So, I picked up a Yugo SKS, in VG+ condition and matching #s on everything but the FCG. I sanded back the stock, and then rubbed in linseed oil and tung oil. She's a real beaut. The wood came out very well and the handguard even matches the stock!
I cast some Lee 160gn TL bullets out of WW and range scrap, water quenched, lubed with liquid alox, unsized, and I tried 14gn of 2400. Well, the leading was TERRIBLE, and it even clogged up the gas port. The lead in the barrel came out like metal pencil shavings. I admit I haven't slugged the bore yet, but it is bright and shiny to begin with. I just wanted to see if the action would cycle [about 3/4 ejection, no pressure signs]. Accuracy was horrible.
The bullet is a PB design, but the Lee website has a picture of a GCed bullet for the 160gn TL.
Does anyone have any "secret" recipes for Yugos? I'll slug the bore next w/end. I think I'll use Johnson's paste wax for lube. I use this, or a mixture of liquid alox & paste wax in my 45-70 and leading is minimal at worst.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Albatross.

Use the Lee 312-155 grain designed for the SKS. A good alloy is 50/50 which is wheelweights and pure lead. You could use the range scrap for the lead part. I would also drop the bullets from the mold into a cool bucket of water. This will water harden them. These are gas checked bullets. I use 4895 powder of any brand and you really can't get enough of it in the case to get into trouble. You'll find it hard to get over 26-27 some grains. Get a better lube. Something like 50/50 beeswax/alox, or LARS lube. Hell even Lee liquid Alox is better then the Johnson's past wax. I'm not surprised at all you got severe leading with what you used in alloy and lube. If you cast and just let the bullets air cool you should let them age for a minimum of two weeks. Bullet harden as they age. The longer you let them age the better they will be. Even the water quenched bullets so be aged.

The groove on my Yugo SKS is .311 and would bet yours is very close to that. Size your bullets .001 to .002 over .311.

He said he was using Lee liquid alox and Joe says hell even lees liquid alox is better than that. Maybe it is.

Yes he did, I was focused on that Johnson paste wax. Glad you caught that Ray.

Thanks for the advice. I've used paste wax in my 44 mag and 45-70 with excellent results, but then again, they're not going nearly as fast as the 7.62x39mm. I let the paste wax dry out for 2 weeks till it's like a thick varnish, sort of like a .22 RF.
Anyway, I'll try sizing the 160 grainers, and pick up a Lee 312 155gn mold. I measured the base on the 160 gn bullet, and it's clearly designed for a GC. I thought I could save a step....oh well.

Albatross.

I stand corrected, I thought Joe's response made no sense--but it was mine that didn't.

Slug the bore, use a bullet at least .001 over groove diameter. Use a GC'd bullet with GCs. As Joe says even LLA is better than paste wax at those velocities (looks like you've figured that out along with the need for the GCs). I've used the 312-155-2R in several SKSs and AKs along with a couple bolt guns with excellent accuracy and no leading in any of them. I sized at .314 which just touches the cast bullet in a couple places but crimps the GC and lubes with Javelina lube. Use 4895 at close to 100% loading density (26 - 28 gr; depends on case capacity and flavor of 4895).

Larry Gibson

I think you main problem was using a fast powder like 2400 on a gas check bullet without the gas check on it. In addition if you just cast those and loaded and shot them they were still plenty soft especially if they were moving pretty fast which they almost have to be to fully cycle that SKS action. Let that bullet age, maybe water drop it, put the gas check on it, use a better lube and the powder recommended and I bet that bullet you have will shoot.

Thanks guys.

Albatross.

I'll bet your bullet is small. The Yugo barrels have groove diameters that run huge sometimes. Here's an article on cast in the 7.62x39:
http://castboolits.gunloads.co...owthread.php?t=13453

Someone who had the same challenges with a Yugo:
http://castboolits.gunloads.co...18000&highlight=Yugo

Still another person with Yugo problems:
http://castboolits.gunloads.co...15314&highlight=Yugo

Someone trying fat (and heavy) bullets in his Yugo:
http://castboolits.gunloads.co...83735&highlight=Yugo

Another group buy bullet from the Cast Boolits website that I'm about to try:
http://castboolits.gunloads.co...owthread.php?t=65839

More thanks!

Albatross

The best thing to do is slug your bore. Then go from there on what to size your bullets at. My Yugo was unissued and the bore, besides being pristine, was dead on .311 groove size. Next I would try the suggested loads as starting loads until you develop your own.

