7.62x39 Handloading

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7.62x39 Handloading

Post by Ranch Dog »

Nice holiday weekend! I needed to do some load work for my Mini-30; both cast and jacketed. I prepped a bunch of cartridges for incremental and evaluation loads.

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I've been studying low-end digital night vision vs. Gen 1 scopes, and decide to go with a Gen 1. I'm hoping to get it on the Mini-30 but not at the cost of removing the scout mount. Either way, I need ammo for the Mini.

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Re: 7.62x39 Handloading

Post by GasGuzzler »

Now I am ordering 7.62X39 dies and looking at .308 bullets and molds.
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Re: 7.62x39 Handloading

Post by mr surveyor »

GasGuzzler wrote:Now I am ordering 7.62X39 dies and looking at .308 bullets and molds.
you got all that used brass for a good price, didn't you :)
jd

[mod="Ranch Dog"]This is the free stuff JD is referring to...
Rossi-Rifleman Forum Member wrote:580 pieces, once fired Prvi 7.62x39 brass.

Free, offering it to members here first.
ppu_7.62x39_cases.jpg
Pretty sweet![/mod]
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Re: 7.62x39 Handloading

Post by GasGuzzler »

mr surveyor wrote:
GasGuzzler wrote:Now I am ordering 7.62X39 dies and looking at .308 bullets and molds.

you got all that used brass for a good price, didn't you :)


jd
Good enough price to buy Lee dies, Lee FCD, Lee trim gauge, and start research on bullet choice.

Need another Auto Disc but have the turret. Oh yeah....ordering a 7.62X39 upper for a spare but built lower so I won't waste powder and primers on my Yugo spray and pray steel eater. +guns
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Re: 7.62x39 Handloading

Post by Ranch Dog »

GasGuzzler wrote:
mr surveyor wrote:
GasGuzzler wrote:Now I am ordering 7.62X39 dies and looking at .308 bullets and molds.
you got all that used brass for a good price, didn't you :
Good enough price to buy Lee dies, Lee FCD, Lee trim gauge, and start research on bullet choice.

Need another Auto Disc but have the turret. Oh yeah....ordering a 7.62X39 upper for a spare but built lower so I won't waste powder and primers on my Yugo spray and pray steel eater.
+guns
I wish now that I sent you that double disk! Charges are going to be in the 1.90cc to 2.00cc range.
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Re: 7.62x39 Handloading

Post by GasGuzzler »

The two ADs I got from you are going to be for 9mm and .45ACP.

The new Auto Drum or Auto disc I need for 7.62X39 will require a rifle riser to use it on the turret plus the double disc kit I forgot about if I go with the AD.

My original AD is set up for 5.56X45 so it already has the riser and double disc.

So that's two or three more items I need and I still have not figured out which powder and bullet to use.

The Auto Drum is cheaper than the Auto Disc AND doesn't require the double disc right?
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Re: 7.62x39 Handloading

Post by Ranch Dog »

GasGuzzler wrote:The Auto Drum is cheaper than the Auto Disc AND doesn't require the double disc right?
Yes, the Auto Drum is about $13 to $14 cheaper than the Auto Disk and a Double Disk Kit, the prices are from Titan Reloading. If you buy the Auto Drum, you will probably use it in place of your current Auto Disks as well. Four Drums come with the base unit, two small capacity drums that will get you up through the 223 & 7.62x39 and then two large drums. The Large include a permanent plug that can be inserted into them that will make them short drums. The best way to use the drums once you are set on a load is to label and leave them.

With the 7.62x39, you will need the Lee Short Cartridge Charging Die (#90668 ~ $12) with either of the delivery systems. Lee does sell a Charging Die Kit (#90995 ~ $18) that includes both a Long & Short Die.

I'm curious about the need for the Riser. I have one but never have used it. Is your press a Lee?
GasGuzzler wrote:...I still have not figured out which powder and bullet to use.
7.62x39 is powder friendly, might even be what you are using with the 223 Rem. The cheapest bullets are Berry's (14¢) offerings but they are limited to 1900 FPS which is going to probably affect the performance of a gas operated rifle. The next step up is the PPU solid (20¢) or soft (21¢). I hunt with the 7.62x39 and have good experience with the PPU but found the Speer (#2213) better. Unfortunately, this bullet has been discontinued.

In the weeks ahead, I will be getting back to my TLC313-150-RF which I designed for NOE. I've used it successfully in the Mini-30 but need to get back to it as I switched to the Speer as I work with the night vision just to eliminate one variable for the nighttime range work.
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Re: 7.62x39 Handloading

Post by GasGuzzler »

LCT.

I bought a riser because Lee said I needed it on a turret with an Auto Disc. Just ASSumed I did again since Lee's site says so still.

I need a bullet. The rest is easy.

Got a sweet deal on an upper and also ordered five magazines.
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Re: What Rifle Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by GasGuzzler »

Ranch Dog wrote:I needed to do some load work for my Mini-30; both cast and jacketed.
I can't find that Speer bullet in stock anywhere. Got any good sources for another choice?

I found these 123 gr. JSP but they are quite pricey to have no name on them.

.....and these at a better price. Graf and Sons.

EDIT - Oops. Aparently barrels for AR15 platforms chambered in 7.62X39 can have .308" (NATO style) bore or .310" (AK47 style) bore. I sent an email to the seller of the barrel (that's not here yet). So I may need .308" bullet advice instead.
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Re: 7.62x39 Handloading

Post by Ranch Dog »

GasGuzzler wrote:I bought a riser because Lee said I needed it on a turret with an Auto Disc. Just ASSumed I did again since Lee's site says so still.
I see what you are saying. I started using the Safety Prime after I switched to the Auto Drum, so I've never used it. So it's an Auto Disk, Safety Prime thing.
AD_riser.jpg
GasGuzzler wrote:I need a bullet. The rest is easy.
PPU 123-grain FMJ or PSP. When I purchase bullets, I buy them through Grafs because of their $7.95 flat rate shipping. The PPU also come in a heavy bag so you can usually reduce five hundred bullets to two bags, helps the storage issues.

I'm known as a bullet caster, but I'm going to jacketed with my 300 Savs, 308 Wins, my Rem 600 35 Rem. It is easy to shoot the 30 calibers with a cast bullet as long as you turn them down to 30-30 performance. I have plenty of 30-30s, and I miss their 2500 to 2600+ velocity, so I stopped trying. Same with the Rem 600, in that rifle, you can make the 35 Rem perform like a 358 Win. I'm on the fence with the 303 British. With a heavy bullet and its lower operating pressures (48.0K PSI), it's possible, but it also has some large chamber features that get in the way., I'm still working on it.

Where this is leading is I've been a Speer Hot Core fan, but Speer is slowly discontinuing those bullets. They have dropped the only bullet specifically designed for the 300 Sav and their 7.62x39 offering. I've been switching all my 30's to the PPU offerings and the shoot as well, if not better than the Speer, and their performance on big game has been outstanding. When it comes to brass, I look for PPU first, even over Starline.
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