Answering the cast bullet question absolutely nobody asked...

armoredman · May 2, 2014, 07:57 PM

That question would be - can you use H-335 powder under a cast bullet in 7.62x39mm? OK, so maybe I'm the second guy to ask that, because at castboolits.gunloads.com there was ONE guy who posted he had tried 16 grains of H-335 under a 160 grain Lee cast bullet and had decent functioning on his AK. So, I loaded up some 155 gr lee cast, and used 16 and 16.5 grain loads.
I wasn't going for real accuracy, just to see if I had a starting point. And the answer is, yes, they had JUST enough oomph to get the bullet out of the barrel. They did hit my steel target at 100 yards, who politely "bonged" to let me know they hit, but refused to move. VERY light, and I don't know how they would operate any semi-auto bolt system. Felt like I was shooting a 22.

So, just in case you had EVER wondered about that exact question, there ya go.

Vance · May 2, 2014, 10:03 PM

Nice to hear your results. Did you think to email Hogdon about your question? I emailed Accurate about using 2230 for cast bullets in .223 and they politely said start with xx grains and work up from there (the specific amount is written down somewhere, just not handy). I had made a similar inquiry of Alliant about one of their powders and got a very rude answer.

armoredman · May 2, 2014, 10:43 PM

Nope, didn't do that, took a shot in the dark. I had a very GOOD idea that I was well under the safety margin for error, due to the jacketed data being 27 grains starting load same weight bullet.

I wasn't EXACTLY stepping out blind, just an avenue nobody else seemed to have published trying.

A pause for the COZ · May 3, 2014, 02:16 AM

I have loaded some with H335. I have had pretty good results too.
My loads were a bit higher than yours though.
Have to be careful with H335, BL-C2 and the like. They dont particularly like light loads.
Have had quite a few loads that just go click then boom. Also a couple that poofed and stuck a bullet 1/2 way down the barrel.
When you finally get a good one. They are real good. But there is a dark side to H335. Its not very forgiving.

Have had much better luck with faster rifle powders like RL-7 and I4227.

Rangefinder · May 3, 2014, 06:08 AM

The 15-16gr load is the "conserve-my-powder" load for (as you guessed) plinking. Been doing that for years. However, 24gr. with PC'd bullets has some real bark and authority. Had to make a brass deflector because it was flinging them into the next county like the factory loads if not worse.

armoredman · May 3, 2014, 02:54 PM

This is actually a "lets use up this otherwise useless powder" load.

I will load some more once I make some more empty brass. THAT'S always the fun part.

Rangefinder · May 3, 2014, 06:54 PM

ACTUALLY... How it came about was I have a good amount of H335 most of the time because I use it for paper patching 32 Win Spl. and my .223 spits 3/8" groups with it all day long with 40gr V-max. So the thought was to develop a plinker that would cycle the AK with it since I keep it around anyway. The bonus was finding out that 24.5gr (same load as the .223) of it ran pulled 147gr steel cores in the AK to the sights at 100M. Now with PC's boolits over the last year or so, I've discovered the Lee 155 PC'd runs close enough to the steel cores with the same load to be AK-accurate. So the .223, X39 steel core AND cast 155's all run on the same powder with the same load drop. THAT was the purpose (with a bonus).

If you're running in SKS it may not prove so efficient. 20gr loads won't cycle mine where 15gr. loads do in the AK The brass lands in a nice little pile a few feet away with that load, where the 24gr load for running full-power does exactly what an AK normally does--launch it. For plinking I don't like chasing brass all day.

armoredman · May 3, 2014, 10:23 PM

I'm using it in my 527M/CSR, actually. Fun and accurate little rifle.

res45 · May 4, 2014, 08:29 AM

H-335 is a very nice power as it meters very well,although I don't use it in X39 cast loads because it just to slow for that application and is better suited for others. I prefer 2400 or Reloader #7 as both these powders will cycle my SKS rifle reliably with as little as 12.5 grs. up to 18.0 grs.depending on the powder.

I have H-335 but I use it in my 170 gr. cast 30-30 loads,30.0 grs. gets me right at factory 170 gr. J bullet velocity and is very accurate in my old Sav. pump 30-30.

armoredman · May 18, 2014, 05:57 PM

Getting there, methinks.

