7.62X54 R Cast loads

tinman

We have been trying tons of different loads with 175-180 gr cast bullets and nothing seems to keep a group @ 100yds. Thought it was me so i tried factory ammo and it was holes inside holes. trying for group of 5 shots for a match @ 100yds.
We tried H322, RE22, H414, Varget, Unique, H110, a couple IMR powders. Tried a hot load, med, and reduced loads for each powder and bullets for each.

Any information would be greatly appreciated

Tinman

Mk 19

What sort of velocity are you running with these loads?

It is very easy to over speed a cast bullet, try to keep your loads down around 1600 to 1700 FPS.

richbug

I have been playing with it myself. Start with 35 grains of H4831 and work up till you are happy with the groups. I am using the 200 grain Lee bullet, and it started grouping well at 38 grains, and opened back up at 40.

Pearyw

I have had good luck with a 160 gr bullet I cast from wheel weights with a Lee tumble lube mold. I size it .311" with a gas check and load it with 14.5 gr of Herco.

jonk

To shoot cast well, you need to consider a few things.

-Is the barrel smooth? Even minor pitting will rip up a cast bullet and cause leading and poor accuracy, but jacketed bullets are far harder and aren't as affected. Mosins often have less than pristine bores.
-Did you slug your bore? Mosin barrels are nominally of .311" diameter. Some are as oversized as .317". Proper cast fit is obtained with a bullet at about 1/1000" over bore diameter. If you have a large bore and tight chamber, it may not be possible to seat/chamber a bullet that will work well. Again, jacketed is more forgiving as the hot gas doesn't etch and cut the bullet with blowby as much.
-Velocity? As stated cast likes milder speeds. 1700 fps works well for me. You could try some light loads using pistol powder- 18 gr of 2400 for instance.
-What type of lube?
-Did you remove the copper (jacket) fouling first? This can cause leading of cast bullets.

There is more stuff to consider as well but that should get you started. I would think the Unique at 10 gr woudl be a good start.

Some guns though just don't like cast.

tinman

I am running then @ 1800 ftps, lee 177gr flat nose, with lee Alox lube.
the bore is in good shape and we clean it religiously.

Thanks for all the info
Tinman

bpost

The MN barrels bore size vary a lot. You need to slug the bore to determine the correct sized bullet. Running the bullet .001 over bore diameter will assure the bullet fits the bore. Poor accuracy from cast bullets in rifles is mostly related to the bullet size.

Also; try some fast pistol powders for accuracy. I experimented one whole summer with a 30-06. I was looking for max accuracy. Red Dot was the clear winner at 1500FPS. It has been my go to powder for many cast uses in rifles.