7.62x54R Range Friendly Rounds & Reloading

[ripperx08]

After reading all these threads and responses, I must admit this is a lot of stuff to absorb for a newcomer like myself! I still have a lot of questions regarding range friendly rounds, reloading, and everything else related to ammunition. Besides a magnetic round (does this include the bullet and jacket?), what is considered as range friendly? Where the heck do I buy range friendly rounds at a cheap price? What are the dependable brands or which brand should I look into because I am thinking about reloading my own ammo. Should I buy the rounds and reuse the casings for reloading or should I buy the casings separately so I don't have to worry about saving them? Hopefully this is not too much to ask in one thread, but I need some expert/veteran advise here. Thanks!

[Full Clip]

I also got frustrated with the limited availability of range-friendly (i.e. non-magnetic) x54r rounds, so I started reloading my own. Fortunately, I'd saved up some x54r brass — Prvi Partisan — and I also bought some, so I had about 150 cases to start with. You can do your own research, but I've bought range-safe x54r ammo from AIM, Grafs and Ammunition to Go.
I then prepped my brass and started reloading. At that point, you have to start experimenting with different bullets, powders and loads. There's some trial and error involved.
I'm now generally using Hornaday 150 grn SST bullets or Lapua 123 grn FMJs and Big Game powder (only because I have a lot of it).

[The Machine]

I wanted to start shooting right away so I have bought 20 round boxes of Winchester 7.62x54r from Big5. It is a bit of a punch in the face though, a little over $1 a round. I have been saving the brass for whenever I decide to try my hand at reloading.

As far as range friendly ammo, many palces don't allow steel core ammo. It is bad for the backstop at most indoor ranges. This may also fall under armor piercing ammo regulations. Steel core ammo has a small piece of steel inside the lead of the bullet under the copper jacket. You may also get rejected for having steel cased ammo. This ammo has a case made out of steel, rather than brass or aluminum. If it attracts a magnet, you may be SOL at some places.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

...Besides a magnetic round (does this include the bullet and jacket?), what is considered as range friendly? Where the heck do I buy range friendly rounds at a cheap price?...

These two questions are location specific. The correct answers depend on what part of California you are living in. You can edit your Calguns user profile to include your general location so that we can give you better answers. Or you can just remember to include your location in your posts whenever you ask questions that might have location specific answers.

[Brasspolisher]

Welcome to calguns!

The first and easiest, and perhaps best, answer is to ask the range where you want to shoot if they'll allow the ammo you have and/or where they recommend you get some that meets their requirements. They all have their own policies (some don't allow steel core bullets, some don't even want steel cases, some don't care at all -- and sometimes you'll get different answers from different staff members at the same range).

On top of that, your questions are somewhat complicated by the caliber you're asking them about. (But if it was all straightforward, who'd need forums, right? Heh!) Taking just the reloading aspects into account, here are a few things to keep in mind about 7.62x54R:

1. There are different case materials (brass, steel, bimetal); for reloading purposes, brass cases are the only ones worth saving.
2. There are two different priming systems, berdan (much more common in this caliber) and boxer; typical home reloading setups will only work with the boxer ones.
3. Bore dimensions of your specific gun affect the bullets you'll want to use.

Taking the first two together, virtually all of the surplus ammo you're likely to run across is 'fire and forget' for reloading purposes. The only two common-ish brands that are both brass-cased and boxer primed are Winchester (also sometimes available as new empty cases), and Prvi Partisan (actually, made in the same factory, I've heard). These are the "$1 a round" mentioned by the other folks on the thread. New empties were about $35/100 a couple of years ago.

Now bullets: the nominal bullet diameter for the caliber is .311" in English measurements. There are zillions of choices in .308" but that's not 'close enough.' Plus, many of the rifles available in the caliber were either made in a hurry (something about their country being invaded), or used - a lot - by conscripts and reservists with indifferent maintenance habits for 50 years (or both).

Using too small a bullet predictably affects accuracy, and not in a good way. Using too large a bullet can affect function or pressure of the reloads -- at this stage of the discussion, let's just say that you want to use the right size bullet, and the best way to find the right size is slugging your barrel. You'll want to look that up, but basically it's hammering a fishing sinker down the barrel with a wood dowel and then measuring it. Then choose a bullet that size, pair those with the precious brass/boxer cases, select a powder and weight using a good reloading manual, and assemble the rounds. At which point you'll be much more knowledgeable about a lot of useful subjects, and come to the realization that if you can't shoot surplus, the Winchester at a buck apiece isn't a bad deal.

Don't mean to be too facetious, and there are some neat tricks you can do with the caliber (like using "the Ed Harris Load" to make a Mosin recoil like a 9MM carbine), but given the disparity between the trouble it takes and the price/availability of surplus ammo, you really have to want to reload this round, and it might be easier to search out an accommodating range than to make your own ammo to fit the local venue.

