7.62X54 Question about bullet replacement in Mil Surplus rounds...

[Bruce_in_Oz]

if you want to get REALLY silly with light bullets, try 55grain specimens.

Not quite or even close to .311, I am talking about the .224" 55gn soft points inside a .308" discarding sabot.

Some years back, a supply of sabots, sans bullet, and sabots with bullets fitted, turned up here.

Interesting to play with, especially in 7.62 x 39.

The light bullet requires a somewhat faster powder than even the lightest .308 / .311" bullet.

I ended up using powders that one would normally use for pistol ammo, eg. Blue Dot.

Downside is that the bullets group OK at 100m, just nowhere close to where the "normal" ball or soft point projectile goes.

Apparently these components turn up in bulk packs from time to time.

[Wineman]

My limited experience with an M39 that slugs at a grove of 0.310" and 0.308" Sierra Matchkings (pulled from M-118 LR) was that up to 300 yards they were as accurate as 0.311" Sierra Matchkings. Out past that distance the scatter was greater for the 0.308" bullets. Nothing really scientific, same powder charge and primer. With iron sights groups would go from 3 MOA to 5-6 MOA at 550 yards. Needs more study but for anything under 200 yards, pick any 150 grain +/- soft point or non steel core bullet and swap them. Most of the Com-Bloc light ball I have shot has been pretty warm. If you are nervous, drop the powder charge 10%.

Dave