7.62mmx54R: Quickest / Most Violent Expanding Commercial Load

J

jfruser

New member
Good Day:

What commercial load of 7.62mmx54R ammunition expands the quickest or most violently upon impact with a living target?

I had to re-purpose my usual truck long gun, a Remington 870. My next most appropriate long gun for that duty is a M-44 Mosin-Nagant. Yep, the one with the folding bayonet. Were I made of money, I would buy a long gun for this purpose, but, alas, I was neither born nor have become Mosin-in-cosmo filty rich.

All I have shot thus far from my Mosin is heavy ball (174gr FMJ, IIRC) milsurp. Since it is going to get more serious duty, I intend to spend a bit of time working it over (another deep-clean, lube, "accurizing*") and shooting several variants of soft point and/or expanding projectile cartridges to see what groups best. Might even get a mojo sight for it, just like my M96/38 Swede.

My final ammunition choice will be a function of the following factors:
1. Reliability
2. Accuracy
3. Expansion in target, the earlier and more violent the better.

Thanks for any and all insight.

* Don't laugh, now. Most any rifle's inherent accuracy/precision/dispersion can be improved with a little attention.
 
Hornady makes or made a 150gr SST, which to my unnerstanding is like a .30 caliber varmint round not much tougher than a V-Max.

Other than that, a quick look around mostly showed Privi Partizan and Selier and Bellot.

Some folks might share more ideas if you could tell us what it is you're predominately going to desire to shoot at.
 
PPU has been the most consistent/accurate for me, though I'm shooting it through an M91/30. I believe it's the 150gr SP. I'll double check when I get home. All brassed cased too, so I've still got all of it.
 
Already some good suggestions. Thanks!

10-96 said:
Hornady makes or made a 150gr SST, which to my unnerstanding is like a .30 caliber varmint round not much tougher than a V-Max.
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Hmm, I am familiar with the Hornady SST line. No, not as frangible as varmint loads or even the old-school non-bonded Nosler Ballistic tips for big game. Somewhere between Ballistic Tips and cup & core pointed soft point.

Thanks for the, uh "tip." SSTs might be just what the doctor ordered, expansion-wise. And I have found them to be more accurate than most in rifles I own. Something like 0.3 or 0.5 MOA (3 or 5 shots at 100 yds) in a ridiculously cheap .243Win Ruger American rifle.

Found it:
https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/7-62x54r-150gr-sst-steel#!/

Frankenmauser said:
PPU 139 gr RNSP
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Never heard of that. Looked around, but did not find any for sale online. Saw the 7.62x39 variant, though.

I like the concept. If driven to max velocity, something faster than the 150gr soft points, it would hit hard and expand quickly, maybe turning itself inside out.

armednfree said:
Wolff makes a 203 grain. PPU a 150.

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/prod...unds?a=1584502
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That PPU 150 is a SPBT, which are prone to shedding the jacket. Another good candidate.
 
One of the custom ammo companies, possibly Clark Custom Cartridge, offered a 125 gr Ballistic Tip load for a while. If you can figure out who used to make it, you might be able to special-order it.

Clark Custom Cartridge does still offer a 150 gr Ballistic Tip load that clocks 2,770 fps from the owner's 91/30. $25/box (20).
 
Even common M44’s have gone up in value the last few years. If it is unmolested, you could probably sell it for enough to get a Ruger Ranch 7.62x39...
Now that’s a truck rifle.
 
thepossum said:
Not sure about ammo, but when it comes to changing sights or accurizing your gun, you should check out the site of our forumite Josh Smith. He sells sights, accurizing kits, and has numerous articles and how-to videos.
http://www.smith-sights.com/
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Yep, checked his site out. I like the looks of his kits for the Mosins.

donfischer said:
You went from a shotgun to a rifle for a truck long gun? What is it there for in the first place?
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Yep, as the Rem 870 was commandeered for backup anti-pheasant operations. Boy likes his 12ga bolt gun, I like my 12ga Rem 1100 to keep the Pheasant Menace in check. Rem 870 goes along as a backup in case either primary goes tango uniform. And now wife wants a HD shotgun cut to suit her. Since she can handle a Rem 870 12ga (reduced recoil buck, stock cut to fit, cushy recoil pad), I am now down _two_ Rem 870 12 gauges as far as demand. Never would have thought that.

My truck gun use is primarily as orc repellent. Since I mostly spend time in urban and suburban areas, I am inclined toward the shotgun, with both buck and slugs handy. Secondary use as travel arm, as every so often I must traverse states with no CHL reciprocity. Long guns with ammo handy is about as good as you can get in those benighted polities.

amd6547 said:
Even common M44’s have gone up in value the last few years. If it is unmolested, you could probably sell it for enough to get a Ruger Ranch 7.62x39...
Now that’s a truck rifle.
Click to expand...

Maybe so. Especially since I can throw in most of a milsurp spam can of 7.62x54R.

Holy smokes, I just priced Ruger Ranch rifles. They start at $1000 MSRP. I could get nigh on _3_ LEO trade-in Rem 870 Police/Wingmaster shotguns for that. Or a nice AR-15. Or top-end parts to assemble an AR-15 my own self. Or two entry-level AR15s. There is no Mini-14 or Mini-30 made that I want that bad.

OK, looking at Gunbroker, I can't get $1000 for my M-44. Mine is unmolested, but is not mint. Tops likely $500, which is crazy talk. I joked with my wife about buying enough M44s to equip an infantry squad back when they were less than $100. Shoulda-woulda. I am not sure I want to look and see how much my other "cheap" milsurps now command. What the heck is a guy to do to get his hands on a "beater" rifle? Something cheap, but tough.

In any case, I really need to figure out if I want to keep my Mosin. For the kind of money folks are willing to lay down for them, I bet they want it more than I do. I think I need to take it and my son to the range so he can say he shot one, before i sell it off. His tastes in my milsurps run toward Swede Mausers and Swiss rifles. When they plant me in the ground, he gets _them_, if not before.
 
Buy a plastic stocked Ruger American, Savage Axis, or Mossberg MVP. Those are the new beaters. The plastic holds relatively well, but honestly you might as well keep the Mosin. Not too many modern guns are quite that rugged anymore.
 
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