7.62x54r

[Rifter]

Good hunting loads? Intend to use imr 4895 powder I have some on hand. Looking for suggestions on bullets also.

 

[LUTNIT]

IMR4895 will be good for the lighter bullets around 150gr but for heavier bullets I get better results with a somewhat slower powder. I've used H4831 with 180gr but anything between Varget and H4831 on the burn rate chart you can find data for will work. I have some H414 loads I've been meaning to try out.

It's rare to find a Mosin that wont shoot .310" bullets at least somewhat well but I prefer .311" or .312" as they give me better accuracy.

 

[Rifter]

Opinions on bullet diameter?

Some people seem to use .310 and some seem to use .311 or even .312

 

[LUTNIT]

Slug your bore, use the closest to your groove diameter. Mine's .311 and change but I use whatever I happen to find since the iron sights are pretty terrible anyway.

 

[Rifter]

Slug your bore, use the closest to your groove diameter. Mine's .311 and change but I use whatever I happen to find since the iron sights are pretty terrible anyway.

I intend to buy a bent bolt and scope the rifle and use it for hunting, so will for sure be slugging it and then trying to make the most accurate load possible, you think I should go .001 over the slug diameter?

 

[Ganderite]

I would load the Speer, Hornady or Sierra 174 to 180 gr soft points intended for the 303. They would be 311 or 312.

4895 is a good choice. 38 to 44 gr.

 

[Rifter]

I would load the Speer, Hornady or Sierra 174 to 180 gr soft points intended for the 303. They would be 311 or 312.

4895 is a good choice. 38 to 44 gr.

I was looking at the .303 bullets as they seem to be the prefect diameter, thanks for confirming this is a good idea!

 

[Rifter]

another question, regular LR primers ok for use in a 91/30 or should I use the harder military type primers.

 

[KRJ]

another question, regular LR primers ok for use in a 91/30 or should I use the harder military type primers.

They'd be fine.

 

[LUTNIT]

I'd avoid Federal civilian primers if you were shooting them in a semi like an SVT-40 with a floating firing pin since Federal are so soft. If in any other action or semi with a spring-loaded firing pin, anything will work.
For bullets I'd use whatever I can find that's not too expensive. Sierra bullets recently went up quite a bit but Hornady .312" are still difficult to find most places. .310" to .312" of whatever I can find would be my choice.

My Mosin will shoot 308 bullets without tumbling/keyholing but not all of them will. Accuracy is still better with the larger ones.