7.62 Caliber Questions

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

I've been wondering what the wound channel from a 7.62x54R FMJ 147 grain bullet looks like. I bought a bunch of pulled bullets a while back for plinking and target shooting, but it seems to me the base would turn forward.

These do not have air gaps in the noses.

Though I keep soft point around for critters, I do wonder how they'd drop with the FMJ running 2500 to 3000 feet per second. (I normally load 45 grains Varget for fun, but 47.2 grains will run pretty doggone fast.)

Are the lethality and immediate incapacitation effects really that much less on FMJ rifle bullets?

How about if the nose were ground down a bit, not enough to expose the lead, but enough to, say, create a small meplat?

My second question concerns accuracy and precision: With handloads, I can get these bullets into under 1" to 2.5" at 80 yards, depending on the day and how I'm doing. This is on par with what I can do with open sights and the soft points (which are Hornady, by the way).

With open sights, do you believe it would be worth grabbing up a box of Match King or whatever I can find, or are open, or am I at the design limit of open, iron military sights? The front post is down from about 0.080" to 0.060" and tapered, but I'm not sure how much difference that makes. I know I like it better.

So... any help on these two questions would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Josh

 

[BIGBANG]

Just makin sure but your shooting a mosin correct?

 

[bremington]

What else shoots 7.62X54R?

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

Yes, this is a Mosin. Finn trigger job, custom sights, cork bedded etc. Stock look though.

One of the main questions I'm trying to figure out, and am pussyfooting around, is this: The Germans were obviously repulsed by this ammunition. What is the expected terminal performance in an enemy soldier? Can you expect to shoot him and have him up for a bit doing his thing, or would he be more likely to go down and stay down?

What's the immediate impact like?

I was thinking of popping a few coyotes to study the obvious terminal effects and the would channels, but from what I've heard this is not humane.

However, I have other folks saying that they disrupt so early that the bullet yaws and drops moose DRT.

So, I guess, I am looking for the terminal performance on enemy soldiers via the long route of its use on game before the advent of soft point and hollow point rounds.

Thanks!

Josh

 

[Jeff H]

What else shoots 7.62X54R?

Actually, quite a few guns: From Wikipedia,



List of 7.62×54mmR Firearms

[edit]Rifles
The various Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifles including the sawn-off "Obrez" pistol.
The American Winchester Model 1895. Approximately 300,000 made for the Russian army in 1915-16.
AVB-7.62
AVS-36
Dragunov sniper rifle (including Chinese NDM-86 variant).
JS 7.62
SVT-38 and SVT-40.
PSL sniper rifle.
M91.
Berkut-2M1
IZH-18MH
SV-98 (Snaiperskaya Vintovka Model 1998)
[edit]Machine guns
2B-P-10
Degtyaryov machine gun (DP28) / (RP-46)
DS-39
Fedorov-Shpagina Model 1922
GShG-7.62 machine gun
Hua Qing Minigun
Kucher Model K1
Madsen machine gun
PK machine gun (also known as PKM).
PM M1910
PV-1 machine gun
Slostin machine gun
Savin-Narov machine gun
SG-43 Goryunov
ShKAS machine gun
Type 53/57 machine gun
Type 67 machine gun and Type 80 machine gun.
Type 73 light machine gun
Uk vz. 59
Zastava M84
[edit]

 

[Vaarok]

7.62x54R SP will turn a coyote half inside-out. FMJ will drop a deer, a friend of mine hunted with a stock 91/30 and surp ball ammo.

I'd suggest talking to Caribou, he hunts extensively with Mosins (and even a SVT) up in Alaska and has had ample opportunity to study their effects.

Basically, a .31 caliber lump of lead weighing ten grams will punch a hole through meat and bone in pretty much the same grisly fashion as any other- and .303 and 8mm both are just as well known for killing things dead.