Not a MN bolt, or similar, but a Ruger No 1, Encore, or a Remington FB?

Nope, and don’t want one either. That’s one of those good rounds that are only worth futzing with in order to make use of a good rifle. Otherwise, it’s redundant in a world full of other good .30s.

There is some limit to my loonacy.

You go ahead; I love watching other guys spend money.😛

I am considering a 26 inch, MGM Encore, SS, bead blasted 1 inch bull barrel. One that takes two men and a boy to lift. .308 diameter of course. I could save some weight by wearing a light jacket and using 155 gr. bullets.

The barrel would look something like this.

That seems like a dangerous idea. I hope the barrel is big letters clear with 0.308 warnings. Do you think the neck will be tight enough to prevent accidental factory ammo from clambering or just enough to raise initial pressure before the added excitement begins if a 310/311 bullet gets rammed down a 308 bore? A 6.5x54 would be interesting. Or a 375.

Jesus H Christ...The Finns only made about a 120,000 of them with .308 barrels...they can and were used with Russian capture .310/.311 ammo.

While I understand rifle loonyism, this does beg the "but why" question for me.

That said, who am I to talk anyone out of buying something gun related?!?!????

Winter Biathlon competition pretty well proved the 7.62x54R was easily the equal of the 7.62 Nato, accuracy-wise. But the "why?"...well, you would be the first kid on the block to have one.
I shudder to think of the bolt face modifications required to make it work, .567" rim dia.

A friend of mine had 2 Baikal 7.62x 39 rechambered to .303 British and 7.62x 54r . Both of them shot well

I'm glad to see that this post has generated some responses!



Not at all. Even steel jacketed bullets will squeeze down a couple of thou with no problems. I reload though. That's why I will order it with a 308 barrel.



Yes, all of my MNs are Finnish. I bought them years ago when dealers didn't know the difference between Russian and Finiish rifles.



That would be a custom thing for sure. Fortunately, this isn't a problem with a single shot.



That sounds like fun. The heyday of the 303 British and 7.62 Russian might be over, but not for me! I like rimmed cartridges. Besides, they are perfect for a single shot!

I've considered getting an Encore barrel a few times. Rimmed Lapua brass with good ballistics, lot to like there for break action fans.

Have you used a 26" bull on an Encore before? Factory 26" heavy taper is the heaviest barrel I've used

If you’re looking for a .308 caliber, military power, rimmed cartridge for a single shot, why not the .30-40 Krag?

Also, you might recall some interesting higher pressure, highly accurate, long range work done with the .30-30 cartridge, discussed as “600 yard 30-30” in Ask the Gunwriters.

I have two Bull barrels for the Encore - a 6.5 Grendel and a 30-303 British. They are not hunting barrels though. This is a 6.5 Grendel with a 24 inch bull barrel. The barrels are untapered and 1 inch in diameter.





The Krag is an interesting cartridge, but like the 225 Winchester, brass availability is a problem. At least it is in Canada. That's why I went with the 30-303. The two are very close. In fact, of my single shots, the barrel pictured above on the barrel sock is a 30-303. It is a 26 inch bull barrel that is 1 inch in diameter. I just received it a few days ago, and have not scoped it yet. I have a 10x40 Bushnell mil dot and a Game Reaper mount sitting on the bench.

Some might say that the 30-303 is much the same as the 7.62x54r, so why bother with it? The answer to that is, because I can!

These are fun to shoot, and easy to work on. They also produce good groups. This is a 17 Hornet Contender.

I too often contemplated the Nagant cartridge in a single shot platform. There isn't much to choose from in the world of rimmed .30's. But, the .30-40 would get my nod too. (Easy for me to say as I'm sitting on hundreds of pieces of Krag brass.) Also it would be kind of pointless next to its twin, your .30-303.

Why not a .30-30? Lots of moxie in that old girl in a platform better than a lever gun.

Maybe a .348 necked down to .30? I guess then we're back to the 7.62 Russkie....

Maybe STEVE HAS COUPLE OF CASES OF 7.62X54R he isn't talking about? Mb

I already have a 30-30, but it's a Contender.



No, I don't have any 7.62x54r kicking around. I do have 300 cases though.

Edited to add: I lied. I do have some milsurp ammunition.

https://ammoseek.com/reloading/brass/30-40-krag

Thanks for the link. That should be useful for folks living in the US. I cannot order cartridges directly from the States unfortunately. I wish I could. Things would be cheaper and faster.

I have the same affinity for rimmed cartridges and single shots, especially the No. 1. As I write this, my local smith (who has rebarreled other No. 1s for me previously) has a 1S that's getting a .348 Win barrel and a Winchester 1885 Trapper that will become a 25-35 with a much longer barrel. I also have a 1AB that Roger Renner did a nice job on reshaping the forearm to a Schnabel configuration. That one is likely going to become a 7-30 Waters some day. None of these do anything that can't be done with more modern chamberings, but like you I find these projects fun and enjoy working with classic cartridges. They all have or will go hunting at some point, too. I also thought about the 7.62x54R, but the No. 3 I have in 30-40 Krag shoots really well.. Good luck with the project.

Thanks.

My intention is to order the barrel after Christmas. Between the season and the other projects I have on the go, there's little time for about two months.

I came very close to barreling one of my P-14 single shots to 7.62 Russian but went with a 30-303 instead. The Russian is awfully close to being a rimmed 7.5 Swiss which is, in turn close to a 30/284. My plan for my next single shot is a 30/30 Trapdoor Springfield. GD

I have heard that Remington made a few rolling block single shots in 7.62X54 back before WWI but chances of finding one are probably nil

Evening Steve, Bill here. Don't want to steel the thread but serious thinking of ordering a contender in 17 fireball. May have to order the action and barrel separate. Really curious about accuracy in the contender??? How's yours perform and was it hard to find a load??? Want something lite & handy. Not sure I can get a bbl for 17 FB for the contender?? How heavy is the encore?? Every time I go to look at one it's sold, can't find one to handle. If ya don't mind approximately how much were yours delivered. No one wants to give up a rough estimate on price to get it here. Anyway, thanks in advance. Bill out. 🐾👣🐾👣🇨🇦

Steve, I almost had one... I had an extra #1 in .300 Win. that I didn't need and a take-off M-70 Win barrel in .308. I took them up to the 'Smith and had him screw them together. By the time I got home, it occured to me that likely the 7.62x54 would clean up the chamber, (Especially if set back a turn or two.) So I called him back and instructed him to do so. Unfortunately, by the time he got to it, he had forgotten and I ended up with a .308 Win. At that point, I shrugged and said; Oh well, why bother. Ballistics are about same/same... But I thought that would have made a nice addition to my #1 collection as I have them in 6.5x54 M.S. .303 Brit, .30/40 Krag, and 8x57 Mauser. (And probably another one or two that I failed to mention...) Cheers...

The target speaks for itself. It does that over and over with the 17 Hornet. The other barrels I owned all managed an inch. That's 30-30, 223 Wylde and 7.62x39 (308). These are hunting rifles, Bill. They will easily drop shots inside of 2 inches without much effort. Tighter than most 30-30s.



It's too bad you never got the Russian, but there's always the future. There is something cool and understated with rimmed cartridges. If I can locate a source of rimmed 222 cases, that could be in my future.

Afternoon Steve, Bill again. Thanks for the info, I think Remington 357 maximum will form 222 rimmed if ya have enough dies to make it work. Once made 256 win from 357 rem & played around making 357 max down to 6mm. At one time old Ellwood from epps had 222 rimmed in stock. Maybe there are some still collecting dust on a shelf??? If ya want next time I'm up there I can check for you?? Or if you're up at the gun club pop over, you'll have to corner Wes though, most of the behind the counter guys are not up to even knowing what yer talking about, plus some are to lazy to even look!!! Oh ya how heavy is the encore please. Bill out. 🐾👣🐾👣🇨🇦

Yeah, the world continues to evolve. I understand why they wouldn't have 222 Rimmed in stock. I don't bother with Epps anymore. Most of the employees are slow. I haven't seen Wes in ages either. He's president of the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association, or was, and doesn't spend that much time at the store. The inmates are running the asylum. It's easier to have the brass shipped from Oz or the US.

