Handloading for the SKS

[res45]

As always start and the recommended starting load and work your way up slowly watching for signs of pressure.

I spent about a day working on  loads for my YUGO & Chinese SKS.  Using Winchester cases,trimmed to length with the Lee case length gauge & cutter, CCI #34 Mil-Spec primers, AA1680 powder and the Hornady 123Gr. SP seated & crimped right on the cannalure. There is nothing special about this load,It just simply shoots. I think most SKS's in good working order and a good bore would do this with the correct load work up.  The Mil-Surplus ammo just doesn't bring out the best in these rifles.


Test Targets





Dies: Lee Pacesetter 3 die set w/factory crimp die.

Brass: Winchester

Primers: CCI #34 Mil Spec 7.62 mm Large Rifle Primer bought in 1K lots use with Winchester Brass

Powder: Accurate 1680 / Reloader#7 / IMR 4198 all excellent powder for the 7.62 x 39 mm

Bullet: Hornady .310 123 Gr. SP/ FMJ / V-MAX

Bullet: Speer Hot Core & Prvi Partizan 150 Gr. .311 dia. shoot really nice in both my SKS Rifles




Ok got out this morning and did a little testing  with my 150 Gr. SP loads.  I feel like this load will shoot allot better I'm using iron sights and my eye sight of late isn't what it used to be  definitely need a new pair of glasses for my shooting to improve. My sights are set 1" high at  50 Yds. The load functioned perfectly ejecting the spend brass about 15 ft. from my table. I had one slight flyer on each group or they would have been a bit tighter,but I'm  happy with the results for a short range  heavy bullet load. Max load in the LEE manual is 24.8 Gr. of Reloader #7  My load was 24.0 Grs. even.   I saw no pressure signs on the primer with this load,according to the load data the MV is a little over 2100 fps.  I used the load data from the newest  LEE reloading manual.  The rounds seem to equal the feel of Golden Tiger Russian ammo they definitely have a little punch to them.
 
 
Speer 150 Gr.  .311 FB SP The black squares are 1/2"

Prvi Partizan 150 gr. .311 BTSP


I  use the TechSight front post on my YUGO only.  The rear sight on my YUGO works just fine with the smaller dia. pin its about 1/2 the size of the original factory pin. You will need to spread the bottom of the new pin slightly so you get a good tight fit I also put a drop of blue thread locker on mine once I got it set.

Small diameter front sight post click on the  accessories tab on the left side of web page.
http://www.tech-sights.com/


The rounds are crimped using the LEE factory crimp die that came with my die set.  The .310 dia 123 gr.bullet crimp shows up more because of the cannelure, however the .311 dia 150 Gr. Speer bullet does not have a cannelure and is crimped on a slightly less heavier setting becauseof the extra 0.001 that helps hold it in place. The LEE factory crimp die will not crush the case  like the regular roll crimp will if you apply to much crimp, it just compresses the neck at the point of contact and makes a nice round neck crimp.  I have seen no ill affects on accuracy using the Lee FCD on bullets with no cannelure.

[Dand]

Hmm - very interesting.  I have handloaded a little for my Chinese SKS and everything has gone bang and made holes in the targets but never as close together as what you show.  Maybe I need to take more time with it. I use the Lee dies and factory crimp too.  Wish I had some 1680 to play with.   Thanks for the post.

[R.W.Dale]

Timely post, I just ordered a FCD for my 170grn FP load that I shoot in my 7.62x39 ar15 to prevent setback as those big FP's jostle their way up the feed ramps.




Have you tried shooting any .308 diameter bullets yet? I'd be curious to see if your rifle's performance with them matches my experiance.

The Mil-Surplus ammo just doesn't bring out the best in these rifles.

Don't poo poo the capability of steel cased ammo. In my bench rifle Monarch and 154grn wolf deliver 100yd 5 shot groups in the 1.25" range, not too shabby for ammo that costs less than $5 a box
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,157533.0.html

[res45]

Haven't tried the .308 bullets yet,I have some Speer 150 gr. SP I use in the 30-30 I though about doing some testing with,just haven't gotten around to it.   As far as the steel case ammo goes I have never been able to achieve the same results with any of it in my 38 yr. old Yugo SKS as I have with my reloads.  The good lord knows I have tried.  I shot about everything there was and allot of it trying to find the best ammo for my particular rifle and 2" 5 shot groups was about the best I could come up with.  That was with GT FMJ,my reloads are only costing me about $4.25 a box of twenty for the next 1K so I'm good to go for awhile.

I was lucky enough to get in on the Hornady .310 123 gr. SP special at Wideners about a month back and picked up 1K of those bullets for $79,plus tons of brass at the public range before the brass recyclers got wise.   Powder and primers I had bought up a big stash about three years ago.   I walked into an old gun shop a few weeks ago and they had some old dusty boxes of Hornady .310 FMJ on the shelf for $10 a box so I bought all ten boxes.

[jgalar]

1680 worked very well in the 7.62x39, but I have to much trouble finding it anymore. I use R7 now.

The .308 Sierra 110 grain hollow point using 1680 shot very well in my Chinese SKS.

I only use cast bullets now so can't comment much about currently available bullets.

[res45]

I like 1680 also I still have a couple lbs. of it but like you nobody around me carries it,but RL7 is plentiful and works just as well for me.   310 and 311 dia bullets are still available but the price has gone up,hopefully with the metal prices dropping they will back off a bit.  I shot some cast bullets for the first time last week through my Chinese that a friend has cast for me to try out.  Lee 312-155 with GC,sized to  310.5 best group I got was at 50 yds, with 22 grs. of RL7.  My sights were set up for 123 grs so they shot a little low.

[R.W.Dale]

if you cannot find aa1680 try keeping your eyes peeled for N120, both these powders mirror one another quite closely. I've tried re7 before but I never could attain the velocity or accuracy aa1680 or n120 offered.



H335 has thus far produced the smallest groups (.258") however this propellant is a bit slow in the velocity dpt with lighter projectiles.