Bamm Loads

[Kid Rich]

I am looking for some reduced loads for 7.62X54. If anyone can help I would appreciate it. Any powder with loads preferably for the 150 or lighter bullet range. It can be for copper jacketed or lead with or without gas check.

I usually shoot the milspec ammo but Shirttail would like to try some Bamm shooting and I'm don't think she would like shooting milspec in her M44.

Thanks in advance.

Kid Rich

[DUSTY BODDAMS]

KR, I bet the reduced loads would be a lot easier......on everything! My favorite load for that rifle is 16 to 18 grains of 4759, standard primer and about a 170 grain gc lead hi tek coated bullet. Accurate and gets the job done with hardly any recoil. Welcome to BAMM! Dusty Boddams

[Kid Rich]

Thanks Dusty. I was hoping to get more than load but it sounds like a good place to start.

Kid Rich

[Garrison Joe]

Cast Boolits forum has a great article on "The Load" that works for most bolt action military guns of the 20th century.

 

It's here:

 

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?13425-Cast-Bullet-Loads-for-Military-Rifles-Article

 

 

The article is long, but the summary is a set of four different levels of power:

 

 

1. 125 grain plain based "small game/gallery" 900-1000 f.p.s., 5 grains of Bullseye or equivalent pistol powder.

 

2. 150 grain plain based "100-yard target/small game", 1050-1250 f.p.s., 7 grains of Bullseye or equivalent pistol powder.

 

3. 170-180 grain gas checked "200 yard target", 1500-1600 f.p.s., 16 grains of Alliant 2400 or equivalent.

 

4. 180-200 grain gas-checked "deer/600 yard target", 1750-1850 f.p.s., 26 grains of Reloder7 or equivalent.

 

 

I will certify that the #3 load is a sweet shooting target load, and is quite good for all the bolt action rifles I've tried it in, from 6.5 Swede to 30-06 to 8 mm Mauser.  And it will work with a slight powder weight reduction with a lighter (150 grain) slug.  Keep velocity below about 1600 FPS and almost any gun will shoot good groups and not lead the barrel.

 

 

There's tons more info in the C.E. Harrison article that is at the URL.

 

 

4759 is a great powder for cast bullet loads - except you cannot buy it anymore.  Stopped production about the end of 2015 and ALL the store stock has disappeared.

 

IF you decide to shoot cast bullet loads, you will normally need to scrub all the copper fouling out of the barrel before trying to get reasonable groups with cast bullets.  The poly-coated bullets may be a little more forgiving and let you switch between jacketed and poly loads - I've not heard results from anyone on that point.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Kid Rich]

Thanks GJ. That ought to get me some good results. Maybe we will be able to shoot BAMM at WR. I shoot the Mosin every week at the range here but ammo is getting a little harder to find. I keep most of the copper out of the bore on the Mosin. I find it a little easier if I do copper removal every couple of weeks.

KR

[Goatneck]

GJ

 

If you switch back and forth from jacketed to Moly or poly coated bullets or vice versa one better clean the barrel real good or group size will be unstable until the bore has been flushed clean.  These test were conducted in 2014 and that was the conclusion.

[Garrison Joe]

Thanks for that bit of data, Goatneck.

 

I've not shot a poly coated bullet, and from things I've read on Cast Boolits site, don't think I will for rifle loads.

 

Too many molds to try and not enough time.... ;D

 

Good luck, GJ