I read through this thread and it reminded me of my Turk Mauser. I bought it at christmas gave it a good cleaning the day I got it and was anxious to fire it. I bought 2 boxes of 8x57 ammo and away I went. The gun shot exactly like your Mauser OP. I brought it inside after shooting it and looked at the bore again. It looked like there was almost zero rifling in the last 6" of the bore. So then I was thinking counter bore, etc.
I had a fellow CGN'er who knows a thing or two look at it. He told me right away that the bore was filthy and of course it wouldn't shoot worth a crap!! I scrubbed it for a couple weeks at night and now it has lots of rifling but still a dark bore. It now shoots 2-4" groups at 80-100 yards.
The other thing I'll add is my Turk Mauser only shoots well with shorter lighter bullets. If I load 180-200 grain bullets in it it shoot terrible and keyholes. But if I load 150 grain bullets it shoots like a champ!
I had a fellow CGN'er who knows a thing or two look at it. He told me right away that the bore was filthy and of course it wouldn't shoot worth a crap!! I scrubbed it for a couple weeks at night and now it has lots of rifling but still a dark bore. It now shoots 2-4" groups at 80-100 yards.
The other thing I'll add is my Turk Mauser only shoots well with shorter lighter bullets. If I load 180-200 grain bullets in it it shoot terrible and keyholes. But if I load 150 grain bullets it shoots like a champ!
