Anyone used the lapua d166 bullet in 7.62x54r

[knewmans]

Curious about this bullet as reports of its accuracy seem very good. Also the lapua load data shows a much lower max charge than for a similar weight sierra. Wondered why.

[saddler]

...the Lapua load data shows a much lower max charge than for a similar weight Sierra. Wondered why.

SHAPE = more of it in contact with the rifling....weight difference...who KNOWS - apart from Lapua/VPT, etc.?

As to the title - yes - LOTS of folk used it - the WW2 era Finnish military were fond of it for some reason!!

Because the Finnish Army considered the S-1 bullet too inaccurate for rifles and inappropriate for machine-gun use, a new boat-tailed service bullet with a crimping groove was developed in 1932-1934. The resulting design, known as D-166, was introduced in 1936.
This bullet had gilding metal jacket just like the D-46 and D-47 but weighed 13 grams (200 grains), was 33.8mm long and, for a certain reason, had somewhat increased diameter (7.87mm).
Because of the bullet weight the powder charge was dropped to 2.85-2.95 grams and burning rate was slightly decreased as well.
Although the D-166 was more material consuming bullet to manufacture than the S-1 it became more economical cartridge to make as copper and lead were much less valuable than powder at that time.
Therefore production of the S-1 bullets was halted in 1939 and the D-166 became the standard cartridge of the Finnish Army.
The main manufacturer was VPT but also Sako and temporarily loading shops established in 1940 (Patruunalataamo 41, 42, 43 and 51) loaded D-166 cartridges.
VPT started production in 1936 which halted in mid 1940 during the Interim Peace.
A year later, just before the Continuation War, the D-166 went back production which lasted until early 1944. This was because a more economical 10.8 gram (167 grain) spitzer bullet with conical base cavity, the S-283, was introduced in late 1943. Externally this new bullet looked like a D-166 cut just in front of the boat tail for which reason it was fitted with a knurled ring to distinguish it from the heavier D-166.
The S-283 was replaced by gilding-metal-clad steel jacketed version known as S-284 in June 1944.
The charge VPT used for both bullets was 3.15 grams of tubular nitrocellulose powder. At some point in late 1944 or early 1945 the D-166 was reintroduced once again.