UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
(PART ONE) PACO 11/03
ALL OF THE RELOADING MANUALS... ALL.. THAT I HAVE, AND I COLLECT THEM, PLUS ALL OF THE AMMO PRODUCING COMPANIES, ALL OVER THE WORLD; RECOMMEND AND PRODUCE AN UNDER PRESSURE ROUND THAT IF LOADED TO IT’S BOLT ACTION POTENTIAL WOULD BE A WONDER OF A SMALL WOODS RIFLE CARTRIDGE IN THE VERY HOT 30-30 RANGE.
BUT BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE MILITARY AK-47 AND CLONE TYPE RIFLES OUT THERE, 40,000+ CUP IS THE LIMIT THEY CAN RECOMMEND OR LOAD FOR. THE AK-47 IS THE MOST MASS PRODUCED RIFLE IN ALL HISTORY... WITH AN ESTIMATE OF OVER 50 MILLION IN THE ‘WORLD ARMS REVIEW’ OF 1990. AND MULTI-TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE IN THE CLONE SEMIAUTOS FOR CIVILIAN USE SINCE. IN MY ARTICLE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, TITLED..‘30-30 ON STEROIDS’ ... I OUTLINED THE BEGINNING TESTING I HAD DONE UP TO THEN WITH THE 7.62x39mm RUGER BOLT ACTION RIFLE.
THE LOW PRESSURE OBVIOUSLY IS NEEDED FOR ALL OF THOSE SEMI-AUTOS, INCLUDING RUGER’S LITTLE SEMI-AUTO RIFLE ALSO CHAMBERED FOR THE ROUND. BUT LIKE THE RELOADING MANUALS DID WITH THE 45-70, FORMULATING THREE LEVELS OF PRESSURE LOADS FOR THE THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF STRENGTH IN THE GUNS CHAMBERED FOR THAT ROUND. THEY COULD DO THE SAME THING FOR THE 7.62x39mm, FOR AT LEAST TWO LEVELS.
 I NOW HAVE TWO RIFLES CHAMBERED FOR THIS ROUND, THE RUGER BOLT ACTION AND THE CZ 527 PRESTIGE CARBINE.
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RUGER IS IN FACT THIER 308 CARTRIDGE LENGTH, SHORT ACTION... BUT WITH A BOX BLOCK FOR THE SHORTNESS OF THE 7.62 IN THE MAGAZINE. |
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THE CZ 527 USES THE MINI-MAUSER ACTION SEEN YEARS AGO, WHEN MANY THOUSANDS OF ALL TYPES OF MAUSERS WERE IMPORTED INTO THE U.S. FROM EUROPE. |
IF WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE 243/260 REM/308/358 LOADING PRESSURES IN TODAY’S LOADING MANUALS. WE CAN SEE THE GIANT DIFFERENCE THEY HAVE IN PRESSURE WITH THE 7.62x39mm LISTINGS. THE RELATIVELY NEW 260 REMINGTON ESPECIALLY... IT HAS MANY LOADS CLOSE TO 60,000 PSI. 15 TO 20,000 MORE POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH THAN THE SMALL SIZED 7.62. MUCH MORE PRESSURE THAN I REALLY WANT TO EXPOSE THE LITTLE CZ 527 TO, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LOAD THE LITTLE 7.62 TO THE +P+ 30-30 LOADINGS?
WELL AS WE WILL SEE THE RUGER IS BUILT LIKE ALL RUGER BOLT ACTIONS, MUCH LIKE A MOSLER SAFE IN STRENGTH. AND GOING TO 55,000 PSI+ OR SO IS NO PROBLEM. THE CZ 527 7.62.x39mm ON THE OTHER HAND USES THE .223 CHAMBERING BOLT AND LOCK UP, THAT THE 527 IS ALSO CHAMBERED FOR.... SO IN CONSIDERATION FOR THAT SMALLER BOLT/LOCK UP I KEEP LOADS TO AROUND 50,000 PSI. AND SINCE HAVING TWO DIFFERENT LOADINGS IN THE SAME CASE IS COURTING DISASTER, I KEEP THEM ALL AT THAT LOWER LEVEL. I DON’T HAVE AN AUTOLOADER IN 7.62x39mm SO THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM.
