My first post, so be gentle
In 1980, at the tender age of 26, I was looking for a big game rifle and decided nothing out there interested me. So I embarked on a 4-year and lotsa $$ (a little at a time) quest for what I considered the perfect rifle. Ended up with a Argentine Mauser-actioned 7mm Mauser with a Douglas premium air-gauged featherweight barrel and very nice French walnut stock. Tips the scales at 7 lbs with Leupold 1-4x. Got 3 elk in the only 5 years of hunting I have done with factory 175 gr Federal SP. Shoots like a laser beam.....
Alas, it sits unused most of the year. I am a pretty experienced caster for handgun (.45 Colt BP; .44 Mag and Spl; .357/.38; .45-70 BP rifle, all with SPG lube thru a Saeco lubri-sizer). So I thought me, why not do something similar with the Mauser in the off season? Brings me to the list.....
Any suggestions on the following, in any order:
- Use of SPG as a smokeless powder rifle lube?
- Suggested moulds, seeing as how my rifle seems to like long bearing surfaces in the 160-175 gr range (not sure of the twist rate).
- Gas check or bare base?
- Suggested loads?
Appreciate it!
AK