Mauser 7mm Range Report(s)

[alamo308]

First time ever to take these guys out for some exercise.

I shot five rounds with each rifle without the Shoot-N-Sees to check windage and elevation, with the sights for both set at their lowest ("3" on the M1908, and "5" on the 1895), and holding about twelve inches below the X area. Then I placed the Shoot-N-Sees over the sighting shots and squeezed off ten rounds on each of two target.

Wow... If these were scored, they would be 99-5X (M1895) and 98-3X (M1908). Despite the M1895's flyer way down at six o'clock in the nine ring (blame the shooter), I would say this is pretty good performance for 100-year-old+ firearms, military surplus ammo, iron sights, and 65YO eyes.

Interestingly, the 'clover-leaf' in the M1908 x-ring was my 8th, 9th, and 10th rounds. I was astounded!

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[jmoore]

I think 7x57 is my theoretical favorite military round. (Theoretical in that I would think it benefits running at higher that SAAMI spec pressures- which was done with some of the later Venesualan FN49 ammo. Late FN ammo might be a bit "steamy" for the 1895.)

[Patrick Chadwick]

Shoot-N-Sees

Er, could you perhaps translate that, for people who don't live in Texas?

[jmoore]

Er, could you perhaps translate that, for people who don't live in Texas?

"Shoot-N-C" Birchwood Casey brand name for a target that spalls "paint" around the bullet hole, making the impact easier to find when it's in the black:

http://sport.birchwoodcasey.com/Targets.aspx

[OLDER THEN DIRT]

Good shooting for iron sights. Were you resting on something, or off hand?

[jon_norstog]

Alamo, guys,

FN 7x57 ammo is hot stuff, and it is really accurate. When I use it in my rolling block I have to use a stick to knock the block open.

My own mauser experience, with the WWI-vintage long guns anyway, is that you gotta heat the barrel up first. Then they just put one shot after another into practically the same hole. You get great results but you shoot your barrel out pretty fast too.

jn

[alamo308]

Good shooting for iron sights. Were you resting on something, or off hand?

Good question!
Front rest was one of those little V-shaped sandbags sitting on a standard plastic, large Delta range rest (triangular plastic thingies). I rested the buttstock on a miniature 'rabbit-ear' sand-bag rest. So overall, it was a fairly solid non-technical rest arrangement.

[jmoore]

FN 7x57 ammo is hot stuff,

The ammunition was upgraded in performance considerably for the FN49 rifle. IIRC the muzzle velocity should be about 2800 fps with the 139gr projectile. Probably at proof load pressure for the older rifles....!!!

[Patrick Chadwick]

FN 7x57 ammo is hot stuff, and it is really accurate. When I use it in my rolling block I have to use a stick to knock the block open.

Jon, please do a thorough search for info on the 7mm rolling block. I have read in several places that the RB action is NOT up to a full-load 7x57 cartridge. If you have to knock the block open, that is a sign that you are overstraining something.

If there is more than a tiny amount of fore-and-aft rotational play in the block when it is fired, the base of the case will be formed slightly skewy, because the block face is no longer at right angles to the chamber/bore axis under firing pressure. So the top of the case backs out more than the bottom, thus causing a skewed base.

Do not be satisfied that the block appears to close neatly on a new cartridge - it is the flexing of the block action under firing pressure that is the problem.

So simply place a fired case on a surface plate or piece of glass plate, put a set square next to the rim, and slowly rotate the cartridge. If the case is no longer vertical, i.e. the base is skewed, then the system is being overstrained. You can make a setup with a dial gauge etc if you want to know precisely how large the skew is, but I reckon that if you can see it, it is already too much!