need help with a 7.62X54R

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joe2004

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So here is the thing

The reason why im asking is that I just can’t believe the ammunition for the
7.62X54R so Cheap. $0.15 that is 

I found a MODERN rifle the CZ's 527 carbine that shoots the 7.62X39 and according to reviews it’s pretty good.

So my question is this is there any MODERN rifle out there that will shoot the
7.62X54R. I know the mosin shoots it but I want something modern.

And last question that I have is this since the round is so cheap is there any modern Ammunition thats as powerful as the 7.62X54R or equivalent that can be reloaded to where the cost will be under $0.20 cents? And if so what rifle or ammo is it

Thanks guys

You’ve been a lot of help
 
I know of no modern rifle that uses the 7.62x54R, however, the 30-06 has about as much power as the x54R. I don't know about reloading cost, but if you wanted the power of that round, you should probably reload 30-06.
 
Remington made the Classic Deluxe M700 in 8mm Mauser one year (maybe 2005-ish). 8mm Mauser surplus is about the same price as 7.62x54R and is pretty similar in ballistics. Steyr also makes new production 8mms.


You can also load .308 for about $0.25 a round if you get about 10 loads per piece of brass (about 3 cents per round brass cost). Primers are about 2 cents. Bulk Hornady 155-grain FMJs are about 11.5 cents. You'll spend about 10 cents on powder if you pick one of the more efficient ones.

If you are using starting to mid-strength loads and only neck-sizing (especially with a collet die) then I think 10 loadings is reasonable, maybe more.
 
8mm mauser surplus is no where near as cheap as 7.62x54R at this time. It might have been true 6 months ago, but no longer.

The PSL is produced in 7.62x54R. I believe Winchester might have been producing their M1895 rifle in that caliber again.
 
8mm is a bit more powerful then the x54, and it would be easier to rechamber in modern rifles.
That said your best bet for the surplus calibers is a good surplus rifle.
 
My guess is that a lot of the ammo is cheap because it is corrosive. It's not that big a deal if you care for your rifle after shooting it, but it's probably enough to make most modern gunmakers not want to screw with it. That, and the rim...
 
A lot of that ammo is cheap because there were umpteen millions rounds made. Once you chance rifle systems, those rounds became obsolete, or they were just too old for mil. use.
 
And last question that I have is this since the round is so cheap is there any modern Ammunition thats as powerful as the 7.62X54R or equivalent that can be reloaded to where the cost will be under $0.20 cents? And if so what rifle or ammo is it
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The 7.62X51mm (.308 Win.) is closer in size, ballistics and energy to the 7.62X54R than the 7.62X63mm (30-06 Springfield). Also, .308 ammo is cheaper and easier to find in the surplus market than 30-06.
 
You dont need a modern rifle. get a finnish m39. one competed in 2006 finnish sniper match (it was featured in shotgun news) and reportedly did very well, thank you very much.
 
308 or 3006 is the ticket. At Academy, they sell barnaul 06 ammo for about 7 bucks a box. with tax, you figure it is about .40 cents per round. I'm sure you can reload either of the above cheaper.
 
The reason for all these rounds of ammo flooding the market (7.62x54r) is indeed a changing of weapons systems, changing their gp machine guns from 7.62x54r to 308. But it is also to sell off surplus ammo and generate hard cash. Albania, Romania, and Bulgaria are needing hard cash, and so sold off extra ammo. Heck, I've done that before myself. The 7.62x54r will be around a long time now. The round has nothing going for it that 308 or 30-06 can't do, so I wouldn't expect an American company to start a general run of commercial rifles for it.

However, the PSL is modern and if you look you might find one of the Russian double rifles. The price for a real deal Dragunov is too high, it would be cheaper to have a bolt rifle re-chambered. The PSL, though, is certainly suitable for hunting AND plinking. I have one just for that, and keep loading up on spam cans.

