4064, all cycle and lock back my AR!
 
I tried some Xtreme 123 gr plated fp with H 4198 and they shot very well.
Xtreme 123 plated FP in my SKS's
Can you share the load data, I like to try it too but not sue if it can load to a speed that will cycle semi-auto. I have Xtreme 150 gr 308 FP, I don't run it at full power, I sort of remember I tried once and does not shoot well at full power. Maybe the 123 gr has thicker plating!
 
I think it is a .310" groove diameter, 1:10" twist 16" barrel.

The .310 bore is an American "compromise", not com bloc spec. The Mini-30s were initially .308 with tapered throat so the .311 bullet was actually swaged down to .308 by the time it left the barrel. This did not enhance accuracy AT ALL. Later on Ruger rebarreled the Minis to a truer .311-.312 bore to shoot combloc stuff.

I shoot .310, .311, and .312 bullets exclusively in my Mini-30 Tactical and Colt carbine with the same load posted above. The Sierra is a .312 dia. bullet, BTW.

I've never tried .308 bullets in a .310 or larger bore, but I have heard they work okay.



M
 
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I tried some Xtreme 123 gr plated fp with H 4198 and they shot very well.
Can you share the load data, I like to try it too but not sue if it can load to a speed that will cycle semi-auto. I have Xtreme 150 gr 308 FP, I don't run it at full power, I sort of remember I tried once and does not shoot well at full power. Maybe the 123 gr has thicker plating!
Xtreme gives a velocity rating of up to 1,500 fps for the 150 gr .308" FP I would use them for 30-30 Win. if these bullets were rated to 2,000 fps.
Xtreme's 123 gr .312" FP has thicker plating and are rated to 2,000 fps
I used Hornady data with their 123 gr SP, I tried 17.0, 17.5, 18.5 and 19.0 gr of H-4198. All of these loads functioned in my SKS the 17 gr load tossed the brass about 18" with each .5 gr increase the brass went a farther. I liked that the brass was easy to recover and was not dinged up. When figured out the POI the loads were capable of minute of clay pigeon at 100 yds.
You could try 18 gr of H-4198.
 
I had two loads that worked OK with the Xtreme bullets. They cycled my SKS's and was most accurate.just over 1.5 MOA at 100 YDS
Extreme 123 FP with 25.2 grains of A1680-----26.0 grains keyholed almost every shot. Still small group. 2.5 MOA
Extreme 123 FP with 26.4 grains of A2015-----27.5 grains keyholed about half of them. Not accurate either 12 inch group
I used a Wolf 123 grain FMJ to set seating depth with and they fed fine.
 
Is it for bolt gun with reduced load or it cycles semi-auto? Can you share the load? I can only run powder coated cast bullets at reduced load. Smoke when I got to 80-85% of 4895. Xtreme 150 gr plated 308 bullets shoot well at reduced load in my 7.62x39 bolt gun built on Mauser which has a 308 bore. Speer 125 gr TNT (308) shoot well in my bolt gun and also 7.62x39 AR. I load with 4198, 4895 and 4064, all cycle and lock back my AR!

Provided for academic resource;
129gr Cast from NOE 314 SP 129gr mold, mixed brass, Remington 9.5 primers, 21gr AA#1680, COAL 2.18, avg veloctiy 1776. This load worked just fine in my vz-58, and was a go to load for some time, powder coated or hard lubed, bullet sized to .311 with Lee push through sizer, gas checked with Hornaday copper gas check.

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I have also used the Lee 160 gr Tumble Lube and 155gr standard lube groove bullets, with less luck. They work just fine, just don't shoot as straight as the NOE 129 grainers.

ZY17vVN.jpg
 
I found that Hornaday .3105 123gr spire points worked quite well for me. Also cast 129grain NOE bullets powder coated still work well. I use a lot of Accurate Arms 1680, great powder, brass is mixed, but mostly Winchester, with Remington 9.5 primers.
What are you shooting these through?
 
Hornady's tipped .310 123gr bullets (3142, 3142G, 3143) all shoot awesome in my 16'' Ruger M77 with A1680. Excellent velocity & accuracy around 27gr ~2500fps.


-Lovin' that little CZ ArmoredMan!
 
I bought 200 ct. Federal AR match primers to load in some R-P 7.62x 39 SRP brass. This may take awhile to test since I don't have the bolt action rifle or scope yet I was planning to shoot with this brass.
I will try some in SKS and see how they do, I have never ran Federal primers in a SKS before.
 
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I bought the Ruger American Ranch chambered in 7.62x39, I put a 4x12 x40 AO on it and sighted it in with Federal 123gr American Eagle. These grouped just under a inch at 100 yrds.
I prepped and loaded some R-P SRP brass with Extreme plated 123 gr FP in hopes to iron out some case dents left from my SKS. My lightly loaded rounds had little effect on the case dents.
I ran five loads with the Extreme plated all with R-P SRP brass with Federal GM 205 AR primers with a COL of 2.064" I did two loads with Accurate 1680 one at 22gr and one at 22.5gr these produced a lot of muzzle flash and a 1.5" group at 100 yds.
The next three loads were with H-4198 18.0, 18.5, and 19.0 gr these loads produced very little muzzle flash and grouped under a inch at 100 yds the 19.0 gr load POI was closet to the Fed. AE sight in load.
I will work up from the 19.0 gr H-4198 and see where that goes, Extreme rates this bullet to 2000 fps, I will take the crony with me next time.
 
I only load this for a WASR10, so "accuracy" is a pretty loose term here for me.
It's actually not that bad...2-3 MOA depending on how much coffee I've had.

I've found it really likes a stout charge of IMR4198 and 150 gr, .311 Sierra SP (#2300).

You may just have to go wring out some loads through it, and see what it likes
 
I think American Rifleman had an article in this month's magazine that is worth checking out. It was 4 pages long and included load data as well.
 
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