Swede M38 Range Report

[xa-coupe]

Good news and bad news.. good news is I can do approximately 1.5 inch groups @ 100 m with iron sights with this baby .. bad news is it is nowhere near centre !



I went and did a group about 2 inches in the same place later so at least I won't have to wonder if it was a one of or not. Given I can hardly see the target I was pretty happy. I was grouping better with this than my scoped No4 7.62 enfield which was embarrassing to say the least.
These things, even with an extremely fouled barrel are fantastic firearms. I cleaned it for about an hour today and it was still coming out blue. It doesn;t seem to run out of fouling... ever but damn me if it still doesn't shoot like crazy.


---------- Post added at 06:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:09 PM ----------

oh, I called the one right on the top left edge of the paper ... the guy next to me fired at the same instance and I flinched like a rookie

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[jmoore]

You can staple a Milsurps Competition target over the center of your group and fire another 5 shot string to enter. It should do well!

I need to do the same with a rifle or two, but haven't been to the range.

If it groups, don't worry about the fouling. Just keep the bore oiled between range sessions (after a light cleaning). Too much scrubbing is probably worse than not enough!

[xa-coupe]

The loads I am using are not going to be the loads I keep using as the projectiles are not easy to come by any more. They were 129 grain hollow points, hunting bullets but all I have at the moment. I will have to get some 140 grains which might bring the POI down somewhat. Don't think it will make much difference to the shooting waaaay left though !
If it shoots like this fouled I won't get too excited. Can't argue with the results.

[tbonesmith]

Go Swede!

[xa-coupe]

What I did get was two case separations with my norma brass ( pics once they are out of the cleaner ). I am a bit disappointed, I only got 20 something years and more than 20+ full length resizes out of them.. things just aren't mean to last like they used to.
I think the time has come to retire the norma cases. I have some lapua ( cannot remember buying them ! ) and some PMC stuff left. I am not that impressed with the PMC as I have had separations after 3 or 4 reloads whilst others seem to go on okay. Given everything I have learned about the effects of different cases etc on accuracy I will retire the old lapua / PMC stuff to the cupboard and invest in some new quality ( probably lapua ) cases and treat them like gold.

[Patrick Chadwick]

What I did get was two case separations with my norma brass

Do not forget: Swedish rifles were NOT made to modern SAAMI/CIP standards. So neck-sizing only for Swedish brass. And so much for theory - If you got 20+ full-length resizings, then the brass must have been of amazing quality! Maybe with neck-sizing they would still be going? But seriously, stick to Scandinavian* brass for Scandinavian rifles!

Patrick


*That includes Finland, natch!

---------- Post added at 11:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 PM ----------

As to the POI, this much deviation could be caused by the barrel binding hard on one side of the barrel channel. Remove the barrel bands and the handguard and carry out the postcard test - wrap a piece of postcard around the barrel and check that it can slide all the way up the barrel channel. If it jams on one side - that is the trouble spot.

Patrick

[xa-coupe]

I got my first batch on Norma brass in 1986 and reloaded it at least twice a year for the next 10 years without fail, introducing the PMC brass in mid 90s and lapua after the PMC. I just kept on using all of it mixed in until now. All in all, I am not going to complain!
I will have a look at the bedding. I haven't had the barreled action out of it yet so it will be interesting to see if there is a large contact. Is the correct bedding to have them floating or is it some voodoo art like the enfields ??

[xa-coupe]

fished them out of the cleaner ... time to retire these Normas although none of the others show any signs it has to be very close.

[Patrick Chadwick]

fished them out of the cleaner ... time to retire these Normas although none of the others show any signs it has to be very close.

Those pics are precisely what one would expect if you are repeatedly full-length sizing cases which are fired in a chamber that is a touch longer than as per SAAMI/CIP.

"dutchman" has dealt with this topic in detail, even to providing pics of the real Swedish gauges. Just stick to neck-sizing. Not only will your cases last longer, the rifle will probably perform better!

Patrick

[Patrick Chadwick]

the correct bedding to have them floating or is it some voodoo art like the enfields ??

No voodoo, just make sure the barrel is centered in the channel, no side contact. If nobody's looking you can open out the top band a little to give a bit of freedom. You can open out the barrel channel, if necessary with a) expensive stockmaker's routers, or b) a circular Surform blade, with a slice of wood jammed in to expand it to the right curvature. This also serves as a handle for the blade. Needless to say, I use b).

Patrick