I’ve always felt that the 7.62x39 mm cartridge doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Often treated as a novel noisemaker, we forget that the case shares many of the same properties as highly regarded benchrest cartridges. Additionally, with a power factor similar to .30-30 Win., it makes an excellent choice for deer-size game. As we begin to see the last of the inexpensive Russian 7.62x39 mm hit our shores, perhaps this is an appropriate opportunity to legitimize the cartridge and encourage its use beyond plinking.
Bore diameters on rifles chambered in this cartridge vary, so it is especially important to start at the published minimum and work your way up; if you have the means to slug the firearm before starting out, that would be ideal. This recipe involves Hornady’s 0.310" 123-grain polymer-tipped SST bullet. Hornady’s custom dies are the best bet for loading it, as the company includes an expander for this diameter of bullet. GECO brass is my go-to, as I have a pile of these cases lying around from once-fired Freedom Munitions training ammunition.
After cleaning and sizing, I use a primer pocket uniforming tool to square-up this area before seating a Remington 9½ Large Rifle primer. These primers stand up well to the abuse they might receive from a free-floating firing pin and ignite spherical powders more reliably than others, in my experience. Accurate 1680 is my preferred powder, as a charge of 24.7 grains adequately fills the case while leaving enough room to seat the bullet to the cannelure. Crimping is the wild card in this load, as I’ve had success both with and without it, depending on the firearm.
Loading these with a powder measure and a single-stage press seems to offer the best balance of precision and speed, but all the parts are there if you wish to roll off a larger quantity with a progressive. Either way, this load will have you dusting off your SKS or rethinking the capabilities of your AK-47.
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