What mold (brand) should I use to cast bullets for my mosin nagant. 7.62x54r.

[BoltLover]

Looking for advice on what mold to use for casting bullets for 7.62x54r. My barrel slugs at.. 3105. Also any info on a die set that f/l sizes and also has a neck sizing die.
Thanks
BOLT.

 

[kostner]

Can't go wrong with Lee molds try this one.Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold CTL312-160-2R 7.62x39mm (312 Diameter) 160 Grain Tumble Lube 2 Ogive Radius Gas Check

 

[BoltLover]

What gas checks do you use with this bullet?

Can't go wrong with Lee molds try this one.Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold CTL312-160-2R 7.62x39mm (312 Diameter) 160 Grain Tumble Lube 2 Ogive Radius Gas Check

 

[blarby]

30 caliber.

The hornady crimp on checks are nice.

 

[BoltLover]

Ah I see I'm gonna try this

 

[BoltLover]

Blarby do you size down to. 311 or no.

 

[blarby]

I don't shoot mosins, but you'll still need to slug the bore first. Same as any . Until you know your bore diameter, sizing is a guess. I use .001 over bore , gas checked bullets in my lead rifles other than 30 carb. That gets no check.

 

[BoltLover]

Yea i slugged the bore at . 3105

 

[tyeo098]

See 312-155.
I use that pretty much everywhere from 300BLK to 7.62x54R
(10gr of Unique under the 155gr in 54R is a nice gf-friendly plinking load)

I powdercoat them though, after lead clogged up the bas block in my 300AAC pistol.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I've never gotten good results with the TL rifle moulds, nor the 10mm and several 9mm.
I've got the .311" 155gr PtGC mold mentioned above, but gave away the TL version.

I'd recommend the .311 200gr RNGC for target work, and the 170gr FNGC for hunting. (Lee of course).
I use SPG lube and .30cal gas-checks. I size ALL my .30cals to .311".

I don't load for the 7.62x54 but I do .30/06, .30/30, and .308; Also the .303Brit.

For a Moisin that run's larger or a larger .303, Lee sells a .314" 180gr-RNGC. I have a .314" sizer, but with the .311" moulds, it only lubes and crimps the gas-checks. But does a good job in a friends .303 carbine.

 

[rsrocket1]

My experience with Lee cast Mosin loads (long)

I just started casting and loading for my 91/30 and am using the Lee C312-185-1R. I also bought the Lee .314 push through sizer. My barrel slugged at .3135. Unmodified, the bullets were dropping at .313 and when I used the sizer to crimp on the Hornady 30 cal gas checks, only the bottom driving band was regularly being sized, the rest of the bands were not being touched by the sizer.

I "beagled" the mold with 1.5 mil copper foil tape from Hobby Lobby and now the bullets drop at 0.315" and all the bands show a bright silver when pushing through the sizer. I use Privi Partisan cases ($51/100 shipped from Powder Valley although I heard Grafs is a little cheaper).

I have both the Lee 3 die set and the whack-a-mole Lee loader. I use the sizer from the hand loader in order to neck size the fired bullets because the Lee 3 die set only comes with a full length sizer/expander which sizes the neck down for 0.308 bullets. That really works the brass needlessly. You can exchange the decapper/expanding rod with a 0.311 rod but the sizing die still first squeezes the neck way down before the expander opens it up.

I had good results with 10-12g Unique loads with 10.8g being the best so far. I tried shooting without gas checks but the accuracy hasn't been there yet. This is a 50 yard group with the iron sights (1350 fps):


Testing different seat depths. 0.30" seems to be the best. I can feel slight resistance as the bands drive into the throat and line the bullet up.

"Beagling" the mold. One layer of tape was best for my gun.


After raising the rear sight and pounding the front sight with a brass rod and mallot to drift it the sight, it now shoots close to POA (at least "close enough" with the open sights)


This is a great plinker load that even the kids enjoy shooting without flinching. Next comes some higher speed load development with a slower pistol powder like 4227 (if I can find some) or a fast rifle powder like Reloader 7.

Hope that helps.

 

[BoltLover]

Excellent info rocket thanks for your help..just so happens I have a lee classic loader in 7.62x54r as well so i guess ill pound a mole neck size lol.

 

[BoltLover]

I was thinking of buying some brass but for the price I think ill just buy the Privi ammo preloaded have a fun day at the range with it then do my thing. I also have a .32 adaptor to shoot some plinking ammo for the wifey and grandkids so as far as the casting I purchased the lee .312 cant remember the numbers off hand but not the tumble lube type. I will also try some plinking loads. another question has come to mind . If you powder coat these bullets do you still need to gas check them.

 

[rsrocket1]

If you powder coat gas checked bullets you won't need to lube them at plinking velocities of around 1700 fps or less but whether or not you gas check them is a toss up. I've had hit and miss accuracy with the Lee C309-113-F bullet when I shoot them bare based in my Remington 788 in .308 Win, but I have had good luck with the Lee C309-200-R when used as a subsonic load with 6.5g Red Dot.

My first outing with bare based C312-180-1R bullets in the 91/30 left lots of room for improvement, but that's where the fun lies.