Reloading 7.62x39 for Hunting and Distance

I have to second that thought, it looks like someone FINALLY found a way to make the 7.62x39 respectable, for a minute anyway...

Between accuracy issues and stopping power, I have always considered the 7.62x39 rifle offerings & the round itself a 'Wounding', rather than killing combination.
OK for stacking up military casualties, but ineffective for larger game, too inaccurate for smaller game & varmints.

With groups like that, I may have to rethink this position...
Either way, groups like that would make it fun to target shoot!
And it would drive all the 'Purists' crazy on the range... Always worth something
Click to expand...

Well Russian accuracy limits and the case in an auto gun (not to mention AP) is a whole different story than a bolt action with a good barrel in a 30 caliber (more or less) round.

As noted, its a 30-30. Haven't looked to see if there is a separate load section for the 39 in a bolt though.

With hunting bullets its as good maybe a bit better than a 30-30. Not bad company I would say.
 
I have a 7.62x39 AR top with a respectable barrel, lower accepts AK mags, both stick & drum. Shoots about half size groups as I've seen most Russian rifles do, grouping about 1.125" average with hand loaded ammo.

Because of cheap ammo, it's what I give the ammo wasters when they come to visit. Case clean up with a magnet, and I've still got cases of ammo I got cheaper than I can buy components.
AK mags will tire you out loading, so it saves on my other ammo.
I call it an AR-47, that seems to mess with people more than calling it an AK-15.
I might not pass on the next .310 barrel that shows up, I have a couple bolt actions laying around here doing nothing...
 
I am just back from the Whitetail hunting trip.

I was not confident to hunt with the 150gr bullets, as they were spraying, as the velocity climbed. I have a separate thread on the issue here: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=581429


So I decided to just grab some ammo on the trip and hope for the best. I was able to find Federal, 123gr SP.....the Hornady ammo nowhere to be found. The Federal ammo zero'd really quickly. The jury would be out until 123 grains found some hide.

The property where we hunt is managed and we all agree to not shoot a buck, unless it is 5 yr old....or older. We would harvest a Doe or two for meat. The first morning, I passed on an impressive 8 point....but figured him to only be 3 years old.....he will be a monster in 2 years. That was the only buck I saw over three days.

The last evening I pulled the trigger on two Doe's, both dropped within 50 yards of bullet impact. I was very disappointed to learn that both 123gr SP bullets passed through both deer....I was unable to recover the bullets to check for expansion. The first was at 200 yards and the second was around 260 yards. The latter deer was impacted by the bullet, low in the chest, behind the shoulder, immediately busting a rib, exploding the heart and exiting through a rib on the back side. I kid you not....a direct heart shot at 260 yds.

At the end of the day, this little Howa in a 7.62x39 is a lethal deer round and I dare say.....out to 300 yards.


I did let my brother shoot the gun and he was amazed that the recoil felt less than his 22-250. I think this is a HUGE plus, as I have no problem "Seeing" the target "through the shot", which sometimes isn't possible with higher recoiling rifles.


Next up, will be the wife on a hunt with this little gun and I might not ever see it again......


........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top