HOW DID ALL THIS COME ABOUT? FOOLISHLY I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE MIGHT BE IN RELOADING A SMALL CASE WITH THE POWDER LEVELS OF THE .223, COMPARED TO COMMERCIAL AMMO. I BOUGHT ONLY 20 BOXER RELOADABLE CARTRIDGE CASES. I RELOADED THEM ABOVE THE MANUAL’S RECOMMENDATIONS KNOWING THE RUGER WAS THE STRONG SHORT ACTION WITH FRONT LOCKING LUGS. THE 125 GRAIN BULLETS WENT 400 FPS OVER THE WOLF 122 GRAIN LOADS. THAT’S NEAR 2700 FPS. AND WITH THE RUGER’S .308 BORE.... THE ACCURACY WAS OUTSTANDING. I WAS HOOKED. BUT NOT THE WHOLE WAY.
AS I SAID ABOVE WHEN I FIRST STARTED ON THIS ADVENTURE IT WAS WITH THE IDEA THAT I WOULD HAVE ONE RIFLE I DIDN’T RELOAD FOR.... WITH THE 20 ROUNDS OF RELOADABLE BRASS, I BOUGHT A BOX OF REMINGTON LOADED AMMO BUT THE CASES HAVE SMALL RIFLE PRIMER POCKETS. AND I PURCHASED A LIFE TIME SUPPLY OF VARIOUS CHEAP 7.62 AMMO. SO AT LEAST WITH ONE RIFLE THE 7.62, I WOULD KNOW AND REMEMBER ALL THAT, BECAUSE IT WOULD NEVER CHANGE. JUST GRAB THE RUGER A POCKET FULL OF AMMO AND RUN.
I WANTED A RIFLE THAT I DIDN’T HAVE TO LOOK UP ALL KINDS OF RELOADING RECORDS FOR DIFFERING BULLET WEIGHTS, POWDER CHARGES, DROP FIGURES...ETC, ETC. I HAVE BASICALLY NOW RELEGATED THE CZ 527 TO THAT ROLE, MOSTLY COMMERCIAL AMMO, BUT THE RELOADS ARE ALSO SAFE FOR IT. AFTER TESTING SOME OF THE WEIRDEST AMMO IN THIS CHAMBERING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD (SEE LAST ARTICLE ON AMMO ACCURACY) WOLF CAME OUT SO WELL, AND IT IS SO ACCESSIBLE NOT ONLY IN ARIZONA, BUT THE REST OF THE WORLD I SUSPECT, SO I STORED AWAY A THOUSAND ROUNDS OR SO.
SO LETS LOOK AT A BASIC FACT, AS USUAL MANY CRITICS SAY THE 7.62x39mm IS NOT A DEER ROUND. WELL IN THE MILITARY LOADING IT ISN’T. BUT THE WOLF AMMO I HAVE HAS POINTED SOFT/POINTS. AND WET PHONE BOOKS SHOW IT EXPANDS JUST FINE THANK YOU. WOLF RUNS OVER 2300 FPS AND 1450 FT.LBS OF MUZZLE ENERGY.
WHEN I MEASURED BULLET DROP WITH THE COMMERCIAL AMMO OUT OF THE RUGER. THE WOLF STUFF SET AT THREE INCHES HIGH AT 100 YARDS, WAS JUST UNDER AN INCH AT 200 AND DOWN JUST OVER 13 INCHES AT THREE HUNDRED YARDS. NOT A FLAT SHOOTER, BUT VERY MANAGEABLE. BESIDES, EXCEPT FOR COYOTE NOW AN THEN, THIS WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A 300 YARD SHOOTER.
AS FAR AS DEER GO IT IS A STRETCH AT 200 YARDS. BUT IF YOU CAN PLACE YOUR SHOTS WELL ENOUGH, AND CERTAINLY THE ACCURACY IS THERE, IT WILL DO DEER VERY WELL AT THAT RANGE. AND IT IS JUST UNDER 1000 FT.LBS AT 200 YARDS. REMEMBER THAT SADLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AT DEER WEIGHT, MORE OR LESS, HAVE DIED TO THE 7.62x39mm AT ALL RANGES, ALL OVER THE WORLD. THAT’S A TERRIBLE WAY TO RECOMMEND IT AS A HUNTING CARTRIDGE, BUT IT IS A FACT THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY CREDITABLE.
