Gene
Buy the Oregon Trail bullets without the gas checks. These are not terribly expensive and they perform well at the low velocities.
I have loaded a little for several suppressed rifles. The 45-70 and the 7.62 X 39 are very easy to load accurate ammunition for.
The 45-70 with 18.5� barrel in the unsuppressed Marlin Guide Gun delivers excellent accuracy beyond 50 yards using the Lyman 535-grain 457132 bullet ahead of 2.5 grains of Alliant Bullseye. This load giving between 398 and 416 fps in our powder position tests. Fed through the magazine these are good walking around cartridges and the primer is the only significant noise. The pigs are very alert to this type of �pop� and it is necessary to back off beyond 75 yards if you want more than one shot.
The laser Cast 500-grain flat nose ahead of 3.2 grains of Alliant Bullseye gives 419 fps from the suppressed NEF Handi rifle using a suppressor from Johns Guns. This is a very accurate and quite powerful combination. The sound of the primer is most noticeable behind the firearm rather than out front.
Two equally good and more powerful loads in the same rifle are 8.0 grains of Alliant Bullseye for 825 fps and 9.0 grains of Accurate Arms No.2 for 861 fps. Bullets from these two loads do not seem to run out of steam and penetrate very well.
Both Accurate No 2 and Bullseye will give you single digit extreme spreads in hunting situations where you cannot take time to position the powder in the case prior to loading and firing.
The 7.62 X 39mm has proven to be very adaptable to sub sonic loading. Using the Lee 155-grain gas check bullet (the lube groove bullet not the tumble lube version) I have been able to load some very accurate low velocity ammunition for the SKS and the AK-47.
The load of choice for the 18.5� barrel AK is 5.0 grains of Alliant Bullseye which delivers 1,092 fps and excellent accuracy. This load will not work the action which could be modified by opening the gas port.
I have varied the crimp from none to a heavy using the Lee factory crimp die. Crimp does change the velocity but with the fast powders does not seem to have a significant affect on extreme spreads or accuracy � as long as all of the cartridges are crimped the same.
The low velocity loads are an excellent way to improve your bench technique. You need to handle the rifle the same way every time or you will experience flyers using ammunition of known accuracy.
The suppressors do not seem to have problems with cast bullets. Spray cleaners work well on them.
While not the complete anwer to SEE the article by Charles e. Petty in the June/July 1997 issue of Handloader titled: "Mystery Solved" is a good start for why some rifles come apart.
Last edited by william_iorg; 12/10/09.
