Pet loads for M1895 Chilean Mauser in 7mm Mauser

[DGP4]

Just acquired a Chilean Mauser and am looking for what others have determined are their most accurate target shooting loads at 100 yards. Any specifics on bullets and powders will be appreciated gents! I'll be testing it with PPU cheap ammo for the brass which I believe is a bit light for this rifle at 139 grain soft points.

 

[SBOOMER]

Assuming it’s a M95....it will have a 8.66 twist and was made to handle much heavier bullets. The std. 7mm Spanish Model 93 round was 173gr.

 

[DGP4]

Yes, it's a 1895 manufactured by DWM Berlin with a very early 3 digit serial number. I did check the twist and I know it originally shot round nose 173 grain bullets. However, my friend's 1893 Spainsh Mauser shoots those lighter PPU rounds quite accurately. I really don't care if they do as they will be used on shake down to fire form cases for reloading. I am still waiting for some missing parts ordered from Numrich (mag plate, spring and follower) but they are on lock down indefinitely as is my local range. So, it will be some time before I get to test the little beast.

 

[Kurz]

Just acquired a Chilean Mauser and am looking for what others have determined are their most accurate target shooting loads at 100 yards. Any specifics on bullets and powders will be appreciated gents! I'll be testing it with PPU cheap ammo for the brass which I believe is a bit light for this rifle at 139 grain soft points.

"The Mauser Model 1895 is a modification of the Mauser Model 1893. The flush-mounted staggered column box magazine has a capacity of 5 smokeless powder 7×57mm Mauser cartridges. The magazine can be loaded from a stripper clip, or with individual rounds. The stock has a straight wrist and a handguard which stretches from the receiver ring to the lower barrel band. The upper band has a lug for the Model 1895 bayonet.

The Model 1895 differed from the Mauser Model 1893 with regards to the bolt face. The bolt face used in the Mauser Model 1893 was square whereas the Model 1895's was cylindrical, this is due to the fact that the square face was unnecessary for reliable feeding. In addition, the Model 1895 had an auxiliary shoulder behind the bolt handle in order to provide additional locking in case of bolt failure. Another major modification regarding the Model 1895 to the Model 1893 was the magazine follower, the tail of which was rounded so that the bolt could be closed on an empty chamber.

The Mauser Model 1895 iron sight line had an open post type front sight, and a tangent-type rear sight with a rear notch. These standard sight lines consisted of somewhat coarse aiming elements making it suitable for rough field handling, aiming at distant area fire targets and low light usage, but less suitable for precise aiming at distant or small point targets. The rear tangent sight was graduated for 1893 pattern 7×57mm Mauser cartridges loaded with a 11.2-gram (172.8 gr) long round-nosed bullet from 400 to 2,000 m (437 to 2,187 yd) in 100 m (109 yd) increments."

While not target bullets, I bought 1,000 of these when Hornady discontinued making them. The first bullet I shot was the Swift 175 gr. A-Frame in a 7x57 Improved on an FN action custom rifle which I borrowed for my first mule deer hunt. This rifle was used for both mule deer and elk according to the owner.

Much of your concern with shooting target loads at 100 yards will center around the condition of the barrel in general, the crown, and the throat. Many of these military surplus rifles were abused by poor cleaning habits under field conditions. Cleaning was expeditious and no concern was shown for target accuracy so the muzzle bore the brunt of cleaning. Depending on the amount of use, the throat will be acceptable or fairly advanced down the barrel. Either way, scrub the barrel first then examine under magnification. Then have the crown re-cut if necessary.

The standard ladder sight on the 1895 was reasonable for field duty but it is certainly not a target sight. Depending on your sensitivity to modifications, you could consider having it tapped for a side mount to utilize a more modern open sight or tap the action itself for a scope base.

There is still one shooting record which still stands using the 7x57 Mauser cartridge which was shot in the 30s.

Enjoy your search!