AT THIS AGE, MY EYES ARE NOT THAT ABLE ANYMORE TO FULLY USE FINE OPEN SIGHTS. AND I MISS THAT. AND IT’S A SHAME BECAUSE CZ HAS SOME OF THE FINEST OPEN SIGHTS I HAVE EVER SEEN ON MASS PRODUCED RIFLES... EVEN ON THEIR 22RFs. SO WHEN I PUT FIVE SHOTS OF WOLF INTO AN INCH AT 50 YARDS WITH THE OPEN SIGHTS OF THE 527, I KNEW I HAD A WINNER COMBINATION. THE LITTLE 6 POUND RIFLE COMES WITH A SET TRIGGER, AND THAT IS OUTSTANDING.
THE 7.62 CASE IS ABOUT A ½ INCH SHORTER THAN THE 308 CASE, LIKE THE 308 IS ABOUT 15% SHORTER THAN THE 30-06. DOES THAT MEAN THE 7.62x39 WILL COME WITHIN 15% OF THE 308? NO...BUT, IN THE RUGER IT WILL REACH BLACK BEAR LEVELS OF KILLING POWER AT WOODS RANGES. THE PROBLEM BEING THE BULLET WEIGHT... IT IS HARD TO GET ANYTHING OVER 130 GRAIN BULLETS OUT OF THE CARTRIDGE CASE FAR ENOUGH, TO GET ENOUGH POWDER IN THE CASE, AND STILL CYCLE THROUGH THE SHORTER CZ BOX. AND BEING A TRUE MAUSER CLAW EXTRACTOR, SINGLE LOADING IS NOT A REAL OPTION WITH THE CZ. WITH THE RUGER THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM, AS 150 GRAINERS FIT FINE, LOADED LONG.
THE 7.62x39mm IS ALWAYS COMPARED TO THE 30-30 IN POWER AND BALLISTICS. BUT IT IS A LITTLE BELOW A HANDLOADED 30-30 WITH 125 GRAIN TYPE BULLETS. BUT NOT FROM THE BOLT GUNS IF PROPERLY RELOADED, IT’S A 30-30+P+, AND WITH SPIRE POINT BULLETS THE 30-30 CAN’T USE IN THE TUBE. AND ALSO CAST BULLETS CAN BE UTILIZED WITHOUT THE WORRY OF CLOGGED PRESSURE DESIGNS THAT OPERATE THE SEMI-AUTOS. IT’S A WIN/WIN CARTRIDGE.
ANOTHER PLUS IS IT’S EFFICIENCY, NORMALLY A 25 GRAIN OR SO CASE CAPACITY TO KEEP PRESSURE LOW... AND A 30+ GRAIN CASE WHEN SPIKED UP THE 55,000 PSI+, OR MEDIUM FAST RIFLE POWDERS ARE USED... IT IS WELL BELOW THE 50+ GRAIN CAPACITY OF THE 308 CASE. WHAT DOES THAT DO BESIDES SAVE ON POWDER CONSUMPTION ? WHICH IS NO SMALL PLUS CONSIDERING TODAY’S POWDER COSTS.
IT BURNS SO WELL WITH SMALLER AMOUNTS THAT WE CAN USE SHORTER CARBINE LENGTH BARRELS, AND STILL MAINTAIN HIGHER VELOCITIES THAN COMMERCIAL. THE CZ 527 HAS AN 18½ INCH BARREL, IT’S BALLISTICS ARE JUST A SMALL AMOUNT BELOW THE RUGER’S 22 INCH BARREL. THE RUGER HAS A SYNTHETIC STOCK, THAT IS BUILT FOR RUGGEDNESS AND HARD HUNTING, FOR CLIMBING MOUNTAINS AND ROCKY TERRAIN, WHERE A FEW SCRATCHES MEAN VERY LITTLE. THE CZ IS A SMALL CLASSIC WALNUT AND CHECKERING DESIGN WE RARELY SEE IN RIFLES IN IT’S PRICE RANGE. (CZ’s CONSUMER SUGGESTED PRICE IS $588. MY GUN STORE SOLD THE 527 TO ME FOR $450 BEFORE TAXES.) IT’S A RIFLE I WILL USE FOR THE WOODS AND SNAP SHOOTING THE DESERT BRUSH.. NOT FOR ROUGH HUNTING. AND A ROUND THAT WILL TURN A COYOTE INSIDE OUT, OR TAKE DOWN DEER WITH EFFICIENCY. AND THE CZ IS VERY EASY TO HIDE IN THE CAB OF MY RANGER PICK-UP.
