CBA member Dietrich Whitesides of Northglenn, CO wrote this article for the July/Aug 2002, #158 issue of the Fouling Shot.
Several years ago, I allowed my membership in the CBA to expire and I have been wandering in the darkness since. Having seen the error of my ways I recently rejoined, and not a moment too soon. I have shouldered the task of providing accurate, low-recoiling, inexpensive rounds for a non-reloading shooting friend’s (they exist) collection of 7.62x54R Mosin-Nagants.
The challenges: I would not be able to fire the rifles, I don’t own a rifle in that caliber, slugging the barrel and throat was out of the question, my friend Steven does not believe in gadgets like chronographs, multiple rifles meant full-length case resizing instead of just neck sizing, and I wanted to minimize costs by maximizing the use of materials on hand.
One feature of the project that was enticing is that the cartridge is well suited to cast bullet use. It has a big case rim for sure extraction, a short, fat case for efficient powder use, and a long neck for good neck tension. (I wonder if anyone has reamed the chamber on a Mosin-Nagant into an improved version. It looks like it could come close to .300 Winchester Short Magnum ballistics in a $139 rifle.)
As everything my friend has been shooting is Berdan-primed surplus stuff of questionable quality, I started with a search for brass. It turns out the Finns use the same round, they just call theirs 7.62x53R. I acquired 100 pieces of Boxer-primed Lapua brass for a reasonable price, full-length sized them, and squared up the case mouths.
I selected two Lee molds to try, both for cost and bullet diameter. Between using aluminum molds and Midway mold prep, casting is more fun than a chore. The molds are the Lee C312-155-2R and the Lee C312-185R. Both are single cavity molds; both bullets are gas check designs of .312 diameter. The alloy I used consisted of relatively pure lead, of which I got about 1000 pounds for free, wheel weights that I pick up off the street, (drives my wife crazy!), and linotype, which I actually broke down and bought several years ago. The alloy was scientifically blended in a 20-pound pot by first refining the wheel weights, adding a carefully calculated, hand-measured amount of the pure lead, and then adding a one-pound ingot of linotype.
The bullets were ladle poured and quenched from the mould. The 155 grainer fell from the mold at .309 inches and 156 grains, and the 185-grainer cast at .310 inches and right at 185 grains. I had acquired a .312” sizing die for my RCBS Lube-a-matic, but ended up using my .310” sizing die. (Mental note: Next time cast the slugs before buying the sizing die.) Wondering about the bullet diameter sent me searching through back issues of The Fouling Shot for answers. There, I found articles on the relationship between hardness and bullet diameter. Of course, I meant to pour them soft so they would obturate better to fill the bore.
The 155-grain bullets were sorted and run through the .310” die to lube and to seat the gas checks. The lube was Thompson’s Blue. I had decided that to offer Steven more that one bullet at a time would tax his non-reloading mind beyond comprehension. The 185-grain bullets will go next time. One of the rifles is a Finnish M39, with a 27-inch barrel. After looking at that little slug with that tiny bit of Blue lube and thinking about that long barrel, I added Lee tumble lube to the bullets as a secondary lube.
During my review of The Fouling Shot back issues, I read several articles about ways to reduce case capacity. As I was building reduced squib loads, I was interested. I settled on rolling up a small square of copier paper and inserting it in the case. The paper was pushed down past the neck, and then pushed out against the inside wall of the case.
Several years ago, I allowed my membership in the CBA to expire and I have been wandering in the darkness since. Having seen the error of my ways I recently rejoined, and not a moment too soon. I have shouldered the task of providing accurate, low-recoiling, inexpensive rounds for a non-reloading shooting friend’s (they exist) collection of 7.62x54R Mosin-Nagants.
The challenges: I would not be able to fire the rifles, I don’t own a rifle in that caliber, slugging the barrel and throat was out of the question, my friend Steven does not believe in gadgets like chronographs, multiple rifles meant full-length case resizing instead of just neck sizing, and I wanted to minimize costs by maximizing the use of materials on hand.
One feature of the project that was enticing is that the cartridge is well suited to cast bullet use. It has a big case rim for sure extraction, a short, fat case for efficient powder use, and a long neck for good neck tension. (I wonder if anyone has reamed the chamber on a Mosin-Nagant into an improved version. It looks like it could come close to .300 Winchester Short Magnum ballistics in a $139 rifle.)
As everything my friend has been shooting is Berdan-primed surplus stuff of questionable quality, I started with a search for brass. It turns out the Finns use the same round, they just call theirs 7.62x53R. I acquired 100 pieces of Boxer-primed Lapua brass for a reasonable price, full-length sized them, and squared up the case mouths.
