I have some deer removal to do on my christmas tree farm and am currentlyusing my 6.5x55 CZ 550. It is a fairly large rifle for walking around the rows and I really want something that handles like my CZ 452 but with a bit more gusto. I was pondering getting a CZ 527 in 7.62x39 and recalled that the bullet weight it was designed to use was in the mid 120's. What I'd like to know is if I could use a 125g Nosler BT humanely and effectively on Eastern PA whitetails at ranges up to 125 yards? Does anyone routinely shoot 125-150g Noslers out of their 7.62x39? Anyone have a 527 they load for?
Posts: 233 | Location: Solebury, PA | Registered: 20 December 2002
Yup, loaded the 125 BT in a ruger mini thirty. My son took his first deer,(nubbin buck), with it. The bullet performed quite well. The hit was just forward of the back legs, 2 inches below the back line. It removed the bottom half of the spine, one loin, and exited with a one inch exit wound. He dopped and died quickly. Range was right about 100 yds.
Velocity was right around 2400 fps, accuracy was about 2.5 inches,(that mini never shot much better than that). Best thing that rifle did was be worth something when I traded it in on his A-bolt 7-08!
Posts: 596 | Location: Oshkosh, Wi USA | Registered: 28 July 2001
Hello MLC. I have used the 125 ballistic tip in 7.62x39 and a wide variety of other mfg.'s equivalents in working up a deer load for a Sako custom rifle. I settled on the Sierra 130 single shot pistol bullet because of accuracy in my gun and performance in pine 4X4s. I took 5 125 pound or less deer with the Sierra with all broadside shots except one. Heart/lung kind of shots ranging from 40 ft. to 90 yards. Very good exit wounds, little travelling, no recovered bullets, and could tell no difference between those kills and equivalent shots with a .30 caliber. Settled on H-322 for powder. The 7.62 is very good for these conditions.
Posts: 2374 | Location: Eastern North Carolina | Registered: 27 August 2003
I've often thought that the7.62, with 150 or 165 gr cast GC bullets would be the end all truck/woods/atv rifle.. about an 18" barrel, cz action, kevlar stock... 5 or 6 # with peep sights..
I had the same thought but couldn't get any 150 CG's I liked. My supplier had some of the 115 grainers used in the .32-20. I figure those would be good for anything smaller. They'll also be fun with about 10 grains of Unique at about 1700 fps or so.
Posts: 4869 | Location: Lakewood, CO | Registered: 07 February 2002
It's true that my bore slugs at .311. My cast bullets are sized accordingly to .312. That is also one of the reasons i could not find a suitable 150 grainer.
But, when using jacketed most people find that the .308's do surprisingly well in the .311 bore. Back when the .32 H&R first came out I used a lot of the speer 100 garin short jackets and the 110 grain HP in my Ruger SSM. They shot every bit as good if not better than the .312's.
I shoot the 115's in my .32 H&R rifle at about 1700 and they are sweet. I just like the idea of a repeater. Maybe I should call this my 7.62 Hornet, lol.
Posts: 4869 | Location: Lakewood, CO | Registered: 07 February 2002
Quote: I have some deer removal to do on my christmas tree farm and am currentlyusing my 6.5x55 CZ 550. It is a fairly large rifle for walking around the rows and I really want something that handles like my CZ 452 but with a bit more gusto. I was pondering getting a CZ 527 in 7.62x39 and recalled that the bullet weight it was designed to use was in the mid 120's. What I'd like to know is if I could use a 125g Nosler BT humanely and effectively on Eastern PA whitetails at ranges up to 125 yards? Does anyone routinely shoot 125-150g Noslers out of their 7.62x39? Anyone have a 527 they load for?
I am using the Sierra 150 grain .308" flatbase spitzer and the 180-grain Speer .311" RN in my CZ 527. These little cartridges don't have much powder space, and need every bit they have for powder!! Therefore, the flatbase type bullets work better, taking up less powder space. I use 28.5 Grains of H335 with the 180's (2000 FPS), and 31.5 grains of H335 with the 150's @ 2300 FPS. Both kill deer. But so will the 125-135 grainers, if loaded up to max. I orifginally developed these loads in an SKS, but neither seem to strain the CZ 527, and both are 1.5 MOA loads in the CZ!!
There is another option in case you weren't aware of it. Graf & Sons (the reloading supply company) contracted with Hornady to make properly sized and weight V Max bullets for loading in the 7.62x39. If the .308 BT's don't work well you could try these. Ther are only available from Graf & Son's.
Neal in AZ
Posts: 84 | Location: Southeast AZ | Registered: 25 November 2000
Jeff, Z1, you thought right. With no load development at all and ammo cobbled up using .32 ACP dies, my CZ 527 is giving me groups in the 5/8" range at 50 yards w/ 27 grains of H 322 under Lee's C312-155-2R heat treated and GCed to .312. Does better than that when I can discipline myself to space my shots.
Actual bullet weight comes out at 159 grains ready to be loaded. Book velocity for that load is 2100 fps.
On my list of projects to be done before hunting season are some trials with Lee's C309-150-RF and some experimenting with the 155 with the nose annealed.
Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002
and exited with a one inch exit wound. He dopped and died quickly. Range was right about 100 yds.
