Reloading for your surplus military rifle

[1911crazy]

Whats your favorite load for your surplus military rifle??


..caliber......................Bullet weight........powder...wt......primer......crimp y/n...accuracy ex/vg/g
1.  7,62x54r russian

2.  8mm mauser

3.  7mm mauser

4.  7.5mm swiss

5.  6.5mm swede

6.  7.5mm French MAS

7.  7.62x39 russian

8.  30-06 springfield

9.  308 win/nato

If you want to add any other calibers please feel free to add them too.  If you won't post your exact load you can post a starting point. Of course its good to start out low and work your way up and watch your primer too to see if its flattened or lost its shape.

[Siskiyou]

Brit .303, Hornady 174 grain, IMR4320, CCI200 primer, crimp, accuracy good.

Swede 6.5x55 Remington C-L 140 grain, H4831 & WMR, CCI200, crimp, accuracy good

[35Whelen]

  All targets: 100 yds.
 
 Swiss K-31 7.5x55- Hornady bulk 150 gr. FMJBT, Re-15: 49.5 grs., CCI200, No crimp, Accuracy: SCARY
 

 Maltby No.4 .303 Br. Homecast 205 gr. bullet, IMR-4198: 22.0 grs. CCI200, no crimp, Accuracy: Very good


  Mosin 91/30 7.62x54r- Homecast 205 gr. bullet, Red Dot: 13.0 grs., CCI200, no crimp, Accuracy: Very good


  35W

[454Puma]

I only have  8 mm  Mauser Milsurps. Both love 180 gr Nosler BT's over 43 gr Varget 2371 Fps! Also 185 gr Rem Corloks over 48 gr IMR4350 2331 Fps! Both of these loads will shoot too an inch or less at 100 yds open sites! My cast load is the Lee 175gr SPGC 45 gr IMR4350 at 2157 Fps- gives 1.5 " groups at 100 yds!

[bja105]

1.  7,62x54r russian- Don't load for this one.  My 91-30 shoots well enough with the silver tip surplus.

2.  8mm mauser- My K-Kale turk, scoped, uses 150 Hornady sp with a nearly compressed load of H4350.  Not super fast, not max pressure, but it consistently shoots 1.5" at 100 yards.  I have killed two small deer with this load. Excellent results from double lung hits.  Most of my brass is re-formed and trimmed 30-06.

For my as-issued Yugo, I use whatever bullets (150 Hdy, 185 Rem.) and enough Blue Dot to regulate the sights.  I can give you a safe range if you are interested.

3.  7mm mauser- Don't have one, yet.

4.  7.5mm swiss.  #1 load for my scoped K31 was 150 CT Partition Gold Moly (they were cheap) and IMR4350.  All my 7.5x55 brass is reformed 284 Winchester.  I have also used 150 Hornady sst, 165 Hornady sp, and unknown 180 round noses.  Powders included IMR 4350, IMR 4064, H4350, W760, and surplus wc846 (cheap, but not good.)

5.  6.5mm swede- In my wife's 96 Sweede, Rem brass, H4350, and Remington 140's, or Hornady 129s.

6.  7.5mm French MAS.  I have the rifle, but no dies.  I have been using low pressure loads and necksizing.  I have used 147 fmj surplus and Blue dot.  I don't recommend the load, or doing to your Mas 36 what has been done to mine.  It was a Santa Fe sporter I got for free!  It has a 16" barrel, sporter stock, and a safety added.  The safety didn't work, so I removed it.  I turned the plastic rear sight into a peep by epoxying a cut off case head as the aperature.

7.  7.62x39 russian-  I don't reload for my Yugo SKS.  The golden Tiger brand was good enough.

8.  30-06 springfield- In my 1903 and 1903a3 sporters, I have been hunting with H4350 and 180 grain round noses.  I also liked 57 grains h4350 and 165 Hornady sp.
My peep sighted m1917 is using IMR 4064 and 150 grain Hornady SST.  I wanted to use the 180's, but ran out of sight adjustment.

9.  308 win/nato.  My only Milsurp 308 is a trainwreck of a type 38 Japanese, rebarreled.  Nothing works well in this rifle! 


If anyone wants specifics, let me know.  I keep good records of what works, and what sight settings I used.

[Cheesehead]

8mm Mauser, RL15 and 185 Corelokts, Rem brass= good accuracy.

7.5 Swiss K31, RL15 and 150 Corelokts, Grafs brass= great accuracy.

6.5x55 Swedish Mauser Model 96, RL19 and 120 Sierra, WW brass= the best accuracy

308 Win Springfield M1A, RL15 and 150 Partition Gold Moly, WW brass (got them cheap)= great accuracy

All CCI primers.

Cheese

[Cheesehead]

Bja105,

What process is required to convert 06 brass to 8mm Mauser?

Cheese

[Mikey]

Cheese - buy yourself some Remington or Winchester 8x57mm brass - probably cheaper and easier in the long run.  Otherwise, you need a Trim die to turn 06 brass into 8mm and I would expect it to be a 3 step job - (1) run the 06 brass into the 8mm trim die and (2) cut to length but (3) you may have to then use a expander button to open the brass to 8mm but maybe not.  Mikey.

[Cheesehead]

Just a thought, since I have a large amount of 06 brass and very small amount on 8mm brass.

Cheese

[bja105]

Bja105,

What process is required to convert 06 brass to 8mm Mauser?

Cheese

1. Take once fired, free 30-06 brass, cut off a little bit longer than 8x57 length.  I used a hacksaw on some, and a cut off wheel in the dremel for some.
2. De-burr well enough to re size.
3. Lube, including inside the neck.
4. Re size in a 8x57 die.  Size only enough to fit your chamber.  I used this to deal with a headspace problem.
5. Trim and de-burr normally.

I didn't find it too hard.

[oliver77]

What BJA said.  Not difficult at all.
Jay

[351 power]

for my .303 br, reloder 15 and 150g hornady sp are great

[Saloon slug]

.303Brit  180grn Sierra ProHunter  43grn IMR4320  Win brass neck sized only WLR primers  no crimp just neck tension fired in my S No4 Mk1* 1 1/2" off a bench @ 100yards if I dont screw it up.

[ECV Slick]

.303 Brit - Hornady 174gr FMJBT, 38.5gr IMR-3031, Federal 210 primer

7.62x51 (.308 NATO) Hornady 150gr FMJ, 41.5gr IMR-4895, CCI #34 primer

These worth great for me - as always, start lower and work up to be sure of performance in your rifle.

[kiddekop]

M1 Garand using load data from the American Rifleman March 1986 article Reloading For The M1 Rifle, 150gr Hornaday FMJ BT ,used 30-06 mil brass & rem commercial brass,48gr IMR 4895, LR Primer whatever I have on hand was good enough for garand matches.165gr nosler ballistic tip,47.5gr IMR 4895,Fed 215 or Rem 9 1/2 mag primer in Rem or Mil brass printed tight enough to drop a mule deer buck in CO with a neck shot.