Reloading for the 9.3X57 mauser

Started by HSM_miner, August 02, 2008, 09:00:07 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

HSM_miner

I ran the following loads through a chrony today:

H4895, once fired Norma brass, Speer 270gr, C.O.L. 3.100"

47.5 gr .......... 2130 ft/sec
48.0 gr .......... 2170 ft/sec

I'll post pics of the two targets, the 48.0 gr load really made me smile. I will be doing more load development this week to obtain better chrony results. In my load notes, I stated I wanted a 2200ft/sec load that shot small groups. Looks like I'm really close. (That is a dime on the 48.0 gr target, 3 shot group.)

Brithunter

Nice shooting I don't think my shot as well that load. Looking at my load records the laod was tried in April 2000 but I see I loaded them to 3.122" although I didn't have acces to a chronograph. Really must get one :(  of course my last loads used the Norma 235 grain semi spitzers and found that in my rifle Reloader 15 works really well. Perhaps I should get my 9.3mm put back on for shooting and try some more 4895.
Go Get them Floyd!

sakorick

Hello Miner. Try some IMR4064. You will find that powder is perfect in Mauser cases, faster and more accurate. Those are great groups. What was the range? Regards, Rick.
Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

HSM_miner

I was shooting through my chrony at a target placed at 20 metres.  I will not be doing this again as I had a fun time lining up the chrony to the target.  When I shoot next time, I will be just shooting through the chrony to get speed results.  Minimized hassle!
 
There is still quite a bit of work to do to get it shooting 100 metres. I want better chrony results. I am curious what another grain of powder will do in my rifle, however I am happy with the 48.0 gr load. Once I settle on a loading I will start shooting out to 100m to fine tune the load.

Nelsdou

Looks like the makings of an accurate load, Miner.

If you're interested in what Quickload predicts, for 48.0 grains of H4895, the prediction is 2241 fps at 44,500 psi pressure. Which supports your chrony readings.

The reason I say this is if your Husky is like mine, it has a looooong lead to get into the rifling (which QL doesn't model), so I would expect actual pressures and velocities to be less than what QL predicts.  In my case I get backed out primers and smoky case necks until I load up to the higher end of charge weights.

I've been experimenting with IMR3031 because QL predicted higher velocity at lower pressure than H4895, but I'm not very happy with the accuracy.  I've got one more set of 3031 loads with the Speer 270 to go through before switching powder.  Let us know whatch ya get at 100 meters!

Nels
Put it into perspective; we live on a rock hurtling through space, what could be scarier than that?

gitano

I'm really interested in your I3031 data Nels. I have had the same results with it as you are reporting - great on paper, not so hot in practice. That is what has prompted me to try X2495, which I understand you are having difficulty locating. Anyway, please keep us informed on your I3031 results, in any rifle.
 
Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

Nelsdou

Yep, it's a bit of a mystery to me.  The 9.3x57 isn't that far from a straight-wall cartridge, and pushing a heavy bullet would suggest a fairly fast powder.  Others, including Miner, have reported obtaining good accuracy with H4895, that QL suggests less than optimum.  My Husky has a lot of free bore, so much it's impossible to seat the bullet into the lands if one tried.  One theory would be that maybe 3031 doesn't get burn or obtain the pressure characterics predicted because of this and H4895 is less "sensitive" in the same configuration.  QL does indicate H4895 hits its max pressure peak much sooner than a comperable load of 3031 in this cartridge which also has me curious.

I understand Weatherby barrels are cut with a lot of free bore but I don't have any experence reloading for one so I'll hafta do a search to see if there are any handloading similarities there.

But I suspect "sumpthin" is going on during the initial bullet launch that is affecting accuracy.  My Husky barrel has excellent rifling, crown, and glass-bedded stock that says accuracy but I haven't found it yet. Now that I think about it my paper-patch cast loads so far are better than jacketed.

My next set of 3031 loads I'm going to crank up the pressure in small increments and see where that takes me.

