M95 Styer carbine first go

[DanM]

I bought this M95 from Starmetal Joe last Monday. He drove over from Tn to buy that 1903/14 Greek Mannlicher and brought his Styer for me. I set him up for a good deal at the pawn shop for the Greek rifle and he did me good on his M95. Included were the CH dies, Lee .338 mold, .334 sizer die, and about 500 boolits cast from Oldfeller and Lee molds. I must say that he did me right on this deal. Here are some pics of the Oldfeller boolits:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n24/DanM2000/castboolit/8x56cu.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n24/DanM2000/castboolit/8x56r.jpg

I am not sure, but I think the left boolit is Oldfeller second version. These weigh 232grs. The right boolit must be version one, it weighs 253grs. The left boolit is a bore rider. Both have a big flat nose, but the right boolit looks like a hammerhead design. Both were sized to .334". Had to work Sat, so I got a late start at the range. My bench is under a heavy leaf canopy, and with thunderheads rolling through, light got too dim for the chrono by 5:30. Starting out with the 232gr Oldfeller boolit, I tried an A2400:18gr load first, and it did pretty well. Getting used to the sights and trigger, I had six touching and four flyers at 50yds. This load was pretty soft, showing only 1340fps. Not bad. Next was an IMR4350 load. I guesstimated a 36gr starting load with COW compressed fill, and got 1708fps. Here is the 5 shot target:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n24/DanM2000/castboolit/M95232435036.jpg

The light failed during this string, and the chrono pooped out. Also my eyes weren't happy with the low light, so I packed it up with several loads still untried. Center diamond in this target is 1" . Have yet to shoot any of the Oldfeller 253gr 'boxcars', but have several loaded up to try first chance I get. I have to thank Starmetal Joe for a good deal. It sure was nice to get a proven rifle, along with some good boolits and dies, that shoots well from the get go.

[45 2.1]

Where is Carpetman with that "one ragged hole" quote he used to fun Joe about. Looks like some of Joe rubbed off on that rifle or he did a good job of setting that rifle up. Good group for such an unruly little carbine.

[junkbug]

That is awesome shooting for a M-95 carbine, at 50 yards. Looks like someone got the boolit geometery correct.


I hope to be able to find a cast load that will approach that in my latest Steyr. Just can't stay away from them.


How do those flat-noses feed through your Steyr?


I want to get another mold for the 8x56r, but the choices are limited. I have the Lee, but would like a wide flat nose for hunting. Perhaps I should contact LBT.

Sean

[DanM]

Yeah, this little rifle has been set up pretty well. Glass bedded action, Williams peep sight, and some trigger work. Although the trigger is still very heavy, the pull is smooth, with a slight hard spot at the release point. The trigger is one thing I hope to improve. The flat nose boolits have so far fed with no hicups, so I expect no problems there. I think the controlled round feed with the extractor grabbing the rim as it comes from the clip helps. I will be shooting it a bunch this weekend. I am itching to try those hammerhead looking boolits.

[Bret4207]

My 95 will about match that bragging group when I do my part. Sounds like good ol Joe did you right. Size id the key with those rifles. .329 is just too small.

Junkbug- try NEI in the .330-.335 section. My NEI 330 (331?)-245 shoots great sized at .332+

[carpetman]

You can tell it was someone else shooting. Good Ol Starmetal Joe's one hole groups look like one bullet. He often shot one hole groups on the first shot too.

[junkbug]

Bret,

Thanks for the tip. They do have what I was looking for.

Has anyone tried the NEI 116gt boolit that looks like it was designed for the French 1892 8mm service revolver? Or is it too short to work well in the Steyr's long, oversized throat?

Thanks.

Sean

[Buckshot]

...............junkbug, that one of the best groups I've ever seen from a M95 Steyr. Cast OR jacketed. I haven't tried that little NEI design but did try some jacketed specimens that Graf and Son had (or has).

http://www.fototime.com/BB0C8E4BD0B6967/standard.jpg

They would be the ones on the left. They're actually plated. I'm afraid they were a dismal failure. Those on the right are DEWC's also plated and are .310" and intended for the Russian Nagant revolver.

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

[junkbug]

Thanks Buckshot, I thought it was you that tried the revolver bullets. I had forgotten that they were plated or jacketed bullets, not cast.

Makes the prospects of investing in a specialty mold to make light-weight .331" cast bullets a little dicey.

Sean

[NoDakJak]

Congratulations: It certainly looks as though managed to get yourself a fine shooter. Not all the rifle however. It takes good eyes and fine trigger control to shoot a group like that with military sights.
I am even happier to hear that some deserving soul managed to snatch up that Greek Mannlicher. I had a buddy poised in South Carolina, ready to make a speed run north to grab it for me but no one was forthcoming with a location. Smart you! Ah well! I guess that I have had my share of the beautiful little Greeks. Incidentally, every one that I had the barrel slugged at .268. Neil

[Larry Gibson]

Yep, Starmetal (Joe) fixer 'er up right decent! Looks like you got a good rifle there. That 1705 fps load would be a deer killin' load for sure. Be interesting to see how 100 yard groups look.
The M95 is one rifle I've not done much of anything with other than shoot one with issue ammo several years ago. Can 2,000 fps be achieved safely with either of those bullets?

Larry Gibson

[DanM]

Haven't been able to shoot it at 100yds yet. Took it out last saturday,with some hotter 4350 loads, went up to 38grs, still with COW fill. Average with that load was around 1850fps. These boolits may be a little soft for that load, as my one 5 shot group opened up to 2.5" at 50yds. They test at 19bhn with my Lee gadget. Actually got rained out as I was shooting that group, so I will be trying the same load again. I did nudge 2000fps with one H4198 load. but accuracy was poor 3-4" at 50yds. Standard deviation with this load was impressive, 6fps. I don't have my notes here, but is was made with 'pillow stuffing' fill. I have tried H4198 in several medium case loads, and velocity and SD are always impressive, but accuracy has never been good with that powder. Wonder why? As for the Greek rifle, Joe has shortened the barrel as the rifiling was pretty worn at the muzzle. Last I heard he had set it back 1/8" and was waiting on a reamer to clean up the chamber that was somewhat pitted. All that is beyond my abilities, so I am glad he can handle it. Here is a link to the thread with pics of the little feller: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=32987