Military bolt action rifles w/reputation for accuracy

[Dutchman]

The days of widely available bolt action military rifles are long gone but the rifles are still out there and available.... though not ~cheap~ like they were in the 60s or even the 80s and 90s.

I haven't owned every kind of bolt action rifle there is but I've owned more than a few and some are better shooters than others. Some rifles are singular in their capability and some are collectively superior. This is my short list of upper end rifles that deliver superior accuracy with cast bullets. All these rifles below deliver exceptional accuracy with cast bullets. Feel free to share your military bolt rifles that deliver exceptional accuracy with cast bullets. I have many more rifles than just these below but none of them will out shoot these rifles.

Swedish m/1896 Mauser. Not all Swedes will deliver superior accuracy. Generally the better condition barrels will provide the best accuracy. I shoot .266" and .268" diameter from 140 gr to 150 gr. Five shots into one hole is a very good day. But you must learn to inspect the bore with due diligence. With j-type projectiles don't waste your time with anything other than IMR4831 and Reloder22. The Swede loves slow powders with j-type bullets. With cast bullets Unique & 2400 are my favorites.



Swiss Schmidt-Rubin 1896/11 & 1911 and Swiss K31. These rifles have excellent quality barrels but IMO they fall second to the Swedes in accuracy potential and delivered. But they are beautifully made rifles and wonderful shooters but if you're going to shoot a match pick the Swede m/96.



Argentine m/1891 Mauser rifles 7.65x53. The 1891 can have barrels with SJG stamped on the side of the barrel shank which is actually SIG for Swiss Industrial Company. Yep, some of these have Swiss barrels and those Swiss barrels deliver superior accuracy to include even bettering the m/1909 Argentine rifles made by DWM in Germany.



Finland m/1891 & m/39 with "B" barrels. Stamped on the barrel shank these barrels are said to be Belgian-made. All are dated 1942 but it is said they were rebuilds from post-WW2 and put into storage. These B-barrels are superior in every way to a standard Russian-made or Finn barrel. These are five shots into one hole shooters.

[john.k]

All the full wood rifles can have poor accuracy from warped wood forcing the front part of the barrel over ....Ideally ,there should be a 5-7lb contact under the forward part of the wood,and no side contact......metal bands should be free of the barrel ............quite often this is hard to organize without wrecking the collector value.......Incidentally ,this is why the Ross Mk III had lightweight sheet steel band and forend cap.....too light as it turned out for bayonet attachment......but ideal for superior accuracy.

[405grain]

Dutchman: You're not kidding about the accuracy of a 6.5x55 Swedish. I built a sporter using an M38 Turkish action with a 6.5x55 barrel and the accuracy surprises me. Shooting Lyman # 266673 bullets, sized .266", with a charge of 2400 that gets around 1500fps, these will shoot tiny little groups at 50 yards all day long. The Swedish cartridge shoots so well that I'm planing on building a second 6.5x55 on a 1895 Chilean action to use as a hunting gun.

Your choice of the 1891 Argy doesn't surprise me either. I put a new/old stock 1909 barrel on a 1908 Brazilian Mauser. Shooting 215 grain #311284, powder coated and sized to .3125", the first five shots I made while sighting in with it at 50 yds all went into a 3/4" group. To see if that was just luck, I aimed for a second target and put another 10 consecutive bullets into another 3/4" group. The 7.65x53 can be a really accurate round, and it likes those longer barrels.

[Uncle Grinch]

I love the accuracy of my Swede and 91 Argentine. They are incredibly more accurate than my ability. My Finn M39 is a close third, but I would like to offer a fair warning if you elect to disassembly your M39. Finns have a number of strategically placed shims under various parts of the action and barrel. Take note of them and be aware of their location.

[racepres]

It is all about the Barrel.... Not the Action...usually

[Gewehr-Guy]

Please don't forget the 03a3's, one of my best shooters is a recovered drill rifle, with a new two groove barrel. They are the majority of the rifles used in our CBA matches, probably because of the sights. I do have a beautiful Swedish 96, but I am ashamed to say I have never fired it with cast bullets. I need to go back through some of Dutchman's old threads, and take it to a couple matches next summer.

[Streetwalker]

Dutchman has hit the nail on the head with his powder selections..Unique and 2400. With these two powders alone, I have been able to wring out match grade accuracy out of my Swede 96's, Swiss K31's. Springfield 03A3 and my #4 Lee-Enfields. Great bores, well cast and fitted bullets and good loading techniques will deliver amazing results on the target with those old war horses.

[Ajohns]

I'm new to the game on military, but had a ball with this full length 1896 Steyr.
6.5x53r at 50 yds and will do all day it seems. Plan on much more this summer, get loads ready this winter.

