barrels from Mauser/Blaser prefer heavier bullets?

Tackleberry270

Well-Known Member
The modern Blaser/Mauser barrels prefer heavier bullets in the bullet selection range of their calibers?

Whats the verdict on this one? Is this true or false?
 
My .243 barrel on my Blaser r8 groups 58g hornady 1/4" @ 100 meters and my .30-06 barrel groups 1/2" 150g at the same distance. Both are at the lighter end of their perspective bullet weights. Not tried any heavier.30-06 bullets but the .243 produces tight groups all the way up to 105g and is not fussy with brand or weight at all.
 
I tried my newly acquired .243 barrel last week and, brand new out of the box, shot ten of each of the following, 100gr PPU, 100gr home loads, 85 gr home loads and some 87gr home loads.
Off the mirror of my landrover, in an open area with a gusting wind, managed to cover an inch square with randon shots not particularly 'controlled breathing, stable position and target conditions'
This was just an exercise to shoot in the new barrel.
I am more than happy to use 85 or 100 gr bullets in my Blaser barrel and I am sure after a bit of a scrub and range conditions the target end of my shooting will not know which bullet made which hole.
 
My .243 ( R93) Barrel doesn't like 105 grain bullets at all - they just won't stabilise apparently
Anything between 55- 90 grain are all fine.
Isn't this down to twist rate though?
Ed
 
My .243 ( R93) Barrel doesn't like 105 grain bullets at all - they just won't stabilise apparently Anything between 55- 90 grain are all fine. Isn't this down to twist rate though? Ed
Funnily enough I have recently found some Speer 105gr bullets in my cupboard.
I remember when I got them I couldn't get them to stabilise in any of my .243's at the time. I had two Remingtons and a Mannlicher Styre then.
I have not tried them in my Blaser barrel and have no need to so have put them up for sale in Classifieds.
 
I previously had a Sauer 90 in 6.5x57 and always shot factory RWS 127grn Conepoints in it. When I got my MO3 in 6.5x57 six years ago I used the same ammo and was happy enough with it. I started loading last year and found 120grn Nosler BTs halved the group size straight off. Not had a chance to experiment much, so not sure if this is down to bullet weight matching twist rate better or finer tolerances than factory ammo in the hand loading.
Interesting to see Mauser offering custom calibers now, I had previously asked if I could get a 5.6x57 barrel for the MO3 but was told Nicht!
If you can get custom calibers from them now, can you get custom twist rates too?
My 8x68s barrel shoots RWS factory just fine, wondering what will happen with hand loads in that too.......

Roger
 
Back
Top