7.62x54r acceptable for hunting?

[BigMustard]

I have a modified Mosin Nagant (can post pics if interested) and all I have really shot with it is paper. Not knowing much about the 7.62x54 round would it be fine to use for whitetail? Or other game of equal or greater size?

 

[CoRoMo]

Yup. Plenty adequate.

 

[shaggy430]

Be sure to use soft point ammo.

 

[DMS]

Many moose & caribou have fallen to a 7.62 x 54R here in NL.

 

[Balog]

NL? Where's that?

 

[BigMustard]

New Foundland?

 

[41magsnub]

definitely, with a soft point round it is roughly comparable to a .30-06

 

[BigMustard]

Whats the effective range with soft point rounds?

 

[schlockinz]

Get a ballistics table for the particular load you'll shoot (or find something similar) and you should be good out to 1000ftlbs of energy, at least thats the number that I've heard thrown around.

To put this in perspective, thats about 450yds for a 180gr wolf soft point.

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmo.htm

 

[rcmodel]

The effective range is only as far as you can put all your shots in a 10" paper plate with open sights. (The size of a deers boiler room)

The effective range of the caliber, and the effective range of the sights are two very different things for most people.

rc

 

[BigMustard]

I have a 10-40x50mm scope on there. Shoots about 1MOA

 

[kmrcstintn]

I have seen import ammo loaded with soft point ammo in 150gr, 180gr, and 203gr; I've heard it has ballistics and terminal energy similar to .30-30; if a game animal can be shot and downed with a .30-30 then your 7.62 x 54R will do well; I would opt for the heavier bullet if yer going after something larger than a whitetail/medium sized black bear; as far as accuracy, you'll have to test different loads to see what groups tightly from the rifle

 

[rcmodel]

The 7.62x39 has ballistics similiar to the 30-30.

The 7.62x54 is much closer to the 30-06 then the 30-30.

rc

 

[Cosmoline]

It's on par with .30'06, not .30-30. The 180 and 200 grain soft points are sufficient for all North American game, though if hunting bear or large hogs I would opt for an S&B, Lapua or Norma over a Russian due to bullet quality. The Russian softpoints are primitive and may not expand so much as explode. Won't matter much for deer one way or the other.

 

[Tacbandit]

Quote:
"NL? Where's that?"

Netherlands...???
_______________

 

[Cosmoline]

Newfoundland.

 

[nalioth]

The 7.62x54r has the record for taking every large game animal on every continent.

 

[caribou]

Yep.

My Best Friend is my M-39, and Czech ammo

Caribou, Wolves, Moose, Polar Bear, Brown and Blacks as well have all been made into "meat" with the 7.62X54r ......

............as well as one 32 foot Minki whale I know of, back in '86 that took 5 shots behinde the blowhole, from an old Mosin 91 and was towed to an Island and Butcher'd for muktuk and meat...maby the largest aminal ever taken in North america with a 7.62X45r............

No kidding.

You can have confidence in the cartridge, its up to you to deliver that bullet to the right spot.

 

[nathan]

Siberian hunters used M 44s carbine to hunt tigers, grizzlies and polar bears. That says it all.

 

[Cosmoline]

s well as one 32 foot Minki whale I know of, back in '86 that took 5 shots behinde the blowhole, from an old Mosin 91 and was towed to an Island and Butcher'd for muktuk and meat...maby the largest aminal ever taken in North america with a 7.62X45r.

Unless someone bagged a bull elephant with one, maybe worldwide!

That reminds me of the story where a fellow from up north was guiding some out of state fisherman. One from the midwest caught a King, which was bigger than anything he'd ever seen. He was so proud of it and asked the other fishermen what their biggest catches were. One had caught a 20 lb. pike, another a tuna. He asked the guide, who responded dryly "85 tons."

 

[nalioth]

Unless someone bagged a bull elephant with one, maybe worldwide!

Many elephants have been taken with the 7.62x54R.

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

Siberian hunters used M 44s carbine to hunt tigers, grizzlies and polar bears.

I wonder if that bayonet has come in handy, when the mag is empty?

 

[nathan]

Big crocs as well.

 

[TehK1w1]

M44 bayonets are mostly good for taking out light fixtures, poking holes in ceilings, and shredding ceiling fans. Poking charging animals is a bonus feature that doesn't get used nearly as often.

 

[Cosmoline]

Many elephants have been taken with the 7.62x54R.

African elephants? I've never heard of it. The .303 accounted for many, and even the 6.5 Mannlicher-Schoenauer and 8x50 Austro-Hungarian. Who would have been hunting African elephants with 54R's?