PP 7mm mauser-help please

Hi everyone. First post. I've been reading this forum for a while now. This PP thing is so interesting. I rolled a few .30 cal last nite and they came out great, look great to me anyway. Can't wait to load them. I have a 7mm vinny mauser with bore size .287. I quit shooting J-bullets in it, couldn't get a group. I haven't tried casting because molds are .285. Too small. How do I PP for this gun with a .285 cast boolit and a .287 slug size bore. The wrap and diameter part I could probably handle. Do i need to size after rolling to compnress and harden the paper. Could someone run me through this please. thanks

Slug your barrel and size the bullets to BORE diameter + .001/.0015. Wrap with 16# printer paper, let dry and trim the tails. Lube and run through a .287 or .288 push through die, load and go shoot.

djoiner, welcome to the forum. I have a 7x57 with the same problem. What I use is meade tracing paper from wally world.
My barrel slugged at 0.285/0.290. My mold drops at 0.2865 so 2 wraps takes it up to 0.292. Check the inside dia. of your fired cases, mine expand to much to finger seat so I have to neck size them. I wrap almost to the oglive & they feed fine. I lube very lightly with LLA after they dry.
I make my patches 3/4" wide by 1 & 3/4 long" with a 30 degree angle across the narrow side of the paper. I measure up 3/4" on both sides of the paper then draw a line across, come over 2 in from the right & carry that across on the upper line. Then measure in 5/8 in, mark that & start the 2 in measurement from there at the lower line. This will give you a 30 degree angle when you connect the top & bottom. You may have to adjust the patch lengh for your boolit to not have the ends overlap. It is easier then I've made it sound. Hope this helps.

The fact that it won't shoot J-words is suspicious! What is the crown and/or the last bit of bore like? If the last bit of bore is worn just a little, it would be near impossible to get J-word accuracy. I don't know whether that woud affect PP's much but will not do them any good. Worth checking.

Depending on the boolit you choose, ther may be an issue with boolits bending in the mold or as they come out. Sizing the 'prime casting' should correct that. That's my theory anyway.

Something about 'internet Paper Patching' is for me the fun of following the progress of folks like yourself. All the while there is the anticipation of that final success target, perhaps after some trials and tribulations. It's almost as much fun for as doing it myself! Each failure is an excuse to try again with something different and of course to keep in touch with us. (It's surprizing how much we learn like that). We are all routing for you!:drinks:

So, please keep us informed!:lovebooli And welcome aboard, djoiner. :drinks:

By the way, your 7mm Mauser should make an excellent long range PP shooter. We have some folks who astound me with their long range BP shooting. It would be nice to see someone giving it a go with smokeless!:mrgreen: (The furthest range I can get to is 600yds - maybe I'll give it a go one day :roll: )

djoiner, should your nicely cut out patches happen to have an uneven gap or meeting of the joint, it can be fixed by the shape of the patch (which is what I do - my boolits are tapered and two-diameter). After slugging, you may want to try the funny shaped boolit style I use![smilie=1: (Mine are also as big as the throat will allow).

thanks all. Pdawg-what is the best option for a 288 sizer and is Lee"s .285 mold ok.

6.5 Mike- what mold are you using. Are you sizing after patching. Is sizing after patching necessary if rolled diameter is correct.

303 guy-you guys don't miss anything. thinking about the crown is pretty sharp. Fact is the crown is not in best of shape. I am going to slug the 1st couple of inches of the barrel. Depending on that, I will see what i need to do.


I had quit shooting this gun for a while and started casting for .30 cal. I need to get it back out and work out the bugs. It is a fine little rifle. Thanks for the help.

djouner, I'm using a lee 130 gr mold & no I don't size after wrapping. I try to have my finished boolits come out to the final size I need. I got lucky with this one, between it dropping large & the paper taking it up just right. Doesn't always work this way so you may have to size yours. Like Padawg said, slug your barrel & adjust from there, it will tell you what size you need. A lee sizer can be opened up very easily check the threads or try searching. When I do have to size after wrapping, I roll mine on my old case lube pad, then size. And like Padawg says the barrel will make them round on the way out.
303Guy, I think djouner is shooting a small ring spainish as he said "nice little rifle".
Mine is a FN 98 made in 1940 & has an odd size bore. I have a barrel from a 1916 pattern & it also has a larger diameter bore. I think it got changed to what we know today after the second world war. just my .02.