200 Yard 8X57 Mauser Loads Using Lee 8X56R Bullets

[Odessa Straight]

I shoot in monthly vintage rifle matches using as issued military rifles up to Korean War vintage. These matches are all at 200 yards and are stages of 10 rounds slow fire prone, 10 rounds of rapid fire, and 10 rounds of standing/off hand. I'm kind of tired shooting the standard Garand or 1903A3 and am working out a cast bullet 200 yard load for my K98 Mauser. So far my loads using Lee's 8X56 bullets are shooting tighter groups than their regular 8X57 bullets. My 8X56 bullets cast out at .328 and weigh 200 grains. I'm sizing them to .325 for my K98. They chamber freely and seem to fill the throat of my K89 better than the regular 8X57 bullet. So far I've just used 16 grains of 2400 and am thinking I could bump up the velocity and tighten the 200 yard groups. I do have SR 4759 to work with, too..and Unique. Anyone have experence with loading Lee's 8X56R bullet in 8X57 Mauser?

[RU shooter]

If your shooting well at 100 with that load go and shoot it at 200 you should still be super sonic with it at 200 . You can also try upping your load of 2400 some 16 gr is a good starting point but I've always found my sweet spots around 17.5 or a little more.

Tim

[Kraschenbirn]

Haven't tried 2400 or Unique in the 8x57 but that boolit, sized to .325 and loaded it over 29.5 gr. of IMR4895 it will match the old 'Interarms' import and '50s-vintage Israeli ball ammo for accuracy in both my VZ24 and my M48 Yugo. At 200m, off the bench, no problem staying on a 12" steel swinger.

Bill

[JWFilips]

18 Grains 2400 shoots very accurately in my Mauser 98 and GEW98 with both a 170 gr NOE and the lee 205 gr Don't know the speed but pressures are safe. I put both bullets on the lands with little to no crimp. Easily get out to 200 yd accurately and don't have to play with fillers & slow powders. I started out with all the slow powders in them & ran a lot of tests but 2400 out shoots all of them!

[Larry Gibson]

+1 on 28 - 30 gr 4895 (any flavor) with a 1/2 - 3/4 gr Dacron filler. It's what I use with my 200+ gr 323471s.

Larry Gibson

[frnkeore]

If you can get WC 852 (4831 speed) try 46.0 gr of that with a 200+ bullet (mine was a 323471). My rifle with a scope (like new barrel M48) will do 2" groups @ 100. At approx. 2150 fps, it's a little hard on the shoulder but, should keep up with jacketed bullet at 200.

Neck size at .001 smaller than the bullet. Take care when seating the bullet, use a M die and load it out to engrave the rifling with Lyman #2 (I used #2) or Lino alloy.

Frank

[Odessa Straight]

Great info, thanks. Rifle powder is still difficult to find in my neck of the woods. Whatever 4895 I do get I reserve for my M1 and M1A. I haven't seen 4831 for a very long time. Really, I feel like it's wasting powder with 30 or 40 grain loads of rifle powder when 16-20 grains of faster burning powders gives me about the same velocity. I do have a good supply of SR4759 and want to give it a try at the 200 yard matches with Mauser.
None of my shooting is from the bench. I sight in and test loads from slow fire prone with a tight sling. I'd like to get about 3 MOA (6 inch groups at 200 yards), but probably just am not capable of that with the open sights of the Mauser..still I would expect mostly 10s and maybe a few 9s from the prone. So if I can keep my group within 8 inches at 200 yards from the prone I'd feel it was a good load. The 16 grains of 2400 comes close, but there are some uncalled shots straying into the 8 ring and I'd like to try for a better load. What about 20 grains of SR4759 with that 8X56R bullet?

[Frank46]

I use 20.0 grs 4759 behind the lyman 314299 +200 grain bullet in a 1935 dated Finn model 27. Estimated velocity is about 1600 fps. I have a feeling that your 8x56r bullet is really hugging the lands sized down to fit your mauser and that is a beautiful thing. Frank

[WineMan]

I ran a bunch of 311299's over 20 grains of SR4759 this weekend in a K31 (seated pretty deep) for a silhouette match. Accuracy out to 400 yards was great. The 550 yard rams were pretty safe. Had them scared and even nicked a couple but falling down was not part of their day. Based on other information, they were probably running 1750 fps or so. One thing I noticed is that the SR4759 has a peculiar odor when burned and it really sticks to your fingers and clothes. Rumor has it that Hodgdon is discontinuing the entire line of powders made in Canada for them including the SR's and PB. Too bad as I really like the SR4759 for metering, small charges and reduced loads.

Dave

[Odessa Straight]

Thanks for the info about the use of SR4759. I have a good supply of that and there is a local skeet/trap club that has a good stock of it for sale. Even if it's dropped from manufacture I could still shoot it for years.
I remember that I slugged the lands and grooves of my K98 and determined that the diameter of regular 8X57 Lee wasn't great enough for me to get even 2 thousands over groove diameter. I even tried two different Lee moulds. The 8X56R solves the bullet diameter problem very well. The last batch come out to .330 as cast. I do size them to .225 and if I had a lube/size die for .228 would like to give that a try, too. Some day I'll try some as cast (.330) with just the gas chec seated and no sizing to see if they'll even chamber.
OK, so for this Saturday's Vintage Rifle match I'll load the Lee 8X56R bullet and 20 grains of SR4759. Of course I'll still bring my 03A3 (with Lyman 314299 sized to .312) and 16 grains of 2400 in case I cant get the sighters on paper with the Mauser.

[UBER7MM]

Odessa Straight,

Welcome to the forum.

Get yourself a copy of the Lyman's 3rd Cast Hand Loading Manual. It has loads for the Lyman 232471 at 215 grains that can be transferable to your Lee boolit. Start out low with SR 4759 and work up, while looking for pressure signs. You'll notice that it is a low velocity but high pressure powder relatively speaking. There is SR 4759 and other powders listed that you'll find useful. IMR-3031 and 4895 might also suite your purposes.

I hope this helps,

[garrisonjoe]

I have good luck with 18 grains of Accurate 5744 under a soft NOE 326471 (215 grains). Out of a Yugo 24/47, holds 1.5 MOA with the mil sights. Usually a tighter group than similar 2400 loads.

[nagantguy]

Haven't tried 2400 or Unique in the 8x57 but that boolit, sized to .325 and loaded it over 29.5 gr. of IMR4895 it will match the old 'Interarms' import and '50s-vintage Israeli ball ammo for accuracy in both my VZ24 and my M48 Yugo. At 200m, off the bench, no problem staying on a 12" steel swinger.

Bill

That is the recipe I use and agree 100% its a good one well worth trying. A little more 2400 should get you there as well.