Hi Can anybody help

I purchased a Mauser 03 in 222 remington and have tried loading 50 grains and 55 grains of 4198 Hodgdon without any success. I wonder anybody have any idea of the twist rate of these barrels on the continent. I have a 20 inche solid barrel and the best group I can get is 1.5 inches seating it .005 backed from the lands.

I tried the cleaning rod trick and I am guess it is between 12 or 14 twist but just want to be sure and wonder if anybody has an accuracy issue with the Mauser 03
Thanks

Londonhunter

I hope you are joking about those charge weights.

Twist rates on .222's generally are 1:14, occasionally 1:12. Should stablise up to 60gr.

Try some loads around 21gr of RL7 under a 50gr V-max or Sierra Blitzking. OAL is 53.5mm. These have proven to be very accurate in at least 3 rifles I know of.

If you can get some factory loaded Winchester Supreme 40gr BST's or Hornady factory loaded 50gr V-Max's these again have both been very accurate in several rifles (.3-.4") and will tell you if you have a rifle or hand load problem.

London,

Getting a .222 Remington to deliver under 3/4" groups in pretty much any rifle, even with a pencil-thin barreled hunting rifle is normally no great feat so something's amiss here. With a larger, stiffer tube and higher magnification scope in a solid, brand name rifle such as a Mauser 03 this cartridge should deliver oustanding accuracy.

Have you tried any factory ammunition as a measure of the type of accuracy you could expect from your rifle yet? This ought to give you a benchmark to go on from your rifle; especially the RWS 47 or 52 grain target loads - IMO they are normally VERY accurate.

I don't think you'll have an issue due to the barrel twist as most European twist rates for the .222 Remington are 1 in 14" which tend to deliver best accuracy with less than 55 grain bullets and usually any good, brand name 50-53 grain .224" bullets will get optimum accuracy right off the bat with a .222 Remington.

I think too many folks get all wrapped up with the "Kissing the Lands" routine and attempt load their cartridges too long. This is great for Benchresters and other highly specilized shooting applications but the .222 Remington has a very long neck to begin with leaving little bullet purchase with 50, 52 & 53 grain bullets when loaded to a long O.A.L.. With this cartidge I attempt to give my Test Loads at least one bullet diameter (at least .224") and the old stand-by for the .222 Remington of 2.13" O.A.L. isn't a bad place to start either.

The original .222 Remington Accuracy Load was loaded with 21.0 grains IMR 4198, not H-4198 but I've found both powders deliver EXCELLENT results in the .222 Remington and usually between 20.5 - 21.0 grains. Actually both powders are so long-grained today as to be almost outdated and better served with finer grained powders giving better measuring and metering. H-322, VV N-130, Norma 200, H-4895, WW-748, RE-7 are all noted accuracy powders in the .222 Remington and I'm dating mself as some of the newer powders from Hodgdon are just as good but H-4895 certainly ought to be giving you better accuracy than what you're getting.

My current load of RWS brass, Speer 50 gr. TNT, CCI-450 primer, 21.5 grs. of VV N-130 at 2.18" O.A.L. is extrodinarily accurate and fast, too (3284 fps) out of a Heavy-Barreled Target Rifle with this cartridge.

There are though; other considerations. A good accurate cartidge or a well-tailored handload means nothing if the rifle itself isn't set-up correctly; bedding, screws correctly tightened (or too tight), the scope correctly mounted & adjusted, proper shooting bench set-up and/or technique, etc. Then all the tinkering with a load isn't going to compensate for other variables. I certainly don't want to insult your intellect or capabilities but just offer some food for thought to the COMPLETE set-up. Perhaps you're chasing your tail due to one variable?

Have you tested the twist rate using the cleaning rod? A simply way to eliminate the doubt.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

YesI have used the old cleaning rod trick however I am getting somewhere between 12 - 14 twist. Never seen this before hence I posted thi thread. I heard from a fellow shooter at Bisley that twist rate on some manufacturers are not "classical" i.e. 1 in 14 for 222 remington

I have checked all the normal parameters i.e. tightening and uses a solid bench and 20 x scope to elimiate other variables.

My intention is to use this set up (rifle) to plink and practice and eventaully get a 404 jeffrey barrel for a buffalo

I had hope that this sould get below 0.5 MOA with handload but so far this had eluded me

I have tried 04 makes of factry ammo

Sako
Remington
Federal

RWS (no I have not tried yet) but will do if available in the UK

I have tried
55 grains Nosler Ballistic with 4198 and varget
50 grains NBT with 4198 somewhere between 19 - 22 grains in both instances but wht I am getting are very eratic flyers.

This is my first break down rifle hence I am worried there might be somemething I am missing or not tightening...........

Just wonder if there are other issues Mauser 0 uses are experienceing that's all

on he whole the buoild quality is amazing and I have the delux grade with all the gold trimmings and egraving.

londonhunter

I might post some picture is members are interested.................

Sorry for all the typo errors press "Post Now" too early............

London,

Sounds like a very nice Mauser 03 you have and their .404 Jeffery chambering - very enticing, indeed. Your versitility concept is a good one after all, why not, from .222 Remington to .404 Jeffery? That's alot of versitility IMO.

Your Varget & H-4198 loads with those excellent NBT's ought to be having you poking itty-bitty groups for my consideration.

Have you tried trimming the cases for consistancy? Other than that I am at a lack of potential other causes for the less than optimal groups from a .222 Remington at the moment.

I have to admit I have zreo expereince with this particular rifle other than to have given them the odd causal look in the shops, so can offer nothing in the way of assistance for particularities applicable to this model & rifle, either.

I got my best results with my Anschutz using the following data: IMR4198 19,2 grains, 52 grains sierra bullets, cci srbr primers. Data taken from Speer adn Sierra manuals of the second half of '80 years.

Ok the burning rate of the old IMR4198 it is not the same of H4198, but it should not change so much.
These, instead, are from actual Hogdon reloading data center

Starting load Max load

Bullet Order Powder Grs. Vel. Pressure Grs. Vel. Pressure
Weight (Gr.) BW (ft/s) (ft/s)
45 GR. SPR SP 45 H4198 18.9 3011 33,400 CUP 21.0 3315 44,800 CUP

53 GR. HDY HP 53 H4198 17.5 2800 35,300 CUP 19.5 3038 45,500 CUP
53 GR. HDY HP 53 IMR 4198 16.5 2742 36,500 PSI 18.7 3025 47,900 PSI

55 GR. SPR SP 55 H4198 17.5 2733 33,400 CUP 19.5 3017 45,300 CUP

Hope that it helps.