AS I SAID ABOVE, THE WHOLE IDEA OF ME BUYING THE RUGER BACK MONTHS AGO, WAS TO HAVE ONE RIFLE I DIDN’T HAVE TO RELOAD FOR, YET COMMERCIAL AMMO WOULDN’T EAT MY POCKET BOOK ALIVE. WOLF AND OTHER COMPANIES SELL VERY FINE NON RELOADABLE, NON-CORROSIVE AMMO AT RIDICULOUSLY LOW PRICES. THE LAST ONE HUNDRED I PURCHASED RAN AROUND $2 PER TWENTY. THAT’S .10 CENTS A ROUND. IT’S HARD TO BUY JUST JACKETED SOFT NOSE BULLETS AT THAT PRICE.
THE VARIOUS COMMERCIAL AMMO I HAVE IS LOADED WITH A 123 GRAIN SOFT NOSE SPIRE POINTED BULLETS, 122 GRAIN POINTED HOLLOW POINTS... AND SOME OF THE UGLY MILITARY 123gr. FULL PATCH. BUT AS I POINTED OUT IN THE LAST ARTICLE. IN AN EMERGENCY, THE OLD MILITARY NON-CORROSIVE AMMO CAN HAVE IT’S NOSE TIPS CUT OFF. BELOW THOSE TIPS, ARE VERY NICE HOLLOW POINTS. MAKES FOR A GREAT LEGAL FUR HARVESTER’S BULLET, THAT WON’T TEAR UP PELTS.
PLUS WITH THROW AWAY BRASS, I FIGURED THAT IT WAS AN EXCELLENT SETUP. SINCE I RELOAD FOR 17 DIFFERENT CARTRIDGES, WITH ALL KINDS OF BULLET WEIGHTS AND POWDER COMBINATIONS... I’M CONSTANTLY AT THE RANGE BEFORE HUNTING TO SIGHT IN THE RIFLE WITH THE AMMO I’M GOING TO USE.... CHECKING BULLET DROP, ACCURACY AND ALL THE REST. FINALLY A RIFLE I DON’T HAVE TO RELOAD FOR...WITH THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE AND MEN. AS THE SUN GOES DOWN, MEN TAKE TIME TO PONDER, AND ALL CHANGES THEN.
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THE GUNS...
RUGER..
THIS RIFLE IS 7 PLUS POUNDS OUT OF THE BOX. MANY THINK A SYNTHETIC STOCK AUTOMATICALLY MEANS LESS WEIGHT AND A LIGHT RIFLE. NOT ALWAYS SO. AND IT ISN’T WITH THIS ONE, BUT IT IS NOT UP IN THE 8½ POUND LEVELS LIKE SOME. IT IS THE SHORT ACTION LENGTH, WITH A 22 INCH BARREL, STIFF TAPERED FOR EXCELLENT ACCURACY. LIKE MOST RUGER RIFLES IT’S VERY STRONGLY BUILT. IT IS IN BLUE STEEL NOT STAINLESS. AS STATED THE MAGAZINE HAS A BLOCK SO THE SHORTER 7.62x39mm ROUNDS WILL MOVE SMOOTHLY. RUGER’S USUAL WELL BUILT, GOOD ACCURACY, MEAT AND POTATOES RIFLE. IF YOU WANT A STRONG 7.62x39mm THIS IS IT.CZ-USA
... THIS IS THE CARBINE MODEL OF THE 527, IN THE ‘PRESTIGE’ LINE/DESIGN OF STOCK. THE WOOD IS WALNUT AND VERY/VERY NICE, DONE WITH WHAT LOOKS MORE LIKE AN OLD WORLD LINSEED OIL FINISH... THOUGH I’M SURE IT IS NOT, BUT IT’S ALSO NOT THE SHINY PLASTIC LOOK EITHER. IT IS THE MINI-MAUSER ACTION AND A 18½ INCH BARREL... AND IT LOOKS VERY WELL BALANCED EVEN THOUGH IT IS A VERY SMALL AND COMPACT RIFLE.AT 5½ POUNDS OUT OF THE BOX, IT IS A JOY TO CARRY. THIS MODEL HAS THE CLASSIC AMERICAN STOCK LOOK BUT IT HAS MANY RESEMBLANCES OF THE EUROPEAN THINKING IN STOCK MAKING. THERE IS A CONTINENTAL EURO/STOCK DESIGN ALSO. IT HAS A CLIP FEED MAGAZINE. AND I’M NOT REALLY TURNED ON BY THAT, BUT IT FITS THE RIFLE’S BALANCE AND IS VERY HANDY WHEN IN THE FIELD. THE SINGLE SET TRIGGER IS EXCELLENT, WITH A BREAK OF ONE POUND ON MINE... AND AT NON-SET IT BREAKS AT FOUR POUNDS... FINE FOR A SHOT THAT IS QUICK AND NOT PLANNED FOR. THIS WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT FIRST CENTERFIRE RIFLE FOR A YOUNGSTER... OR SOMEONE THAT IS VERY RECOIL SHY. AND OF COURSE THE AMMO COST IS VERY LOW SO A YOUNGSTER CAN PRACTICE VERY DILIGENTLY WITHOUT KILLING THE BUDGET. I WOULD BUY THIS BEFORE I WOULD BUY A 243 FOR A YOUNG SHOOTER.
