Reloading 7.65x53

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  • Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    OK,
    So going to reload 7.65x53

    Turns out I don't have cases as the surplus I have is Berdan.
    I have LOTS of 30-06 and enough to dedicate 50 cases or more to this conversion.

    Anyone have a length to cut them to and process for resizing?
    I have a bevy of other milsurp cartridge dies if needed in the process.

    I'm also going to put up a post in the brass trade

    I have 174gr .312 bullets I may start with, that or maybe Powder coated .311 bullets and hone a .311 sizer die out to .312 or more.
     

    Furious George

    Active Member
    May 10, 2010
    340
    Get a good set of 7.65 X 53 dies - RCBS or Lyman etc.

    Remove the expander ball assembly from the sizing die

    Set the sizing die up in the press so that the shellholder touches the bottom of the die at the top of the stroke

    Lube the '06 cases really well

    Run them through the sizing die - they will come out with comically long necks.

    Tumble clean to remove lube

    Use a dremel with a cut off wheel to cut the neck off a bit longer than the standard trim to length (I think it is 2.100" - check your manual). Make sure you are a bit longer than the max.


    Use your chamfer tool to clean up the inside and outside of the neck as you would after normal case trimming.

    Anneal the cases

    Re-install the expander/decapper assembly into the sizing die

    Lube the cases and size them again. This will decap them and expand the necks properly.

    Trim the cases to the standard trim to length, chamfer and deburr.

    Tumble clean

    Prime and reload

    After the initial fireforming load, I set the sizer to give a crush fit in my rifle. The cases last until the primer pockets give out.

    I found the Hornady 150gr flat base spire points to give spectacular results in my rifle. I adjusted the sight (replaced the front barleycorn) to be dead on at 200 yd with this load.
     
    Last edited:

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    Thanks FG,
    I was thinking I"d have to pre cut but now that I look at the case and the neck for the top of the neck of the 7.65x53 starts before the bottom of the 30-06 neck (which will be slightly smaller anyway or near the same) its not needed so long as the case can get all the way in.
     

    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    Melnic,

    If I was starting to load 7.65×53 Mauser rounds I'd begin with a bag of Prvi brass and a Lee die set. Reforming 30-06 cases seems like a lot of unnecessary work when the correct brass is readily available.

    7.65x53 rounds were topped with .313 bullets. Those may be challenging to find. Hornady makes .312's and they shoot well in my 303B Enfields, but may be undersized for your Mauser. Then there's always the "cast your own" and size them to .314.

    For beginning powder I've had good success with IMR3031 and IMR4198 in bottle neck cases of similar size. YMMV.

    Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress.

    :thumbsup:

    https://www.grafs.com/dealer/catalog/product/productId/12652
    https://www.grafs.com/dealer/catalog/product/productId/8099
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7.65×53mm_Mauser
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    My experience is only with cast bullets. Back in the day, Redding used to make case forming dies for just about anything. The way I made cases was thus.

    1. Cleaned 30-06 cases well.
    2. Annealed cases unless they were once fired.
    3. Roll cases on STP soaked pad
    4. Run cases into case forming die and cut off extra with fine tooth hack saw. Die is hardened so a file across the top cleans up the case.
    5. Deburr cases
    6. Fill cases with 10 grains of fast pistol powder and top off with cream of wheat. Leave room for a drop of Elmers glue to seal in the COW.
    7. Fire cases in rifle.

    My reloading consisted of the standard loads worked up by a fellow Cast Bullet Association member, Ed Harris. We used either 10 grains of Hercules Red Dot or 16 grains of Hercules 2400 behind a cast bullet. There were several we used but one of the best was the Lyman 314299. This casts a 200 grain bullet that will fit the Argentine rifles just right. The Red Dot load gives about 1300 FPS and the 2400 gives about 1600 FPS. I have won a number of matches using the 2400 load and that bullet. At these speeds, all you need is a wash of XLOX and they won't lead. You do need a gas check for good accuracy unless you use a plain base bullet.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    Melnic,

    If I was starting to load 7.65×53 Mauser rounds I'd begin with a bag of Prvi brass and a Lee die set. Reforming 30-06 cases seems like a lot of unnecessary work when the correct brass is readily available.
    :thumbsup:

    https://www.grafs.com/dealer/catalog/product/productId/12652
    https://www.grafs.com/dealer/catalog/product/productId/8099
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7.65×53mm_Mauser

    Now what would be the fun in buying brass :)
    I'll try the reforming and if not, buy brass or maybe search next gun show for PPU.

    thx for the extra info.

    I don't have any Red dot, but I have bullseye for case forming.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    So, silly me thought I could do this with Lee dies.
    I should have known. lee dies are not setting the shoulders down enough I think. I can't get empty formed/trimmed case to even chamber in my rifle.
    I did 5 and one I cranked enough on the bolt to get it to close. the others, I did not want to force it. A rounded shoulder is really hard to measure but looks like its not down enough.

    I had to put in an order to Grafs so I added some Arg cases to the order :)

    Since I will have so many cases, I PC my Lee molded .311 160g Powder coated bullets I size to .309 and use for blackout. I ordered a .314 sizing die. Gas checked and powder coated I think they will size fine to .314
    When I these in my 300BLK I get acceptable accuracy down at about 1850fps.
    I'm wondering if that is what I would target for an area to build some loads to try?
    I need to find some load data to base this on and slowly work up. I do have some pistol powders I can use like Unique.
    I'm pretty sure I recall someone posting some guidelines on using Unique in most any milsurp rifle with some safe load data to try. Gotta find that.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    10 grains of Unique is a good light load. 13 grains of Red Dot and 16 grains of 2400 are also pretty common cast loads. 4198 also works if you want faster loads.

    For hunting I used 32 grains behind a Lee 180 gn bullet in my 30-06. I think it was giving me 2200 FPS. That bullet was cast softer than my paper shooting bullets and hollow pointed with a ? Georg hollow pointing tool ( something I got back in the sixties). It mushroomed nicely and never lost a deer.
     

    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    I need to find some load data to base this on and slowly work up. I do have some pistol powders I can use like Unique.
    I'm pretty sure I recall someone posting some guidelines on using Unique in most any milsurp rifle with some safe load data to try. Gotta find that.

    The CE Harris article mentions Unique. I've tried it in 303B, but that's a bigger case. Probably would work in some test loads for you.

    :fingerscrossed:

    https://www.gunandgame.com/threads/...-military-rifles-article-by-c-e-harris.77457/
     

    BeoBill

    Crank in the Third Row
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 3, 2013
    27,064
    南馬里蘭州鮑伊
    My ancient and venerable loading manual specifies .311-.312 bullets. I've been using Speer bullets and IMR 3031 in my Arg since 1964 (I hate paying Norma prices). Measure your bore before taking this advice.

    ETA: ammoguide.com has a FULL PAGE of loads and case specs for the Argentine Mauser.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    This was 40gr IMR 4895 at 50 yards
    Average was 2190fps
    .312 Hornady 3130G 174gr BTHP which is what I had for my Enfield 303 No4mk1

    Good enough for my purposes of shooting steel

    I also ran some cast sized at .314 but results were not that great. Velocity with 29gr IMR4895 was down at 1650fps

    I’d still like to work up a half decent 3-4moa load with cast
    1d33e6b7de45cd1581f4d32e527f9f53.jpg



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    I know this is a bad time to mention this but 4198 will do better with higher velocity cast loads than 4895. In my experience anyway.

    That is a fine comment. Always good for keeping a thread informative in general and not always specific to just my situation.
     

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