Alternate powders to reduce muzzle blast in a mosin

[Geezer in NH]

6 of those lee 230 gr and I was scrapping chunks off the freshly crowned muzzle. I doubt much of the bullets actually made it down range.

Fix the crown

[LAGS]

You said that RL7 performed Poorly and had pressure signs.
What load and bullet were you using ?
I have had excellent results wiyh the RL7 in my Mosin Nagant.

[Tackleberry41]

I will have to get my notebook to check the data. Checked several sources, went with a charge 1/2 way between 308 and 30-06 data using R7. I only fired 3 of them, velocity was about 100fps faster than w 4198. But the cases had that grainy flowed look to them, one was partially caved in one one side. Would have to get em out of the trash for a pic. Didn't even try the 174gr I had loaded.

[LAGS]

I am interested in Exactly what Charge you were using, and the Weight , Style, Lead or Jacketed and Sizing of the boolits to you Bore.
Like you said, the 230 gr was ran thru a .309 sizer.
That is way to small for any of the Nagant barrels except some Pristine Finn. models.
Also, you havent indicated that you Worked Up a load.
You only started with information for two other rifles and that coud in it self be too high for your caliber.
I just started Testing the 230, on my .308 becaise it is too small of diameter for my MN's.
You had mentioned that it had been GC'ed.
That Boolit is a Boat Tail, and what GC will fit that base ?
Here is the first results with the 230 gr Lee in the .308

[LAGS]

I too am a little confused because you are asking about "J" bullet Loads on a Cast Bullet site.
If you are going to talk loads, both Cast an "J" bullets, then Please mention if they are cast, and not just the weight of the bullet.
But in prevouus years, I had very good results with the Sierra Match King 174gr .311 in my Finn's using IMR4320.
Tops was the IMR 4350 but it was a compressed load and a lot more noise.
But the Match King did not do well in my MN's that had a bore larger than .312.
I have never tried the RL-7 with " J" bullets.
But if you want to reduce the Muzzle Blast, then the Faster powders will Help.
But shooting Cast Bullets will be a Bigger improvement.
I have a Very old Load Book that is helpful even though it was written back when they were still using .308 bullets in the 7.62 x 54 R ,and I also have Lymann 47 & 48 along with an old Hornady manual from the '80's that has this caliber.
I start low with the .311 or .312 bullets, and work up from there.
But if I can work up Good loads for the .308 with the Lee 230 gr, then I will hone one of the cavities out to .312 to try in my Finn M N 's
I will also cast it with Linotype and probably Powdercoat them rather than Tumble lube them.

[Tackleberry41]

I use both kinds of bullets. The 230gr were given to me, wanted to try them but not invest in a mold to do it. Lee is known to put out undersized from the box, and whoever cast them isn't very good at it. Front band measured at .300, back was .307. The weight was all over the place, less than a dozen were even close to 230gr, most were 20gr under. Some are putting a gas check on the boat tail section, no idea if they stay on or not. Pretty much a waste of powder and lead. I tossed the rest in my pot, made proper bullets out of them. Told my friend to not let the guy load anything for him again, he had some 300AAC one day, the guy had jammed .311 Ak bullets thru a sizer. Were blowing primers out, jamming up the trigger in his AR, but he figured he would just shoot em vs pulling them. He wont use cast bullets in anything.

In this particular application I was looking to use full powered j bullets, extend the range. Have a real good subsonic load worked up. But that short barrel changes things alot. I got the same velocity w 4198 w less report than I did 4895 from the load manual. I bought the RL7 to use with heavy j bullets in 45 colt, the results were not that great, just easier to use magnum pistol powders. So was hoping to find a use for it in the mosin. I had it all wrote down somewhere, can't find it. Dug up some data on 308 using R7 w 150gr, and 30-06 150 and 180gr using R7. It didn't give me great results, 4198 did, so stick with it if I decide to load anymore 174gr for the rifle. The 4198 gave beautiful groups, just like it does w cast. I could screw w R7 some more, but just gonna move on, find a use for it eventually.

[LAGS]

Save the RL 7 for the cast loads in the Mosin or even the .308
I am seeing that it does better than the 4198 with my cast bullets.
But not as good as the SR4759 use to.
But Reduced loads with "J" bullets, you cant go wrong with either of the 4198's

[MaryB]

Red Dot at 13 grains+- whatever your rifle likes best works very very well and doesn't beat the heck out of your shoulder at the range. Friend also took a deer with it last year.