I have some surplus ammo with 147 grain fmj, i also have some .311 sp bullets. Would i be able to use a bullet puller to pull off the fmj bullet and replace it with a sp bullet so i can hunt with it. I would use a 150 grain sp bullet to replace it with. Also is it possible to use surplus brass to reload with or is it too hard on your dies?
Reloading 7.62x54r ammo
- Thread starter olympia
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i would do it. Measure the powder inside, take away about 5% just to be safe and reload with a similar weight bullet. Make sure you dont seat the bullet lower then they came either... Dont want to make any over pressure. Granted... the mosin can usually handle quite the over load.
Same here,I just transfer the powder and the bullets into PRVI reloadable brass and when we have a bonfire dump the steel cases in it and let the primers go bang!
No more needing to clean the barrel with hot water anymore.
Pull the 147s and seat the 150s and go hunting.
Easy way to pull the bullets is to use your press, with no die. When bullet shows above the press, bite it with a sidecutter and pull case back down.
Your ammo is still salty, so don't forget to clean with some water after shooting.
Bullet swapping like this is called "Mexican Match".
Sadly, some of the surplus ammo has the bullets lacquered in the necks for all sorts of reasons. This may be why Ganderite suggests you clamp the bullets which will destroy them for later use.
The soviets and others usually seat them to deep to get a good hold on them with a crimp tool. The lacquer makes it difficult to pull with an inertia puller.
There are exceptions of course. I have some brass cased Russian that the bullets pull easily from. I also reload those cases with primers from Canada Ammo.
Just one more suggestion. If you have the equipment, weigh each charge from the cases and then average them out. Then reload each of the SP cases with powder charges that are all close to identical. In some rifles this will help to tighten up the groups a bit. We owe the animals we shoot as much accuracy as we can possibly get to make their passage to the freezer as quick and painless as possible.
The soviets and others usually seat them to deep to get a good hold on them with a crimp tool. The lacquer makes it difficult to pull with an inertia puller.
There are exceptions of course. I have some brass cased Russian that the bullets pull easily from. I also reload those cases with primers from Canada Ammo.
Just one more suggestion. If you have the equipment, weigh each charge from the cases and then average them out. Then reload each of the SP cases with powder charges that are all close to identical. In some rifles this will help to tighten up the groups a bit. We owe the animals we shoot as much accuracy as we can possibly get to make their passage to the freezer as quick and painless as possible.
Rayleigh_Scattering
Regular
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I found that if you don't care about the casings, you can readily unseat the bullet if you make up the following:
1) Drill a 1/8" hole about 3/4" deep, and then on top of it a 5/16" hole 3/8" deep into a piece of scrap hardwood.
2) Find a piece of pipe about a foot long that is a good fit on the case rim. Use a center punch to put a couple of dents about 1.25" along the pipe deep enough that the rim cannot slip past them.
Clamp the hardwood block in a vise, with the hole a bit below horizontal.
Put the case into the pipe rim first, insert the tip of the bullet into the hole in the block, and while pushing in slightly use the leverage of the pipe bend the case over about 30 degrees.
The steel case neck will split, the bullet will be freed (and completely unmarred), and the powder can be poured out. It works with 7.62x39 as well, and the bullets on those have almost no flat bearing area to grab onto.
It depends on what you want to salvage.
Dimensions are from memory, so adjust as needed. If you wanted to get fancy, you could cut away half the pipe for the last 1" or so, so that you can hold the casing in place with your finger while you pour out the propellant. And replace the dents with a cross-pin for more secure positioning.
1) Drill a 1/8" hole about 3/4" deep, and then on top of it a 5/16" hole 3/8" deep into a piece of scrap hardwood.
2) Find a piece of pipe about a foot long that is a good fit on the case rim. Use a center punch to put a couple of dents about 1.25" along the pipe deep enough that the rim cannot slip past them.
Clamp the hardwood block in a vise, with the hole a bit below horizontal.
Put the case into the pipe rim first, insert the tip of the bullet into the hole in the block, and while pushing in slightly use the leverage of the pipe bend the case over about 30 degrees.
The steel case neck will split, the bullet will be freed (and completely unmarred), and the powder can be poured out. It works with 7.62x39 as well, and the bullets on those have almost no flat bearing area to grab onto.
