My hunting buddy Cewe will get a new knee a few days from now and needs some cheering up, so I finally gave in and sold him the rifle he needed. We always argued that he needs a larger bore rifle than the .416 Rigby, so the logical choice is of course a 423 cal, that is the 10,75x68!







The stock had to be refinished and rechequered from this sorry condition. The only metalwork done was v-shaping the rear sight.

It has the sharpest shouldered 10,75x68 chamber I ever saw.


It was made by Saive in Belgium
The stockshape gives it sweet handling qualities.

Boha, one less Mauser in the gunsafe..

What´s a man without friends? Even the Beatles new this truth

I´m lucky enough to have em.

Very nice! A real no-noncense working gun!
Yupp, that was a very sharp shoulder for a 10,75x68! What bullet is that in the pick?

Thanks!And good luck with your knee!

Woodleigh 400 grs, 65 grs of VV N135 at 2110-2120 fps.
I haven't tried the DEVA load of 68 grs of N140 for 2165 fps. But I will some day.

I have a fine Hoffman rifle in 10.75x68 I purchased from Ray Atkinson that is near perfection. I have not tried the Vitavouri powders but they might be the ticket. I want my rifle to shoot the Northfork CPS and FNS at about 2150 to 2200 f/s. Have these loads been proofed?

The DEVA load is sort of a German standard, I think. My load with N135 has been approved by three scandinavian moose.

I can´t wait to get my hands on this one!

I think this says it best.

Jeffery 404

With acknowledgement to Rege Podraza ( Where Elephants go to die )

“It rested between the ivory
That hung on grandpa’s wall
It’s finish checked and yellowed
Like the tusks it helped to fall

It’s barrel smooth and polished
From a hundred bearers hands
It reflected the light warmly
Like campfires flickering bands

The stock of English walnut
Chewed and clawed a bit
It still showed a trace of checkering
And a dent where a horn had hit

Stamped on the barrel lightly
Was a name and not much more
A single word “Jefferyâ€
“Jeffery 404â€

If that rifle could only talk
And take us back again
With grandpa in Africa
A time of buffalo, elephant and men


But that day has set it’s sun
And the rifle speaks no more
Oh what I’d give for one last time
To hear that baby roar

Grandpa's “Jefferyâ€
His “Jeffery 404â€

A finer mild bigbore would be hard to find. I still miss mine. A rifle like that I'd have in a heartbeat.
Cheers...
Con

That is one fine rifle. I got bit by the 10.75x68 bug 3 years ago, since then I have aquired 3 Mauser Model "B" Sporters. They range from 98% to a beater with a perfect bore. All 3 have that same sharp shoulder in the chamber. I had to send 2 sets of dies back to RCBS to have them re-cut. I bought a set of C&H and they worked the first time.

Mine have a date across the pond in '09 with a leopard................................JJ

boha,
65grs N135 and a 400grs bullet? Is this load within the save maximum pressure (3300bar/piezo)? The newest DEVA book list´s the 10,75 with 67,5grs N140 and a 347grs bullet. There isn´t any load listed for a 400grs bullet. I´m loading this round for ~8 years and I use the Rottweil R902, 66grs behind a 347grs Woodleigh and this is in the Deva book maximum. Have you measure the pressure of your loaded rounds?


Martin

Hi Martin. I don't remember where I picked that N140 load up. I have no DEVA book, I'm afraid, so it could have been on the trusty internet.. I wrote the load down in my loading journal years ago, but haven't tried it. As always the handloader should be careful and not trust any information until tested properly by starting lower and working up.
My load with N135 works just fine, and 640 m/s is pretty good. I worked it up from 60 grs which gave 600 m/s.
People push the 347 grs bullet close to 740 m/s, so the 400 to 650 must be reasonable, I think. I have noted loads of 71 grs of R 903 for 715 m/s and 75 grs of R 907 for 740 m/s with the 347 grs bullet on the internet.
I have noted a max of 69 grs for the R 902 producing 700 m/s on a copy from a German book I got from a fellow 10,75 fan in Switzerland.
Ray Atkinson on these forums loads his 10,75 very stiff with ww748 powder, but I dont recall the bullet or the velocity.
My own 10,75 is an old Echoldt with a 70 cm barrel, which might have some significance to the matter.

Please tell us more about your loads, Martin.

Boha

just some days untill the 404 comes here, but ill be busy with work, so that rifle will have to wait some days...

Not many calibers has their poems, this one about the 404 was very fine.

Very fine rifle Boha, good quality and a joy to use it looks like .

