Spent some time casting some 390 gr. bullets from a RCBS 43-370 mold and now it's time to load some ammo for my M71/84 and take it to the range.
I could use H4198, 3031, or RL-7, but I have a huge stash of 7383 that is looking for a purpose in life. I've had really good success with it in my 358 Winchester and my 416 Taylor shooting cast bullets, so I would like to give it a try in the 43 Mauser. My concern is that the M71/84 is a 25,000 psi action, so there isn't a large margin for error as compared to modern actions. I could test similar loads in my 45/70 Encore rifle to see if any abnormalities are observed. Either way the loads will be shot over a chronograph to see if higher than expected velocities are observed. Frankly I'm expecting modest velocities and lots of un-burned powder, just like BP loads, but if it's accurate I'll be happy. Using 4350 as the burn rate, I'm only seeing 13kpsi with a full case.
Anyone traveled this route before me?