How many are hooked on shooting 54r?

[Holescreek]

As in 7.62x54r of course. I mostly build my own rifles unless I happen to find something for my collection that I can't live without. I've run the gambit of calibers over the decades, but nothing more exotic than 6.5x55 in a custom loading.

The last 3 or 4 years I've been focused on building 54r rifles in different flavors in an effort to try to find a way to make the cheap surplus ammo shoot well. By "well" I mean to try to make one shoot M.O.A as I see claimed by so many internet snipers. I've come close many times but nothing consistent enough to qualify a single rifle as "MOA accurate" to my liking.

All of my recent accuracy testing (and best results) has been done with ammo that is very expensive compared to spam can ammo and testing has become a lot less fun all of the sudden. Looking back on it this morning, I wonder if I stuck with the caliber so long just because it's cheap to shoot (and I like shooting).

I'm new to this site (first post) and thought this might be a good question to ask to see if I'm in the right place. Up to this point I've mostly spent my time on gun building sites and I think it's time to broaden my horizons.

 

[Berserker]

Been awhile but shooting my Mosin this weekend.

 

[Holescreek]

I have a few Mosins but have never shot them, I have a tough time with iron sights these days. I did get my SVT out last weekend for the first time and did decent (for me) with irons.

I just finished building a Mauser in 54r, working on building a similar Mosin right now. For the collectors out there, no collectible rifles were injured for these builds, the Mauser was just a mismatched action and the Mosin was a barreled receiver that had been bubba'd.

Here's the Mauser:

 

[dogmush]

It's not the most accurate rifle I have, but my PSL is a hoot to take out for an afternoon on steel plates.

 

[Ash]

The 54r is a fine round and I have owned many rifles that chambered it, from PSL, NDM-86, SVD, and numerous bolt action sniper rifles as well as ordinary Mosins. It's a potent round that isn't too expensive to shoot.

 

[19-3Ben]

I stocked the stuff deep when it was $40 for a can of 440. Those were the days.

I love shooting it because it's... well... a lot of fun for not a lot of money, and in my Mosins it's perfectly accurate enough to reliably ding the 6" steel plate at my 100yd range.
When I get a new shooter and at the end of a session of building them up with low recoil stuff, and if they are itching for something with a big BOOOOOOM i pull out the M44. It never fails to generate a smile and keep them asking for the next range session.

 

[farmerboy78]

The 54r is very accurate, especially the Finns with handloads...I have 2 custom m28/76, m28/30, and m39...here is my ex sniper 28/76, it's an asev1 with a .308 bore and will punch a 10" plate at 600yds all day long...

 

[Ash]

Those 28/76's that chamber standard Russian 7.62x54r (not the Finnish 7.62x53r) can be really great shooters.

This is my m28/76 sniper. It not only is accuracy, but it's pleasant to shoot. What's fun is removing the scope and installing the diopter rear sight and shooting irons.

The only Mosin that isn't the most fun to shoot is my m91/59 because it's not very friendly with the shoulder. A couple of magazines with that one and I'm done shooting it.

 

[Numeric]

I wouldn't exactly say "hooked", but I do enjoy shooting it.

 

[Holescreek]

Those 28/76's that chamber standard Russian 7.62x54r (not the Finnish 7.62x53r) can be really great shooters.

This is my m28/76 sniper. It not only is accuracy, but it's pleasant to shoot. What's fun is removing the scope and installing the diopter rear sight and shooting irons.

A dealer at the OGCA show occasionally brings one in 7.62x53r to sell without the bipod, scope or mount. First time I was interested but hadn't done any homework on them. I asked him what ammo he shot out of it and he said he used standard 54r spam can ammo. Price seemed a little steep without the accessories. If memory serves he wanted $900.

