The rifle is an m-305 with a shimmed gas system and a basset mount that used to hold a Nikon Monarch in Weaver rings. The ammo was handloaded with once fired brass. During the selection of the handloading recipe I got 1.5" groups consistently at a range of 90 yards. After finding this recipe I made a large batch of hunting ammunition using a Hornady 168 grain bullet. It sure was nice to have a lot of well shooting, well tested hunting ammo at hand!
Then I dropped the rifle from shoulder height while standing on a chair placed on concrete floor. One of the sling attachments got loose and dropped my rifle. The rifle fell on the scope and dinged it (the scope) up pretty bad but I shot some groups under un-scientific circumstances and it seemed ok.
A few months later I wanted to test the rifle before a hunt so I went to the firing range with twenty or so of my handloads. The best five shot group was more than three inches across. The hunt was for roe deer, which is a very small and skittish deer.. Needless to say I had to use another gun.
The first thing I did was to thouroughly clean the barrel with both copper-solvent and normal gunpowder/gunk solvent using experienced help, a nylon brush, a bronze brush and a zillion linen patches. Then I shot the rifle again and got pretty much the same result as before.
I've tried firing it from the bench, from prone, prone with sling, prone without sling. I shoot whith 10-20% air left in my lungs, being wary of high pulse or strained eyes. I've got a home made cheek rest that is so good I could fall asleep on it and wake up with my eye in the right spot. It doesn't matter, the groups vary in the 3-6" range.
I know I used to do <1.5" groups, I had a witness and I wrote all the group sizes down so that I could pick just the right amount of gunpowder. The best 4 shot group was closer to 1.3" than 1.5"
So I bought 100 rounds Norma FMJ factory loaded ammunition and went to the range today.
1. Five shots without changing anything (using my 1.5-6x Nikon Monarch with scrathes from the fall). 3" group at 90 yards
2. Five shots after disassembling the scope rings and removing the bases from the bassett mount (have tried remounting the bassett previously without any change), then reassembling the whole thing. 3" group at 90 yards
3. Two shots after removing the Nikon and installing an old 3-9x Weaver scope. 1.25" group at 90 yards
4. Five more shots with the weaver. 2.5" group
5. Four more shots with the weaver. 3.3" group
6. four more shots with the weaver. 2.5 " group
When I got home I used a pencil to look at how the groups would have been if I had shot them all at the same target. With the Nikon I put eight shots within four inches. With the Weaver I put eleven shots within five inches.
I wasn't shooting perfectly at the beginning of the session, or at the end of it for that matter. I was thirsty and there were mosquitoes, but I wasn't having the best day of my life when I made the handloads either, and those targets looked so very much better. Removing two flyers the weaver put nine shots within 2.1". THat's a good group, but it's not as good as the gun used to shoot, and I had to remove a couple of shots from the equation.
I have a Mauser to hunt with but I REALLY want to use this as a hunting rifle. It's just such a lovely design! I'm puzzled by this, and I don't want my dad to win.
"that semi-automatic cold war gun will never be good enough to be your hunting rifle"
"Son, buy that rifle now, but know that it's just a toy".
He was with me when I shot the handloads, his eyes were filled with awe and he admitted that I was right when he saw the target. I might have been wrong before, the day shooting those handloads just might have been the best day I've ever had
.
Anyway, I'm gonna do some reloading tonight (using my good old recipe) ad I'm testing those shots tomorrow. Any help on what to do after that is appreciated.
Then I dropped the rifle from shoulder height while standing on a chair placed on concrete floor. One of the sling attachments got loose and dropped my rifle. The rifle fell on the scope and dinged it (the scope) up pretty bad but I shot some groups under un-scientific circumstances and it seemed ok.
A few months later I wanted to test the rifle before a hunt so I went to the firing range with twenty or so of my handloads. The best five shot group was more than three inches across. The hunt was for roe deer, which is a very small and skittish deer.. Needless to say I had to use another gun.
The first thing I did was to thouroughly clean the barrel with both copper-solvent and normal gunpowder/gunk solvent using experienced help, a nylon brush, a bronze brush and a zillion linen patches. Then I shot the rifle again and got pretty much the same result as before.
I've tried firing it from the bench, from prone, prone with sling, prone without sling. I shoot whith 10-20% air left in my lungs, being wary of high pulse or strained eyes. I've got a home made cheek rest that is so good I could fall asleep on it and wake up with my eye in the right spot. It doesn't matter, the groups vary in the 3-6" range.
I know I used to do <1.5" groups, I had a witness and I wrote all the group sizes down so that I could pick just the right amount of gunpowder. The best 4 shot group was closer to 1.3" than 1.5"
So I bought 100 rounds Norma FMJ factory loaded ammunition and went to the range today.
1. Five shots without changing anything (using my 1.5-6x Nikon Monarch with scrathes from the fall). 3" group at 90 yards
2. Five shots after disassembling the scope rings and removing the bases from the bassett mount (have tried remounting the bassett previously without any change), then reassembling the whole thing. 3" group at 90 yards
3. Two shots after removing the Nikon and installing an old 3-9x Weaver scope. 1.25" group at 90 yards
4. Five more shots with the weaver. 2.5" group
5. Four more shots with the weaver. 3.3" group
6. four more shots with the weaver. 2.5 " group
When I got home I used a pencil to look at how the groups would have been if I had shot them all at the same target. With the Nikon I put eight shots within four inches. With the Weaver I put eleven shots within five inches.
I wasn't shooting perfectly at the beginning of the session, or at the end of it for that matter. I was thirsty and there were mosquitoes, but I wasn't having the best day of my life when I made the handloads either, and those targets looked so very much better. Removing two flyers the weaver put nine shots within 2.1". THat's a good group, but it's not as good as the gun used to shoot, and I had to remove a couple of shots from the equation.
I have a Mauser to hunt with but I REALLY want to use this as a hunting rifle. It's just such a lovely design! I'm puzzled by this, and I don't want my dad to win.
"that semi-automatic cold war gun will never be good enough to be your hunting rifle"
"Son, buy that rifle now, but know that it's just a toy".
He was with me when I shot the handloads, his eyes were filled with awe and he admitted that I was right when he saw the target. I might have been wrong before, the day shooting those handloads just might have been the best day I've ever had
.Anyway, I'm gonna do some reloading tonight (using my good old recipe) ad I'm testing those shots tomorrow. Any help on what to do after that is appreciated.
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