Boha,
I have a few datas in my loading journal, but since I have this rifle, I always loaded the Rottweil R902 propelant. The most bullets I shoot, was the Woodleigh 347grs. But befor an few years, I tested same 300grs SP from Degol, the recoil was less as with the heavier loads, but the accuracy was terrible. This year I changed my bullet design. Now I´m using the 350grs Degol SM PP ( strong jacked protected point)with 63grs of R902. I don´t know the correct velocity, but it must be at ~660-680m/s. The degol is from belgium and it´s better to order. The other, very good bullet must travel around the earth.
The most loads in the books are with Rottweil or Vith powder in combination with the Woodleigh bullets. In a german hunters magazine are datas for Barnes and Degol bullets, with IMR, Alliant, Norma, Vith, and Rottweil propelant, but I don´t trust this loads. Sametimes there´s too much powder in the case with a very long Barnes X or solid, for example a load with 65grs R903 and the X, is a over 10% compressed charge!
The background is, I know I can work up a load, for example with the 400grs, but I don´t want making experiments with my rifle. My dad built it for me and it costs not only money, it costs blood, sweat and nervs to get a permit in good old germany, as marksman.
Here same loads:
22,5g Delsing SPRN 65grs Norma N200 OAL: 84mm
dito. 73grs PB Clermont PCL508 dito. max.
22,5g Woodleigh FMJ or SN 67,5grs N140 OAL: 81,2mm
22,5g Woodleigh FMJ 66grs R902 OAL: 81,2mm
Al tested by DEVA


22,5g Woodleigh SNRN OAL 81,5mm:
67,5grs R902
75grs R903
72grs R907
Tested by a gun magazine (only the velocity!)

350grs Barnes X 64,7grs R903 OAL:81mm
350grs Death Tough 64,8grs N140 OAL:80,8mm
400grs Degol SN 60grs IMR4320 OAL: 81mm
400grs Barnes X 60grs Rel15 OAL:81,2mm
400grs FMJ 62grs Norma N203 OAL:81mm
Tested by hunter magazine (only velocity!!)

I have same more, but the only difference is the powder charge or the bullet design.



Martin

Could someone run this round through Quickload?
It has 88,29 grains of water, and 2150 with a 400 grs bullet should be easy within safe preassures?

The .416 Taylor have 93,62 grs of water, and reaches 2300 easily with a smaller diameter bullet, and 2400 have been clocked - although maybe to hot for Africa.

Bent,
Is your 423Capstick showing 88gr H20?? PM sent on a similar capacity cartridge.
Cheers...
Con

No, I was talking about the 10,75x68!

I hope that thing comes with ample supply of ammo. I heard one needs to HUNT for ammo before they can even think about shooting one of these.

Have been shooting that caliber for a couple of years now, in fact just sold my custom 10.75x68 on AR. It was a nice featherweight rifle and recoil was moderate..I love the 350 gr. Barnes X at 2375 FPS or better yet the Northfork .380 Cup points at 2300 FPS and the 400 gr. Woodleighs at 2100 worked perfectly and expanded just enough, without over expansion.

Light and easy to pack in the African heat, kills buffalo with aplomb. A light rifle in Africas summer season is a blessing for those of us who are a bit long in the tooth.

A word of advise, it is best to fireform the cases the first time, then set your dies by that fireformed case as much of the metric brass may be a tad long or more likely short for American cut chambers..Horneber seems to be a tad short and if you don't fireform the brass suffers. Not a big problem, if your aware. I noticed someone had to send dies back and I suspect maybe that was the problem.

The other option is to fire 3 cases and send them RCBS and have custom dies made for your chamber.

Boha,
I take my hat off to you sir.

If I kneecap myself right now, is there any chance you would sell me a rifle like that?

Seriously, I am thinking of building a 10.75 x 68, on an Oberndorf action I have. Any chance you could post the mag box dimensions, or better yet measurements and some pics of any modifications?

Todd

Todd,
the 10,75 Mauser is short enaugh for the standard magazine box. The only is to do , the follower must be inproved, then the round is thicker as a 8x57IS. In the book "Mauser Sporting Rifles" are the dimensions shown, for every round for the followers.
The boldface must be fitted for thicker head of the round.

Here same pic´s of my rifle and the round.




Martin

Martin,

Thank you for the info and pics! Very nice rifle - is it a modern one built along classic lines, or a vintage rifle?

Todd

Todd,
I saw this classic line rifle in the Mauser book I have and told my dad, I want build such one. I found a original Mauser action from 1937 with the Mauser banner (700.-DM in 1997)and bought the other parts like the barrel (Heym hammerforged Krupp steel)and the gunparts. My dad and I installed all this parts and the stock is made by an old ( retired)stockmaker from Krieghoff with pictures from the Mauser book.
The rest is history.
At the moment I´m building the same rifle in 7x57 with the diffence, I installed a EAW scope mount on top of the receiver and a single set trigger. I hope, I will finish it this year.


Martin

cip and saami are different on this round, and I understand the headspace to be different, with the saami being a shorter neck... so, when mine is to be made, it's going to be euro chamber and dies... and i am aiming at 7.5#

boha,

I can't claim to be a friend, but can always find space for a rifle like that and I do have a bad knee and am Finn of sorts. Maki used to be Katajamaki but nobody around here could pronounce that. Cewe must be a real friend to let a rifle like that go.

Cheers,
Dean

Martin,

Thank you for the info. A fine rifle indeed. I like the 7x57 idea as well. Actually I like all the Mauser rounds, all the Mauser rifles too.

Todd