Reloading for 7.62x39

[BrokenMosin 0]

How much does a reloaded round of 7.62x39 cost?

 

I've been looking into it, and it doesn't even seem as if I can buy a bullet for the cost of a loaded round.

 

Then again - how are the Wolf SP and HP for hunting? I've 6 or 700 rounds of Wolf SP.

[turbo1889 1]

What are you shooting ?????

 

For an AK there really isn't any advantage to reloading.

 

For other rifles such as the SKS and bolt actions accuracy can be doubled or better with reloads. With the low cost of bulk ammo, it's not a cost savings issue but rather a performance one if your gun can handle neck-size only reloads (AK can't -- try to feed neck-size only reloads to it and it'll jamb. One of the few things that will jamb an AK)

[BrokenMosin 0]

I'm shooting a Saiga. It puts the funny bulged neck on spent cases too, so I had been thinking about only neck sizing.

 

I understand the benefits of reloading, I was wondering about the cost.

 

 

Now, I'm thinking about just pulling bullets out of steel cased ammo and metering in a more consistent powder charge. All I would need for this is a bullet puller and a seating die.

[turbo1889 1]

A Saiga is basically the civilian action equivalent to an AK so I don't think it will handle neck-size only reloads either. Usually neck-size only reloads, although offering a substantial increase in accuracy, don't work in semi-auto actions or even lever actions for that matter. They usually work just fine in bolt action guns. SKS is one of the exceptions to the rule; unfortionatly at least in my experience the AK (and thus Saiga as well) is not.

 

Yes, a more closely metered powder charge should improve accuracy as well. Add to that bullets which are exactly sized to your bore (slug the bore) and your looking pretty good. By exactly sized I'm talking about the fact that the internal bore dimensions on the groove can be as small as 0.308" or as large as 0.313" and there are bullet sizes covering that whole range --- a gun shoots best with bullets that are exactly the same diameter as the bore with jacketed bullets and 0.001" bigger with cast lead bullets. So if you were for example to find that your gun has a 0.312" bore then using the standard factory 0.310" bullet diameter won't give you as good of accuracy as using 0.312" bullets.

 

I think you get the basic idea of what I'm saying. Barrel tolerances are much looser then bullet tolerances, thus to get the best accuracy from his/her particular gun a reloader can choose the bullet which best suits the guns bore.

[buckandaquarterquarterstaff 5]

I'm shooting a Saiga. It puts the funny bulged neck on spent cases too, so I had been thinking about only neck sizing.

 

I understand the benefits of reloading, I was wondering about the cost.

 

 

Now, I'm thinking about just pulling bullets out of steel cased ammo and metering in a more consistent powder charge. All I would need for this is a bullet puller and a seating die.

 

I wouldn't pull bullets just to get a consistent charge in the case. What you'll find is that the bullets used on most steel cased ammo vary so widely in weight and shape that precisely measuring charges will only solve a small part of the problem. You may run into problems if the rounds were crimped before the bullet was pulled, as the bullets may not want to reseat easily. All in all, it's just as much effort to start with new components and you'll get much better results.

 

The 7.62x39 saiga should gain as much as the 308 from a finely constructed fully sized reload with tight tolerences on case charges and bullet weights. My 308 saiga does 2 inch groups for all 20 rounds that I can dump from the mag, and the SKS that I reload x39 for gets really measurable benefits as well (though I don't reload x39 very often lately).

 

As for cost, 8lbs of powder loads up about 1200-1400 x39 loads depending on type and charge weights. Bullets keep rising in cost, but you should be able to figure out your cost per round pretty easily - cheaper by the thousand. Primers run anywhere from $18 to $25 per thousand. Other than dies, case lube, and a few reusable parts that should cover it. A good cheaper press is the lee classic cast turret press. If you don't mind metered charges, it will crank out about 200 rounds an hour and the whole package with dies will set you back less than $150.

[res45 4]

I reload for both my 1970 YUGO & 1965 Chinese SKS rifles,mostly because I enjoy it,I don't shoot that much maybe 500 Rds. a year in each. The ammo I load is clean shooting,accuracy is superior over anything you can buy and you have a wide selection of better quality bullet types made by all the major bullet mfg.FMJ,SP,V-MAX Ballistic tip,Barnes X bullet in 123 & 125 Gr. weights or you can load up some 150 Gr. I like the Speer Hot Core in .311

 

I use winchester cases,CCI #34 Mil-spec primers,however recently I have experimented with the Lapua wooden bullet practice ammo as source of cheap brass that I don't have to chase down,it's berdan primed and non-reloadable. I simply pull the wooden bullet dump the flash powder resize the neck only add my own powder and bullet of choice. I have seen no difference between the winchester load or the Lapua load accuracy wise using the same powder charge and bullet no matter the combination.

 

I have two powders of choice AA1680 ball powder it's made specifically for the 7.62 x 39 round I have produced consistent sub 1/2" groups with this powder at 50 Yds with iron sights in both my SKS rifles. My other powder of choice is Reloader #7 it's more readily available at my local supplier. Using the same charge weight as the AA loads I can tell no difference between the two powders accuracy wide they both produce the same results no matter which case or primer type I use. I get 275 loads per pound with both powders using my accuracy load so it go a long way.

 

As far as bullet seating depth I crimp with the Lee FCD on the cannalure of those bullets with them I use the same crimp setting also on the Speer 150 Gr. I have read that will affect accuracy crimping non cannalure bullets but whats a 1/4"at 100 Yds out of a $150 SKS. It's no match rifle but you will never know its true potential shooting just cheap Russian ammo. Cost wise if I had to replace components at today prices I would be about $5 per box but I stocked up on everything years ago,my average cost is about $4 to $4.50 per 2O Rds. depending on the bullet I select for that batch

 

50 Yd, iron sight targets

Note:I set my sights up at 50 Yds. you can see and make adjustment to your sights with allot more accuracy and see what sight movements are actually doing with less variables,if your shooting tighter groups at 50, there going to be that much tighter out to 100 and beyond as long as you do your part. My 50 Yd. setting gives me a 3" drop at 125 yds.

 

Lapua reloaded ammo

 

YUGO

 

Chinese

 

150 Gr.

 

My new project Hornady .310 123 Gr. V-MAX

Edited April 20, 2008 by res45