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Reloading 7.62 x 39
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Actually, reloading 7.62x39 for either the Mini-30 or Ar-15 is the smart way to go. Both of these guns have .308 bores, and I recommend you avoid surplus ammo in them.
Use American made components. Data can be found in most loading manuals. I also recommend using bullets between 110 and 130 grain.
If you want a gun to shoot cheaply in this caliber, find an SKS. They have .310 bores, and will handle surplus ammo easily.
Use American made components. Data can be found in most loading manuals. I also recommend using bullets between 110 and 130 grain.
If you want a gun to shoot cheaply in this caliber, find an SKS. They have .310 bores, and will handle surplus ammo easily.
Actually, reloading 7.62x39 for either the Mini-30 or Ar-15 is the smart way to go. Both of these guns have .308 bores, and I recommend you avoid surplus ammo in them.
Use American made components. Data can be found in most loading manuals. I also recommend using bullets between 110 and 130 grain.
If you want a gun to shoot cheaply in this caliber, find an SKS. They have .310 bores, and will handle surplus ammo easily.
Use American made components. Data can be found in most loading manuals. I also recommend using bullets between 110 and 130 grain.
If you want a gun to shoot cheaply in this caliber, find an SKS. They have .310 bores, and will handle surplus ammo easily.
Actually, reloading 7.62x39 for either the Mini-30 or Ar-15 is the smart way to go. Both of these guns have .308 bores, and I recommend you avoid surplus ammo in them.
Use American made components. Data can be found in most loading manuals. I also recommend using bullets between 110 and 130 grain.
If you want a gun to shoot cheaply in this caliber, find an SKS. They have .310 bores, and will handle surplus ammo easily.
Use American made components. Data can be found in most loading manuals. I also recommend using bullets between 110 and 130 grain.
If you want a gun to shoot cheaply in this caliber, find an SKS. They have .310 bores, and will handle surplus ammo easily.
Stubby cases, such as the 7.62 x 39, while capable of unusual accuracy in bolt guns, have one tendency you have to watch: the cases stretch.
I have a rifle chambered for a wildcat called .308 x 1.5 (sometimes known as the .308 Barnes). Basically a .308 Win case shortened to 1.5 inches in length, while preserving the neck and shoulder profile. Talk about being a glutton for punishment: I not only have to load my own rounds, I first have to make my own brass! I use a case forming set from RCBS and have found that starting with virgin .300 Savage works better than .308 Win.
I check the cases for length after every other round, generally trim after every fourth round, and re-anneal the necks and shoulders after every trim.
For what it is worth, the rifle (not the shooter) is worth way less than one MOA (actually, just about one-half). The load is a 125 gr. Sierra soft-point with 33.0 gr. 748 and CCI #250s.
I have a rifle chambered for a wildcat called .308 x 1.5 (sometimes known as the .308 Barnes). Basically a .308 Win case shortened to 1.5 inches in length, while preserving the neck and shoulder profile. Talk about being a glutton for punishment: I not only have to load my own rounds, I first have to make my own brass! I use a case forming set from RCBS and have found that starting with virgin .300 Savage works better than .308 Win.
I check the cases for length after every other round, generally trim after every fourth round, and re-anneal the necks and shoulders after every trim.
For what it is worth, the rifle (not the shooter) is worth way less than one MOA (actually, just about one-half). The load is a 125 gr. Sierra soft-point with 33.0 gr. 748 and CCI #250s.
Stubby cases, such as the 7.62 x 39, while capable of unusual accuracy in bolt guns, have one tendency you have to watch: the cases stretch.
I have a rifle chambered for a wildcat called .308 x 1.5 (sometimes known as the .308 Barnes). Basically a .308 Win case shortened to 1.5 inches in length, while preserving the neck and shoulder profile. Talk about being a glutton for punishment: I not only have to load my own rounds, I first have to make my own brass! I use a case forming set from RCBS and have found that starting with virgin .300 Savage works better than .308 Win.
