8x57

[jce]

I,m looking for a good powder to shoot cast boolits at a velocity around 2,000 fps in a turk these boolits are gc and weight 240gr.i have h4198 but can go buy new if theres better any suggestions THANKS craig

[Ben]

IMR 4895 would be a good place to start looking .

A 240 gr. bullet at 2,000 fps is a pretty stiff load with any propellant.

You might get better results in the 1,800 fps zone ? ?

[excess650]

I had tried AA5744, AA2015, IMR 4895, and AA4350. The AA5744 was easiest to find accuracy with in my Turk. AA2015, Reloader 7, and H322 are similar in burning rate to 4198, and would be a good choice, IMO. Both IMR4895 and AA4350 were tried for higher velocity loads, but recoil increased substantially with 225-250gr boolits.

My notes indicate better accuracy in this vicinity:

RP cases F210 primers EXCEPT 250gr w/AA4350 used F215

195gr NOE 326407 24, 26, 28gr AA2015 but NOT 25gr and 27gr ? LOL!

225gr MM custom 18g-19r AA5744
225gr 33gr 4895
225gr 24-26gr H322
225gr 24-27gr Reloader 7

250gr Lee Maximum 24-26gr H322
250gr 35-37gr AA4350

[PAT303]

A full case of BMG powder will do what you want. Pat

[Buckshot]

http://www.fototime.com/982F406A87D7DAC/standard.jpg

..............Back in 2002 I ran a group buy through Lee for the above heavy 8mm slug. Useable alloys had the slug dropping from 236 to 240 grs. For some unknown reason I felt I should be able to get it going 2300 fps. You know, it's just one of those deals that floats through your noggin?

http://www.fototime.com/7505257ECA355E4/standard.jpg

I had a few M38 Turks, a M88/35, and the above M38/46. The M88/35 and M38/46 were both superbly accurate rifles, and rather then possibly stressing the older Commission action I went with the M38/46. I should have used one of the M38's with their 29" bbls as one of'em was as accurate as the shorter 24" bbl'd M38/46. But I was fixated on it so I used it.

I had a goodly quantity of surplus WC852 ball on hand and it was a very benign and predictable powder. It's only quirk seemed to be sensitivity to tempurature, as a few times rounds fired in the afternoon were found to gain 50-75 fps or so over those fired in the coolish morning. Here in So. California your 0900 50º can by 1400 be 100º. Anyway that was the powder I used. As it was of the slow lot it was a bit slower then cannister IMR4831.

These were fired 3-03. Temp was 50º
Boolit: 236grs, 18 bhn, Hornady GC, as cast .326" lube-sized in a .326" die I made. Lube was Javalina, COL: 3.250" roll crimped into the bottom lube groove. Cases were MM44 (Canadian made WW2 8x57) sized in Lee collet die.

Turkish M38/46, 24" bbl, issue sights and trigger. Barrel .315" x .324", throat .327". Boolits visually inspected, and the powder charges were thrown. Thrown charges vibrated down in the case, GREX added to caseneck and then the slug was seated. Five rounds loaded and fired for each group.

CHARGE .........SD ..........ES ..............AVRG VEL

46.0 grs ..........15 .........38 ..............2003
47.0 grs ..........15 .........37 ..............2046
48.0 grs ..........4 .........10 ..............2077
49.0 grs ..........14 .........38 ..............2110
50.0 grs ..........14 .........38 ..............2129
51.0 grs ...........6 .........17 ..............2152
52.0 grs ...........21 ........54 ..............2195
53.0 grs ...........8 .........19 ..............2222
54.0 grs ...........11 ........25 ..............2258
55.0 grs ...........7 ........19 ..............2300.8

Actually the average velocity for the final group was 2290.6 fps but the 4th round fired was that 2300.8 fps and I'd had about all the beating and abuse I could handle, so called the test a success and was proud to be able to stop!

The groups fired that were 1-1/4" or smaller was the 47, 48, 49, 51, and 54 gr loads. The sights were typical Mauser = not optimal for target work, but the issue trigger was actually quite good. The 46.0 gr load had 4 rounds in an inch but a flyer 1.5" low out of the group. The 50 gr load was the worst buy quite a bit being round but maybe 4"? The 55.0 gr load put 4 into 1-1/4" but dropped one a good inch out of the group.

My brass was freshly prepped and on it's 3rd firing after annealing which I felt was optimal, but if a person were to scale their boolits, scale each powder charge, and maybe a better bedded action they could do that well at 100, and with a scope even better yet. BTW, I meniton bedding because this rifle ended up with a cracked wrist due to the barreled action starting to walk backward through the stock :veryconfu The crack was simple to repair and the action has long since been well bedded!


................Buckshot