7.62x39 AR questions

AR/M4 Beyond 5.56/.223
41

I also bought in to the 7.62x39 for the budget friendly ammo, mostly shoot Tula.

But…I couldn’t resist the urge to try a handload, with a heavier bullet, to improve long range performance.

I worked up a load with RL-7, Hornady 155gr ELD-M, and Starline brass.

25.0gr RL-7 yields 2140 fps from the 16" barrel, per magnetospeed chrono. 100 yard accuracy about 1.75" for 8 rounds.

I have taken the handload out to about 550 yards with good accuracy on basketball size rocks, using the ACSS reticle in the 3X prism.

42

@MontanaMarine

is that a Faxon barrel? the real question, since your ELD-M projectiles are .308", is your 7.62x39 barrel .308" or .310"/.311". I know the Faxons are .308" specifically for creative people like you.

that’s impressive.

43

No, my barrel is the garden variety from PSA. It’s just a basic PSA barreled upper, that I added the UTG Pro handguards, and Primary Arms 3X.

I did my best to slug the bore and measure it with a pellet of 00 Buckshot. Best I could tell, the bore is about .309"

44

Wow! Not even floated. That’s pretty decent accuracy. Primary Arms had a Radical sale (yes I know), and I pulled the trigger on a 7.62x39 upper because it was dumb not to when I was already looking. I need to get to the range and give a report. I’d be tickled if my upper is somewhere around that accuracy. The specs are similar.

45

They are a lot of fun to shoot.

Just yesterday I received another upper in 7.62x39. This one is a 20" barrel, medium contour, with mid-gas, and a 15" floater. Rolled the dice and ordered it from AR15Parts.com. It shipped fast and arrived well packed and in good shape.

I put it together with some stuff on the bench, and took it out to test-fire/zero. Wind was 15-20 mph with a winter system rolling in on us, almost full-value, distance 100 yards.

Tula 122gr FMJ fired into 2" groups at 100 yards. My handload above shot into 1.75" as it did with the 16" upper. Didn’t have time to chrono, but planning on putting together a load with the 155gr and H335, should be able to get to 2300 fps in the 20" barrel.

The longer float tube gives this rig a steadier base of support with that longer ‘wheelbase’, than the 16" with carbine handguards.

46

All 3 of my uppers are middies. One is floated from PSA. One is a 10.5" Alpha Shooting Sports middie that is a floater. I would like to have a 20" floater. I have a spare Aero upper to barrel.

47

Montana,
Are your build and reloads for range use only or also for hunting?

If also for hunting, is it for pig and what kind of distances do you use it for?

How is the starline brass 7.62x39

Just wondering if you are still tweaking your reload recipe or if that is the highest velocity you can get and still keep a decent group.

I know a guy that reloads for a 7.62x39 Ruger bolt gun and he likes it…says it shoots good groups.

At first I thought only a retired guy with too much time on his hand reloads 7.62x39 because I think most people just buy cheap steel cased sp or hp for hunting pigs.

The distances for pig are short here (forest/jungle) and the cheap ammo is accurate enough

48

Tim808,

I’m just kind of exploring with the reloading at this point. I think more speed is possible, maybe 2300 with a 150-155gr from the 20" barrel, while keeping pressure around 52K psi.

I’m playing with the ELD-M bullet, which is probably soft enough to open up down to 1800 fps or so. The 150gr Hornady SST bullet might be the better choice for hunting.

If I end up hunting with it, it would be for deer, I’m thinking it should be fine to 200 yards.

Yeah, I got into the x39 for the low priced steel case ammo, but since I reload for other rifle cartridges, I couldn’t leave this one without seeing what is possible.

49

Thanks Montana!

I’ve heard that reloading can become a hobby in itself :slight_smile:

50

Really cool to see people actually reloading and providing dope for 7.62x39mm ARs.

I’m running a PWS MK111, so everything is proprietary. That and other AR47s gotta be fed by C Product mags.