How much accuracy can you get out of a Swedish Mauser Sporter

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pacobillie

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I have this Swedish Mauser Sporter, chambered in 6.5X55 of course. I bought it at a local gun show about 2 years ago. The action is a 1916 Carl Gustav's. The barrel is a military barrel cut down to 24 inches. It sits in an aftermarket wood stock that was poorly inletted at the recoil lug. The bore is shiny and the rifling looks good.

When I initially got it, it shot about 1.75 inches with handloads. I have since bedded the action around the recoil lug. The tang was a tight fit and I have left it alone. My groups are down to about .85 in. at 100 yards, without significant load development efforts. I am currently using 47.5 gr. H4831, in Hornady brass, with a 143 gr. ELD-X seated at 3.14 inches and CCI BR2 primer. There are no pressure signs. The scope is a Bushnell Elite 3200 2-7X32 in Weaver mounts.

I feel like this rifle has good accuracy potential and I want to get the maximum accuracy out of it, but I do not want to spend a fortune. Let us keep in mind that this is hunting rig. So, no new stock or barrel, please!

Other than further load development, the obvious improvements would be a Timney trigger, better brass (I have 100 pieces of new Lapua brass on hand) and better scope mounts and rings. How much more accurate can I get this thing to shoot without spending a fortune? Those of you who own sporterized Swedish Mausers, how well have you been able to get them to shoot?
 
I can get .5" group at 100 yds with one of my M96 that i use with a rifle scope, i can shoot 12" gongs at 500 yds with it without much fuss.
My recipe is 140gr A-max, Lapua brass, CCI 200's and 47gr's of IMR 7828.
 
.85 is very good accuracy, most people would be happy with that accuracy with a modern bolt action.

Timney trigger is a great addition. I have a Model 38 that I've owned for over 40 years, somewhat sporterized military stock, bedded with a Timney trigger , 4x Leupold.

Most days it will shoot 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 groups at a hundred, at one time I shot alot of game with it using 140gr Norma bullets over surplus 44 Powder from Higginsons.

357
 
The trigger will probably help the most. I have an old millitary husky. Gave it a stock, bedded action, and a timney. It is currently shooting 125 gr nossler partitions amazingly well. Alittle over 1/2 inch when I can hold it still enough.
 
I don't have a sporter version, just a plain Jane 1911 built one and I might be the odd duck here, but I really like the original trigger. That could be because I started out at 13 with a Ross 303 with a military trigger with lots of take-up slack before the break point.
 
I had a sporterized 96 about twenty five years ago. It was glass bedded in a synthetic stock and had a Timney trigger. If I remember right it was made in 1906. It was the best shooting rifle I had at the time, easily capable of .75 MOA with RL 22 and 140gr Partitions. Put a lot of meat in the freezer with that old rifle.
 
I think it's a good standard and not sure where I heard this but, generally speaking hunters/shooters seek at or just under 1 MOA thier deer capable rifles. (deer rifle)
And 1/2 MOA thier smaller varmint cartridges.(varmint rifle)
Of course both instances 100 yards.

That's feasible I think.
 
A Timney is always nice to have but some of those M96s and M38s have two stage triggers that aren't bad at all, i have 8 rifles in 6.5x55 and some of them shoot excellent groups even without timneys.
 
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