Budget loads for .308, .223, 7.62x39 and 5.45x39

[El Laton Caliente]

I'm looking to stock up powder & primers for the rifle rounds. I was looking at WC844, WC846 and the Wolf primers...

Comments?

Also, a good source for 7.62x39 & 5.45x39 boxer primer brass?

[O.S.O.K.]

Whichever one of those that's most similar to W748 would be my pick for the 308 and 5.56 and probably the 5.45, but the 7.62x39 needs another propellant I think... something a bit faster.

Seems that brass cases for the 5.45x39 are very elusive and when found, are expensive as shit - buffalo arms has some but 100 is $291 (!!). And they're reforming them from something else...hmmm And don't forget that the bullets are .220" - not the standard .224"

7.62x39 brass cases can be found at most all catalog houses - grafs, midway - maybe try star-line...

[Schuetzenman]

The surplus 846 is supposed to work for both 5.56 and .308. I find I have better accuracy out of the 844 for the 5.56 round and 846 for the .308 round. Wolf primers are top notch as far as I can tell. Been using them for 3 years now. Got turned on to them by a buddy that coachs a Jr. Service Rifle team shooting AR's of course. He claims they are match grade, but not match priced. At his recommendation I use the magnum small rifle primers for the 5.56. If I didn't have 10K of Remington large rifle primers I'd probably use their large primers or large Magnum primers.

Check out Widener's or Pat's Reloading for powder and bullets. Widners has the Wolf / Tula primers and Powder Valley also has the primers.

[El Laton Caliente]

Thanks, I'm wanting to buy a case of 8lbs powders and maybe 10K primers or more.

I'll be doing mostly .308, .223, 7.62x54, 7.62x39. Sounds like with 5.45 I'm better off just buying ammo!

[Schuetzenman]

Thanks, I'm wanting to buy a case of 8lbs powders and maybe 10K primers or more.

I'll be doing mostly .308, .223, 7.62x54, 7.62x39. Sounds like with 5.45 I'm better off just buying ammo!

Well here's some idea about how many rounds you can get from an 8 lb. jug of powder. 7000 grains to the pound. A duplicate for M855 ball with the 63 gr. SS109 bullet I use 25.5 grs. with the Wolf small magnum rifle primer. That load will yield 2,196 rouds, (if I don't spill any powder) from one 8 LB. jug. M80 ball loads with 46grs of WC846 (147gr bullet) will give you 1217 rounds per 8 Lb. jug. 7.62x54R can probably go bigger on the charge, don't know never reloaded any. 7.62x39 is a different beast, I don't know what kind of load you could use the 846 of 844 in that chambering. I know Acurate Powder 1600 is the best choice for x39 chambering but that's not a surplus powder.

[az_paul]

Of late, I've been buying my supplies from Powder Valley. the prices are good and the service is excellent.

[NewbieAKguy]

I'm looking to stock up powder & primers for the rifle rounds. I was looking at WC844, WC846 and the Wolf primers...

Comments?

Also, a good source for 7.62x39 & 5.45x39 boxer primer brass?

By chance are those the powders that widener's has at the moment? Was thinking about those myself. Of the two which is the "better" one for .223 and .308; one says for .223 and other for both .223 and .308? Also, would either work for .30-06 (m1 Garand)? I currently have .223 loaded with ramshot's tac powder (which I still need to shoot for accuracy) and was wondering if those could be better deals and just as accurate. With them being milsurp is there a certain place to get loading data for them?

Not meaning to overload with the questions, slowly getting into reloading myself and my dad nor granddad has used either afik.

[El Laton Caliente]

By chance are those the powders that widener's has at the moment? Was thinking about those myself. Of the two which is the "better" one for .223 and .308; one says for .223 and other for both .223 and .308? Also, would either work for .30-06 (m1 Garand)? I currently have .223 loaded with ramshot's tac powder (which I still need to shoot for accuracy) and was wondering if those could be better deals and just as accurate. With them being milsurp is there a certain place to get loading data for them?

Not meaning to overload with the questions, slowly getting into reloading myself and my dad nor granddad has used either afik.

Not personal experience, but from research & reading:

The 844 is better for .223, but requires different loads for summer and winter because it is very tempurature sensitive.

The 846 works for .308, 30-06 and .223. It is not as acurate in .223 as the 844, but shines in .308.

I was looking at Widner's 6 bottle case of mix & match and thinking maybe half each or two 844 and four 846. The 844 is $85 a bottle & 846 is $95 a bottle and they discount the hazmat shipping. That is 96 lbs of powder for $550...

[Schuetzenman]

By chance are those the powders that widener's has at the moment? Was thinking about those myself. Of the two which is the "better" one for .223 and .308; one says for .223 and other for both .223 and .308? Also, would either work for .30-06 (m1 Garand)? I currently have .223 loaded with ramshot's tac powder (which I still need to shoot for accuracy) and was wondering if those could be better deals and just as accurate. With them being milsurp is there a certain place to get loading data for them?

Not meaning to overload with the questions, slowly getting into reloading myself and my dad nor granddad has used either afik.

I've got 844 and 846 surplus powders. I like the accuracy for .223 loads better out of the 844. I've read that the 846 is the same powder but with the calcium Carbonate that causes a lot of gunking up of the AR / M16 type weapons. In as much as most 7.62 Nato weapons are not direct impingment like the AR / M16 this doesn't cause any isses with them. I can not verify any loading use for the .30-06 chambering. In as much as it is larger in volume than the 7.62 NATO case I would anticiapate that it should be doable. However, the M1 is a self loading weapon that depends on a proper level of gas pressure and peak pressure to operate properly. Too slow a burn rate can be damaging as well as too fast a burn rate. So, if you try it, the risk is yours to take as you will be breaking new ground. I would caution you to do further searches on the web to see if anyone has documented a safe load for the 846 powder in the 06 chambering for use in the M1 rifle.

[El Laton Caliente]

There was 30-06 load data posted. It was worked up on a Garrand. 43 gn work up to 47 gn with 147 or 150 bullet...

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=ie7&q=wc846+loading+data+30-06&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7TSNF_en

[NewbieAKguy]

Thanks for the info guys. Now just need to decide whether or not to get some now or risk buying later :biggrina:

[Schuetzenman]

Thanks for the info guys. Now just need to decide whether or not to get some now or risk buying later :biggrina:

Oh I would advise you to get the 844 in particular NOW, not later but RIGHT NOW as it has been almost impossible to find for 4 years now. Just in the past 6 months has it started to show up again in quantitity. I picked up an 8 lb. jub at a local gunshow for 75 a jug and was so wanting to get more of it. I just didn't have the cash to do it.

[NewbieAKguy]

I see people saying 844 loads vary lot to lot. Have you had this happen to you S-man? In regards to 846, I'm in the market for a .308 AR, just not sure if I'll go DI or spend some extra cash for a piston (possibly sig 517 or pws). So I'm taking it that a DI .308 will also gunk up, just take longer due to it being bigger tube and whatnot?