My son and I reload that as well, He has a mini-mauser in that and it makes a great first rifle. The feed is a little rough, but he doesn't know any better yet. I guess I am just spoiled rotten.

I thought about RL'ing for mine but the ammo is so darn cheap when it's on sale so....and them steel cases are Berdan primed so, yuk. Fiocchi is nice stuff and good looking brass and I think it's Boxer primed- got several boxes unshot and I'll save the brass and ship it to one of ya's if ya like...geez my m-59 and my 22lr are the only things I let hit the floor, kinda nice though since they are self-loaders...just shoot 'n scoot.

Nice jersey FN. Looking good man! Lower that saddle 2mm. Looks a tick high in yer avatar...I run my saddles euro style- 2-3mm lower than most here in the US.

we use winchester 7.62 x 39 brass and aa1680 with hornady bullets great combo and it's educational all around. Training the kid in 1. Bolt action rifles, 2. reloading basics, 3. there is noise with low recoil. (no flinch induction) 4. this is a very economical round to reload, 5. Plenty of power for killing game humanely at ranges encountered. This is fun shared by both of us and around the shop we frequent they call him 7.62 Sam, This adds to his pride and enjoyment. I have purchased firearms costing over 10x as much but none have been as big of investment in the future.

That's funny, I don't feel it in my avatar!

Hah! Good one. If yer hip's don't rock yer fine. Built me another off-road slugger too....I'll post it up later on yer bike thread.

I'll try that 2mm I got a century tomorrow.

fnuser is that rifle a Zastava?
I worked my bolt over and over untill it got smoother I have also found loading 1 less round in the magazine works well too.now I hardly notice the action shooting at fleeing walabies is really good for quick bolt throw if I dont connect I will empty the mag and then some before they get out of range.the not so smooth bolt is alot better with a bit of use.

Elvis, Yes sir it is. The way he is going he'll break it in naturally, when he is ready for a full size stock i'll probably put a wenig classic mannlicher on it.

great wee rifles I love mine to bits, we stripped the stock and rubbed some oil on it so its not so shiney and free floated the barrel when I do my part she shoots good groups and Ive taken a hang of alot of game with it.the 7.62 sure is a breeze to load for I do 123grn and 150 grn for brother in law to use in his baikal break open.

I agree it is, We cut Sam's down @2" so we would have room to put a pad on it. And he has already managed to crack the stock and scuff the eyepiece on the scope, (which got him a free glas-bed, cause I wasn't gonna mix up a batch of acra-glas for a wrist repair and not bed it). We shot paper since then and the scope zero'd again and held it's just ugly like the rest of the package. Now it is real like the velveteen rabbit.

well guys had my 1st failure today with the 7.62x39
just dug this post up and realised I didnt own one back then..lol
I load 125grn .308 nosler B.T.s in her and they shoot just great,hares are in trouble and I am confident to take them out to 100yrds..havent tried stretching it past there lately...must put paper up before roar/rut or better still get these pesky 3 ltr milk bottles out filled with water...
anyway back to beginning
I had the cravings for a roast of mutton and freezer was devoid of said requirement so I grabbed the x39 and a few rounds and went out to visit our flock of silly baa baas
lined up "Mat" at 50-75 yards and thought to self..neck has to be more certain than earhole as more room for error.... bang.....off goes flock with Mat aswell
well THAT wasnt in the game plan
followed them around slowly and had a chance but another sheep got in way so kept following slowly till he split off with the younger ones and I could ambush him..he wandered up my way and I popped another one in back of neck from 25ish yards and finished job off
got him home and skinned him...first shot that had no effect other than a little bleeding(maybe half a cup) had been 1" at most low and had missed everything important a little bruising but nothing else I am suprised the shock didnt knock him down...we live and learn
hmmmmm should have used .223 and given him a lead disprin behind the ear like the last ones
oh well I will have my son using this rifle on deer soon with any luck so it will be chest shots only I feel.

Elvis, at least you were a good enough hunter to track him down and finish him.

Shooting a rifle that is not sighted in - even at close range is a difficult stunt to pull off. Glad you got your mutton after all that work.

Back in the day before they became a hazard here in NZ I owned one Just like Bushys, but mine got thrashed to bits chasing goats in the bush. I bought my ammo in 2500 round lots at about $150 a box and just loved that little rifle. I went through about 6 boxes shooting goats, possums, targets or whatever) I could hit a mob of 10 goats and slay the lot. At the time I was posted to Wairoa in the Hawkes Bay of NZ and goats were and still are a pest. DOC (department of conservation) gave me my own 400 hectares and let me loose.
Im ashamed to say that once the Military Style laws came into effect I couldn't afford the fees and the upgraded safe so i turned my gun in and bought a 6.5x55 Mauser rifle. Its quite funny looking back, I started with a P14 in .303 a true tack driver to about 300 meters, then I had the SKS, then the swede.

Elvis:
Perhaps a bullet that expands at a lower velocity? The x39 was Russia's answer to the German assault Kurtz cartridge. Its primary attribute was reduced recoil and barrel lift. Killing power was not a key consideration. Surplus military ammo really doesn't bring out its hunting capacity. There are. 308 bullets out there that should give you equal expansion to the 30-30 at the typical velocity of the x39.

Juat a thought.

MacD, good suggestion. Now another few sleepless nights and Elvis's nose is pointing to Gelandagand's .300 Whisper... that kills even behind corners...