A pair of vintage German stalking rifles

[Dave DeLaurant]

I took my latest find to the range yesterday: a bolt action 8.15x46R stalking rifle (lower photo) recently purchased from Simpsons. It has a very nice bore and exterior finish, though I discovered some patches of shallow pitting on the barrel under the forend.



The proofs are B-U-G (no 'N' for nitro) and the action dates from the black powder era, so I handloaded some ultra-light ammo: .315" Lapua 98 grain HBWC over 2.5 grains of Trail Boss, in reformed Winchester .30-30 cases. Very light recoil and no indications of sticky extraction. Accuracy wasn't great, but given the .321" bore I didn't really expect much.



I later adjusted the sear geometry after the cocking piece dropped by itself several times while closing the bolt. It's safer now, but the greater sear engagement prevents the set trigger from functioning. I'm going to leave it that way -- I had one UD at the range and that is more than enough!

The second rifle is a bit more like the one in DocRock's posting awhile back, in 9.5x47R. It has much deeper pitting on the underside of the barrel, so I've DQ'ed it for the present. I may try using it later on as a zimmerstutzen with primer-powered X-ring rubber bullets -- I did a test with some of their .38 rubber bullets that seem promising.

 

[Nature Boy]

Very cool!

 

[Gordon]

I had an 8.15x46R Schutzen dropping block target rifle from high school when an uncle/collector gave it to me until I needed money in the Army to buy a new car . It sold for $500 hundred as those hooked butt Swiss style rifles had a small following in Monterey County Calif. where I was stationed in 1967 at the Presidio Language school. I did have a few boxes of Geco ammo for it and it was a tack driver at 100 yards - off hand , for these young eyes. I remember the couple once let off of the set trigger required lots of care ! Here is a picture of one like it: Anyway the 8.15x46R cartridge is almost exactly like a 32-40 and was the premier target cartridge of the era on both sides of the Pond !

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I had an 8.15x46R Schutzen dropping block target rifle from high school when an uncle/collector gave it to me until I needed money in the Army to buy a new car . It sold for $500 hundred as those hooked butt Swiss style rifles had a small following in Monterey County Calif. where I was stationed in 1967 at the Presidio Language school. I did have a few boxes of Geco ammo for it and it was a tack driver at 100 yards - off hand , for these young eyes. I remember the couple once let off of the set trigger required lots of care ! Here is a picture of one like it: Anyway the 8.15x46R cartridge is almost exactly like a 32-40 and was the premier target cartridge of the era on both sides of the Pond !
View attachment 1110883

I've also got a 32-40 -- mostly the difference is in the rim. The 8.15 is also typically a bit shorter and a tiny bit fatter, depending -- there was a lot of variation in the 8.15 before a dude named Frohn was credited for finally standardizing the cartridge.

BTW, the 8.15x46R my wehrmanngewehr uses is not interchangable with the stalker -- the latter has a slightly narrower chamber at the shoulder. I had to run brass through a 32-40 die before the first firing in the stalking rifle.

 

[Offfhand]

Either of those rifles would grace any collection.

 

[caribou]

Wow, Two very nice rifles!
I have a couple Berdans II's I like to shoot, when I can, but I only have 50 cases to load.

Oh, ya, and Thanks for letting me in on the Book "Pistols of the Warlords" By Ian McCollum, of Forgotten Weapons, as mine came in to day.
I also bought the companion book "Arming the Dragon" and these are just fantastic.

 

[Catpop]

Dave, you certainly follow a different drummer! Congrats!
and thanks for the info you supplied me earlier on a small ring Mauser bolt action conversion I had.

 

[Chuck R.]

I had an 8.15x46R Schutzen dropping block target rifle from high school when an uncle/collector gave it to me until I needed money in the Army to buy a new car . It sold for $500 hundred as those hooked butt Swiss style rifles had a small following in Monterey County Calif. where I was stationed in 1967 at the Presidio Language school. I did have a few boxes of Geco ammo for it and it was a tack driver at 100 yards - off hand , for these young eyes. I remember the couple once let off of the set trigger required lots of care ! Here is a picture of one like it: Anyway the 8.15x46R cartridge is almost exactly like a 32-40 and was the premier target cartridge of the era on both sides of the Pond !
View attachment 1110883

Another 8.15x46R Schutzen checking in, this one's an Austrian based on a Martini action. When I retire (again) I hope to get fulling into it along with my Sharps and Highwalls. I can load for it now, but just don't shoot it much.



Dave,

Very cool rifles! It's very cool that you're getting those old works of art shooting again!

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Another 8.15x46R Schutzen checking in, this one's an Austrian based on a Martini action. When I retire (again) I hope to get fulling into it along with my Sharps and Highwalls. I can load for it now, but just don't shoot it much.
View attachment 1111476

Yours is a real beaut! I particularly like the buttstock form -- dropped enough for offhand position work, but not so extreme that you couldn't use it in the field. Though I'd imagine the barrel must weigh quite a bit