what boolit for psl 7.62x54r

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elwoodm

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just slugged the barrel on psl with .312 groove and .300 lands.i reload .311s in my 303 and mosins with .312to .314 grooves. the psl has only had .310 boolits shot in it 149gr surplus. just wondering if i can safely load .311 in this brand new barrel with out causing over pressure. the selection of boolits in .311 is far better than .310. i want to get away from steel cases and bimetal jackets plus corrosive crap. thanks for help on this i know this site has the best info on reloading on the web.
 
.001" in bullet size doesn't cause over-pressure.

If it will fit in the chamber, it is fine.

However if you are already loading max or near max loads with .310" bullets you need to back off slightly and work up a new load with the new bullets.

Other differances in bullet shapes can cause pressure to raise.

rc
 
thanks its just that i have never loaded a boolit this close to groove diameter before. this new barrel is nothing like the old rifles i normally load for. no max loads with psl it does not like full power 91/30 loads shortens life of rifle. just glad i can use the same wide range of .311s that i have. the rifle is 1 moa or better at 100 yards trying to keep it that way.
 
Unless it is a lead Boolet you cast, sized & lubed yourself?

It is a bullet, not a boolet.

I had to read your post several times to figure out if you were asking about cast boolets, or jacketed bullets.

For that matter, I don't care for the whole boolet thing, regardless of what type they are, but thats just me.

rc
 
no cast bullets only sierra and hornady .311s. my big thing is bringing back to life ww2 rifles that have been overlooked or otherwise would just sit in a closet the rest of the time. when i get them running and bring them to the range i like the veterans that come by and say they like the way that old rifle is shooting again and hopefully will stay that way if i did my job right.
 
the boolit thing was something i saw on the high road years ago when i first started to work on firearms that i thought was funny. i was thinking my problem might get more attention if somebody noticed that i had been getting my info about firearms from this forum for along time.
 
The .311's will work fine in the .312 groove rifle. I shoot .311's in my Mosin and SKS rifles all the time,both rifle bores slugged at .312. Specific pressure problems related to bullet dia. come from when the bullet is over groove dia.

In the PSL make sure you stay in the 150 gr. or lighter bullet weight range,using heavier bullets hammers and stresses the action on the rifle and can lead to broken parts.
 
I use 311's in my PSL as I also refuse to use the surplus ammo in this rifle...so far I use the same reloads in both the PSL and SVT40...I just see no point in using surplus in these two rifles....the surplus stuff is for the 91/30's.

I am at work and do not have my recipes handy....but I do remember they are middle of the road loads from the newest sierra manual.

And +1 to the 150gr thing. I have never seen first hand that the heavy bullets will hammer the thing to death and don't know if it is one of those internet things floating around but why take the chance.
 
great news just got back from range with new load for svt 40 with 174gr sierra at high 2400fps put them all in three inches at 100 yards and cycled good just got to stop it from denting cases off the receiver cover. the psl is much better on cases. ill stick with 150gr on psl thanks a bunch everyone
 
Don't see that anybody here has mentioned the Hornady Interlock 150gr SP .303 Cal. It is .312 diameter and would be a good match for your PSL with that same groove diameter. I use them in a Sako M39 Mosin with a .312 groove and they perform quite well.

One other thing that's a plus with the Hornady's - They have a crimp groove.
 
And +1 to the 150gr thing. I have never seen first hand that the heavy bullets will hammer the thing to death and don't know if it is one of those internet things floating around but why take the chance.
Click to expand...

http://www.dragunov.net/romanian_psl.html

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The PSL's larger caliber meant the receiver had to be longer than an AK's and the sheet metal was reinforced at the rear with plates riveted to the sides. To reduce receiver twist when fired, the barrel is pressed into a special trunion that is held in shallow channels on the sides of the receiver. Even with these strengthening improvements the rifle can not handle the pressure of heavy ball ammunition. Ideal cartridge weight will be no heavier than 160 grains (10.3 grams).[/FONT]
Click to expand...
 
the bullet im using now is speer 150gr hcsp the the big thing is the spire point with semi auto rifles. i would like to find something 150gr or less fmj in .311 all the rounds so far have been 174gr or more fmj and staying around 2500fps is fine for ejection and loading.
 
thanks i will give these a try thats just what ive been looking for. both 54r and 303 seem to like reloader 15. ive had problems with ball powder and cci lrp not igniting the load. been sticking to extruded powder till i find a better primer not magnum that will light the ball powder better.
 
Most ball powder data will recommend the use of a Magnum primer due to the density of the powder. Extruded powders are much easier to ignite with standard primers than ball especially in cold weather.
 
love the grafs web sight sent them an email about when they expect ppu 54r brass to come around. those are the bullets im looking for. going to work up new loads with mag primers and ball powder for 54r and 303 never thought about it in big cases cause it worked fine in 223 ball powder loads. i just didnt think about twice the case size mattered. thanks alot for the help and the web sight.
 
elwoodm said:
love the grafs web sight sent them an email about when they expect ppu 54r brass to come around. those are the bullets im looking for. going to work up new loads with mag primers and ball powder for 54r and 303 never thought about it in big cases cause it worked fine in 223 ball powder loads. i just didnt think about twice the case size mattered. thanks alot for the help and the web sight.
Click to expand...
Another way to get PPU brass is to buy Wolf Gold ammo. I just bought a box of 7.62r from J&G and it had a PPU headstamp.
 
that is the brass i have now from shooting ppu 182gr i have 40 rnds left. until i went to grafs site i didnt know that anybody sold ppu brass. all ive seen is norma or lapua which im not paying that price why doesnt star line make that round or winchester ive seen 7.62x25 winch brass on the ground at the range. if they make that they shouldnt have a problem with 54r. oh my bad thats right its a more used round than 270 and they cant have that.
 
I checked one of my MN barrels with a lead sinker. I squashed it down just a bit and hammered it down an oiled barrel. I had a similar result with .312 lands and .314 grooves diameters. I shot a .308 bullet, 150 grain Sierra MK, and could make the holes touch with a nickel in the middle. I would try .308 bullets first, perhaps the accuracy will be 2 MOA or even 3 MOA. If it's acceptable, you will have a lot more bullets to choose from. Not exactly bad for those mass produced war-time shoulder bruisers. Now, my hunting load is 165 grain Sierra soft point boat tail. It is accurate enough for me; less than a 4" group any day of the week, any temperature, off shooting sticks or at a bench, with or without a 40 MPH crosswind.

P.S. I use Varget or H4895...loaded to about 2500 fps (less recoil)...whatever I have more of at the time
 
i use varget reloader 15 and imr 4895 powders most of the time. i also reload for my fal using win 147gr and hornady 168gr match with the lands on the psl being as tall as they are i think trying the 308s would work out good and the selection of 308s is greater than 311s. i just have a good amount of .311 and am trying to see how many rifles i have that can handle them well.next step is working up loads with mag primers and ball powders again.
 
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