My Yugo has a dedicated scope mount on it, the action is glass bedded, and the trigger is worked. I partial resize the cases and I size my Lee bullets at .313. With the Lee bullet I mentioned and the 4895 powder my best consistent groups at 100 yards is 5/8th of an inch.

Castboolits is stuck that shooting the fattest bullet that will chamber or only fit the bullet to throat as the only way cast will shoot out of anythingand that simply is not true. In many cases it will shoot better but not all of them.

Albatross,

Right now Midway has that Lee 312-155 bullet mold on sale $2 off making $17.49. Thought I'd give you a heads up on that.

Yes, saw this on the Midway email flyer. How do the 155 and 160 gn Lees do in a 30-30 [sized down of course]? I'm considering buying a NEF soon, and I have a ton of pick-up brass.

Albatross.

It would probably work but there are better suited bullets for the 30-30. Your NEF wouldn't have this problem, but I wouldn't feel comfortable using the Lee 312-155 in a tubular magazine rifle because the bullet in my opinion is a little too pointed. If there was enough recoil it may set off a primer on the cartridge ahead of hit. Like I said that is a non problem in a single shot.

the nose is where larger boolits cause problems when sized down.
for instance my 314299 has a nose diameter thats 304 it will chamber in many of my 30 cal rifles but the nose jams in the rifling causing higher pressures and makes unchambering a round an adventure on many of them.
now your nef might like the larger boolit size nose and all...

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
With the Lee bullet I mentioned and the 4895 powder my best consistent groups at 100 yards is 5/8th of an inch.

If you don't mind me copying and pasting a statement you made in another thread..........

Verdict: BULLSHIT

quote:

Originally posted by Pat I.:

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
With the Lee bullet I mentioned and the 4895 powder my best consistent groups at 100 yards is 5/8th of an inch.

If you don't mind me copying and pasting a statement you made in another thread..........

Verdict: BULLSHIT

I concur.

Well, the Yugo bore slugged out to .311 for the grooves. The Lee 160 grainers I cast are hopelessly undersized at .307-.308 unsized. They appeared to fill out well, and I was casting just below frosting point....[I'll try again and add some more solder for tin]. So much for an advertised .312 diameter. They must have been rattling down the barrel. I'll save the 160 gn bullets for a Handi 30-30, if raising the temp and adding tin doesn't help much, because I don't think I could "Beagle" the mold enough. I'll spring for Lee 155 gr and hope it'll drop a .312 bullet.
While not a casting question, is any one of the non-corrosive steel cased combloc ammo more accurate than the others?

Thanks,
Albatross.

quote:

Originally posted by Albatross:
Well, the Yugo bore slugged out to .311 for the grooves. The Lee 160 grainers I cast are hopelessly undersized at .307-.308 unsized. They appeared to fill out well, and I was casting just below frosting point....[I'll try again and add some more solder for tin]. So much for an advertised .312 diameter. They must have been rattling down the barrel. I'll save the 160 gn bullets for a Handi 30-30, if raising the temp and adding tin doesn't help much, because I don't think I could "Beagle" the mold enough. I'll spring for Lee 155 gr and hope it'll drop a .312 bullet.
While not a casting question, is any one of the non-corrosive steel cased combloc ammo more accurate than the others?

Thanks,
Albatross.

It slugged to .311 just like I told you it would. The Yugoslavs are pretty good machinist. The groove are fairly deep on that rifle, so there were some lands gripping your bullet. It wasn't quite rattling down the bore, but it wasn't an idea set up to get some decent accuracy.

What alloy did you say you were casting with?

Alloy was 50% stick-on WW : 50% range scrap [mostly commercial "hardcast"]. I fluxed with pine resin, but I didn't bother with any solder because the bullets looked fairly good. I water quenched straight from the mold. I should probably make a wax bullet, or water ice bullet to measure actual mold dimensions. Why there could be a significantly undersized mold is beyond me. I blame my technique, though I've never had any major problems with the other calibers I cast for.

Albatross.

quote:

Originally posted by Albatross:
Alloy was 50% stick-on WW : 50% range scrap [mostly commercial "hardcast"]. I fluxed with pine resin, but I didn't bother with any solder because the bullets looked fairly good. I water quenched straight from the mold. I should probably make a wax bullet, or water ice bullet to measure actual mold dimensions. Why there could be a significantly undersized mold is beyond me. I blame my technique, though I've never had any major problems with the other calibers I cast for.

