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Also known as: 7.62x54mmR, 7.62 Russian
Common uses: Hunting, Big Game, Tactical
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 150gr Prvi Partizan (PPU) PP76254S Soft Point Boat Tail |
| Muzzle velocity | 2840 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 2687 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.354 |
| Case length | 53.72 mm |
| Overall length | 77.16 mm |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2840 | 2686 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2579 | 2215 | 0 |
| 200 | 2333 | 1812 | -3.8 |
| 300 | 2100 | 1469 | -13.9 |
| 400 | 1882 | 1179 | -32 |
| 500 | 1679 | 939 | -59.9 |
At 1,000 yards, 7.62x54R (150gr at 2840 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 44.0 MOA / 12.8 MIL, retaining 1020 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 2100 | Supersonic | -13.9 | 4.4 | 1.29 |
| 400 | 1882 | Supersonic | -32.0 | 7.6 | 2.22 |
| 500 | 1679 | Supersonic | -59.9 | 11.4 | 3.33 |
| 600 | 1495 | Supersonic | -100.3 | 16.0 | 4.64 |
| 700 | 1332 | Transonic | -156.3 | 21.3 | 6.20 |
| 800 | 1198 | Transonic | -231.9 | 27.7 | 8.05 |
| 900 | 1095 | Subsonic | -331.7 | 35.2 | 10.24 |
| 1000 | 1020 | Subsonic | -460.6 | 44.0 | 12.79 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The 7.62x54R is a full-power military rifle cartridge broadly comparable to the .30-06 and .308 Winchester in performance, making it capable on medium and large game as well as in its original combat role. It is best known to civilian shooters through inexpensive surplus Mosin-Nagant rifles and cheap steel-case ammunition, which have long made it one of the most affordable centerfire rifle options available. The rimmed case, a holdover from its 1891 origins, feeds smoothly in bolt actions but complicates magazine and belt design in some firearms. Common bullet weights run around 148 to 200 grains, giving it a flat enough trajectory and enough energy for deer, hogs, and larger game at typical hunting ranges. Its limitations are practical rather than ballistic: surplus corrosive ammunition, a smaller selection of premium hunting loads than mainstream American cartridges, and rifles that are often more utilitarian than refined.
Introduced by the Russian Empire in 1891 alongside the Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle, the 7.62x54R is a rimmed cartridge that has served as a standard Russian and Soviet military round for well over a century. It went on to feed the Dragunov (SVD) sniper rifle and the PKM and Pecheneg general-purpose machine guns, and it remains one of the longest-serving military cartridges still in active issue. Its rimmed case reflects late-19th-century design conventions, and enormous surplus production has kept both rifles and ammunition widely available around the world.
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