Method for producing grain-oriented electrical steel sheet

A method for producing a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet characterized in comprising steps of:

• heating a steel slab having an ingredient composition containing C:
• 0.02 to 0.10 mass %, Si:
• 2.5 to 5.5 mass %, Mn:
• 0.01 to 0.30 mass %, sol. Al:
• 0.010 to 0.040 mass %, N:
• 0.004 to 0.020 mass %, and at least one of S and Se in a total amount of 0.001 to 0.040 mass % with a remaining part comprising Fe and inevitable impurities;
• hot rolling the slab;
• subjecting the hot-rolled sheet to, optionally, hot-band annealing and then to one cold rolling or two or more cold rollings with an intermediate annealing between each cold rolling to form a cold-rolled sheet with a final sheet thickness;
• subjecting the cold-rolled sheet to primary recrystallization annealing which also serves as decarburization annealing;
• applying an annealing separator to the steel sheet surface;
• and
• subjecting the sheet to finishing annealing, wherein
• the slab is heated to 1300° C. or higher;
• in rough rolling of the hot rolling, any one of the rolling passes is conducted in a temperature range of 1200° C. or higher, and after 5 seconds or longer has elapsed, the next rolling pass is performed in the opposite direction, with the total rolling reduction of the rough rolling of 75% or more achieved.