I selected two Lee molds to try, both for cost and bullet diameter. Between using aluminum molds and Midway mold prep, casting is more fun than a chore. The molds are the Lee C312-155-2R and the Lee C312-185R. Both are single cavity molds; both bullets are gas check designs of .312 diameter. The alloy I used consisted of relatively pure lead, of which I got about 1000 pounds for free, wheel weights that I pick up off the street, (drives my wife crazy!), and linotype, which I actually broke down and bought several years ago. The alloy was scientifically blended in a 20-pound pot by first refining the wheel weights, adding a carefully calculated, hand-measured amount of the pure lead, and then adding a one-pound ingot of linotype.
The bullets were ladle poured and quenched from the mould. The 155 grainer fell from the mold at .309 inches and 156 grains, and the 185-grainer cast at .310 inches and right at 185 grains. I had acquired a .312” sizing die for my RCBS Lube-a-matic, but ended up using my .310” sizing die. (Mental note: Next time cast the slugs before buying the sizing die.) Wondering about the bullet diameter sent me searching through back issues of The Fouling Shot for answers. There, I found articles on the relationship between hardness and bullet diameter. Of course, I meant to pour them soft so they would obturate better to fill the bore.
The 155-grain bullets were sorted and run through the .310” die to lube and to seat the gas checks. The lube was Thompson’s Blue. I had decided that to offer Steven more that one bullet at a time would tax his non-reloading mind beyond comprehension. The 185-grain bullets will go next time. One of the rifles is a Finnish M39, with a 27-inch barrel. After looking at that little slug with that tiny bit of Blue lube and thinking about that long barrel, I added Lee tumble lube to the bullets as a secondary lube.
During my review of The Fouling Shot back issues, I read several articles about ways to reduce case capacity. As I was building reduced squib loads, I was interested. I settled on rolling up a small square of copier paper and inserting it in the case. The paper was pushed down past the neck, and then pushed out against the inside wall of the case.
Cases were run into the Lyman M die just far enough to expand the mouth to accept the gas-checked bullet base, and primed with CCI 200 Large Rifle primers. I selected a powder charge of 15.0 grains of H110 for the 155-grain bullet. That should put the round somewhere in the range between a 30 Carbine and a .357 Magnum. I was working on my RCBS Junior press, but I had given away my RCBS powder measure years ago.
I was looking for any way to avoid weighing powder charges. I could not foresee loading these rounds more frequently than once a year, so I did not buy the shell plate for my Dillon. The easy solution was to use the Dillon press to throw the metered powder charge into an M1 Carbine case, and then pour it into the 7.62x53R case.
The H110 filled about half the remaining case volume, so I decided to use a case filler. I have a paper shredder I use to feed my compost pile that chips paper into pieces about 0.4 by 0.1 inches. I stuffed a carefully calibrated volume of these chips into each case. (I suggested to Steven that if anyone asks, he is helping the RNC dispose of leftover Florida voting machine chads.)
Bullets were seated in the cases with the Lee seating die, and then crimped in the Lee factory crimp die. The base of the bullet looks to be right at the base of the case neck. I wiped off the lube that had smeared the case mouth during bullet seating, and the rounds were ready to go.
Items acquired for the project include two Lee bullet molds, a box of Lapua brass, a set of Lee dies, and an RCBS sizing die. Stuff on hand included the metals for the alloy, the Lyman M die, Thompson Blue lube, CCI primers, H110 powder, and case fillers.
Steven is shooting an M98 Russian, an M39 Finnish, and an M44 Romanian Mosin-Nagant. The Russian and the Finn have 27-inch barrels, and the Romanian has about an 18-inch barrel. Relatively crude open sights finish each rifle, so the accuracy potential of the rifles is hard to judge. I anticipate the 100-yard point of impact of the bullets to be up to one foot below the low-est sight setting. Grouping is anyone’s guess, but Steven is a fair marksman. I’m confident the rounds will stay on the paper.
The H110 filled about half the remaining case volume, so I decided to use a case filler. I have a paper shredder I use to feed my compost pile that chips paper into pieces about 0.4 by 0.1 inches. I stuffed a carefully calibrated volume of these chips into each case. (I suggested to Steven that if anyone asks, he is helping the RNC dispose of leftover Florida voting machine chads.)
Bullets were seated in the cases with the Lee seating die, and then crimped in the Lee factory crimp die. The base of the bullet looks to be right at the base of the case neck. I wiped off the lube that had smeared the case mouth during bullet seating, and the rounds were ready to go.
Items acquired for the project include two Lee bullet molds, a box of Lapua brass, a set of Lee dies, and an RCBS sizing die. Stuff on hand included the metals for the alloy, the Lyman M die, Thompson Blue lube, CCI primers, H110 powder, and case fillers.
Steven is shooting an M98 Russian, an M39 Finnish, and an M44 Romanian Mosin-Nagant. The Russian and the Finn have 27-inch barrels, and the Romanian has about an 18-inch barrel. Relatively crude open sights finish each rifle, so the accuracy potential of the rifles is hard to judge. I anticipate the 100-yard point of impact of the bullets to be up to one foot below the low-est sight setting. Grouping is anyone’s guess, but Steven is a fair marksman. I’m confident the rounds will stay on the paper.