The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

Jim Watson · October 29, 2002, 01:43 PM

Not exactly my field, just to kick things around...
A real Jones .300 Whisper has a 1 in 8" twist to stabilize 240 grain boattails at 1050 fps.
So what one guy of my acquaintance keeps threatening to build, a "Commie Whisper" would have to have similar. A standard 7.62 barrel with 10" or so twist would probably not stabilize the subsonic heavy bullet load. For best accuracy it would have to be bored and throated for .308" bullets. But I don't know if standard Commie surplus 7.62 would then shoot accurately and without excess pressure in it.
Ruger made some Mini 30s with .308" barrels, but they were made to let the .311" bullets swage to fit gradually in a long throat. Good for an "assault rifle" but I don't know how accurate it would be in a bolt action.
You can get 7.62x39 dies with two expanders for .308" and .311" bullets, so that is ok.

It looks to me like the only point of making it up in 7.62 would be cheaper brass and no necking up, which does not seem to be important in a custom gun with a $200 stamp. And the possiblilty of shooting factory loads if that was all you could get.

The 7.62x39 is just less powerful than a .30-30 and the .300 W supersonic is close. Ought to do for deer.

October 29, 2002, 01:43 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	Not exactly my field, just to kick things around... A real Jones .300 Whisper has a 1 in 8" twist to stabilize 240 grain boattails at 1050 fps. So what one guy of my acquaintance keeps threatening to build, a "Commie Whisper" would have to have similar. A standard 7.62 barrel with 10" or so twist would probably not stabilize the subsonic heavy bullet load. For best accuracy it would have to be bored and throated for .308" bullets. But I don't know if standard Commie surplus 7.62 would then shoot accurately and without excess pressure in it. Ruger made some Mini 30s with .308" barrels, but they were made to let the .311" bullets swage to fit gradually in a long throat. Good for an "assault rifle" but I don't know how accurate it would be in a bolt action. You can get 7.62x39 dies with two expanders for .308" and .311" bullets, so that is ok. It looks to me like the only point of making it up in 7.62 would be cheaper brass and no necking up, which does not seem to be important in a custom gun with a $200 stamp. And the possiblilty of shooting factory loads if that was all you could get. The 7.62x39 is just less powerful than a .30-30 and the .300 W supersonic is close. Ought to do for deer.