My absolute favorite to shoot is my NDM86

 

[OYE]

Nice rifle. Like it ! OYE

 

[BCRider]

The last 3 or 4 years I've been focused on building 54r rifles in different flavors in an effort to try to find a way to make the cheap surplus ammo shoot well. By "well" I mean to try to make one shoot M.O.A as I see claimed by so many internet snipers. I've come close many times but nothing consistent enough to qualify a single rifle as "MOA accurate" to my liking.

Frankly I would suggest that you're doomed as to finding a rifle that CONSISTENTLY shoots milsurp ammo to MOA results. The ammo variations found in milsurp supplies make this goal simply impossible. You can't get good results when the ammo isn't consistent. The best chamber and best barre rifling will not compensate for inconsistent ammo. It's the old story about how a chain is only as strong as the weakest link. And frankly when you look at milsurp ammo overall that is one very inconsistent link to rely on.

When I bought my case of two SPAM cans unfortunately I got some of the worst out there. From my two Mosins it shoots roughly 8 to 10 inch groups at 100. And that isn't counting the fliers that miss the paper altogether. Switching to some Prvi Partizan ammo instantly dropped the group size to 3 inches. And that is with an old guy with bad eyes at the trigger (me). I'm sure the rifle and that Prvi Partizan ammo is capable of better. Likely down around 2 inch groups and maybe better.

Even if shot from a match grade barrel in some snazzy custom build there is simply no way in hell that this crappy batch of milsurp I've got is going to shoot to MOA results. And that would be why I've got some brass, bullets, primer and powder waiting to be loaded up to higher accuracy standards so I can see just what the Mosin rifles can do with good food.

 

[morcey2]

I've got 2 mosins that consistently shoot near-MOA with handloads (and someone with better eyes than mine doing the shooting.) I have a stack of mosins and I really enjoy shooting them, especially the M44s and M38s at dusk.

Most of them are accurate enough with decent surplus, but I've had a couple of batches of surplus that I swear were loaded with 7mm bullets. You were lucky to be able to be on paper @ 100 yards with some of them.

Matt

 

[Holescreek]

A year or so ago I broke down 30 rounds and measured bullet diameters and weighed components.


I crunched the data and rebuilt them to this:



I finally tested some out after the Mauser was completed. With the exception of a flyer it wasn't too bad.

 

[Holescreek]

Here was a target from a second 5 shot grouping of rebuilt ammo:



What's odd about the two groups is the distinct size difference of the bullet diameters.

 

[mgkdrgn]

I'm new to this site (first post) and thought this might be a good question to ask to see if I'm in the right place. Up to this point I've mostly spent my time on gun building sites and I think it's time to broaden my horizons.

If you REALLY want to get the best out of your Mosin, you need to start thinking about reloading for 54R.

Yes, the surplus stuff is cheap, but it is never gonna be -real- accurate. They just wanted to hit -A- Nazi, they didn't care which one.

My Mosins actually seem to prefer a heavier bullet, 200gr or so, to shoot accurate tight groups. I also reduce the powder charge a bit as I only have to put hole in paper at 100 or 200 yards ... not holes in Nazi's at 2000 meters. My shoulder (and Brass!) lasts much longer.

 

[farmerboy78]

I agree, reloading is the only way to go unless you can get some surplus match ammo...but it is .309 in diameter so you will need a tight bore!

 

[caribou]

I used Chinese copper washed through the 90's because I was lucky enough to have 15 or so cases when the import ban stopped the supply, it was decent, but not for the long open country shots we have here on the Tundra. I used a Rem ADL 700 .243win with 100 grn. for everything hunted back then. When I lost it in a boat flip, I turned to my M-39....

My Chinese '54r ammo stash was simply shot off by me and the sons as we shot for fun, and played out with the collection at the time......but in the early 2000 I got ahold of the very consistent Czeck LPS and was delighted with the results. 2 inch groups all day at 100 yards, it holds good to the best SnB, Privi or commercial stuff thats available nowdays. The trick was getting a lot of it in the same year, 1966 was a very good year when available.
The other part of the equation was that I used an M-39 variant of the Mosin, and that rifle , in itself, helps greatly with small groups.

