Surplus rifle Bullet Casters?

[Namerifrats]

I'm really big into Surplus Military rifles as well as modern firearms. I have several calibers of mil-surp firearms ( 7.62x25, 7.5mm Swiss, 7.62x39, 7.62x54R, 9x18 Makarov, 7.7mm Japanese, 30-06 Springfield, 8mm Mauser ). I reload for a few of those now and I'm wondering in specific about the 7.62x54R bullets. What's a good LEE mold to buy for it that cast bullets you have had good results with? Main thing is I keep reading about the diameter, some say .311 and some say .312. I don't see anything for .311, only .312. So should I size it to .311 or just shoot it as is? Would it cause extra leading if shot as is? I'm thinking of going with either the .312 diameter 155 or 160 Grain bullet mold.

[Buckshot]

.................Your rifle will determine what you should go with. To add to those numbers you mentioned for the 7.62x54R Rooskie, you should also see lots of requirements for a .314".

If your M91 ( or whatever flavor Russian) doesn't stray over .312" in the groove and .302" on the lands then my recomendation for a Lee slug is their C312-185R. Many of these so called "Fat 30's" can be a bit more generous in the grooves then what the mainline mould makers provide for. Just check out the the number of "Fat and Fatter 30" Group Buys that have been done over the past 3 years.

If it IS a bit flabby and goes over .312", your only readily available option for a mould is the Lyman 200 gr 314299. That or Beagle an existing 30 cal design that turns you on.

................Buckshot

[Namerifrats]

I'll probably slug the bores then. On the 7.62x54R I have 4 Mosin Nagants. 2 91/30's and 2 M44's. All 4 have nearly perfect bores, shiny, almost mirror like with strong lands and grooves. I'll probably slug them though to get a good idea of what mold I would need. I don't bench shoot with them, just like to be able to pop milk jugs with them at 100yds and can do that with every shot from all of them currently. Just want an alternative when the day comes that the surplus ammo dries up.

[jack19512]

Just want an alternative when the day comes that the surplus ammo dries up.






I think that day is already here. At least I don't see the surplus ammo where I use to get mine. I reload for my M/N's and my Swiss K31 and at this time use cast bullets in my M/N 91/30 and my Swiss K31.

I have a Lee single cavity mold that works very well for both rifles. It is a .309-200gr. mold. The bullets actually come out at around .311. For my 91/30 I run the bullets through a .311 sizer while installing the gas checks and through a .308 sizer for my K31.

I have a 160 gr. mold, a 180 gr. mold, a 185 gr. mold and a 200 gr. mold. I am not sure why but both rifles seem to prefer the 200 gr. bullet. At least that is my findings at this time.

[Oldeyes]

Main thing is I keep reading about the diameter, some say .311 and some say 312

I'll add to those measurements, some of my minty barrels are up to .315 groove diameter, not uncommon in the war years ('42 thru '44) and even my 1946 dated post-war 91/30 is a generous .315. I've had worn barrels up to .318", so the suggestion to slug YOUR rifle is quite right. Pre war diameters seem to average .313.
Have said all that I confess to never trying cast in my Mosins (shame on me), currently I'm casting and reloading the big bore milsurps (11mm and up) and haven't spent much time on the "smallbores".

[Larry Gibson]

Regardless of the bore/groove size you will find best accuracy with cast in a COMBLOC chambered 7.62x54R will be with as large a diameter bullet that wil allow .001-.002" clearence between the outer diameter of the loaded case neck and the diameter of the chamber case neck. The throats on COMBLOC chambers taper straight down from the chamber neck diameter to and do not have the chamber case neck mouth that western chambers have. A cast bullet is really unsupported in that long tapered max diameter throat and will obturate there and then be sized down again. Depending on alloy and load this can be detrimental to accuracy.

Larry Gibson

[Oldeyes]

RE: Comblock chambers that taper straight down and do not have the chamber case neck...
Hey Larry, I've never run into this on any of my Mosins and I've got a bunch of the critters from 1892 to 1961. I'm curious where you have run into this style chamber in a 7.62x54R? Is there some new varient I need to find for my collection?? :>)
I don't remember what an SKS chamber looks like but my civilian CZ 527 in 7.62x39 has the style chamber you're referring to.

[Larry Gibson]

Oldeyes

A lot of the 7.62x54Rs have such chambers. The ones I've found that consistantly don't are the US Made M91s and the SAKO Finns. Pays to do a chamber cast. As you've found most 7.62x39 COMBLOC chambers are that way.

Larry Gibson

[JohnH]

I'm shooting the Lee 312-185 in my M44 M/N. I first got this mold for a 30-30, and the nose was undersize, .296. I sent it back to Lee and they replaced it with a mold that dropped a nose at .300. The driving bands are 312. I shoot it by lubing with LLA, with my tired eyes, the rifle shoots better than I can see.

In the last two weeks I've also been shooting the Lee 312-155. It drops from the mold at .3145 and shoots very well in both the M44 and a Chinese SKS I have.

[JeffinNZ]

I'm really big into Surplus Military rifles as well as modern firearms. I have several calibers of mil-surp firearms ( 7.62x25, 7.5mm Swiss, 7.62x39, 7.62x54R, 9x18 Makarov, 7.7mm Japanese, 30-06 Springfield, 8mm Mauser ). I reload for a few of those now and I'm wondering in specific about the 7.62x54R bullets. What's a good LEE mold to buy for it that cast bullets you have had good results with? Main thing is I keep reading about the diameter, some say .311 and some say .312. I don't see anything for .311, only .312. So should I size it to .311 or just shoot it as is? Would it cause extra leading if shot as is? I'm thinking of going with either the .312 diameter 155 or 160 Grain bullet mold.

Well you can't be THAT serious about Milsurp. I can't see a .303 British in that list. LOL. [smilie=1: :-D :twisted:

[45nut]

Nice catch Jeff,, No SMLE..c'mon man!

[Namerifrats]

It's on the "to Get list", as well as a Nagant Pistol, 7.62x38

[45nut]

Can I ask you to clue us in on the "Namerifrats" handle, been trying to figure it out for days now,, And where do you live? Maybe someone here has a surplus "surplus" 303 local to you.... Everyone should have a SMLE....its the finest battle rifle ever made ya know. :p

[Bret4207]

Looks like a version of "Riff Raff" to me. Welcome to the club.

[JohnH]

Looks more like "Starfireman"