Please help with bullet/powder recommendations for 1903/14/30 Greek MS carbine

[vernz]

I just got myself a Greek Mannlicher Schoenauer 1903/14/30 carbine in 6.5x54 MS. My first step in preparing to fire it was to slug the bore and that gave me some trouble. My first 2 slugs came through with weak groove casts and I could not get consistent measurements. I then drove a 7mm bullet through and got a very good slug. It measures .272 groove diameter! I have a flat nose 149 grain bullet that gives me .271 bullets in WW. My current plan is to try 10 grains of 2400 with that bullet as cast. My ultimate goal is a bullet/powder charge that gives me the best accuracy out to 500 yards with the least velocity I can get away with. (For example a fellow shooter uses a 155 grain bullet over 8 grains of unique in his 1903 springfield 30-06 and gets great accuracy out to 500 yards). Any suggestions for a Unique powder load with the bullet I have. Any thoughts for a different bullet? I'm more than happy to send NOE more money if they have a bullet that I HAVE to own :>)

Thanks, Vern

[CHeatermk3]

8 gns Unique/155gn bullet @ 500 yds with great accuracy? Jacketed bullet?

Either way, that stretches credulity--maybe your friend is less than truthful re his load?

[vernz]

The bullet is lead, but I don't remember which bullet it is. Nothing exaggerated whatsoever. I routinely shoot with him. We tend not to have a lot of wind where we shoot so that is not usually a factor. There is a group of us who shoot light loads and he stretched that to what was thought to be a ridiculous level - 8 grains of unique. It is quite unbelievable what that load can do. He is shooting with a 14X Unertl scope and off the bench when developing loads and he is a good shot. Unbeatable when he was young. I routinely shoot the 311-299 over 10.5 grains of unique in my 1903 Springfield and the rifle is more accurate than I am. Our normal matches are fired offhand at gongs or silhouette targets from 200 to 500 yards so acceptable accuracy is somewhat different than someone trying to make a single hole in benchrest mode. Another example of a light load that fires well at distance is my Martini .310 cadet. My load is a 120 grain round nose heeled bullet over 4.0 grains of universal clays. That is deadly accurate out to 400 yards and I wouldn't want to be standing behind the target at 500 yards. BTW, I believe the actual measurement of our 500 yard berm is 485 yards so there is that little bit of exaggeration. Vern

[CHeatermk3]

Well, OK, I guess...
Sorry to have doubted you.

[vernz]

That's OK CHeatermk3. I along with his other fellow shooters didn't believe it at first either.

[dogmower]

one of the biggest falsehoods in shooting is that subsonic rounds can't be accurate at long distance. simply not true. one of the biggest determinants of the long range capabilities of a given round is the transition from super to sub sonic. if a round starts subsonic, that isn't a factor. if wind isn't a factor, I see no reason why a subsonic round couldn't be accurate at relatively long distances.

[OS OK]

one of the biggest falsehoods in shooting is that subsonic rounds can't be accurate at long distance. simply not true. one of the biggest determinants of the long range capabilities of a given round is the transition from super to sub sonic. if a round starts subsonic, that isn't a factor. if wind isn't a factor, I see no reason why a subsonic round couldn't be accurate at relatively long distances.

You hit it on the nose. Evidently they are spinning up enough at these low velocities to be stable at distance, however it hasn't been mentioned whether they cut clean in paper.
Trajectory prolly starts to resemble a mortar round but I can't see why it wouldn't be repeatable time after time.

[reddog81]

What kind of velocity do you get with 8 grains unique? I'd guess around 1200 to 1300 FPS. At 500 yards you wouldn't be measuring the drop in inches or feet but dozens of feet. A spread of 50 FPS would lead to 16 inches of difference in the point of impact.

If I had a friend that could shoot that good I'd be asking him what mold I should be buying.

[CHeatermk3]

Vernz, Does your friend's Springer wear a 2-groove barrel?