A WORD TO THE SHOPPING WISE ABOUT CZ AND THEIR RIFLES. DON’T LET THE LOW PRICES FOOL YOU INTO THINKING THEY ARE NOT TO THE STANDARDS OF AMERICAN RIFLES. JUST THE OPPOSITE, THEY ARE WAY ABOVE THE STANDARD GRADE AMERICAN OFFERING FOR A LESS PRICE. FOR EXAMPLE, I HANDLED A CZ IN 375 H&H CHAMBERING YESTERDAY. THIS IS THE LONG MAGNUM LENGTH BOLT ACTION... A COMPARABLE AMERICAN RIFLE WOULD BE EASILY WELL OVER A $1000. THE CZ 550 WAS $625. THE WORD WILL GET OUT AND CZ WILL RAISE PRICES, RIGHT NOW THEY ARE TRYING HARD TO BREAK INTO THE AMERICAN MARKET, SO THE NEAT 22RFs ARE UNDER $200 AND THE .223/7.62 527s ARE AROUND $450, STANDARD CALIBERS RUNNING $500+ AND SO ON. MY NEXT ONE WILL BE A 6.5x55 AND THEN A CARBINE IN 9.3mm. THAT WILL FILL OUT MY GUN CABINET.
THE LOADS...
IT IS A SHAME WE LIVE IN A LAWYER FILLED WORLD, MEN WITHOUT SOULS LOOKING ALWAYS FOR A LAWSUIT WARRANTED OR NOT. AND BEFORE THE GOOD LAWYERS THAT READ THIS GET TIGHT ABOUT WHAT I SAID... REMEMBER THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOC. ACTUALLY TOOK ON THE GUN INDUSTRY NOT BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD A RIGHTEOUS CASE, OR EVEN THAT THEY EVER COULD WIN, BUT JUST TO PUT THE INDUSTRY OUT OF BUSINESS WITH LEGAL COSTS. THEY WERE WILLING TO PUT THE WHOLE FABRIC OF MANUFACTURERS PRODUCT LIABILITY INTO CHAOS, BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE TO BE THE GUN INDUSTRY’S WATCHDOG. THE QUESTION IS WHO WATCHES THE WATCHERS? I’M SAYING ALL THIS BECAUSE IF WE LIKE IT OR NOT, GIVING LOADING INFORMATION MAKES GUN WRITERS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE... EVEN WITH DISCLAIMERS THERE IS ALWAYS SOME QUACK THAT IS GOING TO TRY TO MAKE A LAW SUIT OUT OF HIS MISTAKE.
DON’T THINK SO? I KNOW A VERY FINE GUN WRITER, AND A CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND WHO GAVE A LOAD FOR A RUGER SINGLE SHOT RIFLE, ONE OF THE STRONGEST ACTIONS ON THE BLOCK, WITH ReLOADER #7. THE JERK THAT WENT AFTER HIM USED ACCURATE 7, A PISTOL POWDER. AND OF COURSE BLEW UP HIS GUN. AND SO MY GOOD FRIENDS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED MY WRITING ALL THESE 20 YEARS.... WE STILL HAVE TO SAY IT. WE DON’T CONTROL ANY PHASE OF YOUR RELOADING PROCESS AND TAKE ON NO RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IT. AND THESE LOADS ARE SAFE ONLY IN MY GUNS AS FAR AS I KNOW.....
PUSHING THE 100/115 GRAIN LEVEL .308/310 CALIBER BULLETS TO 2750 FPS IS NO PROBLEM WITH POWDERS LIKE H322, AA1680 AND W680. ALSO THE 125/130 GRAINERS CAN BE PUSHED TO 2600+ FPS. AND WITH 748 AND ReL#7 THE 140/150s CAN HIT 2400 FPS.
