Thread: Best 7.62x39 subsonic loads and tips

Hi all, this is my first post, i hope to use these forums more.

I just ordered my first press and plan to start my learning with this post, I have a crappy old 7.62x39 bolt action Norinco that i have decided to do my learning with, I have shortend it by about 150mm, and sent the barrel away to get threaded, it now has an over barrel suppressor and shoots horribly inaccurate lol, I have also removed the old shitty stock and carved my own stock from some kind of native wood plank i found in the roof of my shed (actually came out really good) I want to have a play around loading up a few types of sub sonic loads, and hopefully get a bit more accuracy from it at the same time, i plan to do all my test with a chronograph.

I am hoping someone here has been down this track before and tested many different powders, projectiles ect and may have a good recipe to start with, Also if anyone would like to throw in some first timer tips that would also be very helpful,

Sure some might be thinking i am wasting time and money on this silly cheap chinese rifle (and your right) but the way i am looking at it is why have a cheap chinese rifle that shoots like a dog and never gets pulled from the cabinet, id rather do all my learning with a rifle that i dont care to much for.

hey, as you have made your own stock the first thing i would do is bed the action....then check the rings and bases .....then the scope .....eliminate all of that then try a few diffrent breeds of ammo my bushranger likes the barnaul 123gr better than the ppu .....once you know it shoots straight then look at reloads as at least then you will have a benchmark to start from.

How did it shoot in the old stock?

On top of Scotty’s advice, check the crown, and check the suppressor to ensure the bullets aren’t striking the baffles.

ADI powders are among the most readily available in NZ, and they offer free load data on their website. Also ensure you use correct .312 bullets rather than .308 bullets. Hornady make a good 125gr hunting projectile in .312.

yip been there,done that with same rifle
contact shootersnz/robert or just buy some of his AWESOME projectiles off trademe
151grn hp cast jobbies
start at 8grns of trail boss with a std primer and work your way down to 6ish till you get sound signiture telling its subsonic or use chrony till 1000fps reached
when I get some more Im going to load them above subsonic and be happy with a quieter than full power load that has more ooomph than true subsonic
I doctor projectiles just a little and can get 14mm wide mushroom on the only projectile recovered from 20 odd Ive head shot my house muttons with...piss poor preformance put me off .22lr and today when tried it again reinforced why I changed to the x39mm in first place.
I seat till lube groove is inside case and they feed fine through mine
find another mag and get it shortened to 3 shot as rifle is so much nicer to carry.
hornady 50 round sst packs of loaded ammo pretty darn good for supersonic stuff
nosler 125grn .308 ballistic tips packs of 2nds off trade me work great too.
feel free to ask any questions you want and Ill try best to answer them....the only dumb question is the one you SHOULDVE asked and didnt.

Originally Posted by tanqueray

How did it shoot in the old stock?

On top of Scotty’s advice, check the crown, and check the suppressor to ensure the bullets aren’t striking the baffles.

ADI powders are among the most readily available in NZ, and they offer free load data on their website. Also ensure you use correct .312 bullets rather than .308 bullets. Hornady make a good 125gr hunting projectile in .312.

mine happy with .308 and still goes 2" at hundred yards...the cartridge is ONLY ethical to 150-200 at max so you dont need it to be tack driver.

Making a stock requires some skill at woodwork or machining, so good on you lets see a photo. I also assume you are taking le pisse with the innacurate comment. Although .311-2 is the correct bullet diameter I have one that shoots .308 as accurately and that opens up a whole world of different jacketed bullets, and then heres cast ones that are possibly better subsonic.

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

. I also assume you are taking le pisse with the innacurate comment. Although .311-2 is the correct bullet diameter I have one that shoots .308 as accurately.

yea mine likes the .308 better than the .311....
first group after shortening and supressed

2nd group swapped out the scope and rings

and this after replacing the bases

not taking piss at all...... the difference in mine between best loads and worst isnt enough to miss deer at 150 yards. a 2" group is well within ethicle limits for a 150 yard rifle.
I tried the .308 dia projectiles and groups were still within 2" with 4x scope and am more than happy with that for a 150 yard rifle......think 30/30 with open sights or indeed the humble .303 both wont do much better.
that last group is just over 1" so definately usable...

Hopefully I have attached this image correctly, I could have spent more time on it and I still might at some point but it works well for now,

Thanks heaps heaps for the info mate, that's exactly what I was looking for,

neat looking stock...let us know how you get on.
dont know if Ive mentioned it before...get mag shortened so holds 3 not 5...makes rifle so much nicer to carry.....

Oh yes I was meant to ask about that, did you shorten your mag yourself or did you get it professionally done, I'm pretty handy with metal work also so its something maybe I could look at doing also

was with rifle when I bought it.....looking at it they have chopped bum off it and then spot welded base back on shortened box.

I might give it a try, at some stage and post back. cheers

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

was with rifle when I bought it.....looking at it they have chopped bum off it and then spot welded base back on shortened box.

Chuck up a pic if you could please, I might lop one of mine off