7.62x39 Howa Mini into 30 BR

[Philly]

I've been eyeballing this Howa mini carbon fiber in 7.62x39 for a hot minute and have been thinking about rechambering it to a 30 BR. I have a ton of 6 br brass and I own a 30 BR reamer. I feel like it would make a nice deer / hog rifle. what are your thoughts and how large of a hunting bullet would you recommend for a hunting bullet? Thanks.

 

[joshb]

Why not skip the extra work and just shoot it as is? Brass and bullets are findable.

 

[Philly]

Why not skip the extra work and just shoot it as is? Brass and bullets are findable.

Mainly because I have the components and reamer. I have about 800 pieces of br brass that I doubt I'll shoot for my 6 br. Also,cool factor. lol

 

[joshb]

Mainly because I have the components and reamer. I have about 800 pieces of br brass that I doubt I'll shoot for my 6 br. Also,cool factor. lol

Now THAT is a good enough reason!!! Me? I did both, but my 7.62-39 is an AR. I built a little 30br hunter on a Remington and now I find myself wanting the Howa mini in ‘39 because I have the brass and bullets!
To stop playing around and answer your real question, I was given this info. I haven’t tried it yet, so proceed with the usual cautions.

 

[Philly]

Now THAT is a good enough reason!!! Me? I did both, but my 7.62-39 is an AR. I built a little 30br hunter on a Remington and now I find myself wanting the Howa mini in ‘39 because I have the brass and bullets!
To stop playing around and answer your real question, I was given this info. I haven’t tried it yet, so proceed with the usual cautions.

I bought a Grendel barreled action and pulled the barrel (never shot) and threw a 1" Lilja barrel blank I got from a friend and chambered it in a 6 br. My favorite rifle! 5 shot group at a100 is 0.142". So I know those minis will shoot. Another reason why I want to build on that mini action.

 

[Bill Norris]

I've been eyeballing this Howa mini carbon fiber in 7.62x39 for a hot minute and have been thinking about rechambering it to a 30 BR. I have a ton of 6 br brass and I own a 30 BR reamer. I feel like it would make a nice deer / hog rifle. what are your thoughts and how large of a hunting bullet would you recommend for a hunting bullet? Thanks.

I use a ODCR custom Rem Model 7 30BR for hunting. My barrel is 1 -15 Tw. # 4 Taper and it really loves the 125 gr. class bullets. It normally shoots one ragged hole @ 100 yds. with the Nosler 125 gr. Accu-bonds and the 125 gr. Ballistic Tips.

 

[Philly]

That should work well on a hog!

 

[Philly]

Now THAT is a good enough reason!!! Me? I did both, but my 7.62-39 is an AR. I built a little 30br hunter on a Remington and now I find myself wanting the Howa mini in ‘39 because I have the brass and bullets!
To stop playing around and answer your real question, I was given this info. I haven’t tried it yet, so proceed with the usual cautions.

That’s good info…thanks!

 

[Bill Norris]

That should work well on a hog!

Yea, I believe both the A B & B T would work well for you.

 

[Bill K]

The mini is a neat little action, I took mine which was 7.62x39 and re-barreled it to 22 PPC, shots great and so nice to pack around on varmints.

 

[linebaugh]

Nice little actions. I built one into a 20ppc and just bought another last month with the oryx chassis for a second conversion on that action. For the price its a nice little rig and saves buying aftermarket stock and bottom metal. Not a chassis guy but again for what I paid and bang for the buck I can learn to like it.
Tennon threads are metric but can be recut to 3/4x28 (I need to go dbl check that when I get going)
Actions are around 1.150-1.175 diameter, again off of memory. I am reasonably sure I turned a 1.200 blank shoulder down to 1.150 last time. I will know more soon as my barrel blank shippped today.
The magazines are kind of cheesy and hard to come by for some reason. All I have are 5 round but I think MDT or someone makes a 10 round that is partially metal??

Another possible downer. I read somewhere that they are being discontinued. Not sure where I read that or if it is even true.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

A 30 Major(30 Grendel)would be a logical option too but as for bullets for hogs or deer, a Nosler 125BT is potent at the speeds we're talking here. Hard to beat at under or around 3000fps. Push them hard in something like a 30-06 or bigger and they tend too come apart a little to fast for my taste, for hunting though.

 

[rockhound78]

x39 bolt face is smaller than the 30 br so the bolt face would need to be opened up.

 

[Philly]

Nice little actions. I built one into a 20ppc and just bought another last month with the oryx chassis for a second conversion on that action. For the price its a nice little rig and saves buying aftermarket stock and bottom metal. Not a chassis guy but again for what I paid and bang for the buck I can learn to like it.
Tennon threads are metric but can be recut to 3/4x28 (I need to go dbl check that when I get going)
Actions are around 1.150-1.175 diameter, again off of memory. I am reasonably sure I turned a 1.200 blank shoulder down to 1.150 last time. I will know more soon as my barrel blank shippped today.
The magazines are kind of cheesy and hard to come by for some reason. All I have are 5 round but I think MDT or someone makes a 10 round that is partially metal??

Another possible downer. I read somewhere that they are being discontinued. Not sure where I read that or if it is even true.

i cut and retreaded mine to 7/8-20. Worked great.

 

[Philly]

x39 bolt face is smaller than the 30 br so the bolt face would need to be opened up.

I opened up my last one to the 6 br. Worked great.

 

[Philly]

A 30 Major(30 Grendel)would be a logical option too but as for bullets for hogs or deer, a Nosler 125BT is potent at the speeds we're talking here. Hard to beat at under or around 3000fps. Push them hard in something like a 30-06 or bigger and they tend to come apart a little to fast for my taste, for hunting though.

Thanks for the info.

 

[nakneker]

Never had a 7.62x39 but I recently had a 30BR hunting rifle built by ODCR with a 22“ sporter barrel. The rifle loves 125 TGKs. I’ve shot three coyotes with it and it makes one heck of thud and a mess. Those little Howa actions are neat, currently finding a load for one in 222. 30BR is a fun little round, it would be a neat one with that much brass and that Howa action.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

There's not a lot wrong with the 7.62x39 - if you work up a load for a bolt gun. I used W296 and easily got better figures than the factory rounds. Used 125g .310 pills. Took an awful lot of goats out to 200 yds.

 

[JSH]

Howa mini fan as well, wish I had bought more. I really thought they would see more support as time has went on. Have one in an Oryx chassis, just can’t warm up to it, been looking at options.
Are those of you doing BR cases, single feed or any luck with a modified magazine?
Last one I snagged was 7.62x39 in the wood stock. Wood is nothing like ANY of the pictures, plain as sand, may be piss elm lol. I have yet to see if it will eat standard.308 projectiles. Friend years ago had a 30x39, nice little rig and shot way better than semi auto variants.

 

[Philly]

Howa mini fan as well, wish I had bought more. I really thought they would see more support as time has went on. Have one in an Oryx chassis, just can’t warm up to it, been looking at options.
Are those of you doing BR cases, single feed or any luck with a modified magazine?
Last one I snagged was 7.62x39 in the wood stock. Wood is nothing like ANY of the pictures, plain as sand, may be piss elm lol. I have yet to see if it will eat standard.308 projectiles. Friend years ago had a 30x39, nice little rig and shot way better than semi auto variants.

My 6br feeds fine from the Grendel mag.