7.62x54 reloading questions

[sectional_density]

This may be out there somewhere in THR or other forums, but searches didn't turn up a complete answer to my question, so I apologize in advance if this is an old and stale topic:

Just got my new Graf 7.62x54R brass in, and getting ready to do some loading. Have been shooting my Mosin M44 w/ Brown Bear 203 gr softpoints, which are .311" diameter, and it shoots fairly decent groups. (Haven't really taken the time to setup a good rest for determining rifle accuracy, more just fun so far w/ the boom and fireball and recoil and establishing that I can hit a paper plate at 50 yards).

I realize that I should slug the bore (or should have already -- I checked the headspace though) to determine its diameter more precisely, but I have some 220 grain round nose .308 bullets that I want to use up. I'm assuming that my expander die and seating die are set for .311 diameter (maybe not a good assumption?), and was wondering if that would be a problem getting the bullet to seat properly w/ that .003" extra room (if that's the case) or if I'd be reefing too hard on the brass in doing so. My new Sierra and an older Hornady reloading manuals both use .308 bullets for their 7.62x54R recipes ... probably because those are the bores they tested with? So would they not fire Brown Bear ammo out of these guns? I realize I'd probably have a little slop with the extra room, but thought it wouldn't hurt to try, especially with the longer bullets. And I want a 200+ grain bullet for my MN, and it appears that there aren't a whole lot of them out there in .311, so does anyone know where to find some 200+ grain softpoint .311 bullets? Thanks

 

[Bad Flynch]

Reload with the .308" diameter bullets and see what happens. Worst thing that could happen is that the bullet would be loose in the case neck--in which case, one would simply disassemble the load. Many reloading die sets are made with a compromise neck diameter that will function with both.

Only a few rifles are really well suited to 0.308" diameter bullets, the late 1930s Finns, so most of the time 0.311 (or bigger) bullets will probably shoot better.

BTW, this case is the 7.62 x 53.5R. Now when Europe, Finnland, and Russia standardized on the name, the Russians rounded it to 7.62 x 54R and the Finns rounded it to 7.62 x 53R. Do not let the different numbers bother you.

The 7.62mm refers not to the bullet diameter (which corresponds to the groove diameter), but to the bore or land diameter. It is just that the Europeans and Russians have different ideas than do we about the relationships of the diameters and what it the best.