Mil Surps and Low Power Loads

[tkcomer]

Trying to load for some low power loads for a K-98 with Trail Boss. Gun slugs at .317/.323. Tried some 170gr .324 store bought cast bullets. No luck. Gun shotgunned them. Then I tried some 198gr FMJs. They shot pretty good. So do these mil surp guns prefer heavy bullets for what I'm doing? Do they need the longer, heavier bullets to shoot well? Something that gets closer to the lands? One reason I ask is, once I get the K-98 settled in, I'm gonna start loading for a Swiss K-31. I have a lot of 308 bullets to choose from. Just wondering if I should start with the heavy ones.

 

[Palehorseman]

Were they gas checked. Was the chamber throat slugged? How hard are they?

Cast boolits seem to shoot best 2-3 thou over groove diameter with boolit seated out to just engraving the rifling, or just shy thereof. Also for best accuracy, remove all copper fouling from the bore, (can be bit of a chore sometimes) makes a big difference with cast boolits in a rifle.

Handguns are a lot more forgiving with cast boolits.

 

[tkcomer]

The bullets were a non gas check design. Even seated to the first lube groove, they were very short. You couldn't even begin to get to max OAL with these bullets. That's why I was wondering if the heavier, longer bullets did so much better. The jump to the lands when fired is much shorter. The store bought cast bullets are hard. I had hoped the .324 diameter would get a grip. But it's obvious they just scooted down the barrel. Then again, I'm using 12rs of Trail Boss. The K-98 is a joy to shoot with the FMJs. But the OAL on those are a lot longer.

 

[Palehorseman]

I shoot this little 90 grain .314" Lee cast boolit in my MN over 3 grains of Bullseye and get good accurazcy out to 50 yards.

 

[Sport45]

Trying to load for some low power loads for a K-98 with Trail Boss. Gun slugs at .317/.323. Tried some 170gr .324 store bought cast bullets. No luck. Gun shotgunned them.

At what distance were you shooting?

 

[Palehorseman]

If you want a long heavy 8mm boolit, Misdouth has these two, there is the 8mm Maximum 225gr.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/so_moulds_8mm_max.asp

Or, the 8mm Karabiner 215gr might fit the bill.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/so_moulds_8mm_kar.asp

I think they are both Lee molds.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000068MMKAR

 

[Curator]

tkcomer,

Forget plain based cast bullets in the K98 unless you keep velocity to under 1200fps. Also, store-bought cast rarely shoot well in high power rifles. A gas-check design like the Lee .323-170 2R cast from wheel weight alloy will usually shoot fairly well if your rifle's throat is not seriously eroded. Trailboss might not be the best choise for the 8X57. Try 16 grains of Alliant 2400.