Hope the info is useful, and please keep us posted with any questions or other news!

[Fishslayer]

I wanted to start shooting right away so I have bought 20 round boxes of Winchester 7.62x54r from Big5. It is a bit of a punch in the face though, a little over $1 a round. I have been saving the brass for whenever I decide to try my hand at reloading.

.

Hate to tell ya this, but the WWB has steel in the jacket. At least the box I purchased does. Magnet stuck right to it.

Widner's sells steel free surplus x54R but never seem to have it in stock.

[bumpo628]

Hate to tell ya this, but the WWB has steel in the jacket. At least the box I purchased does. Magnet stuck right to it.

Widner's sells steel free surplus x54R but never seem to have it in stock.

Yeah, the stuff they sell at Wideners is the best. I haven't been able to find it anywhere online for about six months now. Maybe they'll have it at the gun show - they usually do for about $7/box of 15.

[Cowboy T]

This is one advantage to reloading your own. It's also an advantage to casting your own bullets. Not only can you make a load that won't rip your shoulder off, but you can make a "by definition" no-steel-range-friendly load. BTW, there are in fact Russian Mosin-Nagants that slug at between .308" and .309". Mine slugs right at .309".

Iraqveteran8888 has a lot of good info on his YouTube channel about reloading 7.62x54R this way (cast boolit loading) and about Mosin-Nagants in general. He's a mulsurp-rifle junkie, and thank goodness he's sharing his knowledge.

[The Machine]

Hate to tell ya this, but the WWB has steel in the jacket. At least the box I purchased does. Magnet stuck right to it.

The ammo I am referring to is Winchester 7.62 x 54R 180 gr. Metric Calibers Soft Point. It has a product number of MC54RSP. This ammo is not steel core or steel cased. Look here...

http://www.winchester.com/Products/rifle-ammunition/metric-calibers/soft-point/Pages/MC54RSP.aspx

There is a second type of 7.62 x 54R, perhaps that is what you bought. I have read, but have no confirmation of, this ammo being manufactured by S&B. Maybe you got a mix up from the factory.

[Fishslayer]

Mine is indeed different. It's 180gr FMJ product # MC76254R.

I'll be on the lookout for that SP stuff & will probly hit the next gun show.

I've had my MoNag carbine for months now & haven't been able to fire it...

[Dark Mod]

i started reloading x54r myself. All the cases i have are privi partizan and they were kind of expensive when you compare them to surplus ammo. If you can find the yugoslavian surplus, its range safe and cheap but good luck finding any.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

The ammo I am referring to is Winchester 7.62 x 54R 180 gr. Metric Calibers Soft Point. It has a product number of MC54RSP. This ammo is not steel core or steel cased. Look here...

http://www.winchester.com/Products/r...s/MC54RSP.aspx

Fishslayer never said his was steel core or steel cased. He said it was steel jacketed.

[The Machine]

Fishslayer never said his was steel core or steel cased. He said it was steel jacketed.

He didn't say this either. What he said was...
"the WWB has steel in the jacket"

This could be interpreted as steel core, which it was, by me. I will also note that I have never seen ammo with a steel jacket. What would that do to the bore? Doesn't matter either way because I think we both learned something about Winchester ammo and we may have given the OP some food for thought.

I will say thanks to Fishslayer, though it wasn't my first thought. Now I know to double check any Winchester ammo I buy in the future.

[Fishslayer]

He didn't say this either. What he said was...
"the WWB has steel in the jacket"

This could be interpreted as steel core, which it was, by me. I will also note that I have never seen ammo with a steel jacket. What would that do to the bore? Doesn't matter either way because I think we both learned something about Winchester ammo and we may have given the OP some food for thought.

I will say thanks to Fishslayer, though it wasn't my first thought. Now I know to double check any Winchester ammo I buy in the future.

The steel jacketing is laminated with copper to protect the bore. I believe the term to look for is "bi metal."

How this material is cheaper than plain copper I don't know....

[Mssr. Eleganté]

...I will also note that I have never seen ammo with a steel jacket. What would that do to the bore?

Most European surplus ammo uses steel jackets. Even Lake City Army Ammunition Plant has used steel bullet jackets in some years. It might not look like steel jackets because they usually put a protective copper "wash" over the steel jacket to prevent rust. It doesn't hurt the bore because it is mild steel that is much softer than the steel used in rifle barrels.

The steel jacketing is laminated with copper to protect the bore. I believe the term to look for is "bi metal."

How this material is cheaper than plain copper I don't know....

"Bi metal" is really just a marketing term used so as not scare off customers with the words "steel jacket". What Wolf calls "bi metal" is really just a traditional steel jacket with the traditional extremely thin plating of copper over it. It's cheaper because steel is so much cheaper than copper.