It depends on what you want to salvage.
Dimensions are from memory, so adjust as needed. If you wanted to get fancy, you could cut away half the pipe for the last 1" or so, so that you can hold the casing in place with your finger while you pour out the propellant. And replace the dents with a cross-pin for more secure positioning.
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Did you even read the OP?
The guy wants to use existing cases with different bullets so you made a post about destroying the cases to salvage the bullets? READING AND COMPREHENSION!
I've never made Mexican Match, any idea how off the powder charges are from round to round with surplus? I wonder if it would be worth taking all the rounds you want to make and dumping the powder into a bowl, then divide by that number and making the powder charges even. Probably not worth it but it would be interesting to see if it make any tangible difference.
Rayleigh_Scattering
Regular
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- Under the arch
Did you even read the OP?
The guy wants to use existing cases with different bullets so you made a post about destroying the cases to salvage the bullets? READING AND COMPREHENSION!
It's like watching the news on TV; more of a "This answer was inspired by your question." rather than being a direct answer to a question or a retelling of actual events.
But, to stay very directly on-topic, I will mention:
Keep in mind that lead-core SP bullets will have a higher average density than the steel-cored ones you are replacing. Since the area is unchanged, that means the length of the bullet will have to change to keep the mass the same. I you replace a 147gr steel core bullet with an equivalent weight lead-core one it will necessarily be shorter.
You may find that you have to move the bullet further back into the casing (reduce overall length) to still have a secure neck interface (I did when I tried it). That can change case volume, which affects pressures. It can also complicate feeding depending on what you are firing this in (although my SVT actually prefers to feed the shorter overall length).
The original 147gr lead core bullets (from way back) for this form factor had a cone shaped indentation in the back (like a Minnie ball), so that you could still get an acceptable neck interface in a geometry originally designed to take a much heavier (220gr or so, I think) round nose bullet. The ones you are using likely won't have such an indent (at least, I couldn't find any) meaning their bearing surface will be shorter.
Usually this would be followed by a statement saying "Read and follow your reloading manual", but you can't, because you don't know the powder (well, you do if you still have the spam can, but the info won't help you much). You're likely going to end up with a shorter-than-published OAL and an unknown powder. Fun!
Are you loading for a Mosin, an SVT, or something more exotic?
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I have a fully equipped loading bench. When I make Mexican Match I dump the powder of 10 rounds in the pan and weigh. I then throw the powder charges at the average weight. I assume it helps. I have seen military loads of plus or minus at least a half grain. My thrower is better than that.
I usually neck size the brass, too.
Rayleigh_Scattering
Regular
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Cool. The Mosin won't be offended if you go with a heavier projectile to keep a closer match to the 147gr steel core geometry if you decide to go that route. Of course that would require a change/reduction in powder, which you aren't currently looking to do (but might be later).
I've also had good success with 200gr soft pints but my personal goal for handloading X54 soft points for not only hunting but also to give me a similar poi and trajectory as surplus ammo. Attaining this allows accuracy for both range loads and hunting loads without changing my sights or scopes. That said, the 200gr LVE ammunition knocks over a deer like it got hit by an artillery shell.
Just sharing an FYI, if you've slugged your bore and its a bit over-sized, a .312 bullet makes a huge improvement in some Mosin rifles. In fact everything I own in X54r shoots better with a .312 diameter bullet.
Boolitcaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Vancouver Island
I think your question was already answered above, but here is something that I have done for chuckles.
I took some of the steel brass that I had fired in my Mosin and drilled out the Berdan primers. I then installed 209 shotshell primers. As I already paper patch for a number of different 303s, I just took some of my .314" patched bullets and ran them again through a .312" sizer. I have kept this ammo low pressure, with loads approximating 10 grains of unique. Earlier this week, I shot an 8 shot, 1 1/4" group at 60 yards with one flyer. Not bad for Franken-bullets.
And no need for reloading dies, as the patched bullets are seated by hand into the previously fired brass.
I used my 200 grain LVE on bear out of an svt 40 and it was a thru and thru, expanded nicely and didnt break apart as far as i know. Hit him in front right shoulder and it came out his rear left hip area, just punched right thru him. The exir hole was approx 2 times the size as entrance
