Handloading/Reloading 7.62x54R ammo

[LibertarianTeen1994]

Hey, I'm a 16, almost 17 year old teen, who is a big Mosin Nagant fan, though I currently only own one M91-30, unfortunately, anyway I am interested in reloading/handloading my ammo for my M91-30, and was curious, as to what primer would you recommend? Also this will be my first experience reloading, so are there any books/websites you'd recommend I read before I begin doing so? Thanks and have a great day.

 

[rcmodel]

You can't reload Russian surplus or Wolf steel case ammo.
It uses Berdan primers, which you can't buy in the U.S.A.
And de-priming them is not very easy to do as the multiple flash holes are off set and not centered like with Boxer primed brass cases.

If you plan to eventually start reloading, buy only brass case American or European ammo with Boxer primers and start saving the brass.

The caliber uses Standard Large Rifle primers.
Any brand will do, however I would suggest starting with CCI, Winchester, or Remington brand.

There is a great Sticky thread at the top of this forum that will get you started.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=238214

Two books I would recommend are.
The ABC's of Reloading.
Lyman #49 Reloading Manual.

rc

 

[Old Scratch]

RC is right about the nonreloadability of the Berdan style cases. Reloadable 7.62x54 brass cases can be very expensive. On the other hand, factory Berdan ammo is relatively cheap. One thing you might do is pull the bullets and powder from Brown Bear or one of the other non-corrosive steel-cased brands and use the primed cases to make your own one-time "reloads." That way, you can experiment with your own combinations, like Sierra .311 diameter match-grade bullets and the powder of your choice. I've done it and it works well. Good luck!

 

[LibertarianTeen1994]

Okay thanks for the help.

 

[Seedtick]

Hey, I'm a 16, almost 17 year old teen, who is a big Mosin Nagant fan, though I currently only own one M91-30, unfortunately, anyway I am interested in reloading/handloading my ammo for my M91-30, and was curious, as to what primer would you recommend? Also this will be my first experience reloading, so are there any books/websites you'd recommend I read before I begin doing so? Thanks and have a great day.

Welcome to The High Road.

Read Read Read. Don't get ahead of yourself, take your time and learn it right. Reloading is a rewarding hobby that you can enjoy throughout you entire lifetime.

So do it right. Do you have anyone who can mentor you? That would also be a big plus.

Check out Ultimate Reloader. It's a very helpful and informative website dealing with much of the tools you'll be useing.

One more thing.... one o'clock in the afternoon in the middle of the week....

WHY AIN'T YOU IN SCHOOL??

Seedtick

 

[rfwobbly]

Mr 1994 -
Welcome to reloading!

If you'll look inside your present fired brass with a strong lamp you'll see the primer holes on the inside. What you probably have is Berdan, which is useless. Like RC said, you need to find some "Boxer" primed brass. You'll pay more, but you can reload it so it ends up being cheaper.



Also, you might want to read about "slugging your bore". The bore is 7.62mm (.308) in name only. Most of the Russian stuff is .310 to .313 diameter and might shoot better for you with a larger bullet, like the ones used in British 303.

A very cheap way to get started is to use 7.62 plastic training bullets and seat them over Trail Boss powder. 1000 bullets is only ~$35 and Trail Boss is not that powerful, but you MUST leave an air space inside the case.

Fill out your location in your profile and someone here can possibly help you out.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

Also this will be my first experience reloading, so are there any books/websites you'd recommend I read before I begin doing so? Thanks and have a great day.

I'm just starting towards handloading as well. I picked up a copy of the Lyman reloading handbook and have been happy reading it. They give a walk-through of how to load, what tools you need, and so forth. Plus loadings for a LOT of cartridges. Including 7.62x54R.

BTW: SOME Bulgarian surplus is in boxer primed brass, if you can find it. I found some and picked up what they had, headstamp was back from '55 so it's not the most common.

 

[winchester1886]

I have a M 38 in 7.62x54 I shoot reloads in it. I bought Winchester metric 180 gr then shot them up to use the brass. I use a Sierra .311 Gameking bullet with 46.3 gr.of IMR 4895 and a Winchester Large Rifle Primer. It will shoot a 2" group at 75 yards.

 

[soloban]

Have your parent buy you a couple boxes of Privi Partisan 7.62x54R ammo and then reload the brass.

I used to reload 7.62x54R when I still had my 91/30. I used a set of Lee Dies. If you buy Lee Dies to reload this cartridge, for some reason the Decapping/Resizing die has a .308" stem. Assuming your 91/30 is like most, it needs a larger caliber bullet as was previously mentioned. Order a replacement stem for a .303 British Decapping die from the Lee Website and install it in the 7.62x54R dies. This way you will be resizing the case mouths to .311 and you would then use .311 Caliber Bullets (.303 British).

- You'll need Large Rifle Primers
- .311 Calibers Bullets (180 Gr. Sierras are good)
- I used IMR 4320 powder, but there are plenty of others that would work (Read your manual)

Just be forewarned that MN's are hard on the brass, specifically, they have "generous" chamber dimensions and you'll get quite a bit of stretching of the brass and you'll need to trim every time and it will wear your brass out fast.

Not sure what's in your gun safe, but if it were me, I would learn to reload rife on something like a .223, .243, .270, .30-06, .308 since their components are a lot more plentiful. I usually had to order .311 Bullets from Midway, they aren't something most local stores will carry.

 

[LibertarianTeen1994]

Okay thanks for all the help...and as for what the one guy said about why wasn't I in school....well....school was canceled that day due to some "teacher in service" day,

 

[Seedtick]

Okay thanks for all the help...and as for what the one guy said about why wasn't I in school....well....school was canceled that day due to some "teacher in service" day,

Good answer.........

