cast bullets for russian 7.62x54

[762cavalier]

Hey all: I was looking for information from those of you who have cast bullets for the russian Mosins. I have about ten of them along with a jap and a brit that I would like to cast for. any recomendations on what mold has the best success across a broad variety of oversize .30 cals

[crazy mark]

314299 and almost any bullet 150+ grs that drops at least .312 out of the mould. Another one to try if you can find it is a 316475. Lee has a bullet mould for the oversize 30 cals but I haven't used it. You need to slug your bores for best results. Mark

[Buckshot]

..............I have 2 M91/30's and a M44. One of the M91/30's was bought as a 'filler' from SOG maybe 8 years ago for $39. A Finn pickup, looks nice and is counterbored. The other M91/30 was bought about a year ago from Big 5 Sporting goods on sale at $79 with all the accuterments and is a re-arsenaled rifle which looks like new and has a shiney barrel.

The M44 is a sloppy little pig that looks like it's had lots of benign neglect heaped on it. Barrel looks good though. All of'em seem to prefer slugs sized to .314". The M44 hasn't really shot much of anything well and danged if I can work up the enthusiasm to keep at it.

The best shooting I've EVER had from any of these 3 rifles is with the counterbored M91/30. Once in a fit of self abuse I paper patched up some Ly 311284's which finished at .316" and then TL'd them and sized 'em .314". I have the info at home but I'm pretty sure it was like 23.0grs of H4198. Pretty much my defalt load for military sized cases. It plunked 5 rounds into a nice round little 1" group at 50 yards.

However if that Rooskie retread thinks it's going to get fed paper patched slugs just for plinking, it ain't gonna happen. Possibly one of these days I may expend some lino through the Lee custom "Fat 30" mould to get some .315" 185gr hard slugs and try them that way.

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

[JohnH]

I got an M44 recently, stock looks like it was drug through the Siberian outback in search of escapee's, but the barrel and action appear in brand new unfired condition. Dang thing shoots too, will make 1" to 1 1/2" groups all day at 50 yards and wants to do beter, but my poor eyes don't allow for that. I'm using the Lee 312-185-1R cast with WW and 20:1 mixed 50/50. Makes a soft bullet that apparently sizes up well enough to fill the bore as the bore is definately 314 and I'm sizing to 310 as it's that's the only sizer die I have a present. I'm using 9 grains of #107 milsurp from Bartletts.

[357tex]

I have a md.38 carbine that likes 311466 150gr. water droped ww. sized to 311 loaded with37gr of 3031 it moves at 2190 give ro take 20fps.it shoots in to 1.5 in at 50 yards.it also likes 35gr of Blc2 1800fps air cooled ww.but best of all is 25gr of 2400 it shoots in to 1 in at 50 yards .If I do my part,and the older I get the harder it gets to do my part well. It is my truck gun allways rides in the frontseat.As I do my rounds about the place.