WITH THE 110 SPIRE SOFT POINTS I USE 28/W680 WITH WINCHESTER LARGE STANDARD PRIMERS... I DON’T USE THE SMALL PRIMER REMINGTON CASES FOR RELOADING. THIS IS THE SPEER BULLET MADE FOR THE 308/30-06 CLASS OF VELOCITIES FOR ‘YOTES AND SUCH. BUT OUT OF THE LOWER VELOCITY 7.62x39mm IT BECOMES A GAME BULLET.
NOW DON’T THINK I AM TRYING TO PUSH THE REASONABLENESS OF THIS BULLET BEING USED FOR TAKING DEER. IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT IT TO BE... IF A 100/105 GRAIN 243 BULLET AT 2900 FPS FROM A RIFLE WILL HARVEST LARGER GAME, SO CAN THIS BULLET AT A 100 OR SO FPS LESS. I ALSO HAVE DONE, AND STILL DO, USE THIS BULLET FROM MY 30-30s... I JUST CLIP THE NOSE SO IT HAS A SMALL FLAT FOR THE TUBE. THE B.C. IS HIGH FOR SUCH A SHORTY AT .273. AT 3 INCHES HIGH AT 100 YARDS IT IS JUST UNDER FLAT ON AT 200 YARDS. THESE ARE ACTUAL TEST FIGURES NOT COMPUTER GENERATED STUFF. IT IS DOWN A LITTLE UNDER 1O INCHES AT 250 YARDS. THE BOOKS TELL US THAT AT 200 YARDS IT’S RUNNING JUST OVER 1040 POUNDS OF ENERGY, AND AT 250 OVER 980 POUNDS. IN THE RIB CAGE AND BOTH THOSE FIGURES BRING HOME THE VENISON. THAT’S BECAUSE THE BULLET EXPANDS VERY WELL EVEN AT 250 YARDS. NOW 980 FT.LBS IS THE SAME AS A .357 MAGNUM HEAVY LOADED AT THE MUZZLE. AND I HAVE TAKEN A WAGON FULL OF DEER WITH .357s A LOT FURTHER THAN THE MUZZLE.
EVEN BETTER 28.5 GRAINS OF AA 1680 UNDER THE SPEER 125 GRAIN .303 SPITZ-SP GIVES 2665 FPS FROM MY 22 INCH RUGER. AT A B.C. OF JUST UNDER .300, A 3 INCH HIGH AT 100 YARDS GIVES INCH AND A HALF PLUS AT 200 AND DOWN 6+ INCHES AT 250! IT EVEN DOES WELL AT 300 YARDS BUT THE ENERGY IS NOT THERE UNLESS IT’S COYOTE. AT 200 YARDS IT IS RUNNING AROUND 1200 LBS OF PUNCH. AND AT 250 YARDS IT’S NEAR 1075 FT.LBS.
HORNADY’S 130 GRAIN SSP OVER 27 GRAINS OF A 1680 IS IN THE SAME LEVEL AS THE 125 GRAINER ABOVE... BUT IS RUNNING AROUND 2550 FPS.
25.5 GRAINS OF ReL#7 UNDER THE SPEER 150 GRAIN 30-BT SPITZ-SP RUNS NEAR 2400 FPS FROM THE RUGER. WITH IT’S B.C. OF .423 IT’S DOWN RANGE BALLISTICS SHOULD BE WONDERFUL... MY ONLY WORRY WOULD BE WILL IT OPEN WELL PAST 150 YARDS. SOMEONE ELSE WILL HAVE TO TEST IT, ‘CAUSE I’M SATISFIED WITH THE SPEER 125 GR .303 SPITZER.
SO IS IT PRACTICAL TO HAVE A BOLT ACTION RIFLE CHAMBERED IN 7.62x39mm? PROBABLY NOT, BUT WHAT DOES LOVE HAVE TO DO WITH IT, AS THE SONG DIVA CRY’S OUT. THE LITTLE CZ 527 IS SO CHARMING, SO LIGHT AND HANDY, WITHOUT RECOIL ENOUGH TO TAKE YOUR EYES OFF TARGET WITH A 6X SCOPE, IT’S ENOUGH RIGHT THERE TO OWN ONE. TAKE IT FROM A LEVERACTION/COMPACT RIFLE NUT... RECOMMENDING A BOLT ACTION, IT IS PRACTICAL, FUN, AND POWERFUL ENOUGH.