New Cast Records in 7x57 Mauser.

I got an ancient (1920's vintage) Spanish Mauser in 7x57 last fall for a pittance. I wanted the action for a project, but I figured I would see how it shot before tackling the rebarreling job. I tried some jacketed loads last fall and was hard pressed to find one that would pieplate rested at 100yds. I was not impressed. But, there was a 140gr &mm Lee mould for cheap, so I figured I'd try that and play with some milsurp powders. Got to the range yesterday with 4895 loads and set up at 50yds. Printed a 1" 5shot with 29gr, one of the best groups I have shot in an old milsurp rifle. :D

So today I went back with the same rifle and loads of WC860 and I set another record! 10shots in 38". :shock: Worst group ever fired in any rifle I have ever loaded for in 35+yrs of handloading. They were keyholing all over the place, some hitting the target perfectly sideways.

Looking for someone who shoots 50BMG and might be interested in the rest of the 860 jug. Live and learn. :violin:

Now Mister you've got to tell me what kind of 50 yards target you've got that measure more than 38"........... :mrgreen:

It reminds me of that time I tried the then new LEE 430-240-TL in that shallow rifled Uberti six shooter. The gun was a tack driver with any conventional bullet and the very same load of powder....

I wasn't sure where the POI would be, so when that is the case I use a piece of brown wrapping paper 3'x4' (like they make paper bags out of and seal the backs of framed artwork). I put a white dot in the center and see where the group lands. The targets at our range are 4'x4' homosote and were just replaced so I could see if anything landed below the paper. The system works great for old milsurp rifles - with cast the groups can be quite a distance from the POA. Usually I use 8.5x11" paper targets that I print out, but unless I have some idea where the group will land, it is a waste of ammunition when it doesn't hit the paper.

What quality of paper do you use for printing? I draw my own targets on cardboard so that the holes stay clean and well defined, rather than tearing the paper apart; or I have to glue the paper on my old targets (what happened to good old brown target paper?).

It gets me quite a few amused looks, specially when the material came from corn flakes boxes.

The homasote history is quite interesting; it seems that George Washington was involved... :mrgreen:.
http://www.homasote.com/about.html

I just buy multiuse paper by the case from Staples and use whole sheets out of the recycle box to print targets on the clean side. My pattern was made from graph paper with black squares on it s I can see the group sizes without a ruler.