.43 Mauser

[TommyT]

Does anyone here load for .43 Mauser? I scored a beautiful IG 71/84 and have shot it without much luck. What are you guys using for a load. I have the Lyman 340 grain .446 mold and lots of BP. I managed to score 60 pieces of Bertram brass at the local gunstore for $20 and have converted some .45-90 brass that works well also.

[Don McDowell]

The 45-90 brass is to small in diameter and will split on you. The rim is thinner and you may experience some headspace problems. And will need trimming to length after fireforming.
77grs of KIK 1.5 with a 400 gr bullet should work pretty slick in that. It's basically the same as a 44-77 Sharps/remington.

[MT Chambers]

I've seen some 11mms that require a .452" bullet...so slug your bore.

[Chicken Thief]

There is absolutly no problems using 45-90 brass if you follow these steps:

1) Size the cases short and keep adjusting deeper until the bolt will close on a case, that way you headspace on the shoulder instead of the rim.
2) Use a small O-ring or some narrow tape just in front of the rim, that will center the case in the chamber and thus eleminating split cases all together.

[TommyT]

I've already converted the .45-90 brass and fireformed them. Loaded and fired them twice already. No problems at all with splitting and they feed fine. I'll be upping my powder charge though. I was only using 60 grains of BP.

[Beekeeper]

TommyT,
I have 2 of them I shoot regulary.
For BP I use 70 grains of 2F Goex and the Lyman446 boolit.
With the Military sights I have shot to 665 yards and it is right on for accurcy.
Do not have my load book here so cannot give you the smokeless load but a load for the 45/70 gov. should be OK.

On a litter side: did you know that you get contaminated here on cast boolits and they will not let you back at the other web sites?
Ya gotta be carefull and cover your tracks !!


beekeeper

[sharps4590]

I've been shooting a 43 Mauser in a double by E. Goldman in Erfurt for.....I guess it's close to 20 years now. Frank Barnes used to list the cartridge in Cartridges of the world and there are some loads in there. I bought a set of Lee dies and there is also some loads in their paperwork.

By all means slug your bore. Recently there was an article in the Double Gun Journal on the 43 Mauser and the author found the bores all over the place. It's been so long since I slugged my bore I've forgotten but do remember it being very close to .446. I shoot the Lyman bullet unsized and lubed only. The RCBS bullet is good and I believe 380 grains when cast from 25-1. I actually prefer it but it doesn't regulate in my double.

Bear in mind that my load was developed to regulate in a double rifle. I use 5 grs. of SR4759 against the primer and 68 grs. of Ffg, Scheutzen or GOEX, a .020 card wad all under the Lyman bullet lubed with SPG. I just chronoed the load yesterday and it's running 1350-1400 fps from both barrels and cases fall from the chambers when the muzzles are turned up.

[StrawHat]

Some good reading

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=5007

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/article.cfm?tocid=750&magid=56