Reloading Finnish p27 Mosin Nagant

[toallmy]

I am going to attempt to shoot cast out of a 1891/ p27 mosin nagant that my brother purchased around 30 years ago . Over the last few days I have been doing a little research / but the 762-54 R is a new cartridge for me . This started when my older brother sent me his old rifle to clean up really good and oil it up , this has proven to be a ongoing task that I am still in the middle of . Along with the rifle he brought a box of ammo Norma 762 Russian for us to try out . So I had a brilliant idea why don't we reload this round , even better why can't we shoot cast out of it . I have always avoided the mosin nagant because of the different sizes of ammo and corrosive military surplus - so that alone should show how little I know . But yesterday afternoon I decided I was going to drive a slug down the bore , after finding the Finnish did a good job of repurposing rifles . This is the first rifle I bothered to slug the bore manly just to see if what I had read was true . I will do a pound cast of the chamber in the future but I haven't yet . I'm going to chase down some reloading toys this weekend just to see if I can cobble together something to load up a few to try . Wish me luck

[ShooterAZ]

I enjoy casting and shooting my Mosin-Nagant as much, or maybe more than any other surplus rifle I own. The Finn MN's are known as the highest quality of all of them. You are on the right track by slugging the bore as bores can and do vary. For my Russian MN, I need to size at .314 for best accuracy and to eliminate leading. Velocities between 1600-1900 fps will typically give the best accuracy. As to powders, I use 2400, 5744, IMR4227, RL7, and H4895. My MN has a pitted bore but strong rifling, but shoots astonishingly well even so. PM me if you'd like more details. Best of luck...Shooter

[Outpost75]

The Finn M24, M27, M28 and M28/30 typically have tighter chambers and barrels than the Russian and Chicom milsurps, typically .309+0.002/-0.000. The M39 also has a good chamber, but a larger throat diameter and barrel groove so that it can use Russian ammo accurately and they typically go .313-0.002/+0.000.

In my M28/30 I size bullets .312" which is throat size. In my M39 I size bullets .314", which is also throat size for that rifle.

I use the NOE clone of #314299 in both. At 100 yards I use the bullet without gascheck and load 7 grains of Bullseye, which shoots "on" with the sight elevator set at 500 metres.

At 200 yards I use gaschecks on the bullets and load 16 grains of Alllant #2400 with the same sight setting.

At 300 yards or metres I use the gaschecked bullet with 30 grains of either IMR4895, IMR4064, RL15 or Varget and the same sight setting is usually close enough to get on paper and make finer adjustments.

With my M39 and PU scope I use the .311" Sierra 174-grain MatchKing in Norma brass with Federal 210M primers and 44 grains of either 4895, 4064, RL15 or Varget. Adjust the powder charge for 2550 +/- 30 fps, then zero the scope so that when the elevation dial is set at "3", you are zeroed at 300 metres. With this base zero I have been able to dial the elevation anywhere from 100 to 1000 yards and have been very close at 600 and in and from 800 yards and out at least on paper and able to tweak for range conditions. Score book wind diagrams for 7.62mm M118 are on the money with this load. The M39 with this handload is a consistent minute-of-angle rifle.

[toallmy]

I found a set of dies , I should have them in hand later tonight or tomorrow at the latest . The cast bullets I have were cast out of a noe 311-180 fn gc that I have sized at 310 and lube with c red . I am going to try some light red dot or unique loads at 50 yards tomorrow if I get them loaded up tonight .

[toallmy]

Well I got a few loaded to try out , I decided to start out with 10 gr unique , this was the starting load for the Boolit I am using but for 308 win instead of 762-54 r , you have to start somewhere .

[nagantguy]

That's a fine starting point; and the fins are the king of the surplus Nagant pile. Maybe I missed it above but did you say what the bore slugged? I've found around 12 of unique seems to be a sweet spot in many that I've played with, the 4895 flavors also do very well both reduced and at stiffer loading levels. I have also found that in many cases heavy for caliber boolits shoot much better in both sewer pipe bores and fairly decent ones, the history behind these old war horses is amazing. The Fins really knew what they were about and made /rebuilt fine examples. Remember to get a larger stemmed spindle for the decapping die or the Lyman x die. In a pinch a long pair of needle nose plyers will work to expand the case mouth . The stock 308 or sometimes even a 311 stem won't do the trick, not when your using 314 or larger boolits.

Some are probably sick of reading it from me; my standard warning,Nagants are highly addictive and seem to multiply rapidly; though you sort of missed the golden age of collecting them fine specimens can still be had fairly reasonably and that's not even considering "bubba'd" examples that often still shoot surprisingly well. Stock up on good brass as it can sometimes hard to find in quantity

[samari46]

Depending on the bore size the Lyman 314299 should work fine in your moisin. I've a 1935 finn m27 whose bore slugged out at .311. The above bullet sized .002 and javelina lube with hansen cases, ww LRP, and 20.0 grs IMR 4759 gives great accuracy. Have 2 8lb jugs 4759 so should last awhile. Frank

[Bohica793]

Just took out my new-to-me Mosin 91/30 yesterday. 30 grains of H4895 with a tuft of Dacron under an NOE 316299 sized to .314 shoots POA and almost MOA at 100 yards with irons at the 500 setting. 24.8 grains of H4198 with the same bullet set at 725 rang 12" steel 5 out of 5 times at 300. Yes, Mosins ARE addictive.

