I use the
Lee Pacesetter 3 die set but I don't use the FCD die that comes in the set for cast bullets but rather use the provided roll crimp on the bullet seater die on the crimp groove, I reserve the FCD for jacketed bullets only. You will also need to expand the case neck and mouth slightly more than the provided expander rod that comes with the die set, it works fine for jacketed bullets but is a little undersized for cast bullets.
What I use to expand the case neck and mouth is a Lee Universal expander die with a
NOE drop in two-step expander I size my bullets to .314" and the expander sizes the neck to .312" and the case mouth to .316" which allow the gas checked bullet to easily set in the case mouth and be seated straight. NOE has also recently come out with a line of
two-step powder through expanders that are used with either the Lee long or short powder through dies, you can buy the kit with the appropriate die or just buy the expander if you already have the dies, this allows you to expand and charge the case at the same time, you have to choose which expander diameter you want at checkout from the drop-down list which in my case the .316 x .312 is available. I recently purchased several of the powder through expanders for 9 mm 45 ACP and 7.62 x 39 but haven't had time to test them out as of yet.
For cast bullets in 7.62 x 39 pretty much any of the Lee .312" designs work very well I have the 155, 160 and 185 gr. and they all preform well in my SKS rifles. My favorite is the Lee 160 gr. TL gas check design, and when sized accordingly, it is an excellent bullet in all my other 30 cal. rifles as in 30-06 and 300 Sav. and 54r as well. The Lyman #4 cast bullet manual has load data for both the 155 and 160 gr. Lee bullets in 7.62 x 39. I cast mine from 50% pure lead and 50% clip on wheel weights, powder coat with Eastwood
Machine Gray or
Ford Light or Dark Blue bake for 20 minutes in a temperature verified convection oven at 400 degrees after flow out i.e. powder glosses over which basically equals to 25 min. once I pop the bullets in the preheated oven.
Once cured I toss them into a five gallon bucket of cold water to increase hardness, size to .314" using a Lee push through sizer which also applies the
gas checks and let them set about two weeks to age harden before loading. My powders of choice are Reloader #7, 2400, 4198 and 4895.
Lee 160 gr. coated with Eastwood Machine Gray.
