So I grabbed this 1943 BNZ still with Nazi stamp on it. It's a sporter with barrel cut short. Front blade sight and fixed rear sight. The bore is in good condition, and crowning isn't bad. Bolt is in great condition. Since the gun was inheritted 10 years ago and has never been shot, I cleaned it really well. I took this gun to the range with factory Winchester 170 gr ammo. At 25 meters and 50 meters, the grouping seemed to be decent. However, when I started shooting at 100 meters, funny thing started happening. The first shot was pretty much dead on. But the next two shots were alway much lower, around 10 inches low. When I rested the gun on sandbag, the 2nd and the 3rd shots were consistently lower and to the left. Then I shot with the front end gripped by my left hand loosely. The 2nd and the 3rd shots came back to the center but still much lower. Any ideas?
Help needed for 8mm Mauser
- Thread starter rollingrock
- Start date
erratic groups
First of all, tighten up the stock screws. Then check the barrel bedding. You might even try a different brand of ammunition.
North American ammunition is anemic at about 2260 fps for the 170 grain load. This is because of older 8x57 rifles that are not as strong as the 98 Mauser. Most North American hunters and shooters do not understand the difference between the 8x57 J (or 8x57 I) with it's .318 bore and the 8x57 JS (or 8x57 IS) with it's .323 bore. The ammo companies keep the loading low because of possible liability lawsuits. Europeans are taught the difference.
Try some Norma or RWS ammo, as it drives the 170 grain bullet at about 2700 fps. Also, you can reload safely if you have a safe and proper 8x57 IS (8x57 JS) to equal 30-06 velocities.
First of all, tighten up the stock screws. Then check the barrel bedding. You might even try a different brand of ammunition.
North American ammunition is anemic at about 2260 fps for the 170 grain load. This is because of older 8x57 rifles that are not as strong as the 98 Mauser. Most North American hunters and shooters do not understand the difference between the 8x57 J (or 8x57 I) with it's .318 bore and the 8x57 JS (or 8x57 IS) with it's .323 bore. The ammo companies keep the loading low because of possible liability lawsuits. Europeans are taught the difference.
Try some Norma or RWS ammo, as it drives the 170 grain bullet at about 2700 fps. Also, you can reload safely if you have a safe and proper 8x57 IS (8x57 JS) to equal 30-06 velocities.
BNZ History: Steyr 1943+44 some were contracted to the schultsstaffel. If you find the right mark on the receiver you are in luck. If on the barrel ...now cut down, well too late.
Either way it will make for a good project should you restore it.
Either way it will make for a good project should you restore it.
The Germans changed their ammo in 1904, friend, so your rifle will be made to the new standard. You will be able to handload using common .323" bullets with no problems.
Steer clear of the .318" bullet should you run into a box of the things. They are for the pre-1904 rifles, the few that weren't converted, and they are copper-bottom guaranteed to shoot all over the place out of your rifle.
I have had pretty decent success shooting the Hornady 150 Spire Point in my rifles. The Germans ran a 154-grain flatbase pointed bullet at 2880 ft/sc out of a 29-inch barrel; that was the new standard for the JS loading back in 1904: beats the original .30-'06 by almost 200 ft/sec, but don't tell the Americans! The 8x57 truly is an underappeciated cartridge, one that will flatten anything in North America... and it doesn't even have "Magnum" as part of its name!
Have fun!
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Steer clear of the .318" bullet should you run into a box of the things. They are for the pre-1904 rifles, the few that weren't converted, and they are copper-bottom guaranteed to shoot all over the place out of your rifle.
I have had pretty decent success shooting the Hornady 150 Spire Point in my rifles. The Germans ran a 154-grain flatbase pointed bullet at 2880 ft/sc out of a 29-inch barrel; that was the new standard for the JS loading back in 1904: beats the original .30-'06 by almost 200 ft/sec, but don't tell the Americans! The 8x57 truly is an underappeciated cartridge, one that will flatten anything in North America... and it doesn't even have "Magnum" as part of its name!
Have fun!
.
Isn't U.S. made ammo loaded with .318" bullets and lower pressure loads ?
You may wish to try some European commercial ammo (Pvri Partisan for instance). It is typically loaded hotter and uses .323" bullets. Perfect for a Kar98k and Gewehr 98 but not so for a Gewehr 88.