I liked its consistency so much I used for hunting exclusively for years, as it has one other benefit, its bullets tumbled like crazy once in an animal, and the bullets going sideways did alot of damage, while retaining their weight.

I once got a can that was open'd and refilled with green tracers obviously pulled from belts, as per their scratches on the laquer.

While hand loads are a definit step above the Czeck milsurp, its is a good example of quality milsurp that ranks equally with U.S. and Finnish Production milsurp ammo.

The absolute Worst 54r milsurp is Bulgarian..........Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

 

[Holescreek]

I liked its consistency so much I used for hunting exclusively for years, as it has one other benefit, its bullets tumbled like crazy once in an animal, and the bullets going sideways did alot of damage, while retaining their weight.

I just saw some of your hunting pics on Gunboards, I believe you!

 

[TRX]

I only have five rifles in 54R, so I'm definitely not hooked on that caliber.

 

[hamp sandwich]

I'm glad to see you here, Holes! However, you would torment me with a pic of the NDM... Lol!

I've been sslloowwly gathering stuff to load for the 54R, but I keep getting distracted. I'm itching to find a good load for the PSL and a MN sniper that I'm piecing together. I've ran a PSL out to 800, but I was just shouting steel. I haven't paid an enormous amount of attention to groups yet, but plenty of hits on a man size silhouette at 800... The Mosin Nagant, I'm ashamed to say, I haven't done anything with, but I hope to change that soon!

 

[stubbicatt]

I've had really good results with the laquer cased Czech surplus. I'm down to my last can of that stuff, so I find myself searching for a good replacement. I have the equipment to handload for this cartridge, but rarely do so.

Sure is fun though.

 

[Holescreek]

I'm glad to see you here, Holes! However, you would torment me with a pic of the NDM... Lol!

I've been sslloowwly gathering stuff to load for the 54R, but I keep getting distracted. I'm itching to find a good load for the PSL and a MN sniper that I'm piecing together. I've ran a PSL out to 800, but I was just shouting steel. I haven't paid an enormous amount of attention to groups yet, but plenty of hits on a man size silhouette at 800... The Mosin Nagant, I'm ashamed to say, I haven't done anything with, but I hope to change that soon!

Alright! A couple names I recognize.

I finally snagged some Sierra Match kings in 174gr BTHP this week from CTD and I found some IMR 4350 and large rifle primers in my old reloading stuff tonight. l'll eventually get some of the brass prepped and have at some load development soon.

It's funny, I started this project with one goal in mind and that was to figure out how to build a rifle capable of shooting cheap surplus at 1MOA as claimed by so many internet snipers with stock PSL's. Here I am 4 years later with 3 custom rifles (HB PSL, Space PSL, and Mauser) working on a 4th (Tricked out Mosin parts) and not a one has ever shot a 1MOA 5-shot group with any available ammo. They all shoot sub MOA 3 shot groups, but never with 5 shots.

I'm beginning to think I've been lied to.

 

[hamp sandwich]

"I'm beginning to think I've been lied to."

Whaaat? Not on the internet amongst the nations top shooters, hunters and fishermen... Lol! Maybe some exaggerate. ;-)
It's so hard to believe what you read online. This one time, I almost called BS on someone's post, but I realized that it was mine.... JK!
Seriously though, I wonder if a few guys didn't get that miracle "hole in one" group with a Nagant once, and it turned into an "every time" story. Either that, or MOA means minute of almost... I think that the round is capable enough, but I'm afraid that the stuff on the market won't prove it.. Hell, I can't get commercial 308 to shoot in my bolt gun either, and it gets at least 1/2 MOA (A meaning Angle) with my loads.

 

[Ash]

Gun forums are in many ways no different than fishing stories. If you like something, it is hyper accurate and uber reliable. If you don't, it's a jam-o-matic that couldn't hit the Goodyear Blimp from twenty paces.

As is generally the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle.