I recently bought another Mini Mk X in 7.62x39 and this one refuses to shoot very well. The best thing shot in it so far is some Wolf Performance I bought in the mid 90's which goes into a 5 shot group of 2.0 inch. I have tried several different reloads and Factory loads. It has recrowned with an 11* target crown and the bedding is good. I have tried it with the barrel free floated and also with some pressure. I have tried reloading with the .308 and .310 sizer button. Anyone have any experience with these rifles?

Steve E.............

i may have a spare baarrel for one of these laying around

Rebarrel it to 6.5 Grendel with a pre threaded & chambered Lothar Walther SS barrel. I've rebarreled 4 so far and they have all been extremely accurate.

6.5 Grendel, I have thought about doing just that. Is the 6.5 CSS worth looking into? I have no problem turning necks.

Steve E.............

I've had a 6.5 Grendel on a Mini-Mauser in progress for over three years. Hopefully sooner than later I'll get to shoot it.

I went with a PacNor CM barrel pre-chambered and threaded.

If you use a LW stainless barrel, the suggestion of getting it pre chambered and threaded is an excellent idea. I wish someone had made that suggestion to me a long time ago, when I made inquiries about using LW stainless barrels. That suggestion would have saved me a lot of grief and aggrivation on a seperate project. But I had to learn the hard way.

Meanwhile, waiting on the mini-Mauser, I bought a Ruger 77 MKII PPC action, and had it barreled in 6.5 Grendel. Since purchasing the action, it's been in progress about five months, and it's near completion, so I may even get to hunt with it this season. I like six months in progress a lot better than over three years.

I think it's going to be a fun little cartridge.

KB

Are you sure the barrel is not copper fouled? Try a patch of sweets down the barrel and see if it comes out blue.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve E.:
6.5 Grendel, I have thought about doing just that. Is the 6.5 CSS worth looking into? I have no problem turning necks.

Steve E.............

Steve I really don't think that its worth the extra work (neck turning) all the rifles I did useing the standard Grendel shot 3/4" or better @ 100 yds. Your call.

I have tried Butches, Warthog 1134, Sweets and even Outers Foaming Bore Cleaner and they all show normal amounts of copper when cleaning. I think it is time to go with a 6.5 Grendel in it.

Steve E...........

7mm BR :-)

It's at the saloon for a makeover right now.

The 7mm BR has a 308 size head, does it not?

Which presents some issues with the follower, the magazine, and the bolt face, which very likely translate into feeding issues.

IMO, it would be a significant mistake to try to open up everything from the 7.62x39 to accept the 7mm BR. The 6.5 Grendel is a natural for this little action.

KB

Until the CZ527 came along, the Mini Mauser and the Sako 461 were the only relatively available small actions.

I built this rifle on a Mini Mauser



http://rvbprecision.com/shooti...g-the-17mach-iv.html

But the Cz527 is a much better action and the trigger on the 527 can be worked to near BR quality. The trigger on the Mini Mauser is very difficult to get down below 2 pounds and be close to safe.

There used to be a solution to the trigger problem with the mini-Mauser. I doubt they can be found now.

However, getting the trigger pull below 2 lbs was never a goal of mine. I never tried it. If the factory Mini-Mauser trigger could be tuned crisp, to about 3 lbs, that would suit me OK.

Scroll to the bottom:
http://www.gentrycustom.com/pa...ct_pages/safety.html

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewP...productNumber=294802

If I started from scratch again, I would seriously consider the CZ 527. Feeding issues don't exist with that action. The 6.5 Grendel fits the magazine and feeds perfect with no modifications. And a lot of other issues are just not there to deal with in the first place. The backward safety and DBM is a bit of a drawback, but I could be ok with them because the action is solid, and it has a set trigger feature.

KB

The safety is like a hammer on a revolver "Pull Back to Fire".......All thumb safeties should be like that.

I have a "solution" to the ugly drop down magazine

http://rvbprecision.com/shooti...zine-conversion.html

That's a dandy of a rifle.

KB

If the trigger is a problem they are easily replaced.

I have a Mini in 7.62X39 and usually get about 1 1/2" groups with Winchester hunting ammo. I'm thinking one day I'd like to have the barrel profile duplicated and do a 6.5 Grendel. I might even finish the rifle one day

Terry

That's a mighty purty rifle, Terry.

I have had complete satisfaction with PacNor cloning barrel contours for me several times. It's nice because you can choose the twist, and the number of grooves too. They do install their barrels on your action too and do a great job. I have a project with them now, using my reamer for a wildcat chamber. I had them do a 6.5 Gren on a Ruger MKII PPC action, which they finished last month, with a 8.5" twist, 3 groove barrel, their #3 contour, not cloned from a Ruger contour.

I used the 7.62x39 for a couple of seasons in Texas for deer and hogs. I really liked the little cartridge, and the CZ 527, but I always felt a little undergunned. With very careful shot placment, I took a few deer, and none escaped. But I lost a hog that was hit just a little wrong. I'm sure hit like that with a 308, he wouldn't have escaped.

Anyway, it was very difficult to decide to go with the Grendel, doing the math etc., for what is gained, but I do think there is something to gain there. At least enough so I'll probably not go back to hunting with a 7.62x39 again.

I compare the 6.5 Grendel to a 257 Roberts or a 250 Savage, both of which many say are fine deer cartridges. I've heard and read the comparison of the 7.62x39 to the 30-30 many times, and IMO, with the 123gr bullets, it not up to measure with a 30-30. It comes closer with handloads and 150gr or heavier bullets.

KB

Terry,

Is that the Mini Mk X with a Model 70 style safety? That is a fantastic looking stock on whatever it is, where did it come from if you don't mind me asking. The Air Force might let us go after 21 years so I plan on bringing mine back home to Ms and taking a few Deer with it, we do have a few hogs over our way now. One thing I know I will be shooting a few of is those dang possums on the half shell.


Steve E.......

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
There used to be a solution to the trigger problem with the mini-Mauser. I doubt they can be found now.

However, getting the trigger pull below 2 lbs was never a goal of mine. I never tried it. If the factory Mini-Mauser trigger could be tuned crisp, to about 3 lbs, that would suit me OK.

KB

I agree with Kabluewy. I prefer a nice crisp pull of about 3 lbs for hunting.

For a number of years I shot Hi-Power (Full-Bore) in Canada, where the competition regulations require a minimum trigger pull of 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds) for TR Class (Target Rifle) and came to like it very much.

Once a person learns to manage it and develops a smooth pull it is very nice for hunting...especially if the weather is cold and one's fingers become a little numbish.

Anyway, my limited experience with Mini-Mausers tells me that getting splendid accuracy with them is pretty much the same as getting it with any other Mauser.

Good bedding, good trigger, good barrel, good ammo, good sights, and lots of practice.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve E.:
Terry,

Is that the Mini Mk X with a Model style safety? That is a fantastic looking stock on whatever it is, where did it come from if you don't mind me asking. The Air Force might let us go after 21 years so I plan on bringing mine back home to Ms and taking a few Deer with it, we do have a few hogs over our way now. One thing I know I will be shooting a few of is those dang possums on the half shell.


Steve E.......

Hey Steve, yes it's a Mini Mauser. James Anderson did the work. The safety is a Dakota M98 and the trigger is a Bold M98. The safety takes some serious mojo to fit. I think one of the threads needs to be cut off the bolt and then he recontoured the body to fit the action. I think it's a pretty serious operation but it's smoother than any M70 safety I've ever worked. He did a few other things like a new bolt handle, custom bases for the Talley rings, he milled all that writing off the left side of the action and made some very impressive bottom metal for it.

On the trigger, you cam simply replace it with an aftermarket safety equipped model like a Timney and probably do it yourself.

The stock is from Great American Gunstocks. It's one of their 95% rough turned models that everyone hates. I remodeled it from it's intended design and now it has sort of a British stalker look to it.

The rifle still needs some work. It needs to be blued and the stock needs checkering. I've given some thought to rebarreling it but right now I'm taking a break from custom rifles so it'll have to wait.

Terry

I rebarreled mine in 270X39AI, or a 270PPC. A very accurate kids deer rifle. After 15 yrs it is being redone. The barrel, dies, and brass belongs to James Anderson now. I still own the reamer. I am redoing the rifle as a 220 Russian.
Butch

Guy's correct me if I am wrong, but the Grendel is a .293 neck and my understanding of CSS's .295 is that it allows you to use 7.62x38 brass without neck turning. At least that is what I understood when I bought my AR barrel in the CSS cambering. That and you could use a standard AR 7.62x39 bolt (which is of no relevance here). CSS sells a CZ527 replacement bbl for $325, same contour as the 7.62x39. Not sure if this is the same receiver.

Does Talley sell factory bases for the Interarms Mini Mauser or do you have to go custom?

Did you check their website?
Butch

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve E.:
Terry,

Is that the Mini Mk X with a Model style safety? That is a fantastic looking stock on whatever it is, where did it come from if you don't mind me asking. The Air Force might let us go after 21 years so I plan on bringing mine back home to Ms and taking a few Deer with it, we do have a few hogs over our way now. One thing I know I will be shooting a few of is those dang possums on the half shell.


Steve E.......

Hey Steve, yes it's a Mini Mauser. James Anderson did the work. The safety is a Dakota M98 and the trigger is a Bold M98. The safety takes some serious mojo to fit. I think one of the threads needs to be cut off the bolt and then he recontoured the body to fit the action. I think it's a pretty serious operation but it's smoother than any M70 safety I've ever worked. He did a few other things like a new bolt handle, custom bases for the Talley rings, he milled all that writing off the left side of the action and made some very impressive bottom metal for it.

On the trigger, you cam simply replace it with an aftermarket safety equipped model like a Timney and probably do it yourself.

The stock is from Great American Gunstocks. It's one of their 95% rough turned models that everyone hates. I remodeled it from it's intended design and now it has sort of a British stalker look to it.

The rifle still needs some work. It needs to be blued and the stock needs checkering. I've given some thought to rebarreling it but right now I'm taking a break from custom rifles so it'll have to wait.

Terry

Terry

So you had James Anderson do two mini-mausers for you? The real fancy one withe gorgeous wood and checkering, and this just fancy one with the really nice wood and no checkering?

Yes, James did the bottom metal, scope bases, safety, bolt handle and turned all the writing off the left side of the action. I did the stock and it still needs more work.

Terry