 

[DGP4]

Kurz, thank you for all the information. While the rifle was in poor shape on the outside, particularly the stock, the action is tight and to my surprise the bore was relatively clean. There was a lot of rusty crud inside the bolt but it cleaned out easily. The two stage trigger is a lot lighter than my model 98s and breaks cleanly. As a long time crufler, I am used to finding half a pound of cosmoline in the barrel but no such mess on this one. Upon inspecting the bore with my borsescope and expecting to find it worn out I was very surprised that the leade showed very little wear than the rifling was sharp and deep. The crown was in very good shape. There is minor pitting in the bore, but I don't think this should affect accuracy. The proof is in the pudding, but I am hopeful. Here are pics of the crown, rifling and the leade. respectively.

 

[Kurz]

Nothing in your photographs indicates any problems for shooting. In fact, your barrel appears to be in pretty good shape for its age! The crown surprises me... Minor pitting won't have any effect on accuracy, just cleaning.

Please keep us in the loop when you get around to testing your target loads.

 

[PDS]

That 125 year old barrel looks a whole lot better than any new Savage barrel. Have fun.

 

[2506]

I had a friend that has one of these rifles. Here is the story on it. His father had it. Don't know where he got it because his father was dead by the time he actually got it. The rifle had been sported with a aftermarket stock, barrel cut to 22" and Williams front and back sights replaced the military. When my friend was a small child in the 1970s the family had been out to town and when they arrived back home someone came running out of the house with this rifle in hand. They threw it down and ran away. In this act the stock was broken completely in half at the pistol grip. His father took the wood off and placed the complete barreled action with all bottom metal in a closet. Jump forward some 20ish years. When cleaning out his fathers stuff after his death he finds the forgotten about rifle. Friend ask me if I could do something with it to make him a deer hunting rifle. When I checked the bore it look like new. Bluing was a deep hot blue and all metal was in great shape because his father had coated it with grease before putting it in the closet. I had a friend that was a gun smith in the town where I used to live and where I went every year for 3 weeks of vacation to deer hunt. I took the rifle with me and was allowed to use my friends gun smith shop tools to work on the rifle during the evening after dark and after he closed up for the night. I drilled and tapped the action for a Redfield scope base. I cut the original bolt handle off and made one on the lathe and shaped it for usage with a scope and welded it on. My gun smith friend pointed me to a book he had that taught me how to modify the original trigger to make it a single stage adjustable trigger and I did this setting the pull at 3 lbs. He also ordered me a composite stock at his price and I glass bedded the action and free floated the barrel. My hunting buddy did handloading for lots of people and he just happened to have some Winchester cases and dies. I payed him for what he recommended I give a try as to loading components and load. I also borrowed a scope from him to test the load. He suggested that because of the small ring Mauser being limited to 46000 CUP that I should pay attention to what the Speer loading manual that he had said. Use the starting load they listed using Ruger 77 as a MAX load for the 95 Mauser. By splitting the difference between the 145 gr and 160 gr bullet loads I came up with what I would use for the 154 gr Hornady Interlock bullets I was going to use. Load was 45 grs IMR 4350, WW case, CCI BR-2 primer, 154 Hornady Interlock. I can't remember the COAL but because the throat of the rifle was a mile long I just loaded the bullet so the base was even with the bottom of the neck where the shoulder of the case started. The cannular was a bit above the case mouth. We went to the range to see what happened. Boy did that load shoot great in that rifle. I cut bullet holes easy at 100 yards. Fast forward a good number of years. Friend had killed numerous deer with this rifle and using the same load and has never had to shoot one twice. That 154 Hornady is a great deer bullet just like my old buddy said. So these rifles will shoot lighter bullets. I also have collected military rifles for a long time so I might be "preaching to the choir" with this. This is what I always do with any rifle I get. I take a old car tire and put the butt of the rifle inside and lay the forearm on the other side of the tire and tie the rifle down to the tire. I place a long string tied to the trigger and get a good ways away and pull the string to fire the rifle. I then check the rifle and case to see if everything looks good before I will put it to my shoulder to fire it. You can't be too careful with these almost to over 100 year old rifles. Also pay attention to loads and go light. Good luck and have fun.

