7.62x54 reduced load

[Battis]

I've read several posts where shooters replace the powder and/or bullet in the 7.62x54 with modern components. Can you pull the bullet, and reduce the load (10% or so) with the original powder?

[303carbine]

I've read several posts where shooters replace the powder and/or bullet in the 7.62x54 with modern components. Can you pull the bullet, and reduce the load (10% or so) with the original powder?


Yes, I weigh the pulled bullet and replace it with the same weight or slightly lighter. I do it all the time. I call them Mexican reloads, many people do, John:wink:
PS, when I pull bullets, I run them through the seating die to "break" the crimp, they are way easier to pull after that step.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to all cast bullet members, what a great bunch of maniacs and yahoo's.
I know because my name is at the top of the list, :grin:8-)[smilie=s::bigsmyl2:[smilie=p::lovebooli:drinks::2 drunk buddies:John

[Outpost75]

In countries where reloading components and powders are hard to get or expensive, it is common to pull rounds down, weigh the average powder charge, then to re-measure and reload the rounds using a 10 to 15% charge reduction, and saving the accumulated extra powder for other uses. A good friend lived in an African country where it was illegal to possess ammunition of a caliber for which you did not have a weapon listed on your FAC. However, he occasionally came across caches of 7.62x54R or 7.62x39 ammunition which was left there by poachers, and being of frugal Scots heritage, because it would be illegal to keep the ammunition, but also evil to leave it for the criminal poachers, he would pull down the offending ammunition, salvaging the pulled bullets and powder, then cook off the primed cases in the fire, and smash them flat, for delivery to the scrap dealer.

He felt he was doing a public service by destroying the illegal ammo cache, and he then had a good stock of bullets and powder he could use for reloading for his legally registered No.4 Enfield .303. He used a simple dip measure, using a fired 7.62x39 case filled to the mouth to charge his .303 rounds, using the pulled 123-grain or 144-grain 7.62 PS Ball projectiles.

This resulted in quite a windfall for him and the FMJBT bullets turned around backwards worked fine at close range in killing meat for biltong.

[daengmei]

I have pulled the bullets and recharged with a 10% reduction of the original powder using Czech silvertip, Bulgarian heavy ball and some others. Works quite well with the original bullet when keeping the OAL the same.

[Battis]

I just reloaded a few 7.5x55 rounds with reduced loads and liked the lower recoil.
I want to dump some of the original surplus powder from the 7.62x54R and reseat the same bullet to reduce recoil.
Check this out (I'm sure it's been posted but I just found it)
http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm

[Larry Gibson]

If the "modern" bullet weight is the same or less than the milsurp bullet why are you wanting to reduce the powder charge 10%?

Larry Gibson

[Battis]

I'm trying to reduce recoil in the Mosin (I just edited that post to clarify it).

[UBER7MM]

Years ago, I pulled some Cold War Czech 7.62x51 FMJ cartridges and reloaded the bullets and the same powder charge into 30'06 cases. That's was about 10% reduced by my rough "guessimate." I also used that same powder to work up a 8x57mm cast boolit load. I got that load where I want wanted it just before I ran out of powder. Go figure!

[Larry Gibson]

I'm trying to reduce recoil in the Mosin (I just edited that post to clarify it).

Ok, then you can indeed reduce the charge 10% w/o problem.

Larry Gibson

[Outpost75]

The only caution I would offer, is that while most tubular, extruded and Euro square flake rifle powders are forgiving of airspace in the case, and can tolerate a 10-15% charge reduction without degrading ballistic uniformity, surplus ammunition loaded with spheroidal powders should not be reduced! There are too many variables and potential for erratic ignition or worse when spheroidal rifle powders are loaded at less than about 85% of case capacity. It is'nt worth the trouble even with the proper test equipment.

[Battis]

"spheroidal powders" - is that the type of powder in a 7.62x54R Mosin surplus cartridge? Would a 10% reduction even produce a noticeable difference in recoil?
I normally don't mind the recoil of the Mosin, but I had back surgery a few months ago and I'm easing back (pun? naw..) into shooting. The reduced load in the Schmidt Rubin 96/11 was fine. Then I bought the bullet puller, I was testing it on a Mosin round, it worked, there was the bullet and powder sitting there, so I thought, "What if I reduced the charge?"

[Outpost75]

"spheroidal" refers to non-extruded, non-perforated, non-rolled powders which are formed by dropping colloidal liquids through a screen into water, forming an approximately spherical shape via surface tension. "Ball®" powder is a registered trademark of the Olin Corporation and is applied correctly only to propellants of their manufacture.

[Multigunner]

With some military bullets, such as steel core or the MkVII with light nose filler, the bearing surfaces are greater than with an equal weight lead core bullet. A longer bullet also intrudes into the available powder space raising chamber pressure.
I once substituted a MkVII bullet for the 180 gr Speer bullet I had been using, assuming the powder charge known to be safe with the Speer would be safe with the lighter MkVII bullet. Instead the load nearly erased the headstamp and the case stuck hard in the chamber and I had to pry it out.

A boat tail bullet usually has less bearing surface than a flat base bullet of equal weight, so when switching bullet types it pays to work up to the proper powder charge rather than simply use the same charge you have used with another bullet in the same weight range.
This is really only an issue when you've been using near max pressure loads.

[3006guns]

I have several thousand rounds of 8mm Mauser, 7.65 Mauser, etc.......all of it surplus of course. It kicks like a bloody mule so I routinely pull the bullets and reduce the charge by at least 10%. The powder I remove is perfectly good and accumulates until I can use it for regular reloading. There is nothing wrong with this practice as long as you stay within the parameters of the load and bullet weight. In this fashion I save my "store bought" powders for more serious pursuits.

[Multigunner]

I have several thousand rounds of 8mm Mauser, 7.65 Mauser, etc.......all of it surplus of course. It kicks like a bloody mule so I routinely pull the bullets and reduce the charge by at least 10%. The powder I remove is perfectly good and accumulates until I can use it for regular reloading. There is nothing wrong with this practice as long as you stay within the parameters of the load and bullet weight. In this fashion I save my "store bought" powders for more serious pursuits.

This practice will also allow you to spot degraded propellant long before it could become a problem.

Some ammo with neck sealants benefits from having the bullet pulled and reseated. Old sealants can set up hard and cause variations in pull strength and chamber pressure affecting accuracy.