Albatross.

It's hard to tell what your range scrap is. I decent alloy is 50/50 which is wheelweight and pure lead. Those stick on weight are more close to lead then the actual clip on weight. You know bullet diameters change with alloy change. That is the bullet diameter will get larger going to the harder alloy side. You alloy may be on the soft side, thus a smaller diameter. Do you have any harder alloy to harden it up with? My Lee 312-155 casts pretty large diameter with the alloy I just suggested. Let you bullets age at least two weeks before shooting them too. They harden as they age and often the diameter will increase slightly too, but not all the time.

If your measurements are accurate at .311 (bore) and 307 to 308 (as cast) I doubt if changing alloy composition is going to make enough difference to get you where you need to be! "Beageling" the mould MIGHT work but 4 to 5 thou is a long way to go and don't forget you likely need the final result to be .312 (or better). Good luck and have a great day.

quote:

Originally posted by R D McMillan:
If your measurements are accurate at .311 (bore) and 307 to 308 (as cast) I doubt if changing alloy composition is going to make enough difference to get you where you need to be! "Beageling" the mould MIGHT work but 4 to 5 thou is a long way to go and don't forget you likely need the final result to be .312 (or better). Good luck and have a great day.

I agree with your post too. I was just making him aware that the diameter of the bullet will change with different alloys. I didn't mean for it to sound as though this would solve his problem. I do think his alloy may be on the soft side.

A couple years ago I worked up some cast bullets loads for my SKS rifles using the Lee .312 160 gr.tumble lube gas check bullet. Bullets drop for the mold at .313.5 both the bores on my Yugo and Chinese slugged out at .312.

For a general purpose plinking load I finally settled on 12.5 grs. of Alliant 2400 in my Chinese SKS MV at 1400 fps.the MAX load in the 7.62 x 39 case is 15.0 grs. This load is very accurate in both my Chinese and Yugo SKS producing excellent size groups over factory Russian ammo, leading on the gas pistol has not been an issue as long as I don't super heat the rifle with excessive rapid fire secessions.

My Chinese cycles the action with the light load and dropping the brass right at my feet where as the 15.0 grs. Max load will throw the brass about 15 ft. MV runs just a little over 1900 fps. with that particular load.

Ed Harris in a PM a couple years back,in the SKS start with 11 grs. of #2400 and increase the load gradually until you get reliable function. Do not exceed 15 grains of #2400. You can work similarly within the range of 13-18 grs. of 4227, 16-22 grs. of 4198, 18-24 grs. of RL-7 or just stuff the darned case with all the 4895 it will hold if you are lazy using the two Lee C. E. Harris X39 cast bullet designs.

My Yugo SKS requires the 15.0 gr. load of 2400 to cycle it's action reliably,however if you having cycling issues with the Max load of 2400 18.0 grs. of Reloader #7 has cycled any SKS rifle I've tried it in using either of the two Lee bullet C. E. Harris designed for the X39 cartridge. I also use Reloader #7 for all my J bullet loads for 123 up to 187 grs. so it's a good dual use powder.


My Yugo shoots a bit flatter than the Chinese SKS a rear sight leaf adjustment of 400 meters is required to hit the same point of aim with the cast bullet as the factory 123 gr. ball would at a 100 meter rear sight setting. I used the same 400 meter setting on the Yugo and it shot high by several inches as the target shows so 200 or 300 meter setting is probably going to be more appropriate for the Yugo.

Yugo SKS first 5 shot test target 50 yds. irons


Chinese SKS first 5 shot test target 50 yds. irons


The tumble lube gas check bullets were cast from straight WW alloy and water quenched,lubed once with Lee Alox/JPW lubed and allowed to dry overnight,gas checks were then seated with a Lee .314 sizing die with no sizing applied to the bullet. Then tumble lubed once more and allow to dry before loading,the final bullet weight with gas check and lube was 165 grs. If you have the time you can ranch dip the TL bullets up to the top of the TL grooves and push them back through the sizer gas check first,it does a nice job of filling those lube grooves up.

That's a good group. Thanks for the load data. I'm a big fan of JPW by itself or mixed with LLA for my 44 mag, 45ACP and 45-70. I let it dry for a couple of weeks, then re-apply and let it sit again for a week or 2. It comes out looking lie the lube on .22 rimfires.

Albatross.