7.62x54r cast bullet results?

[stubbicatt]

Anybody load relatively heavy, 200 grain, cast bullets in the 7.62x54r? Not trying to duplicate any sort of full house load with this combination, quite the opposite.

I would like to be able to cast some slugs and shoot them at distances of 35 to 50 yards as plinking loads, seeing as 22 long rifle is virtually unobtainable around here. I figure wheel weight alloy, gas checked, maybe tumble lubed bullets? If they shoot to the point of aim or nearly so, that's fine.

What have you used and what do you recommend?

Thanks in advance.

 

[daboone]

NOE 316299. See Cast Boolits for ordering. I have the 2 cav and it needs to be run hot but not frosting the bullets. As with most molds if the mold is preheated you'll get into production faster with less weight variances.

 

[GP100man]

I started with 14grs. of 2400 under a Lyman 314299 , went 1/2gr increments to 16 gr. & stopped there .

3" at 75 was as best I got ,but it was probably more me & the terrible trigger ,than the barrel !!

Alot of fun left in those ole battle rifles !!!

Took a week to get all the copper out though !!

Be sure to start with a boolit at least 314"

 

[wrench]

I've been having good luck with an NOE 314299, unsized lubed with two coats of 45-45-10 lube (again, pointing you to the castboolits forum).
It's a gas check bullet, but I've been leaving the check off with good results.
Start with 10g of Unique, and you can work up a couple of grains at least. My best results usually show up around 11-12g.
For a short range plinking load like you're talking about, I bet it will work great.

 

[35 Whelen]

Over the years I owned probably 6 - 8 Mosins and shot cast through all of them. The Lyman 314299 is all I ever needed. It dropped bullets at right around 205 grs. and .314" from air-cooled wheelweights. You'd be wise to slug the bore of your Mosin as most of mine were right at .310" and I sized the bullets .311" or .312". My first load to try was always 13.0 grs. of Red Dot and usually if a rifle wouldn't shoot with that load, it wouldn't shoot at all:

















I used to have tons more pictures of Mosin targets, but I got rid of all the rifles and deleted the pictures.

Also. most of the Lyman 311291 moulds I used dropped nice fat bullets and overall the bullets from these moulds were more accurate than the "pointy" ones.

Good luck!

35W

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Since these loads are for plinking only why use so much lead? No reason to load a 200gr bullet for that. I would go lighter, something in the 150gr range would be more economical IMO.

**EDIT**
How about a 130gr mold meant for the 7.62X39mm? That would make a great and soft shooting plinking load.
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/bullet-casting/mould-details-rifles.php?entryID=45

 

[wgaynor]

I use 150 grain and 170 grain cast bullets with poor results due to the worn out barrel. Bullets are dropping at .313 and barrel measures at a tad bit more than .313. While I could get a fatter bullet mould, at this point, (if I wait a few months) it'd be cheaper to get a different rifle (by trading this one in).

 

[35 Whelen]

The 314299 has a very long bearing surface and therefore tends to be more accuarate than the shorter, lighter bullets in my experience.

35W

 

[stubbicatt]

Thanks guys.

My thinking with the longer bullet is that with the hit or miss nature of propellant availability in these troubled times, with a heavier bullet I could use light loads of 4895 and linotype, or a middleing load of Unique with wheelweight alloy if it came down to it. Too I have read as you have that the heavier cast bullets tend to shoot better.

 

[poco loco]

I use the Lee 312-185-1r gas cked over 16 of 2400 or 13 of Red Dot for just about every 30 caliber my buddy and I have from his Mosins to the Model of 1917's to his 303 and it shoots well in all of them properly sized of course.......

 

[06]

Love the old warhorses. Thanks for the info on the boolits. Finally scrounged some boxer brass so I can play more.

 

[444]

As was mentioned, if you are shooting these out of a 91/30, be sure to slug the bore. I had one that measured .318: which I gave to someone free.

I have had a lot of fun shooting cast bullets out of my Finn M39s. I never did any serious accuracy testing or anything, just plinking. They seemed to do fine. I used 13.0 grains of Red Dot. I would have to look for the information on the bullet but it was ones I cast.