[toallmy]

I was posting this morning but had to stop when my wife was hollering in a panic for me to come out there was a problem in the yard , well it seams the fellow plowing the field yesterday hit the fence and did some damage . The farmer is probably going to be pretty upset with the fellow that was running the tractor since this happened last spring as well . But back to the project , my plan was to explain how I checked the twist and the slug measurements than choose a seating depth , charge on and on , but it seems all that is not necessary now . I just came in from shooting it and am tickled with it . I had 7 rounds loaded with noe 311-180 fn gc - this was a simple choice for me because I already had a 100 or so cast sized and lubed with a gc ready to go , but mostly because that is the only 30 caliber mold I own . The starting charge of 10 gr of unique worked wonderful I set up at 25 yards just to see if I would have a key hole maker or a nice round hole it turned out fine roughly center paper 1 in low to the right . So I moved the bench back to 50 yards to see what would happen , imagine my surprise when I had a 3 shot cluster little bigger than a quarter but around 4 inches low . I only had 3 rounds left so I tried one click up on the sights ' o my goodness ' 1 in the bull 1 touching the bull 1 around a inch to the right I could barely see the target a 50 cent size dot on a piece of cardboard . I have a lot more to do but that's a good start I am trying to get a 100 yard clay pigeon buster for my brother .

[toallmy]

I came up with a dozen more brass yesterday afternoon wile visiting with a friend so I now have 21 rounds loaded up for my brother to shoot today at work wile goofing off . We will take it out to a 100 yards just to see what happens , I will get a little more serious about load development after he gets a chance to goof around . Let's see the drop at a 100 with the 10 gr unique change ,

[pworley1]

The 314299 is the winner in most of mine.

[Larry Gibson]

NOE 314299 cast of #2 alloy, weight sorted, 2500+ lube, Hornady GCs, sized .314 (201 gr fully dressed) over 28.5 IMR4895 with a 1 to 1 1/2 gr Dacron filler in Norma cases (NS'd with .308W Lee collet die) with a WLR primer. Rifle is a SAKO Finn M39 with a Weaver T-6 scope. Was shooting for score and got caught by the wind once. Use the same load in my Ishy M91/30 sniper with close to equal results.

Attachment 215787

[toallmy]

We had a blast today he took a few shots at 50 yards breaking clays on a wood pile backstop , then we backed up to a 100 yards , I gave it one shot to see how far it would fall going that slow ( around 4 inches ) then he and the fellows let them fly . Fun for all . I will do a little more on some paper to see what I can get out of unique between 10-15 gr with the cast boolits I have ready to load . Let me go back to the beginning ( sorry at times my mind out runs the rest of me ) with my 20 dollar digital caliper I'm getting .303 on the rifling and .310-311in the grove measuring a slug driven through the bore . The boollits were sized at 310 lubed and gas check applied . I changed the loads with 2 drops out of a little dandy powder measure that throws 5 gr of unique loaded with a set of lee dies that I bummed from a friend over the weakened . See why I'm tickled - I don't think I could have planned it out to worked any simpler .

[toallmy]

Well I would like to make a correction the cast boolits were sized at .311 that I had previously prepared for a 30-30 . Last night I attempted to do a pound cast of the chamber , I attempted to because it didn't go well but I haven't given up . I have loaded a few different powder charges to try but haven't had the weather , and time come together yet to try them .

[Motor]

I shoot a 160gr Lee 2R TL with gas check. I found 16gr Unique to be very accurate. It 1850fps. We have shot clays at 200 yards with these without any problems.

Motor

[toallmy]

I have had a good time playing with my older brother's wall hanger , as well as finding a fun 50-100 yard fun load for back yard work . We have probably ran a couple hundred cast rounds through it trying assorted charges - during all of this shooting we both relies we can't do any better than 4 inches at a 100 yards with open sights anyway . So we just went back to the original 10 gr unique load that I started with , and had fun . This got me shooting my Sears / Winchester 30-30 again also - but with 8 gr unique .

[CSMR]

Gents...just picked up an M39 MN in really nice condition...100% blue and beautiful bore..all matching numbers etc.
I will slug the bore to get a number for bullets diam. but from reading the above should expect a round wider than your avg. 308.
Will a lee die in the 7.62/54 work with a slightly wider diam bullet for expanding and seating?
Also, I'd rather shoot a copper clad round in this...sources that have the larger diam. off the top?
Have not shot this one yet altho shot a friends a few weeks ago ergo my search....I will also scope it with a scout/lea scope...who here has used the Brenshock mount....how does that attach and is it easily removed?

Thanks.

De Oppresso Liber

[Lance Boyle]

A Finn barrel is often around .309 to .310.


A pound down lead throat form is a good start to know what you want to size at.