Has anyone found an accurate load for a Schmidt Rubin K31?

[IMtheNRA]

I've been experimenting with several rifles and seven different bullets. So far, I can't find anything that groups less than 2 inches at 100.

If you found a load that prints a five shot group of less than an inch, please post it here. It'd be a good place for me to restart the process. At this point, I'm beginning to suspect these are just very overrated rifles.

 

[1911JAS]

I have had good result with 42.5 gr of Varget and a 168 Sierra. But I am shoot 3" steel at 100 yards. I have not tried to see how small of a group I can get.
As a military rifle of the day they are very accurate. Do you have any Swiss data stating the should get sub MOA.

 

[1911JAS]

BTW what brass are you using? Are you reloading or just using factory GP11 or PPU

 

[Random 8]

Are you getting 2 MOA with issue iron sights? If so, you're getting pretty close to the limits of precision one would expect with the good, but still relatively course sights and short sighting radius. If you're shooting optics, the rifle absolutely should do better.

I run a "standard" load of PRVI brass FL Hornady K-31 dies, 42.5gr IMR 4064, Fed 210M, and a Nosler 155 BTHP. There is room to go up in charge on this load, but at that level it regulates well to the sights on my rifles for 200 yard Vintage matches. It is around 2 MOA or slightly better with issue irons through 10 shot groups. I can shrink it slightly in my rifles with diopter sights. I did borrow a clamp on scope mount once with a high magnification target scope, and it was under 3" at 300Meters on a very calm day. My COL touches or nearly touches the lands in a K-31. You'll have to find that length for your particular rifle. They do not like freebore in my experience. They do not like long bearing surface bullets in my experience. I run the same length for my K-31s (my COL is set to the minimum across 4 rifles) in a Gew 11 long rifle, and that one will do 1.5 MOA or better on an SR-2 from sandbags. I'm shooting neck sized brass specific to that rifle in the G11. The long sighting radius helps, and that particular rifle has an extra good trigger and barrel.

 

[IMtheNRA]

Thanks, Random. I actually have those bullets, and I'll try them next. Yes, I'm using iron sights. I do plan to mount ta scope to check these rifles for accuracy before I give up on them. I think my accuracy standard of much less than 1 moa is not realistic for these WW- II era rifles.

 

[Laphroaig]

My load is IMR4350 with 168 HPBT's. It's better than the exalted GP11 but far less than 1 MOA. Maybe 2.5" at 100 yds. Bear in mind that the 200 yd. SR High Power target used in vintage military rifle competitions has a 7" 10 ring.

Most recently I tried to find an accurate low recoil load with 150 gr. bullets. Nothing I tried worked out to my satisfaction and I finally gave up.

Check out the Handloading forum on the Swiss Rifles message board. It will take you days to go through all of the posts.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/theswissriflesdotcommessageboard/reloading-tips-f10/

 

[35 Whelen]

I've been experimenting with several rifles and seven different bullets. So far, I can't find anything that groups less than 2 inches at 100.

If you found a load that prints a five shot group of less than an inch, please post it here. It'd be a good place for me to restart the process. At this point, I'm beginning to suspect these are just very overrated rifles.

I assure you K-31's are NOT overrated rifles.

With the issue tangent sights, 2" at 100 yds. isn't bad at all as the sights and the shooter are the limitations. I fitted mine with aperture sights which helped quite a bit, especially at my age.

GP-11 and issue sights-



Handloads and issue sights-



Cast and aperture sights-



GP-11 and aperture sights-



Handloads and aperture sights-



I found the Hornady 150 gr. FMJBT to be extremely accurate at 100 yds. and the above is a really good reduced load.

35W