Nels
Put it into perspective; we live on a rock hurtling through space, what could be scarier than that?

gitano

The only thing I've heard about 3031 - and from several sources, none of which were terribly reliable, but not suspect either - is that it is a bit more temperature sensitive than "most" powders. I haven't used it enough to be able to comment legitimately on that characteristic.
 
In my .50 Alaskan, it does well, but I'm keeping max pressures relatively low at 25 kPSI. IF it is indeed temperature sensitive, it might also be a finicky with regard to things you speak of such as leade length, etc.
 
Actually, keeping a case full AND burning all of it in the barrel, are characteristics of 3031 that would seem to me to help keep it 'consisitent'. In my .50, 96% of a case-full gives me 1677 f/s at 25,004 kPSI. That gives me my desired 2000 ft-lbs at 300 and 25" of drop when zeroed at 192. That load seems to "work". However, I3031 loads in the MAI, don't "work" as well as X2495 does. In the MAI, X4064 seems to work better. :confused:
 
Anyway, I'm interested in what kind of performance you end up getting with it.
 
Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

Brithunter

Hi Nels,

    When I got my 9.3x57 Husqvarna there was very little handloading data available for this cartridge. I eventually found the article in Wolfe Publishing :-

Big Bore Rifles and Cartridges

  so started working with that and quickly found that in my particular rifle that his top loads were giving badly smoked cases where they had not obturated and sealed the chamber and that resulted in protruding primers. After careful consideration and talking with other experienced handloaders I started to load heavier loads than published. The loads were increased gradually until the smoked necks dissappeared and the primers remained virtually flush.

  Once this point was reached with acceptable accuracy I stopped increasing the load even though the primers remain still slightly raised so pressures are still fairly low, as I said it's time I took up this load development once again but that means getting my licence changed to allow the use and shooting of my model 46 once again as presently it's listed for collection only. Yeah total stupidity upon the Police firearms Licensing Departments part but having brains and the common sense to use them is not a requisite of being employed by Lincolnshire Police.

  I did manage to aquire two boxes of Norma factory ammunition loaded with the 286 grain Alaska bullet which shoots well, after acquiring a loose lot of Norma (Supposedly) 235 grain semi spitzers that I worked with them. At 75 meters these loads are gouping around 1 1/2- 2 MOA. Oh for cases I am using Norma brass that I got from a fellow shooter in Sweden as the importers here refused to help out unless I order a barrel (2000 pieces of brass) or a 1000 cartridges and at over £1 each it was not possible to persue this hence doing the trading with a fellow collector in Sweden for once fired brass.
Go Get them Floyd!

HSM_miner

#9
I was aware that H4895 did not have the optimum pressure curve, however, I did not select it blindly. First, I have seen the results others have had with it at Gunboards and at Canadian Gunnutz. Second, I have been using Load from a Disk to profile my inital loads with H4895. Along with chronographing my loads, I have been very suprised how accurate the program's predictions have been. I reentered the cartridge dimensions from measurements taked from my fire formed brass and measured the case capacity. Thirdly, my barrel has a huge freebore. I can seat the Speer 270gr bullet so that it is just held by the case neck and still not touch any rifling.
 
Today, I continued with the load develpment shooting H4895 at 48.5gr, 49.0gr, 49.5gr, and 50.0gr. In summary all loading shot well, but 48.5gr shone like a star giving me a nice tight 5 shot ragged hole. Loads from 49.5gr onwards, gave very distinct bulging above the web and shiny flat spots on the case head. I will be making 48.5gr a max load for my rifle.
 
I will post pics of my targets tomorrow, as I am being kicked off the computer....lol..
 
ps....Just an aside.... I have shot some the 285gr Norma factory rounds, they did not shoot well from my rifle.....will post those targets as well....
 
Okay here are the promised targets.  The H4895 targets are all 5 shot groups.

gitano

That's some fine shooting HS. What was the range at which these targets were shot?
 
Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

Nelsdou

That H4985 load looks very good indeed!:biggthumpup:

I tried my IMR3031 loads today using the same Speer 270g bullet at 42.8, 43.5, 44.3 and 44.8 grains. I seat the bullets no deeper than the case necks, so my COL is 3.1".  The fired cartridges exhibited the same characterics described by Brit., smokey case necks and slight protruding primers.  Target results were like Miner's for the Norma 286 factory loads; all over the place.  Except for the 3031 load of 44.8 grains.  It snapped right in place with a 3-shot group of 1 MOA at 100 yds.

I was ready to give up on the 3031, but it looks like these Husky Model 46s in 9.3x57 don't come alive until you feed 'em some pressure. Quite lively too for a 7 lb. gun with a hard buttplate.

Like Miner, I plan to creep ahead a bit more on the loads until I see indications of excessive pressure, and I don't think I'll need to go very far.  

Nevertheless, I stopped by the Sportsmen Warehouse and scooped up some H4895 and another box of Speer 270s.  Those Speers are about the only 9.3 bullets I can find in stock and reasonably priced.  Still no AA2495 to be had:Banghead: .

Nels
Put it into perspective; we live on a rock hurtling through space, what could be scarier than that?

gitano

Quote Still no AA2495 to be had:Banghead: .


Wierd... Especially considering you're looking at Sportsman's Warehouse.
 
I used the standard numbers in QL for the 9.3x57 case, seated a Speer 270-grain bullet for an over-all length of 3.1", used 44.8 grains pf I3031, and get a chamber pressure of 42,704 Nels. Is that about where you are on paper?
 
Paul
 
 
 
[/SIZE]
Be nicer than necessary.

Nelsdou

Yep.  On paper.

The original Norma 9.3x57 factory load for a 286 grain bullet is listed at 2067 fps in the Olsen Mauser Bolt Rifles.  I calculated that compares pretty reasonably with the CIP max pressure of 37.7 ksi. But with as much freebore as some of these Huskies have I'm not sure how reliable one can predict pressure.

I thought swede M96 actions were pretty reliable up through 46 ksi so I don't understand the basis of the CIP limit.  On the other hand my model 46 receiver ring seems a bit slim at 1.288" OD, hence I don't want to push the pressure parameter anymore than I have to.

Nels
Put it into perspective; we live on a rock hurtling through space, what could be scarier than that?

gitano

Quoteso I don't understand the basis of the CIP limit.

I've wondered that too. I have two thoughts. 1) They are simply copying numbers, not checking them, or 2) "These guys" are attributing something to cartridge design.
 
Personally, what I've read from more than one reliable source, is that in MODERN cartridges (meaning no balloon construction), the case, almost regardless of design, contains about 10,000 PSI. That makes some sense to me.
 
If that is in fact the case, then it's the action design/strength that matters almost exclusively. I'm trying to think of a single example I've read about where an action came apart when a barrel obstruction or extremely excessive load wasn't the culprit. I can't. I'm sure you know about Ackley's attempts to blow up an Arisaka.
 
That's not to say I'm trying to talk you into going 'uphill'. I'm not. What I am saying is that personally, I'd be creeping up 'til I started to see "signs" that I didn't like. One of those "signs" is sound. In every rifle I've 'pushed', I have always noted a point where the sound of the rifle changed. It's difficult to describe the sound, but it is one in which there is sort of a "tink". I always retreat from charges that produce that sound. Put another way, one can go along slowly increasing charges when at some point the sound of the report "changes". I always consider that point "too high" for my comfort zone.
 
When I got the pressure sensing gear it was quite an eye-opener. Unfortunately, it's a lot of trouble to fit a rifle with a pressure sensor, and I don't do it except when I think I'm going to be approaching the rifle's pressure max. With my interest in the larger calibers, "pushing the envelope" is a pretty rare occassion.
 
Paul[/SIZE]
Be nicer than necessary.

Tags: