Any suggestions for reloading this cartridge for whitetail deer hunting?

I had considered using a Sierra 150 grain soft point (Sierra Model 2300) and Hodgdon Varget powder.

I am new to reloading so any assistance would be appreciated.

I have been wanting to start reloading for this cartridge myself, but I have not found an economical way of doing it. The dies are resonably priced, but I have only been able to find the shells from Lapua (~$1/each). Have you found an inexpensive source of the shells? I know that this does not answer your question, sorry. Personally, I would treat the 7.62 x 54R like a 30-06 when it comes to hunting since their ballistics are similar.
Shawn

Midway has got some bad press lately because of policy changes. However, they do sell the Lapua brass you're looking for at $45 per 100. Even with shipping that's only half what the other guy charges.

Sellier&Bellot is making ammo and brass for this. It is not so good like Lapua but still good enough. Here I can buy older FMJ Lapua ammo and new Sellier&Bellot FMJ or SP for about 42.5 U$D/100 rounds. Both shoot good (Lapua better) and good source for brass . . .

TimB99: Get yourself a set of RCBS dies and a box of excellent Lapua brass ($44.99 at Midway, maybe less at Graf and Son). Slug your barrel. These rifles can have bores running from .308 to .314. My 1943 Sako M39 Mosin-Nagant likes .311-.312 bullets. My best load in this rifle is 52 grains Win. 760, WLR primer, Lapua case, and 165-grain .312 soft-nose. With this load, I fired the best iron-sight group of my life, five shots in .80 inches at 100 yards. Hornady and Sierra manuals both list loads. This is a fine cartridge, as our Finn friends can tell you.

Thanks for the input! I was beginning to wonder if anyone would answer.

Bill, I used to live in Medford, but only for 6 months. Nice place, I enjoyed it.

Shawn, Jiri, I have 100 rounds of the Sellier & Bellot 180 grain round nose soft-points. I'll be using these for hunting until I run out, or shoot them up at the range, then I'll use the brass to reload (I already have 40 spent rounds.) I realize the Lapua brass may be better, but for the same price I can get the S&B ammo with bullets and powder and everything!

I've been told this cartridge is a relatively low pressure cartridge, and shouldn't be loaded to exceed ~45,000 psi.

I recently got some copies of the Hornady Handbook, pages 346-351 with reloading data.

Bill, the load you mention is in there, sounds like a good load, although I may opt for a lighter bullet to get a higher muzzle velocity. I too have an M39 (1944 VKT with 1899 Izhevsk receiver.) I'll take your suggestion about slugging the barrel as I believe it has about a .311 bore. Whose .312 bullet do you use?

Tim

Tim: The jacketed 165-grain .312 I load is one I hand-swage myself with Corbin dies. But I would sure try a box of the Sierra .311 174-grain BT MatchKings if you are interested in accuracy testing. You might also try the 150-grain Sierras. I have had pretty good luck with these bullets in .303 Enfields (and have had consistently good accuracy from the Sierra 150 .323 in 8X57 Mausers for some reason). By the way, that price I was quoting for Lapua brass was per 100. I can't say enough about the quality of this brass in this caliber.

Loads from Dynamit Nobels Wiederladen
7,62x54R
Bullet RWS 110gr sp: powder Rottweil 901 min 43gr, max 46,5gr=3100f/s
Bullet RWS 110gr sp: powder Rottweil 902 min 47gr, max 49,5gr=3133f/s
Bullet RWS 110gr sp: powder Rottweil 903 min 52gr, max 54,0gr=3085f/s

Bullet RWS 147gr sp: powder Rottweil 902 min 42gr, max 45,0gr=2723f/s
Bullet RWS 147gr sp: powder Rottweil 903 min 47,5gr, max 50,0gr=2740f/s
Bullet RWS 147gr sp: powder Rottweil 907 min 48gr, max 50,0gr=2723f/s

Bullet RWS 177gr sp: powder Rottweil 902 min 40gr, max 43,0gr=2460f/s
Bullet RWS 177gr sp: powder Rottweil 903 min 45gr, max 47,5gr=2723f/s
Bullet RWS 177gr sp: powder Rottweil 907 min 45gr, max 47,5gr=2723f/s

Good Shooting/
PerN

There is some data in the Vihtavuori.fi website (pasted below). My quess looking at the bullets are that they are using a normal .308 barrel. Most old military barrels would be .311-.312 so you need to find larger bullets. The 28/30 model Finnish military rifle normally has a (matchgrade I may say) .308 barrel. The 7.62*53R is a very accurate cartridge in a good rifle. My mint condition 28/30 will shoot groups that would make a modern hunting rifle ashame. Lapua makes (at least used to) large .311-.312 match grade bullets in the D46/D47 FMJ format.

Having said that - I have shot thousands of .308 bullets through some of my older military rifles. They won't shoot matchgrade but good enough for plinking away.
Rgds.,
Peter

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Test Components:
Test barrel: 26", 1 in 10" twist
Primers: CCI 200
Cases: LAPUA, trim-to length 2.098"

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Reloading Data, English Units:

Bullet Powder Starting Load Maximum Load
Weight Type Mfg. C.O.L Type Weight Velocity Weight Velocity
[grs] [in.] [grs] [fps] [grs] [fps]
123 FMJ LAPUA 2.697 N130 41.9 2831 46.8 3059
N133 46.2 2893 50.4 3103
N135 46.9 2829 51.9 3116
156 SPBT Sako 2.776 N135 42.6 2471 47.2 2736
N140 44.2 2485 49.2 2773
N150 46.6 2529 51.4 2810
167 Scenar LAPUA 2.953 N140 44.5 2469 49.1 2722
N150 45.8 2443 50.5 2736
185 Scenar LAPUA 2.953 N135 40.0 2252 44.5 2516
N140 41.8 2290 46.8 2568
N150 43.5 2294 48.2 2575

To all,

Thanks again for this wealth of information.

Tim