 

[DGP4]

2506, thanks for your comments! You are indeed a good friend to have done so much for your buddy on that rifle. Funny that you should mention the Hornady Interlocks. I will definitely try them on the Mauser. I have used the .312 150 grain Hornady Interlocks with great success in my 1945 Ishapore Enfield and my 7.62X39 Howa Mini 1500 deer rifle. I don't have any 4350 powder at the moment, but I'll see what comes close on the burn rate that I do have. I am pretty careful when working up loads on a new gun when it's an antique like this one. I find that the 60% Hogdon reduced load formula with 4895 works really well for a very safe test load to make sure a gun is functionally safe. This and not putting eye or cheek to stock on the first round! I am not a hot rodder when it comes to reloads anyway. In most of my rifles, I have found that the hottest load is seldom the most accurate. I always do a ladder starting with the lowest recommended charge and work up from there. Having said all this, I think most people are wrong about the Spanish and Chilean small ring Mausers being weak actions. But we'll save that discussion for another day!

 

[Laurie]

While not target bullets, I bought 1,000 of these when Hornady discontinued making them. The first bullet I shot was the Swift 175 gr. A-Frame in a 7x57 Improved on an FN action custom rifle which I borrowed for my first mule deer hunt. This rifle was used for both mule deer and elk according to the owner.

I bought 600 - the entire unsold stock of the former Hornady distributor in the UK. In my case though, these are for a Chilean DWM M1895 as per the OP's in good condition. I don't think Kurz makes it plain, but this is the old Hornady 175gn RNSP 'Interlock' which was discontinued at the time of the great bullet shortages four, five (??) years ago. You might be able to find some hidden away in a gun dealer's back shelves, or through a wanted advert in shooting forums.

Not only do they shoot well in my Chilean '95, but the ballistics, internal and external, aren't too far away from those of the 1890's service loading so the ladder-form rearsight is roughly correctly regulated - always a bugbear with modern commercial ammo or higher MV handloads in such rifles.

The load I chose isn't the best of many combinations tried as a single range outing with the Hornady 175s gave me results that I reckoned I would have great difficulty improving on, viz:

Federal brass; F210 primer; 175gn Hornady RNSP 3.050-inch COAL; Lovex SO71 (Chilean M1895 long rifle - 29.3" barrel)

Charge ........... Group ............................... MV ......... ES/SD

43.0gn ............ Not on paper .................... 2,247 ..... 46 / 23.2 (3 rounds)

44.0gn ............ 3" (vertical) ....................... 2,276 ..... 22 / 8.7

45.0gn ............ 2.1" (1st 3 fired in 0.6") ..... 2,337 ...... 17 / 7.6

45.5gn ............ 1.6" (3 in touching cloverleaf) 2,352 ..... 15 / 6.4

46.0gn ............ 2.75" (4 < 2") .................... 2,392 ..... 34 / 14.1

These were 5-shot groups at 100 yards shot rested front & rear off a bench. Given my three score and ten old eyes, most dispersion was vertical possibly down to sight picture errors. These loads shot 12-14" high at 100 on the 400 metre battle-sight setting (rearsight leaf folded down using the shallow notch exposed on the leaf-base) so two pistol targets were stapled one above the other on the frame, the lower one used with a 6-o'clock 'lollipop hold', POI on the upper target.

Shooters World distributes Czech manufactured Lovex powders in the US under its own brand names, but didn't import this one last time I looked. (SO71 used to be sold in the USA as Accurate Arms-3100 when AA was independent, but Western Powders doesn't list an equivalent grade in its 'Accurate' range these days either.) If you look at the Lovex products column here

https://shootersworldpowder.com/canister-propellants/#burn

you'll see it's listed as equivalent to H4831sc, Re19 and Viht N160. (I reckon N160 is rather faster burning). Alliant Re19 and 23; IMR or Hodgdon 4831; IMR-4955 should all give similar results to SO71 and/or Accurate-3100 should Western Powders reinstate this grade.

