8mm Mauser

[JohnnyDollar]

I recently started loading for my '42 Kar98k.
I can get 1" groups @100yds with 170gr Hornady SST and PPU 196gr SP.

Anyone here have any luck with light bullets like the PPU 139gr SP?
I can't get any decent groups, mostly minute of pie plate.
Perhaps the rifle just doesn't like the short, light bullets.

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[BJung]

Congratulations on your group. I don't shoot 8mm but according to Ken Waters' Petloads book, the lightest load he has is for 150gr SP using IMR 4350. My Lyman book suggests 14-18gr Unique with a max MV= 2150fps for a 120gr 8mm cast bullet. SR 7625 and 630 are two other powder options. All powders are also listed for their heavier cast lead bullets from 150gr to even 214grains. I hope this can be of some help.

[bob q]

With 1 inch groups why would you want to change ? After running military rifle matches for about 20 years and scoring 10's of 1000's of target , 1 inch groups with a K98k is as good as I ever saw . With PPU surplus quality bullets yet .

[JohnnyDollar]

Congratulations on your group. I don't shoot 8mm but according to Ken Waters' Petloads book, the lightest load he has is for 150gr SP using IMR 4350. My Lyman book suggests 14-18gr Unique with a max MV= 2150fps for a 120gr 8mm cast bullet. SR 7625 and 630 are two other powder options. All powders are also listed for their heavier cast lead bullets from 150gr to even 214grains. I hope this can be of some help.

Everything helps, thanks.

I have been unable to find any 150gr bullets at a price I want to pay currently.
That's probably a very popular weight for hunting, and it's definitely on my list, although seems the heavier I go, the better my results.

[Ovidio]

I have to quote bob. 1” groups are excellent. I can’t think of any improvement on that.
Iron sights?

[BJung]

I shoot a T99 Arisaka and it likes heavy bullets. Maybe your Mauser does too. If the cost and availability of bullets are an issue, maybe I can suggest that you ask bullet casters to make a few for you? You will need to slug your barrel so they can make the correct diameter bullet.

[JohnnyDollar]

With 1 inch groups why would you want to change ? After running military rifle matches for about 20 years and scoring 10's of 1000's of target , 1 inch groups with a K98k is as good as I ever saw . With PPU surplus quality bullets yet .

It's not that I'm trying to change or improve on that 1" group.
More that I'm trying to expand my options.
I'm just trying to work with the components I have on hand and currently available to create additional accurate loads, options are good, especially when components are in short supply.
Hunting season is coming and I want to use my rifle for something other than punching paper.

The Hornady SST's just happened to be a lucky find on a gunstore shelf (from before the current shortages).
I was able to get an accurate load, unfortunately they are unobtainium right now.

I picked up a 100 of the 139gr .323 PPU thinking they might make a nice, light target load and was just trying to see if anyone has had any luck with them.

I have to quote bob. 1” groups are excellent. I can’t think on any improvement on that.
Iron sights?

No, at 100yds with irons all I can see is a square. When i bought this rifle, back in '81, I was shooting iron sights with cheap surplus ammo at steel plates out to 300M at Ft. Hood with no problems. Unfortunately, those days are long gone.

I cannot bring myself to make permanent modifications to any of my milsurp rifles, but I replaced the leaf sight with the BadAce NDT mount and added a Vortex scout scope.

[oldfoneguy]

Your rifle was designed for a 196gr bullet and that's what it will work best with in an original configuration. The steps on a Mauser barrel are there to work with the harmonics of the 196gr bullet passing through it. Of course each rifle is different and you may find loads that work well from 150gr to 220 gr. However the rifles were never designed to work with light ammunition and such was never made for them during its active service life. Why push such an issue. Is it to avoid recoil? If so find a smaller bore range toy.

[Ovidio]

I’m thinking about putting a scope on my K98 too.
Eyes are getting worse by the year…
Still, 1” is super accurate!

[bob q]

Actually the rifle was NOT designed to "work " with a 196 grain bullet . The Gew-98 and the K-98k [ which is exactly the same rifling type , twist and bore size as the Gew-98 and 98 AZ ] were set up to shoot the 154 grain S ammo . The 196 bullet was a machine gun bullet . When the Germans made the 196 standard for all arms all the did to the K-98k was change the sight ramp . That is why the ramps are removable and marked S or sS . The early K-98k was sighted for the S ammo . So the barrel steps had nothing to do with the 196 sS ammo . Nothing was changed . In reality the 9.4 twist is really to slow for the 196 bullet for accuracy . It is perfect for the 154 bullet . After test shooting over 50 K-98k's for accuracy I found the 150 grain bullet to be the most accurate in about 95% .