Mexican matchin some x54R success and hiccup

[pjj342 632]

So ive started pulling bullets from my 1975 klimovsk 7.62x54r light ball (silver tip) and topping them with 124gr HPs from 7.62x39.  I dumped the powder which weighed 49.3-49.6 gr over ten bullets, then reweighed at 49gr and recharged the cases (this should be plenty safe since im going from a 147gr bullet to a 124gr bullet).   This is just a proof of concept, so I can justify using 8m3 bullets to hunt deer this year.

 

Im also going this route since I have no brass, hunting cartridges in 54r are like $30 a pop and I have a ton of surplus and a ton of ak ammo.  

 

That said accuracy was just fine, no better or worse than surplus over the irons at 50 and 100yds, which is all good with me.   

 

Heres the hiccup, over 20 shots fired I got three dead primer strikes.  This seems odd since ive already shot over 100 of these as fully assembled surplus cartridges, with zero malfunction.  Also, a few more split case necks than usual, which is no big deal since they extract easily.

 

Im wondering, am I cracking the old primer pellets when whacking these in my kinetic "hammer' puller?  Im sure the split case necks are just from extra stress on these old cases from pulling and re seating.  

 

Just thought id share this, maybe someone has an angle I havent thought of.

 

[IndyArms 10,186]

shouldnt.... you should be ok... but hard to say for sure

[pjj342 632]

shouldnt.... you should be ok... but hard to say for sure

 Im gonna see if the same problem persists.  I did some vice grip collet pulling, so no chance of a cracked primer pellet in my next batch, I assume.

Ill just have to shoot these ones and see what happens.    

[gunfun 3,931]

For what it's worth, I really like the hornady cam-lock collet puller. It works well and is very quick and clean.

[IndyArms 10,186]

one thing you need to be careful of is loose case necks.  THe case necks are resized to the proper spec before ANY bullet is inserted... so when you remove them, they may have stretched a little bit... and the bullet you replace will not have the proper neck tension on it... several issues could occur... ONE... improper pressure as its not held in the case mouth properly, TWO bullets could work out or in, depending on magazine, recoil forces, etc... creating pressure issues if the bullet is now seated too far deep, or not deep enough.  And if not deep enough... you could get bullets that dislodge, and you can fill a rifle action with unburnt powder ( talk about a fucking mess! ) or could potentially lodge a bullet in the chamber and have to work it out of the barrel with a rod...  Just saying... be careful. watch what happens, and if any bullets feel loose... which wouldnt surprise me... I would be leery of them, not having proper neck tension.  A full length resizing die with the decapping pin removed will allow cases to be properly resized without the issue of depriming ( especially with berdan primers )

[gunfun 3,931]

Good points. what about the steel cases scraping up his dies. That's gotta happen too.

[IndyArms 10,186]

Good points. what about the steel cases scraping up his dies. That's gotta happen too.

Yes... didnt even THINK of that...  I had some 223 dies I had to buff out with a 45 caliber bore brush, in a drill and polishing compound because some numbnutz reloaded 15 or 20 rounds of WOLF steel cased boxer primed ammo... needless to say... it wont happen again. And yes... from JUST 15 to 20 rounds!!!!!

 

[pjj342 632]

My lee sizing die seems to size the necks down way too much.  It says in the instructions that it squeezes the neck down for .308 bullets, but im using .310 bullets.  This is why I skip this step.  Maybe Im right, maybe Im wrong.  

 

I do however, use the factory crimp die after seating, and my bullets seem to fit nice and tight.  I have pulled a few with my kinetic puller,to see if they come out easier than the original bullets do. They seem to require about the same 'whack force' to get them out (very unscientific I know).

 

Heres something else ive noticed, my chamber and bolt face gets alot dirtier when using these.  It seems to be the result of my case necks not expanding to seal the chamber properly.  Since this does not happen when using my surplus cartridges, Im assuming this is why.  

 

Im going to try a few progressively tighter crimp settings and see if this gets rid of the problem.   

Edited November 5, 2013 by Boomsick42

[gunfun 3,931]

If you don't mind potentially blowing out a die. it's pretty easy to precicely hone something like a die up to a larger diameter.

 

I did that with a few push sizing dies to true them up. Take a rod and wrap it carefully with duct tape about 4 twists, then take maybe a 2" x3" square of 800 grit sand paper and overlap it with the last half inch of the duct tape strip. Roll it tightly and check with your calipers until you come up with a thickness 0.001" lower than your desired size. Chuck it in the drill and turn at med rpm and check often. After a little honing, unwrap a little and put a .5" x2" strip of paper in the roll to bump up the thickness. switch to oil and finer sand paper when you get close. It will be smoother than original, and so far, each die I have done this way is dead on, and perfectly round.

[IndyArms 10,186]

 

If you don't mind potentially blowing out a die. it's pretty easy to precicely hone something like a die up to a larger diameter.

 

I did that with a few push sizing dies to true them up. Take a rod and wrap it carefully with duct tape about 4 twists, then take maybe a 2" x3" square of 800 grit sand paper and overlap it with the last half inch of the duct tape strip. Roll it tightly and check with your calipers until you come up with a thickness 0.001" lower than your desired size. Chuck it in the drill and turn at med rpm and check often. After a little honing, unwrap a little and put a .5" x2" strip of paper in the roll to bump up the thickness. switch to oil and finer sand paper when you get close. It will be smoother than original, and so far, each die I have done this way is dead on, and perfectly round.

 

Problem is... he doesnt need to hone out the DIE... he needs a LARGER expander.

 

he has THIS:

 

http://leeprecision.com/ez-x-exp-30-cal-med.html

 

Needs one .310/.311

 

Since you are using a LEE sizing die... just ORDER a .310/.311 expander sizing insert...  NOT a .308 one. They will be happy to send you one and it will still cost about 3 dollars for the " custom one" . Then when you get it, just loosen the collet at the top of the die, and swap them out. Will take you about 2 minutes. Then you will resize to the PROPER DIAMETER. and I promise you, your loads will work better.

 

Personally, I would just use the .308 one... and the brass will expand for the .310/.311 bullets and will be just fine... Especially if they are boat tails.  Flat bases should be ok, as well.. just wanna be sure to pre-seat them nice and straight before you run em up in the die.

 

Hell... I load .308 bullets for my PSL, and they shoot MOA or less at 100 yards!! 5 shot groups smaller than a US Quarter!!   BUT I know... you are trying to reload bullets from one type of round, into another... so you need to keep the .310/.311 deal...

 

[pjj342 632]

Maybe ill grind the decapping pin off my .308 expander and see how it does.  I am using primed steel cases so the decapping pin serves no purpose to me.  I will try this and order the .310 expander and see how it goes.  

[gunfun 3,931]

It's a super cheap part to replace if you do, so why not mod the pin as you said and order the .311 expander too. If your lucky someone nearby has it in stock.

 

Post #10 makes a lot of sense, Indy. I was thinking that it was getting sized down at the neck during crimp/seat, but I think you are right.

[IndyArms 10,186]

The die itself "necks down" the case mouth undersized, so the expander brings it back to the exact inner diameter. If ya ream a die, you may not get the proper 'shrink' to resize back to, when reloading.

If I were the OP.. I would order a second .308, as well as the .310/.311 expander if planning to cut off the decapping pin n the original.

 

[pjj342 632]

I did grind off the pin, and made some more of the exact same, except neck sized and expanded with the 308 expander.  Im gonna order both next pay.

 

Ill find out what happens when I hit the range next time.  These short days suck, its not a guarantee anymore that I will make it out before darkness comes on my days off.  Hopefully tomorrow.