reloading .223 vs 7.62x39

[tank1949]

Dash,


What is the best accuracy that you can get out of your penetrators? Military studies shows that the bullet is only reasonably accurate compared to non pens. Too much YAW. The 55 grain fmj are much more accurate and the 62 FMJ are better too. I suspect the steel core is causing the YAW. The best consistancy that I can get is about 4" group at 200 yds. My ARs shoot very accurate with other bullets, but the mil-spec 62 sc stuff I can not get to be super accurate. And I have tried a bunch of different powders too.

 

[Rangefinder]

accuracy is a product of consistency. Mil-surp bullets are cranked out high-volume. They have much looser standards on weight deviation. Don't expect match quality from a run that can vary upward of 3+ grains as an acceptable standard. Steel-cores "can" potentially be extremely accurate--IF the core is perfectly centered and has even distribution of lead and jacket around it. Longer bullet of lighter weight and higher velocity makes for fantastic BC--when everything comes together right. This in not typically the case, however, which is why match-grade bullets cost more.... CONSISTENCY.

 

[Marco Califo]

Let's do the Twist!

Too much YAW. The 55 grain fmj are much more accurate and the 62 FMJ are better too. I suspect the steel core is causing the YAW. The best consistancy that I can get is about 4" group at 200 yds. My ARs shoot very accurate with other bullets, but the mil-spec 62 sc stuff I can not get to be super accurate.

It is critical to specify what barrel twist your statement refers to. I am convinced that most discussions about accuracy in 223/5.56 are (or should be) about barrel twist rate and what bullet weight the shooter expects to shoot well (either correctly or incorrectly).

For example, your gun could have a 1:12 twist and shoot that way. But a different gun, with a 1:9" twist, may shoot both those bullets very well. While another gun, with a 1:7" twist may spin lighter bullets at so fast an RPM that they lose structural integrity, while shooting 80-90 gr bullets extremely well.

 

[spacecoast]

223 is much more versatile.

Maybe, but can you blast through a foot of phonebooks with it?

But if you want an odd-ball gun for novelty or your local cold war re-enactments, get an SKS or AK.

Considering that at least 2x-10x as many AKs have been manufactured as any other rifle, that is a pretty funny comment.

 

[tank1949]

Marco,

My slowest complete gun is 1x9. My wilde chambers are all 1x8. But, you are 100% right about the twist need for the 62 grain. I have an older 1x12 or 14 (cant remember which ) upper and it will drive 55 fmjs mil specs all MOAs. Put anything greater, including match 69 smk and it goes all over paper.

 

[TennJed]

Thanks again guys. So it looks like I could buy factory 7.62 for about .25 cents a round and could reload .223 for about .18 cents. Does that sound about right ?

 

[iraiam]

Thanks again guys. So it looks like I could buy factory 7.62 for about .25 cents a round and could reload .223 for about .18 cents. Does that sound about right ?

Those prices don't sound out of line.

I do reload for the 7.62X39, but not for just shooting ammunition, I have about 150 rounds of reloads that deliver what I consider match grade performance from an SKS, still accurate out to the effective range of the cartridge, where Tula steel case is only balpark at that range.