A newbie question

I have just endeavored into the reloading arena. I am reloading for the 7.62x54R cartridge, working up some loads using Varget Powder and experimenting with two different bullets. One is a Hornady 150 grain softpoint (#3120), and the other is a Sierra 125 grain softpoint (#2305)

Both of these bullets are much shorter than what the Mosin Nagant rifle was originally designed for.

Neither of these bullets lends itself to seating out near the lands. If I try, I think I’ll have only a fingernail’s width of the bullet left in the cartridge, especially the 125 grain bullet. If I was a benchrest shooter, that might be OK, but for hunting, this is not optimum.

How much difference does it make?

In the case of the Hornady bullet, I am seating the bullet to the cannelure, and putting a Lee Factory Crimp on it. This works out to an OAL of 2.900”.

In the case of the Sierra bullet, I am seating it in accordance with the OAL in Hodgdon’s data, which is 2.715”. This also gets a Lee Factory Crimp.

Am I on the right track? Should I pay more attention to trying to get the bullets out closer to the rifling?

Comments or suggestions from those of you more experienced would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Tim

Tim, in my opinion, the answer is "depends on your rifle". In order to get consistent velocities, you need neck tension. You either need enough bullet in the neck to "get a grip", or give it a crimp.

Many rifles do just fine with a long jump. I have several sub MOA shooters that seat anywhere from .1 to .25" away from the lands. HTH, Dutch.

Seat short bullets deep enough to give reasonable neck tension. (This is to keep them in place, not improve ballistic performance; many bench shooters "slip" seat bullets by hand in unsized necks and let the leade determine final seating depth when the bolt closes.)

Crimping the Hornady in the crimping groove probably does no particular harm nor good, especially in something as "approximate" as a Mosin M-39, but don't crimp uncannalured bullets like the Sierra. Why are you doing so and for what presumed purpose? Are you shooting a Draganov or some such which tends to jam the bullet's nose on the edge of the chamber when it cycles?