K-31 @ 100yrds SMK 175g REPORT

[nitrohuck]

Hey all, posted this over at The SRDC message board, but figured I would also add it here in case it was of any use to someone looking to try a similar load:

Well today's Vermont weather was downright terrible, but we toughed it out anyway, and I sure am glad we did!


Have been working on handloads with the SMK 175 and RE17, and am certainly getting somewhere with em. I should preface this by saying I am a novice, to say the least, at both shooting and reloading... I've only truly tried to shoot groups at 100yrds (if you can call them groups) about 3 times, maybe 4, so I am no pro, but happily getting more and more skill under my belt as I go along.


Anyway, today I went out with some rounds loaded over 50.0g of RE17, seated to 2.955", and sent them out to 100yrds.


Lighting was terrible, wind was random and gusty, and the iron sights fought me quite a lot as I was trying for a 6 o' clock hold which is new to me and slightly funky...


The top group is my first group of the day, nothing special to see there... the second group was on a different target, and was a LITTLE better, but not worth posting... However the third group, five shots in total, went right into a surprisingly nice little cluster for me!


The five shots went into a 1.12" group, okay okay, not strictly a 1 MOA group, but for me this was amazing and quite an accomplishment, I am only frustrated that I didn't have a cardboard target backer, as this was stapled to plywood, the paper was essentially annihilated by splinters, making three of the holes a downright mess, but they are all there I promise






Also, for a fun little plinker I put together a few NOE-k31 mold bullets over 14.0g of AA#7 powder, wasn't exactly swinging for the fences accuracy-wise, but they clustered well I thought given that I wasn't really doing my part:

[swheeler]

I'm a little confused, post says you're using 175 gr SMK, target says 168 gr SMK's.

[nitrohuck]

I'm a little confused, post says you're using 175 gr SMK, target says 168 gr SMK's.

yeah I wrote that incorrectly on the target, they were indeed 175gr pills and at the range had a mental lapse

[swheeler]

Pills will do that bullets and boolits!

[nitrohuck]

rofl, I suppose they would,

I might have to give the 168gr a try, but figured that with GP-11 being 174gr, I should start by pushing similar weight,

[swheeler]

Nitrohuck not singleing you out. It just drives me nuts with all the pipes, tubes, pills, loopys, remmys, winnys, P17's, webbys, brownchesters, bullet heads, tips and so on. Guess that's what I get for hanging around the internet Rant over-good shooting, enjoy.

[35 Whelen]

Very nice shooting and groups. Looks like you're getting the hang of the Swiss Girls!

If you want to save a little $$ and still have an accurate bullet, try the homely Hornady 150 gr. FMJBT. This bullet has consistently provided me with amazing groups. I've used it mainly with two loads: 20.0 grs. of AA5744 and 49.5 grs of Re15.

The AA5744 runs around 1500 fps and makes a great 100 yd. load:




49.5 Re-15:
(The right target was shot with a Sierra 155 gr. Palma, same load though)









At one point I tried the Hornady on my 600 yd. target and it did very, very well. The target is the same size as the 600 yd. High Power target and the scoring rings are the same as well. The group was fired from the prone position. I was lucky that it was a calm day, and I wasn't shooting for score, just messing around:



I've also used the plain-jane 152 gr. FMJ military bullet and it too worked very well with the Re-15 load:



Hope this helps. Good luck and keep us posted!

35W

[nitrohuck]

oh wow thanks a ton for all the photos,

certainly gives me some incentive to keep tightening up the groups! I was thinking I would give the m80 147gr FMJ's a try for just standard plinking when I'm not shooting cast. From your results it seems the surplus FMJ's can hold their own in groups much better than I'd previously suspected,

will certainly be back with more results after my next range outing

[C1PNR]

Sure glad I read this thread. For whatever reason I never thought of using those surplus 147 gr fmj in the Swiss. Thanks!

[nitrohuck]

Sure glad I read this thread. For whatever reason I never thought of using those surplus 147 gr fmj in the Swiss. Thanks!

Well as long as it's a .308" bullet!

As USPS says: "if it fits it ships!" .... just make sure it gets delivered down range properly and on target... man, just imagine if USPS shipped at 2,600fps

[andrew375]

l use the 155smk in mine backed by 47gr. of n140. They shot to more or less to the sights but passed 600 ifind I have to go up notch, that is at a thousand yards the sights are on 1100 metres.

[nitrohuck]

Put some more down range the other day. Seems like 50.3g of RE17 is the ticket for my k31

[EMC45]

I need to blow the dust off of my K31..........

[Baron von Trollwhack]

For those who have it Data 85 @50 grains with the 168 Privi HPBT makes very nice 300 yard groups. The named equivalent is Ramshot Hunter. Bullet off the rifling 2 thousandths, case HS set at -2 thousandths. Check the Ramshot loading guide via links at Powder Valley,Inc.

BTW if you like the K-31, Graf's has spare extractors and locking bolt sleeves. Two common failing parts in actual moderate use. The another is the band spring ( by golly take care here).

BvT

[trooperdan]

Baron, where does Graf's list those spares? I couldn't find them searching for "surplus", "Swiss" or "military surplus"

[LuvMy1911]

Hey, I was just looking for those parts for a friend... I think it's in this spot.

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...tegoryId/3924?

[HANDYMAN]

Here: http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/search/keywords/k31