Lightest commecrial load for 7.62x51 on the market?

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GoodGopnik1922

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Hi, I'm looking for the lightest load in commercial 7.62x51 to feed my 110 y/o 7.62 Spanish Mauser. I know these are not safe while using .308 loads and I've read that 7.62x51 are a bit hot for these rifle. Just looking for a commercial option before only relying on reloading.

Thanks
 
Go straight to reloading!

Really. If you have your doubts about .308 loads, remember that the 7.62x51 loads are generally hotter not slower than the .308 Win commercial stuff.

About anything you buy on the regular market that is 7.62x51, is loaded way hotter than what that gun is gonna like, if that is your worry.

Given the era, I'm guessing that the gun is like to be about at it's best with around a 40ksi pressure load, not 60ksi.

But that's me. Do some homework on the pressures used in the ammo of the time.
 
trevj said:
Go straight to reloading!

Really. If you have your doubts about .308 loads, remember that the 7.62x51 loads are generally hotter not slower than the .308 Win commercial stuff.

About anything you buy on the regular market that is 7.62x51, is loaded way hotter than what that gun is gonna like, if that is your worry.

Given the era, I'm guessing that the gun is like to be about at it's best with around a 40ksi pressure load, not 60ksi.

But that's me. Do some homework on the pressures used in the ammo of the time.
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Isn't it rather opposite? 308 supposedly is hotter than 7.62 NATO.
 
Yeah, I read about it being for 7.62 of around 42k psi. Which from manufacters specs for .308 would be way out of range (52k psi and more)

Thanks
 
I know .308 is more powerful than 7.62x51, but there's a Hornady Custom Lite in .308 and 125 gr. that seems like it is pretty low-pressure. Experts that know more than me should chime in, because I know nothing about case dimensions. Maybe the fact it's still like 2600 fps presents an issue? I don't know what pressure this is, but I know some guys say it's awesome to hunt with. Don't get blown up on my account, but it's something to consider. Run this option by a gunsmith first.
 
serg777 said:
Isn't it rather opposite? 308 supposedly is hotter than 7.62 NATO.
Click to expand...

Oh hells, you are likely right.

But I still figure if the OP is that worried about blowing up his gun that he is researching low pressure ammo, he is best off reloading, and likely even better off using cast bullets, to keep the pressures way down.

In the long run, I figure dancing around an issue of safety is a mugs game, in that no matter how careful YOU may be, someone, maybe one of your kids or friends, may one day decide that the box of full pressure ammo that fits, must be good to go, and they get hurt if it blows up.

If the gun is that sketchy, chances are pretty good it should be in another chambering...
 
People can debate the Spanish Mauser all they want, but I would just reload and use 300 Savage data.
 
Possible that you are confusing "breech pressure" with something else - is quite possible to create an 90,000 psi load in 308 Win or 7,62 NATO with 110 grain bullets - just use some fast burning powder - like for a pistol round or for shotguns. Can likely produce a 40,000 psi load with 200 grain bullets, again, just select the appropriate powder (if it exists). Breech pressure is what makes rifle come apart - not muzzle velocity or bullet weight.

As per recent threads, also, do not confuse pressure ratings given in CUP units and pressure ratings given in PSI units - not the same thing, at all. Very quite possible to have a particular load with a pressure rating of 40,000 CUP and 55,000 PSI. Also, to make it fun, CIP in Europe and SAAMI in USA measure pressure in different places within the same chamber, so the same load gets slightly different numbers, and for some cartridges, both organizations have published pressure limits using both pressure units - which are not always the same. Then, the British measure pressure in "tons per square inch" and they measure the axial pressure, not the radial pressure...
 
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308 and 7.62x51 are loaded to about the same pressure limits - around 62,000psi.


There is some confusion because the initial military pecs were in CUP, not transducer psi.

The result is that some think 100 kph is faster than 60 mph.

Most ammo (nato and commercial) is around 55,000 psi - but I have seen some of both at around 62,000.

If you want mild loads, you have to make them, or buy something labeled as LIGHT.

Same pressure - different units.
 
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