M96 loading

[camerakote]

The rabbit hole has been entered...

Spent a great morning with my friend who has mentored me through my initiation into this world of firearms.

Load development for my 1912 M1896 Swedish Mauser has begun.

So, I have 6 rounds of norma cased, hornady sst 129gr bullets loaded with 44gn of winchester StaBALL 6.5 (3 to find a rough zero then 3 to begin testing).

3 rounds loaded with 44.5gn
3 rounds with 45gn.

Looking forward to seeing what this thing can do!

 

[Scipio]

Let us know how it goes

 

[Dougal McGuire]

If accuracy isn't great with the 129s, try stepping up to 140 or 156. My M/96 didn't care for 120 grain bullets, does great with 140 grain, and exceptional with 156. I settled on 140 though for longer range potential since I shoot hogs with it out to 350 yards. If I were using it for more woodland hunting I would use 156.

 

[Tarquin]

Sadly I never got round to scratching the Swedish mauser itch but interested to hear how you get on with it. Do you know the twist rate?

 

[Dougal McGuire]

Assuming original barrel it should be 1:7.87"; the original military load was a 156 grain round nose before switching to a 140 grain spitzer in the 1940s.

 

[norsk]

You will probably need a higher from sight,I think these were zeroed for 300m.

I just sold mine,nice Rifle but not my bag.

 

[Lever357]

I'm sure it was with a Swedish Mauser, my friend hit the steel plate at a mile at Gardners Eskdalemuir range

 

[camerakote]

I shot three test rounds out to 100m sighing the centre of a foot square box.
I wasn't on the most stable of platforms, a notch out of a branch of a fallen tree, but I am quite pleased at my first trial with iron sights.
Shoots a touch high with the peep sight (Söderin) set at #1
This was load no.1 of 44gn of powder.
I'll be shooting off a table with a decent rest next week and testing the three different loads before I start to try further out.

 

[camerakote]

If accuracy isn't great with the 129s, try stepping up to 140 or 156. My M/96 didn't care for 120 grain bullets, does great with 140 grain, and exceptional with 156. I settled on 140 though for longer range potential since I shoot hogs with it out to 350 yards. If I were using it for more woodland hunting I would use 156.

What's your setup? Are you running iron sights or have you scoped it?

 

[alberta boy]

If accuracy isn't great with the 129s, try stepping up to 140 or 156. My M/96 didn't care for 120 grain bullets, does great with 140 grain, and exceptional with 156. I settled on 140 though for longer range potential since I shoot hogs with it out to 350 yards. If I were using it for more woodland hunting I would use 156.

I've had the same results with a few M96 and M38 Swedes over the years . I've had really good performance on Deer , Moose and Black Bear using the 156/160 grain bullets .

AB

 

[Dougal McGuire]

What's your setup? Are you running iron sights or have you scoped it?

Mine has a rear sight mount from Badace Tactical for a scout scope so I didn't have to make any permanent modifications to it. I don't handload, but looking at my notes it has managed sub MOA groups at various times with Federal 140 grain, Lapua Mega 156 grain, PPU 139 grain SP, Norma Nosler Partition 140 grain, and Hornady Superformance 140 grain SST.

 

[camerakote]

Mine has a rear sight mount from Badace Tactical for a scout scope so I didn't have to make any permanent modifications to it. I don't handload, but looking at my notes it has managed sub MOA groups at various times with Federal 140 grain, Lapua Mega 156 grain, PPU 139 grain SP, Norma Nosler Partition 140 grain, and Hornady Superformance 140 grain SST.

Nice setup. I'll be sticking with the peep sight till my eyes fully stop working ....

 

[Muir]

I shot three test rounds out to 100m sighing the centre of a foot square box.
I wasn't on the most stable of platforms, a notch out of a branch of a fallen tree, but I am quite pleased at my first trial with iron sights.
Shoots a touch high with the peep sight (Söderin) set at #1
This was load no.1 of 44gn of powder.
I'll be shooting off a table with a decent rest next week and testing the three different loads before I start to try further out.

Too small of an aiming point! Jmho. -Muir

 

[camerakote]

Surely I should be able to group fairly tightly at 100m?

 

[camerakote]

First testing of 3 loads today.
Most consistently paced: 45gn with 3 rounds at 2754, 2741 and 2753fps.
A touch over 2" group at 100m.
Second attempt grouped under 2".
Happy.
I cannot zero for 100m, I'm 5" high so I'll be looking to cut a slightly taller foresight blade.