Whoa! that will do it alright...

Okay, on another note - forget everything I said about not reloading for the 7.62x39. :D

Yes, I bit the bullet and bought dies for the round. I knew my curiosity would get the best of me eventually, and it did. So I ran up some loads yesterday and fired them today. And all I can say is holy cow! With RL-7 powder and 150-grain bullets, this is one potent little round!

I'm still trying to process what I saw and felt today at the range. My chrono was working well all afternoon, giving me much the same readings I've come to expect from several loads I have for my 7x57 and .308 and the 7.62x39 factory loads. So I know that's not an issue. What amazed me is that my handloads were exceeding 2300 fps. with 150-grain bullets. Those are the same velocities I usually get from the 123-grain factory loads. The 154 russian ammo is a constant 2200 fps. over my chrono. So these handloads were 150 fps faster than even the russian 154's, meaning they carry 1000 ft. lbs. of energy all the way out to 300 yards. I would not have thought that was possible if I hadn't produced the data myself.

Whats even more amazing is that the felt recoil is still so mild, even for just a 6 3/4# gun. It just doesn't compute. But I like it!