On the range on standard NRA fullbore targets this combination gave good results at 300 and 500 yards - or at any rate as good as I can produce shooting prone / sling these days and with eyes that are seriously fatigued after 10 or so shots.

HOWEVER (and galling as this is to me as an avid handloader who prides himself as always improving on anything a factory can produce, especially when it's called PPU), in the same range session that I ran the above 175gn HDY / SO71 loads in, I also shot off a 20-round carton of factory PPU 170gn FMJ as two 10-round groups, viz:

Group ............ Group .................................................. MV ...... ES/SD

1st 10 ............ unknown - wind ripped target off frame ... 2,336 .. 16 / 5.9

2nd 10 ........... 3.25" (8 ex 10 in 2") .............................. 2,332 .. 45 / 17.0

Others from the same purchase were fired at 500 and 600 yards in the aforementioned prone-sling range session and performed as well as, better even at 600, than my handloads - but the shooter factor makes comparisons pretty meaningless here. They appeared to shoot a tad higher than the 175gn / SO71 handload. I don't know if the 170gn PPU FMJ is available as a component in the US (it's not in the UK), but it or a similar bullet would be preferable. Or, given PPU prices, simply using 170gn factory fodder may meet your needs.

 

[DGP4]

Laurie, thank you sir! That was a very informative post. Lovex is only handled by a few retailers here and I have not seen the SO71 you mention listed anywhere. However, I have plenty of the Reloader 19 which is my 98 Mauser sporter in .270 WIN favorite powder. I also doubt I will be able to find the round nose Hornady interlocks, but they do have a 175 grain 7 MM interlock available that is spire pointed flat based now. I'll pick up a box and give them a try with the R19 to see how they fly. Interestingly, I dug out an old Lyman Reloading guide 44th Ed (1967) I had that listed loads specifically for the 1895 Mauser. Their most accurate load with 175 grain jacketed bullets was with 41.1 grains of IMR 4320 (2506 fps). This, in turn, set of a little light bulb in my reptilian brain. I remembered that the famous Jack O'Connor's load for his (or his wife?) 7X57 rifles was 140 grain bullets over 45 grains of 4320! I may be able to find some 4320 powder to experiment with.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Kurz, thank you for all the information. While the rifle was in poor shape on the outside, particularly the stock, the action is tight and to my surprise the bore was relatively clean. There was a lot of rusty crud inside the bolt but it cleaned out easily. The two stage trigger is a lot lighter than my model 98s and breaks cleanly. As a long time crufler, I am used to finding half a pound of cosmoline in the barrel but no such mess on this one. Upon inspecting the bore with my borsescope and expecting to find it worn out I was very surprised that the leade showed very little wear than the rifling was sharp and deep. The crown was in very good shape. View attachment 1171881 View attachment 1171882 View attachment 1171885 There is minor pitting in the bore, but I don't think this should affect accuracy. The proof is in the pudding, but I am hopeful. Here are pics of the crown, rifling and the leade. respectively.

That is very very good bore. I've had very pitted bore's from corrosive priming but they still shot exceptionally well. So you can't blame the bore.

 

[Old Navy]

That 125 year old barrel looks a whole lot better than any new Savage barrel. Have fun.

Looks better than my new Savage 12 BR.

 

[Kurz]

I don't think Kurz makes it plain, but this is the old Hornady 175gn RNSP 'Interlock' which was discontinued at the time of the great bullet shortages four, five (??) years ago.

Correct, I did not go into that detail. We used them frequently for regulating some of these older rifles for customers wanting to have ammunition which approached the original formula. I bought the last batch of 1,000 to have them on hand for some of the hunting I do with my 7mm rifles.

At one time there were several variations of peep sights available. Back when custom Mausers were highly thought of, it was not unusual for gunsmiths to make custom peep sights similar to the Rigby (JRL) cocking piece sight or the side mounted adjustable sights by Lyman:

https://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman-57-receiver-peep-sights

https://mclaughlincustomfirearms.com/rigby-peep-sights/

There was even one made to replace the entire shroud with full adjustments. The downfall was the prohibitive expense even when considering CNC production.

