Most Accurate Load For K98K?

[Liv2Shoot]

I reload for my Mauser, and the most accurate load I've found thus far is 170gr RN and 46gr IMR 4064. I can get 3-4 inch groups at 100 yards. I haven't played around with the load too much, but I have changed the size of the charge and the bullet weight/type. I would like to find a better, more accurate load.

What have you found to be the best load for your Mauser?

Do boat tails make that much difference?

How much better is a Spitzer than a Round Nose?

What characteristics do the different powders have, and which is best?

Thanks for looking.

[Schuetzenman]

Originally posted by Liv2Shoot
I reload for my Mauser, and the most accurate load I've found thus far is 170gr RN and 46gr IMR 4064. I can get 3-4 inch groups at 100 yards. I haven't played around with the load too much, but I have changed the size of the charge and the bullet weight/type. I would like to find a better, more accurate load.

What have you found to be the best load for your Mauser?

Do boat tails make that much difference?

How much better is a Spitzer than a Round Nose?

What characteristics do the different powders have, and which is best?

Thanks for looking.

Well I haven't done any loading for 8 mm but a buddy of mine does quite a bit of it. He uses the 180 gr. PSP Rem bullets. I recall him using 4064 and reloader 19.

Boat tails make a difference in long range bullet flight as they are more aerodynamic. They have less drag than a flat bottomed bullet because of the boat tail helping to blend the air flow back together adn lesten the drag vortex or eddie of low pressure caused by tumbling or swirling air.

Different powders have different burn rates to peak pressure. Most older weapons have worn throats and rifling. I and my buddy that reloads the 8 mm a lot find that slower burning powders usually give better results than faster burning powders. Also seating the bullet out to maximum lengths can help as well because the throats being worn and the bullet has to jump farther to get to the rifling. Best way to find out how far is to take a fired case and carefully place a bullet into the loose case neck. Then gently close the bolt on the round. The bullet should be in the neck but extened to where it's just about ready to fall out.

The loose bullet should contact the rifling and be pushed back into the case. Carefully open the bolt and extract the round trying not to disturb the bullet. You want to carefully mark the bullet on the side at the case mouth, then mesure from the mark to the tip of the bullet. This should tell you the distance to the rifling. Then set up your reloading dies to be about .005 to .010" short of this mark so there is a little jump to the rifling. If there is no jump pressures will peak higher if the bullet is actually touching the rifling. You might try taking your current bullet and seat it out further to see if the grouping improves before you move on to another powder.

[Liv2Shoot]

Thanks Schuetzenman. I'll try seating the bullet that way. Do you think it is worth changing to a boat tail over the round nose? I would like to start shooting over 100 yards, but there aren't too many places around here that go past that, unfortunatly.

Gotta go, New Yankee Workshop is on.