I check the cases for length after every other round, generally trim after every fourth round, and re-anneal the necks and shoulders after every trim.
For what it is worth, the rifle (not the shooter) is worth way less than one MOA (actually, just about one-half). The load is a 125 gr. Sierra soft-point with 33.0 gr. 748 and CCI #250s.
I have a rifle chambered for a wildcat called .308 x 1.5 (sometimes known as the .308 Barnes). Basically a .308 Win case shortened to 1.5 inches in length, while preserving the neck and shoulder profile. Talk about being a glutton for punishment: I not only have to load my own rounds, I first have to make my own brass! I use a case forming set from RCBS and have found that starting with virgin .300 Savage works better than .308 Win.
I check the cases for length after every other round, generally trim after every fourth round, and re-anneal the necks and shoulders after every trim.
For what it is worth, the rifle (not the shooter) is worth way less than one MOA (actually, just about one-half). The load is a 125 gr. Sierra soft-point with 33.0 gr. 748 and CCI #250s.
Stubby cases, such as the 7.62 x 39, while capable of unusual accuracy in bolt guns, have one tendency you have to watch: the cases stretch.
I have a rifle chambered for a wildcat called .308 x 1.5 (sometimes known as the .308 Barnes). Basically a .308 Win case shortened to 1.5 inches in length, while preserving the neck and shoulder profile. Talk about being a glutton for punishment: I not only have to load my own rounds, I first have to make my own brass! I use a case forming set from RCBS and have found that starting with virgin .300 Savage works better than .308 Win.
I check the cases for length after every other round, generally trim after every fourth round, and re-anneal the necks and shoulders after every trim.
For what it is worth, the rifle (not the shooter) is worth way less than one MOA (actually, just about one-half). The load is a 125 gr. Sierra soft-point with 33.0 gr. 748 and CCI #250s.
I have a rifle chambered for a wildcat called .308 x 1.5 (sometimes known as the .308 Barnes). Basically a .308 Win case shortened to 1.5 inches in length, while preserving the neck and shoulder profile. Talk about being a glutton for punishment: I not only have to load my own rounds, I first have to make my own brass! I use a case forming set from RCBS and have found that starting with virgin .300 Savage works better than .308 Win.
I check the cases for length after every other round, generally trim after every fourth round, and re-anneal the necks and shoulders after every trim.
For what it is worth, the rifle (not the shooter) is worth way less than one MOA (actually, just about one-half). The load is a 125 gr. Sierra soft-point with 33.0 gr. 748 and CCI #250s.
Adam_MA said:
Using .310 diameter bullets in a .308 diameter bore tends to increase the pressure to higher levels. The Colt may take it all right, but they do show problems. I learned this from a good friend in the Albany, NY area that has another friend that owns a Colt and had this problem.
So, the real point here is the Colt and Ruger have Off-Spec chambers, due to improper bore diameter.
You can shoot surplus ammo out of a Mini 30 and the reason is that Ruger designed it that way for saftey, The throat of the bore is .311 and goes down to .308. And this is the reason that Mini 30's are not known as tack drivers. Contact Ruger for yourself and they will tell you. The carbines are made at the Prescot Arizona plant and the phone # is 928-778-6555
May be kind of late in the history of the thread; but I'm going to try my first batch of reloaded 7.62x39 with .308 bullets out of my Mini 30 tomorrow.
Lapping & re-torquing the gas block provided some boost in accuracy. Trigger work helped too. Now I'm going to check out how .308 diameter bullets affect accuracy.
Tonight I loaded 50 Speer 125 gr SPT bullets in front of IMR 4227; 5 rounds each in 0.5 grain increments between 17.5 gr and 22.0 gr.
Lapping & re-torquing the gas block provided some boost in accuracy. Trigger work helped too. Now I'm going to check out how .308 diameter bullets affect accuracy.
Tonight I loaded 50 Speer 125 gr SPT bullets in front of IMR 4227; 5 rounds each in 0.5 grain increments between 17.5 gr and 22.0 gr.