You may wish to try some European commercial ammo (Pvri Partisan for instance). It is typically loaded hotter and uses .323" bullets. Perfect for a Kar98k and Gewehr 98 but not so for a Gewehr 88.
Deltasilver
Regular
- Location
- Right behind you...
Reich Eagle, not an SS marking. The smaller version with the numbers under it is called a Waffenamt. There will be a "7.9" under the blob of ??? in front of the receiver denoting the caliber.
Make sure you keep your brass
EDIT: Dude, that blob of ... on the front of the receiver - Is that a "v" notch? That's not your rear sight is it?? Got any pictures of the whole rifle?
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Make sure you keep your brass
EDIT: Dude, that blob of ... on the front of the receiver - Is that a "v" notch? That's not your rear sight is it?? Got any pictures of the whole rifle?
.
Deltasilver
Regular
- Location
- Right behind you...
The hand-guard, barrel bands, rear sight sleeve all missing. The only thing holding that rifle together are the action screws... We make jokes about "minute of barn", LOL might be pushing it for this old girl. Close-up of the business end of things?
I know. But that's a sporter....is a sporter supposed to have barrel band?
Deltasilver
Regular
- Location
- Right behind you...
No. But the original parts did a heck of a job of keeping the business end from wandering around when the trigger was pulled.
And if the stock in letting looks anything like that "rear sight"...
How tight are the screws?
Deltasilver
Regular
- Location
- Right behind you...
Any constructive suggestions are welcome. Tell me what I should do with this gun.
It's still a long ways from garbage - a little TLC (and some parts) and who knows? 98 actions are a terrific place to start for a custom build. Or if the barrel's been cut you could track down the right bits and build a "Tanker"...
The original owner can't be reached no more...6 feet under the ground now. I'm not looking to restore this gun honestly. Just want to keep it as a meat gun. Maybe down the road I will put an original rear sight on and reblue the gun.
Without some work I doubt this "meat" gun will be hitting much "meat" haha.
mine was cut to a spoter too I have better accuracy 1/4 inch at 100 yards with a 150 horn. innerlock with varget I think 53 grains when I tried 175 seirrias I had success atthe range but not in the field I couldn't do my part so I whent back to the hornady
Well she isn't bad. The basement job of attaching a V sight to the front of the receiver is probably the worst of it. Why someone would rip the tangant rear sight off is beyond me.
The work reminds me of one of my Gewehr 98s that bubba sadly got his hands on and decided to experiment in new ways of making the rifle lighter in weight. With that in mind, everything you can imagine was taken off including the Lange sight base with the help of a pipe wrench. The barrel was cut down to 24" and a sporter sight sodered in place. A dove tail sight base was cut and put into the receiver as well. The crowning achievement of bubba's work was to turn down the bolt handle (matching to the rifle too). The job, however, was rather crudely performed. Add to that 30+ years of neglect in some outdoor shed and you have a former milsurp crying for attention.
The thing that bothered me the most was the action was being secured in place by the two main trigger guard screws only (the lock screws being tossed away at some point). If either of those screws went while I was at the range, I would have been in serious trouble.
All the negative things aside, she turned out to be a great shooter at the range.
Work on restoring the rifle to her former military glory is progressing and I am quite eager to achieve the final results.
The work reminds me of one of my Gewehr 98s that bubba sadly got his hands on and decided to experiment in new ways of making the rifle lighter in weight. With that in mind, everything you can imagine was taken off including the Lange sight base with the help of a pipe wrench. The barrel was cut down to 24" and a sporter sight sodered in place. A dove tail sight base was cut and put into the receiver as well. The crowning achievement of bubba's work was to turn down the bolt handle (matching to the rifle too). The job, however, was rather crudely performed. Add to that 30+ years of neglect in some outdoor shed and you have a former milsurp crying for attention.
The thing that bothered me the most was the action was being secured in place by the two main trigger guard screws only (the lock screws being tossed away at some point). If either of those screws went while I was at the range, I would have been in serious trouble.
All the negative things aside, she turned out to be a great shooter at the range.
Work on restoring the rifle to her former military glory is progressing and I am quite eager to achieve the final results.