Ash
 
False economy to buy an expensive rifle to shoot corrosive cheap ammo hat isn't going to shoot all that accurately anyway.

Buy a $100 mosin nagant and $50 worth of ammo and bang away.
 
I just can’t believe the ammunition for the 7.62X54R so Cheap.
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Interesting perspective. A lot of the earlier wave of milsurpers are constantly whining about the high price of Commie and Nazi leftovers. When our friends who used to be our enemies found out we would buy their obsolete guns and over shelf life ammo, you could shoot that stuff for less than a good .22.
 
False economy to buy an expensive rifle to shoot corrosive cheap ammo hat isn't going to shoot all that accurately anyway.
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Really? The 50's manufacture Bulgarian heavy ball that is available appears to be pretty decent, at least in terms of RMS muzzle velocity.

we would buy their obsolete guns and over shelf life ammo
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Most of my milsurp ammo is about 30 years old; that's not even close to "shelf life" unless it was stored in harsh conditions.
 
Most of my milsurp ammo is about 30 years old; that's not even close to "shelf life" unless it was stored in harsh conditions.
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And how do you know it hasn't been stored in harsh conditions? Armies are a bit conservative on such things, just because it is over age doesn't mean it won't shoot; but just because it looks ok doesn't mean it will, either. Back when our so-called "allies" were selling us back the .45 ACP we had given them, a lot of it was good as new. Some of it was very erratic, you could hear the muzzle blast differ from shot to shot. Storage conditions? Lot numbers? Who knows?
I doubt it really matters, nobody is going to war or competition with it. Are you?
There was one Internet Expert who said to be wary of surplus ammunition over two and under ten years old. Over ten, it was probably past its official shoot by date but was ok if stored sensibly. Under two, it was probably contract overruns of decent stuff. In between it might well be rejects disposed of to creduluous Americans because of failures in use.
 
And how do you know it hasn't been stored in harsh conditions?
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You may get some indications from the container. Personally, I'd be nervous purchasing or shooting milsurp which didn't come in an original sealed container. My .308 surplus came in sealed ammo cans which were very difficult to open; I'm pretty sure they haven't been opened since they were sealed at the factory.

You could also pull a sample cartridge from each case, take it apart and have a look at the components. For steel cased ammo, that may be a good idea (e.g., look for rust on the inside of the case). You can also look at the powder for signs of deterioration.

I doubt it really matters, nobody is going to war or competition with it. Are you?
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With surplus ammo, my concern is safety. Decent accuracy is just a bonus. ;)
 
even with commercial ammunition, bad rounds sneak through QC. i have some S&B 9mm that came with a particularly nasty round. i shall post a pic tonight.

moral of the story. CHECK ALL YOUR AMMO! not just a sample. cause this was 1 of 50 in the box, leaving me a 2% chance this it was the random round i picked for sample. luckly i caught it as i loaded mags.
 
moral of the story. CHECK ALL YOUR AMMO! not just a sample. cause this was 1 of 50 in the box, leaving me a 2% chance this it was the random round i picked for sample. luckly i caught it as i loaded mags.
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You're not kidding.

When I first got my Mosin, I bought 50 rounds for it in those paper packs of 10. I examined all of the ammo, and one round turned out to have a cracked case (big no-no) and the other was even worse. The case was more severely cracked, and the bullet was so loose, I accidentally popped it out of the cartridge.
 
moral of the story. CHECK ALL YOUR AMMO!
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Absolutely. I inspect every round as I load it into the magazine.

My most serious concern is with steel-cased surplus. Even if it's laquered or plated, how do you know there isn't corrosion on the inside?
 
I've come across at least 1/2 dozen albanian 7.62x54r rounds that simply won't chamber- I've sen a few where the neck isfolded over on itself as well.
 
Going along with what other's have said, remember a lot of older commie ammunition was produced by slave labor, which is why it's good to shoot the newer stuff.
 
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