Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Reloading 7.62x39

I sat down to do case prep for reloading 7.62x39 this weekend. I�ve been collecting brass for awhile and managed to accumulate several hundred boxer primed cases from various sources. They all deprimed and resized without a hitch, but when I began to seat primers I hit a case that didn�t want to seat the primer. No problem, I hit it with a tool to open the priming pocket just a touch. I do this with military cases in other cartridges frequently.

I tried to seat the primer again. No luck. Hmmm, messed up primer pocket I guess. Set it aside and move on. 5 or 6 cases later, I hit another just like it. Checked the headstamp and found that they were both Remington. Checked the 15 other cases that seated primers just fine � Federal, Winchester, and a headstamp I didn�t recognize (Magtech?) but no Remingtons. Large rifle primers simply did not fit the Remington brass. But guess what? SMALL rifle primers fit PERFECTLY.

It appears that for some bizarre reason Remington has loaded 7.62x39 ammunition with SMALL rifle primers while the rest of the world uses LARGE rifle primers.

If anyone here is loading Remington 7.62x39 brass I�d be happy to swap the Remington brass I have for some that take large primers. I�d rather standardize.

Watch this thread for future updates.

I plan to load a 312 diameter cast lead bullet for plinking and hunting when we can no longer afford jacketed bullets (oh wait, we are already there!)

I�m not sure what powder I�ll settle on but I�d like to develop a load with Red Dot since I have it on hand and prefer other powders for shotgun use.

Anybody have a load worked up?

Anybody heard of Ramshot X-Terminator rifle powder?

The latest MidwayUSA flier has it on sale at $12.99 per pound. At that price, it may be worth trying some even though I have never heard of it�..

How many Rems you got?

I tried XT in my 7.62x39, Don't have my load data in front of me, but I think I worked up to 30gr with 125gr bullets, that's a heavily compressed load with fine ball powder. Worked OK, but although I like compressed loads, that was a little much for a ball powder and the velocities were rather slow.

Thanks Steve. I did not count them when I sorted them out, but I'm guessing about 20. I'll count them when I get home.

Yes, the early Remington's were indeed primed with small primers and may still be for all I know. I would be willing to trade W-W large prime sized for a hundred or so of the small primed.
I am using a 165 grain cast bullet with 4895 and H-335 and getting 1878 to 1931 fps with excellent accuracy.

Forgot to add: I haven't used Red Dot yet but, have tried 8 grains of Unique with the Lyman 311356 out of my CZ and it only shoots, 2.5" at 100 yards. All my cast bullets are sized .314".

Thanks Joe. Sounds like you have a good load there. I only have a handful of the Remington cases, but I'll give you guys a shout if I end up with more.

For what it is worth 10 grains of RedDot behind 150 grain cast lead bullet will not cycle teh action and 13 grains will expand so hard cases won't eject, so teh ideal load is probably in between.....

I had good luck with BL2C and R7 with 123 grain jacketed projectiles. I'm currently working up a load with 2400 behind a 155 grain cast bullet sized to .312 and gas checked too.

After 10 years and 4 months! I've used Rx7 and WC-844 with jacketed.

Today's load experiments (still trying to use up or lose those small primer Remington cases!) were to try several of a light .312 diameter cast bullet I found in my reloading room with 6 grains of Bullseye and 7 grains of Red Dot. Neither load cycled the action but both let me ring a steel gong at 50 yards. I'm just playing around using up odd ball components that are taking up space on my reloading bench now. I have another 30 or 4 of these projectiles so I might as well have fun using them up!