Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,531
- 4,811
Short range trip with my son today - to test the first handloads I've made for the 60+ year old Weatherby/Mauser. He did a good job with it, testing two different 100 gr handloads, and some handloaded 115 gr Nosler Partitions as well.
I was unsure about the 115 Noslers, because the old rifles sometimes had a slow twist that worked best with shorter bullets, but the old rifle put three of them into about a 1.25" group. He was resting the rifle on a hunting backpack. Fairly mild load, only turning up 3060 fps mv.
The 100 gr Hornady, and the 100 gr Barnes TSX both churned up about 3200 fps, with reasonable accuracy, but it looks like the 115's shoot better. Will take a little more testing to see for sure. There's a lot more velocity available, but this was the first time I'd loaded for this rifle in at least 25 years, maybe 30 or more... I really can't remember loading for it after college - and that was a long time ago! Dad never really had a "pet load" for it, he didn't use it much. Grandpa may have had a special load, but I'll be darned if I know what it was and he passed away 40+ years ago. Likely the same powder & bullets aren't available anymore anyway.
Also had the .300 WSM along, with some 165 grain hunting bullets, Nosler Ballistic Tips & Partitions, both at about 3100 fps. They shot okay, but nowhere near as good as the 190 gr Berger VLD's...
It was good to see my son shooting the old rifle well, and I'm proud of his marksmanship as well as his gun safety. At 19 he's no super-hunter, but he is a competent hunter & rifleman. Nice to see.
We dropped the rifle off at the gunsmith on the way home. It needs a few updates:
1. New recoil pad. It's just got a hard buttplate, and that slips around on the shoulder quite a bit.
2. Timney trigger & safety. The old safety is difficult to use, and the trigger pull is no treat.
3. Possibly glass bed & free float... The smith and I will talk more on that after he takes a look at how it's bedded now. I've had the rifle apart, and it's simple metal-to-wood, but fairly well done. We'll make the call on the glass bed & free float job after he looks it over.
Meanwhile, I'm going to load up some more of those 115 Noslers, over a little more powder, looking for 3200 fps with good accuracy. Today, everything in both rifles, was loaded with H4350.
Regards, Guy
I was unsure about the 115 Noslers, because the old rifles sometimes had a slow twist that worked best with shorter bullets, but the old rifle put three of them into about a 1.25" group. He was resting the rifle on a hunting backpack. Fairly mild load, only turning up 3060 fps mv.
The 100 gr Hornady, and the 100 gr Barnes TSX both churned up about 3200 fps, with reasonable accuracy, but it looks like the 115's shoot better. Will take a little more testing to see for sure. There's a lot more velocity available, but this was the first time I'd loaded for this rifle in at least 25 years, maybe 30 or more... I really can't remember loading for it after college - and that was a long time ago! Dad never really had a "pet load" for it, he didn't use it much. Grandpa may have had a special load, but I'll be darned if I know what it was and he passed away 40+ years ago. Likely the same powder & bullets aren't available anymore anyway.
Also had the .300 WSM along, with some 165 grain hunting bullets, Nosler Ballistic Tips & Partitions, both at about 3100 fps. They shot okay, but nowhere near as good as the 190 gr Berger VLD's...
It was good to see my son shooting the old rifle well, and I'm proud of his marksmanship as well as his gun safety. At 19 he's no super-hunter, but he is a competent hunter & rifleman. Nice to see.
We dropped the rifle off at the gunsmith on the way home. It needs a few updates:
1. New recoil pad. It's just got a hard buttplate, and that slips around on the shoulder quite a bit.
2. Timney trigger & safety. The old safety is difficult to use, and the trigger pull is no treat.
3. Possibly glass bed & free float... The smith and I will talk more on that after he takes a look at how it's bedded now. I've had the rifle apart, and it's simple metal-to-wood, but fairly well done. We'll make the call on the glass bed & free float job after he looks it over.
Meanwhile, I'm going to load up some more of those 115 Noslers, over a little more powder, looking for 3200 fps with good accuracy. Today, everything in both rifles, was loaded with H4350.
Regards, Guy
