Cast for 7.62x54r

[Soundguy]

A while back I finally aquired some reloadable brass for x54r and for my initial reloading I just ran with pulled milsurp bullets..but now I'm ready to move forward with cast bullet testing.

I shoot plenty of 32 caliber stuff in cast, and have some 100gr I made up for .32-20

Has anyone played with light for caliber loads like this in 762x54r?

I'm not looking for sceamers or smokewagon loads.. and really, I would not mind some reduced red dot loads. I have trail boss too..but much much more red dot. Unique and bullseye are also available as possibilities for a low weight for caliber reduced load.

Any of you guys already tried this with any of those powders? I have 32 cal stuff in probably 80? thru 100 grain I think.. probably have 90 and 95 too.. not at home to check.. But i'm loading for 32 long and short..32acp, 32 h&r and 327 as well as 30super cary.

( That means I likely have some jacketed or plated 32cal stuff in the weight ranges that 327fed or 30sc use.. I had good cast results with 327..but just wasn't satisfied with mediocre handi-capped 30sc lead loads..so pretty sure I went to plated or jacketed to play with it.. ) In any event..all those are available including the light jacketed or plated.. though i would love a cast load in one of the powders I mentioned.

Anyone tried this? If so post up what worked for you. PS..I have 30cal plain base gas checks..not sure ( ok..truth.. can't remember ) if those will fit on a 32 cal..but I'm willing to test that. ( possibly again..because I can't remember if I have used them that way or not...ugh..love getting older )

Thanks

[Adam Helmer]

Soundguy,

I have much reloadable 7.62X54R PPU brass on establishment. I bought much PPU factory ammo for about $20 per box of 20 and it is all reloadable. My cast boolits are mostly the Lee C312-185RN cast of wheelweights and dropped from the mould into a bucket of water. I lube with Aalox and gas check and size to .312." Good luck.

Adam

[36g]

Sorry, but I've only played a bit with subsonic 220 gr. lipstick loads to run through a Bramit.

[beemer]

I shot a lot of light cast in my 91/30. Round balls and 32 pistol boolits with Red Dot and Trail Boss. The round balls shot like a 22 rifle at 20-25 yds. About the only requirement is that the boolit is big enough. I also shot some light loads with the Lee 185 at 100 yards, took them a while to get there but around 3 inch groups. Unique works very well with the standard weight boolits at around 10 grains. I don't remember the exact load but some where around 6 grains for the pistol bullets and round balls and make sure the boolit leave the barrel till you prove the load. No longer have any Russians but one with a good bore and set up properly properly will fool you.

[Soundguy]

hmm.. makes me want to try a 90 or 100gr sized perhaps to .313 or .314 over red dot.

Anyone hazard a guess at a starting charge? 8-10 grains?

[Soundguy]

I just now remembered I do have a plain base 170grn bullet as well. that would be nice over red dot... not sure of charge for a reduced loads though.

[beemer]

Do a search, ED Harris ,The Load. He has a great article on military rifles and cast loads. Also do a search on gallery loads for military rifles, you will find a lot of interesting stuff.

[36g]

Take a look at load data for .308 Win. Light loads should be somewhat comparable.

[Soundguy]

Do a search, ED Harris ,The Load. He has a great article on military rifles and cast loads. Also do a search on gallery loads for military rifles, you will find a lot of interesting stuff.

Funny, you mentioned that I had just found that article about the load. Pretty much thirteen grains, red dot for anything 30 caliber and up.

[Soundguy]

I'll search for that gallery load information too

[Larry Gibson]

My standard 7.62x54R load for such lightweight cast 32 cal bullets is 3.2 gr of Bullseye [no filler or wad] over a Lee TL314-90-SWC. I TL the bullets with a light coat of LLA and let thoroughly dry. Then run them through a Lee .314 sizer. Velocity runs 800 - 900 fps depending on rifle. I use fire formed cases and use a Lyman .31 M-die. I do not use any crimp nor remove the case mouth bevel. With PPU or nny cases I can get several firings w/o resizing the neck. Just deprime, reprime, charge with 3.2 gr Bullseye and seat the bullet. Looseness of the bullet when seating tells me when to resize the necks.

This is a great plinking and small game load. This load works quite well will all cast bullets of 85 to 115 gr in weight I've tried it with.

[Soundguy]

very nice! thanks

[Soundguy]

I do have bullseye. I will probably load somev170 gr .314 sized lead too..with orvwithout plain base checks.. looked around online..looks like 8gr bullseye works for that plus 30-06

hope to find red dot data too. always looking.

[Larry Gibson]

I do have bullseye. I will probably load somev170 gr .314 sized lead too..with orvwithout plain base checks.. looked around online..looks like 8gr bullseye works for that plus 30-06

hope to find red dot data too. always looking.

W/o GCs start at 6 gr Bullseye and work up to 8 gr. If you find Red Dot the same charges work well also.

[Soundguy]

W/o GCs start at 6 gr Bullseye and work up to 8 gr. If you find Red Dot the same charges work well also.

That would be convienient..I'd rather use red dot anyway. so with gas check you think 8gr good in either powder?

thanks for your help, your knowledge is appreciated.

[rbuck351]

I need a boolit that will size to about .317 to fill my bore and I don't have a mold that will work.

[Soundguy]

you might cast a hard bullet then mount a screw in it.. then mount in a drill and use bore paste and open up a .314 aluminum mold.. a little. if you can open it up to .315 and powder coat you may be good.

[Larry Gibson]

........ so with gas check you think 8gr good in either powder?...........

Yes, w/GC that should be a very good load.

[centershot]

you might cast a hard bullet then mount a screw in it.. then mount in a drill and use bore paste and open up a .314 aluminum mold.. a little. if you can open it up to .315 and powder coat you may be good.

I'd try beagling the mold before i opened it up, migt save you some work and beagling can be reversed easily.

[fatelvis]

With PPU or nny cases I can get several firings w/o resizing the neck. Just deprime, reprime, charge with 3.2 gr Bullseye and seat the bullet. Looseness of the bullet when seating tells me when to resize the necks..

As usual, can we back up the train and explain this Lar? Lol! Let me get this straight....So you can take a fired piece of brass and seat a new boolit into the neck and have sufficient neck tension still to adequately hold the boolit securely? how many thou interference fit are we talking normally? Do you just keep going up in sized boolit diameter until this occurs? Thanks AGAIN Lar for the great tips!