Although I've had the frame for years, I had never tested it thoroughly for accuracy. I bought this 7.62x54R barrel here on AR, and finally got it together with the new forend and butt stock. Using handloads, with 180 gr .311 Sierra bullets, and H4350 powder. The bullets shown in the picture are Winchester factory ammo, but the holes in the target are from the handloads.

The trigger on this rifle was tweeked years ago, and is very crisp.

These groups were at 100 yds. The groups go clockwise, each one gr more than the previous. The group center left is 54gr of H4350, which is one gr less than I use in my 30-06 with 180 gr bullets. So far, I kinda like this rifle.

In the right rifle, the 7.62x54R can be a very accurate/effective round. I'd like to some day maybe build a #1 in the Russian round, sacrilegious as it might be. Maybe even an Ackley version.

Sacrilegious? I never thought of it that way. The Finns have a version named the 7.62x53R and it shoots .308 bullets. Does .003", and one mm make it sanctified?

The #1 is available in the 303 Brit. I suspect it's about the same performance. Shoots the same bullet anyway. I was a little surprised to find the 7.62x54R so close to the 30-06, ballistically, if not spiritually. It's like having a rimmed 30-06. Perfect for a single shot.

The real question is which is more orthodox?

I think that if the 7.62x54R was good enough for Dersu Uzala, the Goldi hunter, it's good enough for me.

Haven't you heard the old saying "cartridges don't have ideology, people do."

Perhaps someday I can take it in search of a hog that can tell the difference between a 308, 30-06, 303 Brit. 7.62x54R or 7.62x53R.

"Maybe even an Ackley version"?? Now that's Blasphemous.

KB

Just get a #1 in .303 Brit and rechamber it to .303 ICL Improved or .303 Epps.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:
Just get a #1 in .303 Brit and rechamber it to .303 ICL Improved or .303 Epps.

If you are into such.

I looked it up to see what you are talking about:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICL_cartridges

Notice the 303 ICL says 2870 FPS with 180 gr bullet. That's linked to the footnote P.O. Ackley publication.

I'm estimating 2650 to 2700 fps out of the std 7.62x54R cartridge, with 180 gr bullets.

The straight walled "improved" cases destroys one of the main desirable features of the original cartridge, ease of extraction, and gives little in return. The Encore extraction needs to be easy.

Frankly, I don't trust any writing by Ackley. It has been shown many times over that his pressures were over the top, and not safe. I see no need to corrupt a good cartridge design with his formula and ideas.

Actually, on second-thought, the word "good" is way insufficient to describe the 7.62x54R. Although Russian, and although it outlived its time (in a bolt action) because of Russian military mentality, this is a world-class cartridge, that needs no "improvment". Simply consider it an improvment over the 30-30.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7.62%C3%9754mmR

KB

There are an awful lot of German WWII soldiers, who, had they survived their first encounter with this cartridge; would disagree with it's effectiveness rating by posters here.

Neat rifle, great cartridge for anything on the NA continent, and anything else anywhere, except the truly DG of Africa.

I applaud your choice, congrats,

Rich

I think a single-shot ought to be chambered for a rimmed cartridge. That narrows the choices, but the best rimmed cartridges in that class are world class. 303 Brit, 7.62x54R & x53R, 7x65R, 8x57JRS. There may be others, but not much need to look further, unless looking for something smaller or bigger.

The Finns are quite resourceful and innovative. They wildcatted the 7.62x53R (.308) brass into 8mm and 9.3mm, and I believe something near 25 cal. All for use in the captured Mosin Nagants.

In my opinion, all these guys talking about and spending money on modifications of the Nagant to feed some bastard cartridge like the 45-70, or a wildcat derivitive, and not using enough common sense. I think the 9.3mm in necked up Lapua 7.62x53R brass would be great in a Nagant, with little or no modifications needed. The Finns figured that out long ago. It would be great in a single-shot also, but not much need, since the 9.3x74R is the only sensable choice there.

I saw a video once of this guy shooting a Mosin Nagant with iron sights, somewhere in Florida, on one of those big swamp buggies. He whacked a hog with it at some range 200-300 yds, first shot. Luck maybe. But I choose to think not just luck. Although I'm using a scope, a shotgun scope with the thick cross hairs, with a good rest and a little luck, I'm sure I could make a good hit, more often than not, on a hog at 250 yds with this rifle. I'm not accustom to asking for more than that from a hunting rifle, especially a light one.

