Author Topic: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy  (Read 13318 times)

Offline Hmmm

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7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« on: November 25, 2015, 04:54:17 PM »
Calguns Folks -

Thank heavens for Calguns.org, right?!?  How long has Calguns.net been down now, 72 hours??   :o  :-[  :'(

Okay, onto my question.  I have both a new AK and a new AR 7.62x39 upper, and I am looking for ammo for them.  After some reading, I am thinking that WPA would be good to shoot, while GT would be good for storage.  What do you guys think?  Any issues with either choice?

Regarding Wolf, there seem to be different kinds:

123 Grain WPA Wolf Polyformance ammo - Made in Russia by Barnaul - FMJ Projectile (http://www.sgammo.com/product/762x39-ammo/1000-round-case-762x39-fmj-123-grain-wpa-wolf-polyformance-ammo-made-russia-barn)

123 Grain Wolf Performance Ammunition - Made in Ukraine - FMJ Projectile (http://www.sgammo.com/product/wolf-or-wpa/1000-round-case-762x39-full-metal-jacket-123-grain-wolf-performance-ammunition-m)

123 Grain WPA Wolf Polyformance ammo - Made in Russia by Barnaul - HP Projectile (http://www.sgammo.com/product/762x39-ammo/1000-round-case-762x39-hollow-point-123-grain-wpa-wolf-polyformance-ammo-made-ru)

124 Grain WPA Wolf Ammo - Military Classic - Made in Russia by Barnaul - FMJ Projectile (http://www.sgammo.com/product/wolf-or-wpa/1000-round-case-762x39-fmj-124-grain-wpa-wolf-ammo-military-classic-made-russia-)

124 Grain WPA Wolf Military Classic - Made in Russia by Barnaul - HP Projectile (http://www.sgammo.com/product/762x39-ammo/1000-round-case-762x39-hollow-point-124-grain-wpa-wolf-military-classic-made-rus)

124 Grain WPA Wolf Military Classic - Made in Russia by Barnaul - SP Projectile (http://www.sgammo.com/product/762x39/1000-round-case-762x39-soft-point-124-grain-wpa-wolf-military-classic-made-russia-bar)

125 Grain WPA Wolf Polyformance - Made in Russia by Barnaul - SP Projectile (http://www.sgammo.com/product/wolf-or-wpa/1000-round-case-762x39-soft-point-125-grain-wpa-wolf-polyformance-made-russia-ba)

What are the qualitative differences between the different projectiles above?  Which do you like and why?

Other than the projectiles, what are the differences between these types (if any)?


Offline big cannon

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2015, 06:21:17 PM »
I go with bulk surplus.

Offline beanz2

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2015, 06:51:02 PM »
in 7.62X39, it is hard to beat Golden Tiger and Yugo M67.  Clean the rifle well after M67 and you should be good to go. If the prices are close, skip Wolf and go for one of these.

I shot soda cans with Herters steel case 7.62 this past weekend and for the life of me, I could not hit anything :(
Then I switched to 5.56 and hit them with almost every shot.


I've had better luck with Barnaul 5.45 products, but I mainly use their Bear branded or spam can (no longer available) products. Can't say the same about Wolf 5.45 ammo made by Barnaul though.

Offline Milk and cookies

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2015, 07:56:41 PM »
Buy it cheap and stack it deep
I eats all the bacons

Offline Hmmm

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2015, 09:22:16 PM »
in 7.62X39, it is hard to beat Golden Tiger and Yugo M67.  Clean the rifle well after M67 and you should be good to go. If the prices are close, skip Wolf and go for one of these.

If M67 is $.03/round more than GT, and corrosive, I should pass on it, right?  Unless I am shooting at a range where non-magnetic is required....

In fact, GT is so close to Wolf and M67, there's no point in looking at anything else.

Offline beanz2

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2015, 10:23:53 PM »
in 7.62X39, it is hard to beat Golden Tiger and Yugo M67.  Clean the rifle well after M67 and you should be good to go. If the prices are close, skip Wolf and go for one of these.

If M67 is $.03/round more than GT, and corrosive, I should pass on it, right?  Unless I am shooting at a range where non-magnetic is required....

In fact, GT is so close to Wolf and M67, there's no point in looking at anything else.

Yup, really no downside to GT in my book other than the recent rash of hard primers lately.  If I was still shooting 7.62, I'd pile that stuff up.  M67 was the one to stack deep when it was $0.16/rd. 


Offline Rigma

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2015, 10:48:46 PM »

If M67 is $.03/round more than GT, and corrosive, I should pass on it, right?  Unless I am shooting at a range where non-magnetic is required....

In fact, GT is so close to Wolf and M67, there's no point in looking at anything else.

Bingo.   Now buy it.  Buy it in bulk....worry no more.

Offline Vlad II

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2015, 12:27:42 AM »
Cant go wrong with Golden Tiger. Consistant accurate decent price.

M67 is premium cartridge. Corrosive is minor deal in AK or SKS mostly chrome lined just need a quick water rinse

Wolf is just commercial label for various (mostly Russian) aresenals so quality can vary.Barnaul is generally very good products

If you can some a few of each and see whats shoots best

Offline mikal1911

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2015, 07:21:13 AM »
I'd go with HP, or FMJ. However, at times it's fine to go with what's available, and good price. Try targetsportusa.com free shipping on all ammo by the case.
Buyer responsible for DROS/PPT fees, all items sold as-is no exchanges/refunds/warranty.

Offline The Dude

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2015, 08:23:54 AM »
Where did you get your AR upper from and how much was it?

Offline Hmmm

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #10 on: November 27, 2015, 09:21:00 AM »
Where did you get your AR upper from and how much was it?

PSA $319 complete with BCG and CH.   :)

Offline Hmmm

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #11 on: November 27, 2015, 09:52:38 AM »
M67 is premium cartridge. Corrosive is minor deal in AK or SKS mostly chrome lined just need a quick water rinse

What does this mean: "premium cartridge"?

Offline Rickrock1

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #12 on: November 27, 2015, 12:02:01 PM »
GT is good and WPA is just as good for plinking and killing cans

Offline 2761377

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #13 on: November 27, 2015, 12:22:03 PM »
M67 is premium cartridge. Corrosive is minor deal in AK or SKS mostly chrome lined just need a quick water rinse

What does this mean: "premium cartridge"?

Yugoslavian M67 is brass case and non-magnetic. this is why people call it "premium"

Offline small hole shooter

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #14 on: December 02, 2015, 11:37:41 AM »
GT is good to go, bought mine 500 for $58.49!! (1999), still have 450 rounds. Now I use aluminum case, wolf, or brass case depending where I will be shooting. It eats everything.

Offline Apples

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Re: 7.62x39 Ammo Procurement Strategy
« Reply #15 on: January 13, 2016, 08:08:06 AM »
.
Quote
Yugoslavian M67 is brass case and non-magnetic. this is why people call it "premium"

I suppose any non-magnetic should be considered *premium* here in drought-plagued California (we'll need 3 good winters' snowpack, not just one), even if it is Berdan-primed brass that is fundamentally un-reloadable.

I've some from the late '70s and some from the '90s... the '70s stuff has .310" dia bullets, the '90s stuff has .308". My CZ 527 Carbine (bolt gun) with it's .311" bore much prefers the former. And I can't reload it.

I'm not reloading anything yet, anyway, so this is all just idle chatter.
"Or get a 900gr at 2800. Great possibilities for fun shooting." - Ed Hubel, December 2014