[ebauche]

I recently inherited a 6mm ICL FN Mauser 98
made by Juenke in the early 60's. My previous experience
with reloading consists of working up a few pistol loads 20 years ago.
I am a novice submitting a plan for your inspection and advice:

- There's a total of 10 primed empty brass with shoulders that look
like they were fired in the gun. Overall case lengths are 2.250"
plus or minus 0.003" with one 0.010" short. None allow the bolt to
be closed without a fight. I'm perplexed: does this
indicate too many firings? - and I'm not gonna use these
cases right away, if ever.

- To fireform I will buy factory 6mm Remington in the lightest
load I can get, which I suppose is the lightest bullet, and shoot
at a hillside while pulling a long string. I need
to measure and record the length of these once-fired cases.

- Then I intend to get a 6mm Lee collet die to neck size only,
supposing the ads about preserving brass are true. I understand
the design can't foul up the improved shoulders in any way.

- My father's card file dated 4/21/62 (more than 50 years ago) shows a load with
cartridge=6mm ICL, case=Rem; primer=120N; bullet=Sierra 75;
diam = 243; crimp=No; size=NK; length=2 7/8;
powder=4895 (lot 27278); weight=40; gun= (serial number on ICL), and
then remarks on the group. Another card shows the same data
with 42 grains of powder, and another shows
45 grains with the remark "blown primer". A last card shows
49 grains of 4350. There must be more data than this, but I could not find it.

The Nosler website shows for 6mm Remington with 70 grain bullet
a max charge of 40 grains IMR4895, min of 36. I imagine
the ICL case is a little bigger.

- P.O. Ackley's books are on the way in case he listed a load. I've PM'd
a few folks citing ICL without response. That leaves me with consulting ordinary
manuals (where the ICL will not appear) and probably starting off with
modest 6mm Remington loads, working up until the gun shoots
right or I get my own "blown primer".

- I understand these Juenke barrels have an unusually slow twist.
I can't expect big bullets to go straight.

Am I missing anything? thanks, eb