KB

i thought Dersu Uzala used a Brdanka (Berdan) for most of his life

I believe he was given a winchester M95 in '54R before he died...

very interesting soviet era movie, rented it from netflix...

Poole

I thought it was interesting that the movie used authentic firearms of the time period. That rifle given towards the last of the movie was one of those contract Winchesters in 7.62x54R. Also throughout the movie that's what the officer carried, while the men carried the Mosin Nagant. I'm pretty sure that's what Dersu carried also.

I'm thinking the soviets had little influence on the movie, but not sure about that. The director was Japanese. I'm also pretty sure that it was made on location in Siberia.

KB

Today, after work I loaded up some test cartridges and went to the range. I must have left the target out there because I can't find it now. After my initial tests, I began to find some difficulties with the rifle making two groups out of the same point of aim, and the first shot - cold barrel - being a few inches out of the group with a warm barrel. Kinda frustrating.

So, I ordered a neck sizing die, and a case holder for my trimmer. Made all the once-fired brass the same length, and sized the necks only. I believed that payed a part in the better groups I got today.

Anyway, I had some Barnes 123gr TSX bullets in .310 left over from when I had a CZ 527 in 7.62x39. So I loaded some with Varget in the 7.62x54R, which fills the case up into the neck, and leaves just enough space to seat the bullet without crunch.

I'm glad I tried them because they produced excellent groups, and the thing I like most is that the first bullet out from a cold & clean barrel hits right in there with subsequent shots. Speedy too, at near 3100 fps. I see no reason to not use them for deer and hogs. A lesser bullet probably wouldn't be a good idea at such speed, and explode, but I'm thinking these TSX bullets will hold together. I plan on finding out this fall on some sitka deer.

These bullets should work in the 303 as well. My rifle has a 10" twist.

KB

KB: Give Win. 760/H414 a try in this chambering. I think you will really like it.

OK Bill. I'll do that with some 180 gr bullets. I have powder, but no mag primers at the moment is the reason I haven't already tried the ball powder.

Thanks for the tip.

I'm pretty excited about this 123gr TSX and Varget combo. I messed with and struggeled with that darn little 7.62x39 for a few years. I was never satisfied with it, and I traded it off for some plumbing and electrical work on my cabin. I just ran the ballistics on Hornady's calculator, and this load in the x54R is doing at 250yds what the x39 does at the muzzel, and with about 6" drop. IMO, that's something to get interested in.

Fortunately I don't have to wait long to go deer hunting, since the season starts 8/1. My favorite is to find a fat spike about that time to start the season off right, and have some fresh venison.

KB

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
There are an awful lot of German WWII soldiers, who, had they survived their first encounter with this cartridge; would disagree with it's effectiveness rating by posters here.

This is correct. Many of them by female snipers like Roza Shanina.. In fact, the Red Army caused about a 90% of all German Wehrmacht deaths and wounded.

quote:

Originally posted by DUK:
In fact, the Red Army caused about a 90% of all German Wehrmacht deaths and wounded.

That's interesting. And all these years I was thinking that the root cause of all those deaths was because the Wehrmachts were standing on Russian soil, with a mission to spoil someone's day, when they died. Hummm - thanks for correcting my misconception.

In a cause and effect scenerio, I somehow got confused that the effect of encountering a Russian female sniper toting a Mosin Nagant was caused by being in a wrong place.

That cutie reminds me of my x-wife, a Ukrainian, who didn't need a Nagant to snipe me. She had other tools in her tool box. Her weapon of choice is ready-made, and preceded her arrival, and lurks in the judicial system of my own country, predisposed by gender in divorce, regardless of citizenship. That's another example of cause and effect. I caused my own misery through ignorance, by choosing a person whose culture is to scam. She just did what came natural, what she was predisposed to do, with the help of a system not of my making, nor there for my benefit.

KB

I don't know what the pressure levels were, but there was some military ammo in .7.62x54R which was pretty much equal to the WWII military loads for the .30-06 in velocity and performance downrange. (To some extent, that may also possibly be because of the almost 6" longer typical Moisin-Nagant barrels.)

And, they are accurate. My Sako-built Finnish 28/30 will shoot 1 MOA 5-shot groups at 100 yards with the crude open iron sights.... That's as good as I can do with open sights and anyone's chambering of .30-06 equivalent power.