Heavy Boolits in Mosin M38

[1Shirt]

Well, I have started to wring out my new/old M38, and am quite supprised at the thing. With surplus corroslve and I think about 150 gr. J, it will do about 5-6" at 50 yds. With 126 J 7.62(.311), it will stay in the 2-3" at 50 yds. With .3085 J, with the lighter weight blts it will do about the same as .311. Have not yet slugged the bbl. (gotta get around to it one of these days)

Took it to the range Fri with 50 rds. of cast, starting with 20 gr. of 2400, and loading 10 ea. 311332(.311) 187gr.GC, 10ea. 311359(311),117 grGC, 10 ea.Lee 312-160-2R (311), 165gr.GC.). These three blts w/Red Rooster Lube shot into 3-4" when I held tight. Also shot a 180multi groved w/Lee alox .311, that shot into about a bushel basket. Will be playing with loads with the three that shot well, but will try sizing 312, and .313, or just as cast with gas check fitted in a .314 die, just to see what is best.

My question however is has any one got a load for the Lyman .311644 at about 190+, or for 311284 (mine runs about 216 gr. checked and lubed. Also have a question about recommendations for lubes these loads. Have thoughts that maybe the hard red lubes may not be the best for this rifle, and maybe should try
Alox, or maybe Felix lube. Am always willing to listed to suggestions particularly from folks with experiance with this ctg. By the way, am using GRAF brass, and find it quite good, and have no complaints. Have not yet played with the trigger(which is less than a joy), or the spring, but will sometime in the future as time allows. This is a fun rifle and would be a good truck or camp gun for anyone looking for a cheap way to go. Now if I can find a cast load that will stay in the 3-4" group at 100, I will be tickled spitless.

Anywho, I thank in advance all who respond to this thread, and provide words of wisdom on this old Russian Ctg.
1Shirt!

[mag_01]

---! shirt I have found 18grs. of 2400 behind a 185 Lee boolit sized .312 g/c works good for me---have gone as high as 24 grs. of 2400 but 18 was the best performer---my bore slugs out at .3105---have also had some good results with fillers non g/c and gas checked---If you try fillers be careful---Mag--

[Maven]

1Shirt, I have several Finnish Nagants that shoot exceptionally well with #314299, a fat CBE/Jim Allison Loverin and #311291 using various milsurp and/or cannister powders (to follow). Although I have #311644, it casts a bit too small for my rifles' bores, but oddly enough does quite well in my K-31's.

Loads, cannister powders: Start with 21-22gr. H/IMR 4198 or AA 5744 (my favorite). 26-28gr. IMR 3031 is also quite good.

Loads, milsurp powders: 46-49gr. WC 860 wi. mag. primers; 46-49gr. IMR 5010 with mag. primers + 1.0cc poly- or cereal filler (e.g., powdered bran). Store cases with CB's down/primers facing you. Lastly, don't overlook the much faster, but quite versatile WC 820 (burning rate of AA #9 or H 110, as different lots have slightly different characteristics). 18.5 - 20.5gr. WC 820 is what I use in my '06 and metric .30cals. with the aforementioned CB's. Btw, an added advantage of 820 is that you can use a pistol owder measure to throw very consistent charges of it, which speeds up reloading significantly.

Btw, although I once owned #311332 and still own #311284, I found their noses to be too small for my liking. Indeed, #-332's nose was even too small for the K-31 and was subsequently traded. #311284 will go that route or be sold as soon as I get the ambition to photograph & list it.

[Mel-4857]

Just tried the lyman 314299 in 2 Nagants . The carbine which will hold 2'' with iron sights at fifty yards easily and the rifle usually will have 3 of the five touching and averages around 2 inches for 5 shots at 100yds Scoped. This is a .314 bullet ; 2 coats of Lee liquid Alox and gaschecked over 17 gr of IMR 4227. Trigger on rifle needs some work but for a trial load it seems like a good starting load. Real fun rifles. Mel

[1Shirt]

Thanks guys, will heed all of your words of wisdom, experiance, and testing. Sometime during the dark days of winter I will take the rifle down, work on the trigger, maybe glass bed the action. ( The tang has about a quarter inch gap).
Am amazed at the potential of the rifle. Think I may have to pick up another one if I can find one with as clean a bbl. By the way I did slug mine yesterday, and it
comes out real close to .311, so will see about running with .313, and/or .314, as soon as I get time to sit down and cast. Gotta give the Ruski's credit for a functional combat weapon, not real pretty, and definately not as pretty or as well finished as a M98 Mauser, but a whale of a lot of Germans would have wished that it was not so efficient.
Thanks again!
1 Shirt!

[Ricochet]

The tang is supposed to have a gap. It's very important that it not make contact with the stock. I'd recommend not glass bedding it, but shimming it as the Finns did. There are diagrams of the shimming locations available over on http://milsurpshooter.net/ and I think on http://gunboards.com/

[1Shirt]

Thanks Ricochay, will look at it!\
1Shirt!