I suggest some form of aftermarket sight if you really want to pursue some decent target shooting.

 

[DGP4]

Kurz, thanks for those suggestions! I plan to see how it shoots first with the standard sights and then look at these options if it shoots relatively well. Years ago I saw those cool cocking piece sights but they were VERY expensive and hard to find. I do like the idea of the Lyman sights as it would vastly improve the sight radius and my old eyes can use all the help they can get.

 

[Kwahe]

Regarding Eleanor O'Connor's 7x57, which was indeed a Czech VZ33 receiver with a 22-in barrel, Jack wrote:

"For years my wife has used various 160-gr. bullets pushed by 52 grains of 4831. Velocity in the 22-inch barrel of her rifle is 2,660. As far as I can tell, this load shoots just as flat as the 180-gr. bullet in the 30-06 and kills just as well."

In his further writing, he cites the Nosler Partition at160g as her(and his) preferred bullet. With that much powder and velocity, pressures would have been way above what most people recommend for a Chilean M95, or any small-ringed mauser.

As I glance through my various loads for my M95, I find 2400 fps for the 160g Partition as a perfectly safe and deadly combo from my rifle, and very accurate. Pressures are around 45k PSI. I found RL 19 to be the most accurate powder...I decline to say how much.

I will also say that Hodgdon mentions 37g of IMR 4320 as a lower velocity load for the same pressure. As always, YMMV.

 

[Laurie]

There was even one made to replace the entire shroud with full adjustments. The downfall was the prohibitive expense even when considering CNC production.

I suggest some form of aftermarket sight if you really want to pursue some decent target shooting.

I've seen drawings of similar Mauser action peep sights, but not a good image like this. Thanks for putting it up - very nice. I shoot my two 7mm Mausers (I also have the M1912 long rifle made by Steyr with the '98 action, also an outstanding shooter) in historic military arms club comps, so they have to remain as issued.

The pair were a delayed middle-age crisis purchase. Having given up on historic arms 15 years before. I got a yen to have another one maybe 10 years ago. (While most old fat guys want a 150 mph motorbike, I reckon Mausers are safer and cheaper and a lot less aggro from the wife!) I'd always wanted an M1908 Brazilian Mauser having seen it in a Guns & Ammo colour feature on surplus Mausers decades ago, but unlike the US, we never saw contract South American Mausers here until fairly recently, and even now this model is a rare as rocking horse droppings. I did track one down eventually, but the dealer wanted nearly £900 (over $1,000 US) for it. I then heard of the M1912 Chilean and when I visited the dealer found he also had the '95. Inevitably I bought both - and still saved about £200 on what the other guy had wanted for the Brazilian1908.

 

[DGP4]

Kwahe, thanks for that information! That O'Connor load you mention sounds way too hot for me. I'll stick to 2,400-2,500 fps range. Years ago when I lived in NYC and had a small hunting lodge in PA, I used the Nosler Partitions quite a bit and they were accurate and deadly on some big white tails. I may order some from SPS and try a ladder with the Relaoder 19.

Laurie, you sound like a man after my own heart. I too got too old and fat for motor bikes and have switched to lower cost alternatives like old guns. I do still have an old BSA Thunderbolt in the garage as I can't bring myself to sell the old girl (bike not wife). I see some 1908 Brazilians from time to time but recently they have always been quite beat up. They used to be readily available in good condition about 10 years ago and I kick myself for not buying one!

 

[Kurz]

Here's another one:

 

[Kwahe]

As a die-hard peep sight fan...all my rifles have them...those Rigby types are gorgeous sights. Perhaps I'll make a down-payment on one some day...I especially like the one mentioned that replaces the shroud...how cool if a repro of that exists!

DGP4...I have another 7x57 load that is very accurate in my rifle. This load includes 150g Partitions and Norma 203B. I refer you to a Norma reloading site: https://normapowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/normareloading.pdf

My load is not the highest, but not the lowest, either. One-inch groups at 75 yards with peeps. If I could shoot like Sir Laurie, perhaps they'd be half that size. Perhaps your eyes are better also...