....Was just yanking your chain a little.

Seedtick

 

[35 Whelen]

What soloban said...buy Prvi Partizan 7.62x54r for $13.50 per 20. Shoot'em and you have brass! Or buy Prvi 7.62x54r unprimed brass for $50 per 100.
I personally prefer buying loaded ammunition because after I fire it, it's been fired in my rifle and the cases fit my chamber.
I've been reloading since I was about your age....maybe a year or two younger. You need to be careful and understand what's going on, but it's not voodoo like so many keyboard reloaders would have you believe. I will tell you this without hesitation: Regardless of WHAT you read, or how MUCH you read, find someone in your area that handloads and watch them. that's the best way to understand what's going on.
35W

 

[Cosmoline]

I've reloaded a *lot* of 54R. You will find that the primer pockets on most brass are pretty shallow, and that standard large rifle primers are often "proud" (meaning they stick up a little bit out of the pocket). The best primers for this round are the CCI 7.62 military primers, No. 34. They go in easier, fit well into the pocket which is what you want with 54R, and are more reliable. I also believe they are harder than normal primers, which is what you want with that Mosin firing pin.

Figuring out what combination of bullet and powder work best for a particular M-N is a lot more complicated. I start by shooting an array of factory and surplus rounds, then seeing what shoots best from the batch. Sometimes the Mosin likes heavy ball, sometimes light ball, and sometimes a particular factory load. Once I find that out, I can adjust handloads to expand the sweet spot. Sometimes that means loading up to .312" bullets, sometimes going with a .308" bullet.

 

[EMC45]

You will maximize the full potential of your rifle with handloading. I have an M91, M38, and an M44. Handload for all of them. Welcome, and be safe!

 

[winchester1886]

I use Lee dies to reload my 7.62x54,but I use a lyman M die for the 303 It will expand the neck to .311 dia.I use the Sierra 150gr GameKing .311 dia.

 

[Doc Rizzi]

Reloading the 7.62x54

I reload for mine all the time. Check out Midwayusa.com for the 7.62x54 brass. You can use large rifle primers without any problem. The thing is that you need to slug the barrel to see what size bullet you need. It could be anywhere from .308 to .312. I use a 170 grain bullet over 45grains of IMR4895 with an OAL of 2.825. They cycle and shoot very accurately. You can define your bullet and load depending on if you are target shooting or hunting. It is a fun good shooting cartridge. Have Fun!

 

[sonier]

you need a mentor to help you out, someone who can walk you through all of it safely.

 

[Hondo 60]

You guys make me proud to be a member of this forum!
Always with good comments, & always willing to help a new person.

LibertarianTeen1994 - Welcome to The High Road!
99% of the people here are straight shooters (pun intended)
and will lead you to SAFE reloading habits.

I thoroughly agree with getting at least 2 manuals.
Lyman's 49th Edition is a REALLY good one.
It has a great how-to section - very informative & has pictures to help explain.
It also has a LOT of recipes as mentioned above, including 7.62x54.

Stay safe my friends

 

[J_McLeod]

I also have a Mosin that I want to reload for, and found this with the search. How do I slug the bore? Find a local gunsmith?

 

[NCsmitty]

How do I slug the bore?

You can use a sinker large enough, or 00 buckshot pushed through the bore. The grooves in the barrel, will create lands on the lead, which will be the largest dimension measurable, and that will be the size of the jacketed bullet to use. You will need a decent set of Verniers or mics to measure to the thousandth.
Cast bullets need to be .001-.002 larger than the bore.
Most Mosins run .311-.312 if the barrel is in decent condition. Some barrels may have experienced some wear at the muzzle from cleaning.



NCsmitty

 

[markshere2]

Don't know if t\hey have any more, but I bought 100 pieces fo primed brass 7.62 X54 from

The Colorado Brass Company
16748 E Smokey Hill Rd
Unit 9C PMB 176
Centennial CO 80015-2494

I GAVE $55 FOR 100 PIECES AND IT'S WINCHESTER BOXER PRIMED.

The best ( most accurate in MY rifles) load to date I have worked up is 15Grains of Unique pushing a 155 Grain cast boolit with a gas check sized to .308.

The MNs are a LOT of fun!

Be prepared for a LOT of trial and error! There's a LOT of factors in making the MNs shoot good- Barrel support, Bayonet extended or folded ( on the M44s) and the Triggers are problematic for some. Bore size varies wildly, as well.

But it sure is fun to get one dialed in, and handloading is the way to do it.

 

[jcwit]

Graff & Sons also list 7.62 x 54 brass as in stock.

 

[06]

Not giving up on finding some Berdan primers for my old brass. Yrs ago I bought hydraulic deprimers for 39/54s. Had more time than sense-retired now so back in the same boat and itching to scratch an old desire. Privi hopefully will have Berdans. Thanks for the tip on using the 303 die-pretty sharp.

 

[jcwit]

In the not to distant past, The Old West Scrounger carried Berdan primers. Its my understanding it is now owned by Navy Arms, whether they have primers or not, I have no idea.

 

[J_McLeod]

You can use a sinker large enough, or 00 buckshot pushed through the bore. The grooves in the barrel, will create lands on the lead, which will be the largest dimension measurable, and that will be the size of the jacketed bullet to use. You will need a decent set of Verniers or mics to measure to the thousandth.
Cast bullets need to be .001-.002 larger than the bore.
Most Mosins run .311-.312 if the barrel is in decent condition. Some barrels may have experienced some wear at the muzzle from cleaning.



NCsmitty

So all I would need to do is find a fishing line sinker slightly larger than .312, shove it through the barrel with a cleaning rod and measure it with a caliper? Would it damage the rifling any?