I guess it depends on the barrel length and whether you get a wooden stock or plastic, but a scoped Encore weighs a 7.5 to 8 lb.

Thanks again Steve much appreciated!!! Ya I think Epps is making most of there money from the Internet, he's lost interest in keeping his old regular customers happy!!! He may regret it in the long run, we'll see. Bill out. 👣🐾👣🐾🇨🇦

Steve, I have a box of 20 that I'd be willing to part with, but I don't think it's legal to ship them to Canada...

I appreciate the thought. We have them up here too. I just haven't looked yet.

A late update. I ordered the 7.62x54r barrel the beginning of February. COVID has slowed things a bit, so it should be here by the end of next month. I also ordered three Bullberry hanger sets for my Contender.

I am planning on making a Savage 219 barrel in either 6.5x54r Vostok or 6.5-06 rimmed.

Hey guys quick question a bit off topic. Are there any modern 7.62x54r guns? I have a mosin and load for it, but I wouldn't mind a modern economy rifle / bolt action in that cartridge. It's really not that bad of a design. I'd just as soon get a x54r as a .308 since I already have the mosin.

The only option that comes to mind is to call the boys at MGM to see if they make that caliber in an Encore platform.

For hunting, a cartridge with 0.312" grooves in the barrel really sucks for bullet selection. There are no boat tailed deer bullets.

Nothing special about the cartridge as is. Bout like a 30-40 Krag. Spect you could get a single shot 300 B/O barrel with a fast twist , have it rechambered and the extractor changed.

If you want it, do it.

Can you get .218 Bee cases? The .218 Mashburn Bee has the ballistics of a .222. In fact, some say the .222 was invented to duplicate the performance of the .218 MB in a rimless cartridge.

I have a Stainless Steel MGM Encore barrel in 7.62x54R with .308 Bore. Mine is 15.875" long with a 4 Gill Muzzle Brake. I have one of Tony's 11" Charcoal colored laminated forend's on it with a factory Black rubber grip. I have a 30mm Weaver Classic Extreme 2.5 - 10X scope on it with Four Vertical Split Rings and a Bubble Level. My scope base is a Evolution Gun Works. I am using PPU Brass to reload for it. My die set is RCBS.
For bullets I am still working this out. So far I have bagged one buck with a 125 Nosler BT at approximately 100 yards from one of my ladder stands. Behind the shoulder shot, very little meat loss, and he went less than 100 yards.
I am getting ready to start working with some Speer 150 grain Hot Core bullets.
I really like the rimmed case of the 7.62x54R in the Encore platform.
The 307 Winchester would not be a bad choice either.
The 7.62x54R will probably be my deer hunting handgun this November. They are logging around my point deer stand on the lease. The hillside to the North of my stand is clear cut offering over 200 yard shots. They should be logging on the 80 acres South and East of my stand starting in July or August. With the possibility of over 200 yard shots the 260 Remington and 7.62x54R Encore handguns will be my best choices. So far desirable bullets for the 260 Remington "BullBerry Barrel" have been a little slim. This means I will probably put most of my handloading and shooting effort into the 7.62x54R this year.

Bob R

The guy shooting is today building a 270x54R.

I am today building a 6.5x54R single shot on a 1945 Sav 213.

We are both using Manson chamber and sizer reamers.
We are both using Lapua 7.62x53r brass.

I had one with the 308 barrel.. someone got a bullet stuck in it then looked like they drilled it out,, a hell of a mess of the chamber.. when you shot it the case would get stuck in the chamber had to have the chamber relined....NONONO 310/311 bullets will not work in a 308 barrel.. so don't beleive everything you hear...

I received my barrel in November. Much later than previous buys. I was told COVID slowed things down considerably. Something sure did! Anyway, because this is a range or fixed blind rifle, it's built like a tank. It features a 26 inch long 1 inch diameter stainless barrel, Boyds laminated stock and a bipod. The bipod may come off later. It weighs 11.5 pounds, so recoil is a non event.

Here's a peak. It is -25 out, so this will sit in the safe for a few weeks at least.