Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Wilson Tactical 7.62x40

Anyone shooting a 7.62x40, any load data. [improved 300 BLK]

No experience here but a friend is fond of it.

I've thought of getting Ruger Ranch in 300BO and having it reamed for the longer round and getting a couple of the longer magazine modules that SAS is making to take the longer round.

I really don't care about shooting subs, but getting a hundred or 2 more FPS would be sweet.

That sounds like a pretty good idea. I've thought of trying one of those in 300 as well, but hadn't thought of the 7.62x40.

If you did want to shoot subs with it, the slightly larger case wouldn't hurt it any, especially handloads with fast powders.

If you're not limiting yourself to subsonic and want more oomph, why not a 7.62X51?

That's certainly a valid question, although as rifle loonies we don't need a good reason, right?

In my case, already having 308s, 35s, and plenty of other "big" rifles, the appeal is partly in the efficiency of the cartridge, using 18-20gr of powder vs 45-50gr, as well as the lower recoil and mild report. Mainly it would be just for fun, I can't imagine a scenario where I'd choose that over something bigger for actual hunting.

308 is bigger, heavier, uses more powder, is more expensive, has more recoil, is chambered in bigger, heavier guns, and uses different powder than a 7.62x40.

The 7.62x40 uses less powder and is chambered in guns that are ballerinas compared to the 308 auto pigs. It uses powder like 296, which doesn't compete with just about every other non-magnum rifle you might own. It has ballistics close to the 30/30 or 7.62x39, but doesn't have the bore/throat/chamber sloppiness of the x39 and uses better AR bolts.

Yondering and BarryC have both touched upon my reasoning for the smaller .30 caliber round. Nothing at all wrong with a .308 Win, but it's just not quite what I want to play with.

Ballistics of a .30/30 or 7.62x39, smallish powder charges using powders that I already have plenty of, cases made from brass that I have plenty of, even if the brass has split necks, smaller rifle package and enough ooomph to kill whatever I might encounter on my place at max ranges I'm likely to have on my place and all with recoil that my young son, daughter or wife can handle.

Plus, in the Ruger American Ranch, I get a rifle that I won't have to worry so much if it gets a bruise or 2, unlike my CZ572 carbine. It's basically the gun and cartridge I want, but I just can't seem to let myself put it into a utility role and get it nicked up, so it's likely going to be posted in the classifieds here along with a bunch of reloading goodies and ammo and the proceeds will go toward a RARanch and goodies to outfit it.

The 7.62 x 40 is not an improved 300BO. It has been around long before the 300BO was even conceived. Also was the 300 whisper ( 300-221, 300 Fireball ) Uses standard AR length mags with the 223 case opened and trimmed. Uses 130gr bullets and shorter, and uses 1x12 twist unlike 1x8 for the 300BO. You can get lot of info and follow the development by Kurt before he made a deal with Wilson to mass produce, on AR15.com, AR, variants. It was also called 7.62 American

I may try one of those 16.5 inch 300 BO barrels for a short range deer gun.

True, it's not an improved 300BO, but another 223 based 30 cal. with less trimming. A next step would be the .30 Apache, which is a full length. 223 case opened up to
308.

25g A1680 and 110g vmax or tax.

Can that .30 Apache use standard AR mags, and if so, is any one making barrels in it?

You may be able to use P-mags if you remove the rib that rides against the 223 case neck. With the rib in place, you can expect to have stacking issues in the mag with the rounds going "pigeon toed". Long bore-riding cast bullets in the 300 Blackout have the same problem; they work fine with only a few rounds in the mag but more than 5-8 start to stack up and cause feed issues.