Best Military Rifle You Have for Cast Loads

[Lloyd Smale]

don't be afraid of full power pc coated cast. Mine does great with them and there cheap to shoot.

The wife and I probably have 8 or 10 300 blackouts. While not a military round or military rifle they are awesome. I would consider trying lead bullets the low and slow kind if I had the mold for my bullet caster.

[3006guns]

Most all of my milsurps shoot very acceptably with cast. Let's face it.....you have a rifled tube and sights. The rest is up to you via load development and testing.

Right now I'm playing with a Swede M38 that would cause any collector nausea. It looks "okay" on the outside, but that barrel has rounded rifling lands and some darkness in the grooves. After several trips to the range using a Lyman 140 grain boolit on top of 10.5 grains of Unique, I'm astonished. With the sights set at 500 meters I can nail anything I can see at 100 yards. Setting up my chronograph and putting the shots on an actual target will tell the tale, but so far I like it.

Oddly enough, the only rifles I HAVEN'T pushed cast through are my two Springfields! If ever there was a natural cast shooter, that's it. I'd better get on that right away.......

I've played with just about every milsurp available since the eighties when they first came over by the boat load. Unless they're absolute junk, they all perform well. So, pick your poison and go for it!

[northmn]

When shooting the old ones I like cast bullets as they don't offer appreciable wear on the guns.

DEP

[Walks]

MAUSER 1893 Carbine, 3shots into one hole cloverleaf at 50yds with the #287405 over a light charge of Unique.

[upnorthwis]

My newest favorite is the M78/81 Vetterli. Just knocked off the 2019 CBA Military National win in Big Bore with it. SAECO 431 sized to .431 w/GC over 26 gr. 5744. That load shot great at 100 but did not perform as well at 200 in the 40 mph wind at Sioux City, IA. Will be replaced with a 320 gr. at the longer range. With a scope the 431 will go into 1 moa at 100. But with the irons, my eyes are the limiting factor.

[Gewehr-Guy]

Congrats on the big bore win, I don't think my 12.7 Swede bullet would have done well at 200yds, would have had to sight on the next man's target with 40 mph winds

[John Boy]

Swiss K-31: Berger 190 gr VLD; 47.5 grs IMR 4350 or 180gr Pb bullets ...
With concentration, stock sights and several inch misses, I can knock down Coyote silhouettes at 1000 yds

[Good Cheer]

Oh, no doubt about it.
An 1888 7.92x57 fixed up by Richard Hoch with his 12" twist rifling and his 185 grain mold to match.

[fa38]

Mr. Heeler (upnorthwi) should consider that his favorite rifle. Today he shot a 291-1 Big Bore Offhand 4 target score at the Van Dyne, WI club during their 22 June 2019 CBA Military Match. This beats Bill Bargloff's record of 255-0

[fa38]

I might as well toot my own horn. In the match I was shooting an Argentine 1909 in 7mm Mauser and finely shot into the 390,s with it.

98-1, 99-4 at 100 yards 99-3, 98-3 at 200 yards 395-11 Agg. RCBS 145 Sil, 9.1 grains Win 231, Fed 215 Mag. UTC 6x scope

Now I can take the scope off and shoot it as an issue rifle.

[beltfed]

Very fine shooting, Marty.
Also, good job, Jeff at the Nationals
beltfed/arnie

[beltfed]

OH, though, how does a 251 beat a255?

[beltfed]

My favorite CB Vin Mil rifle is my
M1941/1903/A1 Marine Corps Sniper Rifle
best I have done=ModScope= is a 392-14X which includes a 100-5X at 200yds
Have had it since 1963 purchase for $45
beltfed/arnie

[fa38]

OH, though, how does a 251 beat a255?

Slight error 291-1

[Ray1946]

Mod. 96/11 Schmidt-Rubin with 180 gr. Lee mold................

[GMW]

My most accurate are a 96 Swede, and a 1884 Trapdoor Springfield.

Really! What is your trapdoor load? I would love to get mine to shoot.

[303Guy]

don't be afraid of full power pc coated cast. Mine does great with them and there cheap to shoot.

Hard cast alloy or softer? I'm wanting to try PC.

[GhostHawk]

I think I only have 3 Military rifles, a pair of Mosin Nagants and a Yugo SKS. They all shoot cast, the yugo is death on whells inside of 50 yards but that is more a limitation of the shooter and iron sights than the rifle.

While I enjoy shooting the Mosin's from time to time IMO they are not in the same class as the Yugo SKS.

Rate of fire, ease of reloading, # of rounds available. Stripper clips for the rimmed 7.62x54r just do not work as well as stripper clips for the 7.62x39.

Yes I like the Yugo SKS, she may be an old dog but she still has bite.

[TCLouis]

Ghost Hawk
What are you shooting out of the SKS?

[Pappy_Miles]

30-40 krag. Restored a sporter back to military spec ( ok looks as close as I can get it) it started out as a rifle in 1903 according to the serial number, probably cut to carbine size in the 1920's for NRA sales, sporterized into a hunting rifle and abused until I picked it up on gunbroker a couple years back. found a mil stock, that was cut to carbine length, put a new criterion 22" barrel from CMP on it, found sights on e-bay and and wood upper handguard from the krag users group. I use the lyman 311284 with gas checks and imr 4198. I keep the velocity to 1800 - 1850. It's shoot 198+6x 200 yard prone. better than I can do with an 03 or M1................