May 2, 2014, 07:57 PM	#1
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	Answering the cast bullet question absolutely nobody asked... That question would be - can you use H-335 powder under a cast bullet in 7.62x39mm? OK, so maybe I'm the second guy to ask that, because at castboolits.gunloads.com there was ONE guy who posted he had tried 16 grains of H-335 under a 160 grain Lee cast bullet and had decent functioning on his AK. So, I loaded up some 155 gr lee cast, and used 16 and 16.5 grain loads. I wasn't going for real accuracy, just to see if I had a starting point. And the answer is, yes, they had JUST enough oomph to get the bullet out of the barrel. They did hit my steel target at 100 yards, who politely "bonged" to let me know they hit, but refused to move. VERY light, and I don't know how they would operate any semi-auto bolt system. Felt like I was shooting a 22. So, just in case you had EVER wondered about that exact question, there ya go.

May 3, 2014, 06:08 AM	#5
Rangefinder Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2005 Posts: 2,017	The 15-16gr load is the "conserve-my-powder" load for (as you guessed) plinking. Been doing that for years. However, 24gr. with PC'd bullets has some real bark and authority. Had to make a brass deflector because it was flinging them into the next county like the factory loads if not worse. __________________ "Why is is called Common Sense when it seems so few actually possess it?" Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Politicians.

May 2, 2014, 10:03 PM	#2
Vance Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2011 Location: North Bend, OR Posts: 743	Nice to hear your results. Did you think to email Hogdon about your question? I emailed Accurate about using 2230 for cast bullets in .223 and they politely said start with xx grains and work up from there (the specific amount is written down somewhere, just not handy). I had made a similar inquiry of Alliant about one of their powders and got a very rude answer.

May 2, 2014, 10:43 PM	#3
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	Nope, didn't do that, took a shot in the dark. I had a very GOOD idea that I was well under the safety margin for error, due to the jacketed data being 27 grains starting load same weight bullet. I wasn't EXACTLY stepping out blind, just an avenue nobody else seemed to have published trying.

May 3, 2014, 02:16 AM	#4
A pause for the COZ Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2012 Location: Braham, Minnesota Posts: 1,314	I have loaded some with H335. I have had pretty good results too. My loads were a bit higher than yours though. Have to be careful with H335, BL-C2 and the like. They dont particularly like light loads. Have had quite a few loads that just go click then boom. Also a couple that poofed and stuck a bullet 1/2 way down the barrel. When you finally get a good one. They are real good. But there is a dark side to H335. Its not very forgiving. Have had much better luck with faster rifle powders like RL-7 and I4227.

May 3, 2014, 02:54 PM	#6
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	This is actually a "lets use up this otherwise useless powder" load. I will load some more once I make some more empty brass. THAT'S always the fun part.

May 3, 2014, 06:54 PM	#7
Rangefinder Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2005 Posts: 2,017	ACTUALLY... How it came about was I have a good amount of H335 most of the time because I use it for paper patching 32 Win Spl. and my .223 spits 3/8" groups with it all day long with 40gr V-max. So the thought was to develop a plinker that would cycle the AK with it since I keep it around anyway. The bonus was finding out that 24.5gr (same load as the .223) of it ran pulled 147gr steel cores in the AK to the sights at 100M. Now with PC's boolits over the last year or so, I've discovered the Lee 155 PC'd runs close enough to the steel cores with the same load to be AK-accurate. So the .223, X39 steel core AND cast 155's all run on the same powder with the same load drop. THAT was the purpose (with a bonus). If you're running in SKS it may not prove so efficient. 20gr loads won't cycle mine where 15gr. loads do in the AK The brass lands in a nice little pile a few feet away with that load, where the 24gr load for running full-power does exactly what an AK normally does--launch it. For plinking I don't like chasing brass all day. __________________ "Why is is called Common Sense when it seems so few actually possess it?" Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Politicians.

May 3, 2014, 10:23 PM	#8
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	I'm using it in my 527M/CSR, actually. Fun and accurate little rifle.

May 4, 2014, 08:29 AM	#9
res45 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 753	H-335 is a very nice power as it meters very well,although I don't use it in X39 cast loads because it just to slow for that application and is better suited for others. I prefer 2400 or Reloader #7 as both these powders will cycle my SKS rifle reliably with as little as 12.5 grs. up to 18.0 grs.depending on the powder. I have H-335 but I use it in my 170 gr. cast 30-30 loads,30.0 grs. gets me right at factory 170 gr. J bullet velocity and is very accurate in my old Sav. pump 30-30.

May 18, 2014, 05:57 PM	#10
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	Getting there, methinks.