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I'm going to be taking delivery of a Mosin M44 in the next couple of days so wondered if anybody had any tips for reloading 7.62x54R. It'my first time reloading a rimmed cartridge but have experience of other rifle cases.

From what I understand full length sizing is not advisable as it shortens brass life but Lee don't seem to make a neck sizing die for 54R. Is it possible to just put the case through just to the neck.

Other plan is to buy a Lee Loader and neck size that way, for the quantity i'll be shooting speed isn't of the essence. I also want to do a downloaded cartridge with cast boolits for gallery ranges.

Slug the bore....

I have a perfect flat shooting load for the M44. ........ 124 grain bullets, pulled X39 bullets work fine as do Hornady 124 grain. 56 grains Hornady of BL-C 2...

A really flat shooting load with moderate recoil , and the biggest orange fireball you have ever seen, even on a bright sunny day. ..................... It's a safe load, but you will find that onlookers tend move away very quickly.

If you use a washer slid over the cartridge to activate the collet, you can neck size x54 in a .308 neck die.

Full length resizing 7.62x54 is fine. If you want to neck size the Lee loader works OK. But you will have to full length size every so often any way. I would start off full length sizing. I have never had any problems with brass reloading for the 7.62x54.
The 7.62x54 is actually .311 not .308. You can use bullets intended for the .303 in this round. .308 bullets are to small.

Alpha1 wrote:Full length resizing 7.62x54 is fine. If you want to neck size the Lee loader works OK. But you will have to full length size every so often any way. I would start off full length sizing. I have never had any problems with brass reloading for the 7.62x54.
The 7.62x54 is actually .311 not .308. You can use bullets intended for the .303 in this round. .308 bullets are to small.

The 7.62x54 can be BOTH .308 & .311 depending on make/year....
Hence why I said to slug the barrel.

I have never come across a 7.62x54 with a .308 barrel. But you are correct in what you say slug the barrel then you will know for sure.

Alpha1 wrote:I have never come across a 7.62x54 with a .308 barrel. But you are correct in what you say slug the barrel then you will know for sure.

Neither have I. AFAIK they are all .311, same as .303 British. If it's a Russian barrel it will be .311

American barrels. Belgian barrels. German barrels. Finnish barrels.
Quite a few non-Russian options, several of which were made in .308

saddler wrote:American barrels. Belgian barrels. German barrels. Finnish barrels.
Quite a few non-Russian options, several of which were made in .308

5 quid says it's .311 :)