Any ideas on that first shot, cold barrel? bad load? or maybe I just pulled it? It was a little windy out, but I didn't feel like I pulled it. I'll load up 5 more and see how the first shot does again.
Testing a couple 7.62x39 loads in the Bear Creek Arsenal upper
- Thread starter thaHooligan
- Start Date
maybe just an oddity? was your bore cold and clean, or cold and fouled? The last 4 shots looked pretty good. I'm interested in seeing more stuff like these, been compiling info for loading up my own x39 loads. maybe some of the recipes in this folder could be helpful.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1w3aO58_ib30tsV9OBiWzpINhaOUjFyVd?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1w3aO58_ib30tsV9OBiWzpINhaOUjFyVd?usp=sharing
Awesome, thanks for that info! It was a cold and fouled first shot. I hate to admit it, but I rarely clean my barrels. lol. I'll give that load another try.
Rifle is accurate with Ruskie factory ammo even with cold barrel (no stray first shot)?
If so that's a real head scratcher to see that with reloads.
If so that's a real head scratcher to see that with reloads.
Good field report on those reloads. Interesting. Just to see if it helped at all, I wonder if you swabbed that bore with Sweet’s 7.62 Solvent, giving it 10-20 minutes to soak and strip the copper fouling out. Might slick up and smooth the way down the bore for those freedom pills.
That second load has mostly vertical stringing which could indicate barrel heat. Letting it cool a LOT longer between shots might give you better or worse results. Hell, that first shot flyer could have been the same too.
I'd also look at cleaning your barrel, if it gets worse you know to "let it run", that's yet another node to consider.
My personal opinion and it's only that, is that 300 yards is asking a lot from 7.62x39 in and auto. In a bolt gun it might get you there. You need lots of weight or velocity and the x39 doesn't really have either one of those. Not saying you can't do it, just that it may take a lot of work in a particular gun and something completely different may be required for a different gun. Keep at it and lets us know how it goes.
I'd also look at cleaning your barrel, if it gets worse you know to "let it run", that's yet another node to consider.
My personal opinion and it's only that, is that 300 yards is asking a lot from 7.62x39 in and auto. In a bolt gun it might get you there. You need lots of weight or velocity and the x39 doesn't really have either one of those. Not saying you can't do it, just that it may take a lot of work in a particular gun and something completely different may be required for a different gun. Keep at it and lets us know how it goes.
If you are going to shoot groups and not clean the barrel often you may get better first shot results by
pulling a bore snake through the barrel before shooting the first round.
That way (Some) all the dried burnt on carbon will be removed.
I also like to pull the snake through the barrel if I change what type of powder will be used.
Nothing on the bore snake just clean and dry.
Watch at the muzzle the POOF of dust as the brush part exits the muzzle.
3 pulls through and most of the poofing dust is gone.
I like my bore snakes.
A clean oiled barrel will toss the first shot also....Most of the time anyway.
pulling a bore snake through the barrel before shooting the first round.
That way (Some) all the dried burnt on carbon will be removed.
I also like to pull the snake through the barrel if I change what type of powder will be used.
Nothing on the bore snake just clean and dry.
Watch at the muzzle the POOF of dust as the brush part exits the muzzle.
3 pulls through and most of the poofing dust is gone.
I like my bore snakes.
A clean oiled barrel will toss the first shot also....Most of the time anyway.
I'll give that a try. Also, if I go ahead and clean the barrel with solvent, then the next time I go out to shoot a group. Should I shoot one round off first into the berm first before starting the 5 shot group, or just go straight at it with a cold clean bore?
Lapua cases never allowed me to get into an upper accuracy node.
You should shoot your steel cased ammo at 100 and 300 yards on paper and I am sure
you have and recorded the drops at that distance.
Now take that Lapua load and test it for drop at 300 yards.
You may end up like me and stop trying to find the upper node with Lapua cases and go with Federal or Winchester or Remington cases.
Lets say every time you go out you get an anomaly flier in the group you shoot.
I have eliminated those with annealing cases every time before sizing and neck brushing before bullet seating.
In some of my Bolt guns the Lapua cases are way to thick in the neck and I must neck turn them.
In my .243 the neck ID of the fired Lapua case measures .243".
Too tight.
You should shoot your steel cased ammo at 100 and 300 yards on paper and I am sure
you have and recorded the drops at that distance.
Now take that Lapua load and test it for drop at 300 yards.
You may end up like me and stop trying to find the upper node with Lapua cases and go with Federal or Winchester or Remington cases.
Lets say every time you go out you get an anomaly flier in the group you shoot.
I have eliminated those with annealing cases every time before sizing and neck brushing before bullet seating.
In some of my Bolt guns the Lapua cases are way to thick in the neck and I must neck turn them.
In my .243 the neck ID of the fired Lapua case measures .243".
Too tight.
I will pull a clean dry snake through the bore a few times or run multiple (6 or so) dry patches through the
bore after oiling it.
I will then shoot the first shot at the target because I really want to know where it will hit compared to the other shots.
If it hits right in the middle of them I am golden with my cleaning process.
I always swab all oils out with multiple dry patches.
I do not like dripping oil and you do not need to see it for it to be there.
Short barrels for me are more accurate and have a larger accuracy window.
16-18"
They are not as finicky when temps change either.
I used to be in the long barrel crowd.
