Reloading 7.62x54R

[Cyberlink]

This stuff is giving me a headache

OK, I slugged the barrel and it came out at .311"

7.62 is listed at .310 but all the .310 is for 7.62x39
Mil Surplus for 7.62x54R measures out to .310 - .3105
Hodgdon lists this round at .308 although I have read this is due to some early 91/30's bores being .308 as well as legal reasons.

Looking for .311 BTSP, BTHP, or BT Ballistic Tip and everyone seems to be sold out!

So, the question is simply what is the tolerance of bullets and barrels? Can something slugged at .311 shoot a .308 with out an issue? how about a .311 or .312? How precise does the bullet size need to be?

 

[robocop10mm]

.310 should shoot OK out of a .311 barrel. .308 will likely not give satisfactory performance. Generally you want a bullet that is at groove diameter or .001 over. I shoot .312 cast gas checks out of my AK and SKS and they work very well.

 

[Charley]

Missed this one, but better late than not at all. Every Mosin Nagant with a .310 bore I have ever fired did extremely well with Remington's bulk .311 180 grain RN Corloct bullet. Oddly enough, every lot of the Remingtons I have measured go .3105, which is about dead nuts on for a .310 bore.