Anyone Load SMKs in 7.62x54R?

[Langenator]

I just started loading 7.62x54R, and had planned on loading Woodleigh SPs and Sierra ProHunters, both in 180 grains. Sitting on the shelf next to the ProHunters was a box of 174 gr SMKs, so I thought "What the hell? I'll try it."

But I can't find any recipes.

Powder I've got on hand is Varget (recomended for both SPH recipes I found) and IMR 4064.

Anyone out there have anything?

 

[MErl]

I was about to ask but checked and they do make SMK in .311

what are you shooting them out of and let us know how it works out

 

[Langenator]

Yeah, I forgot to mention that all of the above are .311.

Shooting from a Sako M39 Mosin. Thinking I'll start with the same starting charge as the ProHunters-43 grains of Varget, and I'm thinking of a COL of 3.000.

 

[BsChoy]

Isn't the 7.62x54 a .308 caliber??? Or is it one of them there european conspiracies?

 

[DMK]

Isn't the 7.62x54 a .308 caliber???

No, it's .311 like 7.62x39 and .303 Brit.

Now whether your barrel is .311 is a different story. Mosin Nagants, and to some extent Enfields, are known to have varying bore sizes. Most, if out of spec, are larger than .311 though, not smaller. However, some can be. An undersize bore would be great to have for the handloader.

 

[Langenator]

I had this particular rifle slugged. Came out .3105

 

[Bad Flynch]

With a .3105 barrel, you should consider using the Lapua match bullet; it was made just for that rifle.

The Finns made barrels on these guns at about a .308-.309" dimension for a short time, but during WWII converted back to the .310-.314 of the Russians so they could use captured Russian ammo. You are lucky and got a tight one for a shooter.

 

[Langenator]

Are you referring to the D166? I've thought about it. I basically grabbed the SMKs because they were there on the shelf and I figured it'd be something interesting to try.