7.62x39 reloading

[neinLG]

Ok so I have decided to start reloading my 7.62x39 brass. However I have a few questions. First, what is the best primer to use? What is the best powder to use? Where can I find good components at reasonable prices? Any tips or advice would be helpful. Ive just set out to start reloading. So at this point anything would be helpful.

[deth502]

well, thats a tough question. x39 is a round where you can find diffrent primers for. iirc remington brass takes a small rifle primer, while win and pmc take a large rifle primer. dont know about other manuf's, these 3 are the only brass i have.

the best advice is to figure out what bullet you will want to load in it, then get a reloading manual from that company and see what powder they reccomend.

i use sierra 110gn varminters in front of some ww296. prob not the best powder, but iuse it 'cuz i got a BIG keg of it that i also use for the 357 + 44.

IF i order components through the mail, i usually go with mideway usa, but i prefer to get them "in person" from local gun shops or if i take a trip to cabellas.

[DieselPower]

As deth502 mentioned depending on the manufacturer there are two different size primers used.

Another thing to consider is that while high quality 7.62 x 39 can be economically loaded the majority of firearms that use it are very hard on the ammunition. AK varriants and SKS can be brutal on the cases.

[daschnoz]

Yes, Rem. brass uses small rifle primers. All the others use large rifle primers.

As with any semi-auto rifle, you want a primer that has a hard enough cup so as to not slam fire when the action goes into battery.

Here's my primer list in order of preference (all are magnum strength primers).
-Large rifle primers
CCI#34
CCI#250
Winchester WLRM

-Small rifle primers
CCI#41
CCI#450
CCI BR2

CCI #34 and #41 are NATO spec - designed specifically to counter the risk of slam fire. Oddly enough, I have heard that Winchester small rifle primers are not good to use in this application.

AVOID Remington primers. The cups are too soft.

Powders -- AA1680 is THE powder for x39, but others will work fine. Reloader-7, H4198, or anything else in the faster rifle powder family will yield decent results. You may also want to look at Alient 2400. Data for 2400 yields lower power loads that still cycle most AK's. The bullet zips at 1800-2000fps, but your shoulder isn't beat up, and you're not searching the next county for your brass. It's actually a pleasant load for a Sunday afternoon.

Bullets -- I've loaded everything from 110gr M1 carbine bullets to the 123gr bullets specifically designed for this caliber. Any bullet in the .308 to .310 diameter ball park should be fine. If you're running an AK, you won't notice the 0.002" bullet diameter difference on the target. Also, bullet weights over 150gr don't perform all that great. You can't fit enough of a slower powder in the case to get a heavier bullet up to any decent speed. .308 125gr Speer "TNT" bullets work fine for that Sunday afternoon, and they're pretty cheap.

Get yourself a set of LEE dies with the factory crimp. That factory crimp is great.

Hope this helps.

[neinLG]

Yeah that definitely helps. Right now Ive been eyeing winchester brass, and hornady 123g fmj. Id like to find a winchester 123g fmj but thus far i have been unsuccessful. My main concerns were what you covered. Proper powder and primer. Im pretty new to this and have limited guidance. Ive been reading a sierra manual that was lent to me but it seem inadequate. I appreciate the help.

[idpasharpshooter]

i've only reloaded one batch of x39 ammo i used 123 grain hornady bullets winchester brass cci magnum primers and a minimum load of h-335 for a 125gr out of my lee manual with very good results although shooting it out of my ak not only made brass recovery hard but it dented the side of my case significantly

if you trying for accuracy you may want to play with it but just for plinking i would say any load out of a manual will work well for ya

[aschwabe]

FYI, Guns & Ammo September 2007 has a nice article about reloading 7.62x39

Its a good read, worth picking up, or photocopying at a library (does anybody go to libraries anymore ??)

[Bib]

....and if you're just sighting-in or plinking slow-fire at the range, you can take the gas piston out & have a straight-pull bolt action....and NOT have to chase your reloadable brass all over the firing line.