I picked up an SKS just after Christmas ,the 1st CF semi-auto rifle to join my herd. So I picked up some boxer factories ,I can't be too picky out here in the boonies,on my 1st trip to the range I found 20 to match my 40 new cases. I was rewarded with minute of backstop,ok not quite but easily 2ft.
Well I slugged the bore just to see what the heck I had ,having heard here and elsewhere that these "block"rifles run 300/308 to 314 . I've got a real gem with its muzzle going 305/316 and the leade happily taking 318-321 , the spent cases will slip fit the 323 sized boolits for my 32 Rem.
Not having a mould to make this SKS happy with it being closer to 8x39 than 7.62 ,I decided to give paper patching a try.
I read several articals and forums all over on the topic of heavy bullets,slow powders,and sub-sonics. I started off with some 309-160 LEEs,dismal 3" 50yd groups w/Red Dot,Unique,4198 being the worst they shot just like the factories. I've this 200 gr full spire pointed boolit for my 308 and 06',so I rolled it up in some patches and some IMR4350 the 1st group was 3.5" at 20.0 at 23.5 that 50yd group had closed to a mere 2.5". Good for an SKS I'm told great for this 1 I'm thinking.
Note that I did shoot some lapping loads as even after agressive cleaning the bore waslooking like a wash board road out past the gas port. With that cleaned up the bore started to look like a bore and even get a little bit of a shine to it.
Last week I picked up a brand new 10rnd TapCo magazine to replace that 30 rnd that it came with. That steel 30is just too much for any sort of tuning or bench work. Wouldn't ya know it the loads that are coming around are too long in the new magazine!