[schutzen-jager]

three come to my mind, 1906 Springfield Armory model 1903, 08/34 3006 Brazilian Itjuba Mauser + my Spanish FR8 7.62 nato - all shoot better than i can hold - all with cast bullets -

[higgins]

My 03A3 2-groove does very well with 2400 and either the 311041 or the Lee 312-155 gr bullet, both with 50/50 grease lube. The few small pits in the bore don't seem to matter. I didn't know they were there until I got a borescope because the bore shines and they're not visible looking from the breech end, however, they appeared to have mostly filled with lead so weren't much of a pit anymore.

[M1fuzz]

My best shooters are 3 of the 4 Dutchman mentioned in reverse order. My best shooter hands
down is my 1941 Sako M39. Second place is my 1924(iirc) Swiss K,not G, 11. Third, and not by much is my Swede M96.

[john.k]

The 6.5x 55 cartridge was for many years the Olympic 300 metre cartridge of choice.......probably only the Russians using somthing different.

[JSnover]

It is all about the Barrel.... Not the Action...usually

Could be. The accuracy requirement for infantry rifles (from the major combatants) was 3 MOA, which is a reasonable, practical standard but no one brags about a 3" group. Most could shoot better than that (at least when they were new) but the armories weren't crafting Olympic quality rifles or precious family heirlooms; they were cranking out tools for soldiers. While some were clearly better than others, the more accurate specimens were fitted with optics and issued to snipers.

[Larry Gibson]

Over many years shooting many different models, makes and designs of military bolt action rifles I have found; given equal condition of bedding and bore all of them were pretty much as accurate as any IF the bullets (not to be confused with the cartridge) were of equal quality.

At least 80% if not 90% of the "accuracy" capability is based on the quality, particularly the balance, of the bullet. Too many times we get lost in the minutia of the other 10/- %.

[beemer]

I have set down and read Dr. Mann's book. It is amazing what he learned especially considering the equipment he had and sometimes made. The hours he spent analyzing the data must have been unreal. You almost have to force yourself to read it but it finally got through my thick skull how important bullet balance is.

Bullet manufacture has improved greatly in the last several years and the solid bullets have really upped the game.

[35 Whelen]

Because of their reputations for accuracy, I bought a Swedish Mauser several years ago. It's accuracy wasn't really bad, but it certainly wasn't as good as any of my K-31's or even my 03A3's. I probably just got a bad egg.

I'd have to give top honors to the K-31. For awhile I shot one loaded with cast bullets in our local High Power matches ultimately attaining an Expert classification in a little under one year. It was far more accurate than I.



This particular target was from one of our matches and was fired prone rapid.



The AR shooters ribbed me pretty good when I first showed up with a K-31, but that ended when I started beating some of them.

But I must say, most every 03A3 I've fired has been just about as accurate as my K-31's.

I picked this poor looking Smith Corona up somewhere and as ugly as it was, it was a nice shooter-



Spring before last I was lollygagging around town and dropped into an old pawn shop and spotted an 03A3 that someone had put in a sporter stock. After a bit of haggling I walked out with it, with my wallet $350 lighter. I loaded a few tried and true cast loads and was not disappointed-



This thread makes me want to drag one out and do some shooting!

35W

[gnoahhh]

While I have had excellent luck with a few Swedish Mausers, my all time, and current, favorites are M1903 Springfields - from a pre-WWI service rifle to an 03A1 service rifle (and a couple in between), a 1930's 03A1 National Match, plus a Style T Target and an NRA Sporter. 03A3's have been good to me, but the '03 shades it - barrel quality being equal.

A few years ago I took Frank Elliot's advice and bought an NOE mold #309-169 Elco, a mold he designed. It's a spitzer design and I was leery of that, but he made the ogive "fuller" which helps to abrogate nose slumping in the bore - it reminds me of the old 180 Palma Match bullet. Still and all he warned me to limit velocity to no more than around 1800fps, and as long as I heed that advice it is a universally accurate bullet in all my Springfields. It is the bullet, in my Springfields, which commands the devotion of my remaining supply of SR-4759 powder. (Thankfully, the 15 pounds I have left should see me through.)

A couple out of the ordinary favorites:

NRA Sporter (please excuse the jacketed fodder, I was prepping for a hunting trip).


Home-built USMC Sniper


Style T Target, re-barreled by John Dubiel circa 1936

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Really interesting thread, being a Milsurp enthusiast myself. Interesting that no one has said anything about the US M-1917 or P-14 Enfields, or for that matter Lee Enfields. Many No.4s shoot quite well. Some of the Turk M-38s shoot cast bullets very well.



DG

[steveu]

Is that bullet, 309-169 elco a flatbase or gc?

[gnoahhh]

Is that bullet, 309-169 elco a flatbase or gc?

Flat base with gas check.