.30-06 Springfield vs 7.62x54R
Hey all, today we are going to be talking about two long-standing cartridges today. Both of these old war horses served through both World Wars and have been appreciated by multiple generations of shooters. While small arms technology has progressed substantially since the inception of these cartridges, these two calibers are still enjoyed in the modern era. Without further ado, lets get into our overview of these two classic cartridges.
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge was conceived in the United States in 1906. American service rifles in both World Wars have been chambered in the round such as the Model 1903, Model 1917, and the venerable M1 Garand. The caliber has also seen use in iconic firearms such as the Browning Automatic Rifle and Browning Model 1919 machine gun.
On the home front, the cartridge has developed a reputation as an effective hunting round. Due to the popularity of the round, many companies offer bolt action rifles in the caliber. After World War Two, many foreign military surplus rifles were rechambered in .30-06 Springfield and sold to the public, like many Mauser type rifles.
These sporterized and rechambered rifles provided hunters with an affordable option for sporting use.
7.62x54R
The 7.62x54R cartridge is regarded as one of the longest serving military rounds in history. Developed in Russia in 1891, the round has been utilized by a variety of firearms such as the Mosin-Nagant series of rifles, SVT-40s, Dragunov rifles, and even general-purpose machine guns such as the PKM.
The “R” in the name of the cartridge refers to the presence of a rim on the casing. With rimmed cartridges like the 7.62x54R, there is a phenomenon called “rimlock” which can occur if rounds are oriented improperly. This can occur if the rim of one cartridge ends up behind the rim of another cartridge and becomes caught and unable to proceed forward. This issue can be easily avoided by taking the time to ensure rounds are loaded properly and these rims will not conflict with each other.
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Availability of Ammunition
In today’s market, one will find that there are more loadings available for the .30-06 Springfield cartridge than the 7.62x54R. While one can encounter military surplus ammunition in both of these cartridges, allowing one to plink more affordably.
One should keep in mind the fact that a staggering majority of military surplus ammunition in these calibers will be corrosive in nature. This is due to the inclusion of corrosive primers which utilize either potassium chloride or sodium chloride.
Upon firing, corrosive salts will be introduced into the action of the firearm, particularly into the bore and chamber areas. These corrosive salts should be addressed promptly as they can begin to corrode and damage the internal components of your firearm.
The key to addressing these corrosive salts is to utilize an ammonia-based cleaning product with water to flush out the impacted areas before following up with gun oil to protect the metals. While the process may be a bit more involved than the standard cleaning process, the prospect of cleaning after shooting corrosive ammunition is not an impossible task by any means.
When it comes to .30-06 Springfield ammunition, one can find a litany of options to choose from. One can still find a great deal of surplus ammunition made by the United States or other countries to shoot, making plinking a more affordable undertaking.
When it comes to modern ammunition options, one can typically find .30-06 Springfield featuring 130, 150, 165, and 180 grain projectiles. The .30-06 Springfield can even be found with light 110 grain projectiles and with options as heave as 220 grain projectiles.
The vast range of projectile weights and loads truly makes the .30-06 Springfield a versatile cartridge which can be utilized for a variety of uses.
A sizeable chunk of the 7.62x54R ammunition on the market these days is surplus ammunition, typically from Eastern European countries. Most of this surplus ammunition is corrosive in nature and will require more attention when cleaning these firearms and ensure they eliminate the corrosive salts in the bore and chamber of their firearms.
Corrosive .30-06 Springfield ammunition also exists but is significantly less common than the supply of corrosive 7.62x54R. Modern offerings of the cartridge are also produced and available with everything from full metal jacket, soft point, and hollow point projectiles just to name a few.
One can typically find this cartridge with 147, 148, or 150 grain projectiles in both surplus and modern form. Heavier options also exist which can be as heavy as 203 grains. While not as varied or plentiful as the .30-06 Springfield, one can still find a fair number of options when it comes to finding 7.62x54R.
Availability of Firearms
Today, one can find rifles chambered in .30-06 Springfield from a variety of manufacturers such as Browning, Christensen Arms, and Bergara. These three manufacturers are but a drop in the bucket when it comes to companies that offer .30-06 Springfield chambered firearms.
One can truly browse a wide offering of options and find a rifle that best fits their needs when it comes to selecting a rifle for this caliber. Whether you want a super lightweight rifle for hunting or a heavy rifle optimized for benchrest shooting, you will find what you are looking for.
As far as finding firearms in 7.62x54R goes, one will find there are significantly less options to choose from when compared to those offered in .30-06 Springfield. For the most part, the most commonly found firearms in the United States chambered in 7.62x54R will be military surplus rifles.
Mosin-Nagant rifle variants and SVT-40 rifles are going to be the predominant surplus rifles one could find these days in this caliber. As far as commercially available options go, one can find rifles such as the Century Arms PSL-54 and the Zastava M91SR.
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Practical Usage
When it comes to practically using these two cartridges, they can both be utilized for similar purposes. As far as hunting goes, both cartridges are available in soft point form or in other hunting-specific loads, and will be well suited for dispatching medium and larger-sized game.
Specialized loads for accuracy, often featuring boat tail projectiles and other specialty projectiles, are also available for both loads. If you were wanting to plink, one could utilize surplus ammunition and lower priced, bulk full metal jacket options. Both calibers will easily fit a variety of uses and serve shooters well.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the .30-06 Springfield and 7.62x54R remain popular among shooters today. These calibers will serve you well if you wish to have a historic caliber or firearm, want to hunt, target shoot, or simply add a popular and potent cartridge to your arsenal.
If you are looking to pick up either caliber, we here at True Shot try and keep a healthy array of options available for your consideration. All in all, we want everyone to be the best shooter they can be and hope to be a good source of ammunition and information for you. Happy shooting.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options.
