TLC313-150-RF for the 7.62X39

[Ranch Dog]

Earlier this year I had Lee cut a "Ranch Dog" 7.62x39 bullet for me. This morning while "guiding" my dad on a deer hunt, I killed my first critters with it. A few minutes before the sun come up a coyote crossed the sendero in front of us about 60 yards out but was immediately in the brush on the other side. I brought the Mini-Mauser up and started "chripping" with my lips, quite and still out, and he came back out the same hole in the brush he went into. I shot him.

Twenty minutes later I could hear something walking in the grass, very still with not a breath of wind, I was watching the grass where I had heard the noise and saw a bobcat slowly materialize at 50 yards, I dropped him.

My dad was a bit upset at me as "we are supposed to be deer hunting" but I jumped up to claim my kills. I looked over my shoulder and he was heading back to the truck. I figured he would get over it so I was admiring my work. I heard my truck start up and at that point figured he was serious and might leave me about a mile and a half from the house so I hightailed it to the truck without a picture of the critters.



Bullet seating, I use the .310" Ez-Xpander and with find no need to flare the case mouth. These cases have been annealed and collet die sized.



With the Zastava M85 Mini Mauser I'm using a max load of H355, 31.0-grains, for 2175 FPS at 45.0K PSI.



Here are the little "Red Devils" loaded up and ready to shoot!

[mr surveyor]

Compressed load? (just looking at the pics)

I know nothing about loading the caliber, but sounds pretty impressive. (almost as good as a real .30-30 )

jd

[akuser47]

That's awesome glad it is performing well.

[daboone]

What a Fun morning walk.
I load 7.62x39for the SKS. I have the 129g SP NOE over, I can't remember how many grains of 2400. It is a fun load to shoot and very accurate for the little plinker.

[Ranch Dog]

Compressed load? (just looking at the pics)

Good catch, yes. I prefer shooting compressed loads with cast bullets. I've always seen the best performance with them between 100% to 105%. Beyond the 105%, I see overall length variations because while moving from bullet seating to crimping they tend to slide a bit against the compression so I limit my loads to the 105%. What I've come to expect with the compression seated with a Lee FCD is very tight ES and SD with both pressure and velocity.

H335 is not the best powder choice among the Hodgdon powders I have on the shelf but I'm testing it in all my rifles to see which one likes it the best as it needs to be shot. The best choice is probably H322 or Benchmark. H322 will deliver right at 2300 FPS and Benchmark 2225 FPS.

I know nothing about loading the caliber, but sounds pretty impressive. (almost as good as a real .30-30 )

That is it in a nutshell. 30-30 performance from a cartridge that is a ½" shorter. In that it is a bottle neck cartridge the felt recoil is less and I'm not sure why but the same it true with the noise at the shot. My dad was carrying a Glenfield 30GT chambered in 30-30 Win and you cannot sit it that box and shoot without hearing protection. I know you are a levergun guy so I will use this comparison with the recoil; I is like comparing the 32-20 Win to the 30-30 Win and yet the Mini Mauser is a pound lighter than most leverguns.

This rifle is destined to be my Grandson's as he will start hunting next year. Next years project is trying to find somebody to make a custom stock for the barreled action. I don't want to chop the factory stock as it is too nice plus a cut down just would not work.

What a Fun morning walk.
I load 7.62x39for the SKS. I have the 129g SP NOE over, I can't remember how many grains of 2400. It is a fun load to shoot and very accurate for the little plinker.

NOE has been asking me about this bullet as the nose profile would make it a better hunting bullet. I had never hunted with a lead spire point so tried both Lee offerings and the NOE on hogs. In a nutshell they failed miserably. I lost every hog I shot.

My Ruger Mini-30 is next on the testing bench. So far it cycles the the bullet without fail from 5, 10, and 20 round magazines. Next up is the accuracy testing. I will be using Benchmark with it.

The Savage 10FCM Scout is scheduled for a serious "lapping". Why a manufacture would cut a .308" groove on an arm that is chambered in this cartridge is beyond me? The appropriate supplies are ordered from Beartooth and once here I will work groove out to .310".

[mr surveyor]

My son and I (as well as everyone in my running bunch) had the SKS fever for a while when the commie ammo was still around $3-4 a box. It is a "useful" cartridge, no doubt, and I almost bought a used Ruger M77 chambered in 7.62x39 a few years ago. If I had been reloading at the time, that little gun would have come home with me. I think my son still has a couple hundred rounds of steel cased Wolf stuck back somewhere that he decided to keep just in case he runs across a bolt gun at a steal of a price.


jd

[Ranch Dog]

My son and I (as well as everyone in my running bunch) had the SKS fever for a while when the commie ammo was still around $3-4 a box. It is a "useful" cartridge, no doubt, and I almost bought a used Ruger M77 chambered in 7.62x39 a few years ago. If I had been reloading at the time, that little gun would have come home with me. I think my son still has a couple hundred rounds of steel cased Wolf stuck back somewhere that he decided to keep just in case he runs across a bolt gun at a steal of a price.

NO doubt the M77 Compact is a desirable whitetail rifle, a very nice package indeed. I've been real surprised by my M85, even had a warranty claim that was handle as quick as anything I've had done. I think it is a bit more scaled down vs. just using a rifle that should house the 308 Win.

I went back to the spot that I shot the critters but could not find the either animal. 24 hours on the ground in this country is a lot of time. I wanted to scout a road so I started down it and I happened upon the one leg bone of the cat laying in the middle of the road. The cartridge is 2.1" long…

[mr surveyor]

that bullet looks fantastic in the 7.62x39 brass.

ballistically and performance wise, how do they compare to your .30-30 loads?


jd


edit .... you already answered my main question. You seem to be getting the same general velocities I do using LVR and 150 gr C/L's in the 30-30.

Now I'm getting interested

[Ranch Dog]

ballistically and performance wise, how do they compare to your .30-30 loads?

For grins here is a comparison of the TLC313 against my TLC311-165-RF bullet as shot from the Glenfield. The 30-30 bullet has a bit more punch because of the additional bullet weight. With the additional velocity H322 or Benchmark will add, they should be very close.

TLC313150RF_vs_TLC311165RFA.jpg

As they sit, the point blank range (+/- 3") for the TLC311-165-RF is 203 yards and the TLC313-150-RF 199 yards.

[mr surveyor]

Thanks for taking the time to post the comparative data, Michael. How do you find 7.62x39 brass life compared to .30-30 brass life? My late mentor told me not to expect much more than 4-5 reloads on .30-30 brass, and I think he was right. If I was shooting "mousefart" loads, I'm sure the .30-30 would last 10-12 cycles before case failure of some kind ... I'm still playing with full tilt loads and accuracy with the old 336. And, as you know, I'm still a rookie ....


jd