Reloading 7.62x39 into 30-06?

[mud99]

I'm starting to put together reloading supplies for the Garand I just ordered from CMP.

I've never loaded for a .30 caliber before, but i'm shocked at the price for bullets & powder, it seems like even if I order components in bulk, i'm over 40 cents a round.

Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense when I can buy 7.62x39 or 54 non-corrosive Tulammo for $.25 cents a round, which is from my understanding filled with a 4895-type powder.

Has anyone tried pulling Tulammo and reusing powder + bullets?

[Divernhunter]

Not the same type powder. Bullets not the same either. M1 bullets are .308 dia and 7.62X39 and 7.62X54R use .310 dia bullets. Be carefull on loading for the M1 or you can bend(ruin) the operating arm. Use IMR 4895 and 150gr bullets and you will be ok.

[toby]

Just how much of that unknown Tula powder do you plan on putting in an 06 case?.....

[Low-Pressure]

[CSACANNONEER]

Sometimes it is a good thing to ask stupid questions. In this case, the OP's stupid questions might have kept him alive! Please, until you have a ton of experience, DO NOT DEVIATE from proven recipes! Do not try to cut corners. Saving a few cents a round can get you injured or killed. Be careful and keep asking all the dumb questions you can think of!

BTW, yes, what you are proposing can and has been done by experienced reloaders. To use the bullets in a 30-06, .308, 7.5, 30-30, 300WM........ one would need to first RESIZE the pulled bullets. To reuse the reclaimed powder, one would need to KNOW (not guess) the burn rate. For now, I suggest you pay a few cents more and do a little less work. You will end up with better and safer ammo.

[John Browning]

Sometimes it is a good thing to ask stupid questions. In this case, the OP's stupid questions might have kept him alive! Please, until you have a ton of experience, DO NOT DEVIATE from proven recipes! Do not try to cut corners. Saving a few cents a round can get you injured or killed. Be careful and keep asking all the dumb questions you can think of!

Well said. I hear replacement eyeballs and fingers aren't cheap these days.

[kurac]

yeah I heard about a guy that tried something like that but you don't hear from him anymore because he lost all his fingers and I think one eye and maybe an ear

[mud99]

Don't you just fill the case to the top and squash the bullet it?

In all seriousness, I would work up a load with the mystery powder, which while not 4895 is supposedly in the same speed range.

The Tula bullets are .3105. Some shooters claim increased accuracy with a .310/311 bullet.

As far as it being unsafe, I figure any reloading experiment is safe, as long as you bring enough string so that you can pull the trigger while hiding behind the car 300 feet away, and video tape it.

Anyway, I found a smoking deal today on 500 Hornady 150 gr FMJ-BT bullets, so for the time being my Tula experiment will be on hold.

Just how much of that unknown Tula powder do you plan on putting in an 06 case?.....

[CSACANNONEER]

Don't you just fill the case to the top and squash the bullet it?

With trailboss you can do that for many cartridges.

In all seriousness, I would work up a load with the mystery powder, which while not 4895 is supposedly in the same speed range.

The Tula bullets are .3105. Some shooters claim increased accuracy with a .310/311 bullet.

As far as it being unsafe, I figure any reloading experiment is safe, as long as you bring enough string so that you can pull the trigger while hiding behind the car 300 feet away, and video tape it.

Anyway, I found a smoking deal today on 500 Hornady 150 gr FMJ-BT bullets, so for the time being my Tula experiment will be on hold.

Mystery powder would scare the hell out of me. .3105 LEAD bullets might be OK in a .307 bore but, I would highly recommend running jacketed bullets through a .308 sizing die before loading.

[ivanimal]

Go to Pats reloading and buy some bulk pulled bullets and cheap powder. Your life, health and safety are worth more than a few bucks savings.

[buffybuster]

As far as it being unsafe, I figure any reloading experiment is safe, as long as you bring enough string so that you can pull the trigger while hiding behind the car 300 feet away, and video tape it.

This statement is a non sequitur to your original post of wanting to try and pinch pennies by doing to DIY load development. You're willing to risk damaging or destroying a M1 Garand in an experiment to try and save a few cents per round..... If that isn't being pennywise and pound foolish, I don't know what is.

[Retzius]

Not sure if this thread is serious...

[Dark Mod]

Not sure if this thread is serious...

I think it totally is

Handloading for any .30 caliber cartridge is going to be kind of expensive, but if you buy in bulk and get deals where you can you should be able to pump them out at $.20 a round or so not counting brass.

Before you start trying to pull Tula ammo apart for the components, you should at least do some cursory price comparisons. You could save half by just figuring out where to shop. If your reloading to save money and buying components from your local gunshop your doing it wrong.