7.65 Argintine - Bullet size??

Al Norris · July 18, 2005, 03:35 PM

Since Norma factory ammo is so expensive and an awful lot of the cheap military surplus is iffy - both on detonation and accuracy, I've been thinking of reloading my own.

I have saved every case I have shot. Dies are not a problem... But what size do I get for bullets? I'm thinking .303 caliber. Probably .311.

Am I in the ball park here, or would any .310 - .312 do the job?

wrcook · July 18, 2005, 03:54 PM

Can you slug the bore and get an accurate bore measurement? That will determine the best bullet size. You might also want to look at loading cast bullets. These rifles seem to be somewhat inconsistant as to bore size.

Bill

Al Norris · July 19, 2005, 01:13 PM

Thanks wrcook.

Guess I'll have to take the rifle to my smith and have him do that.

.45 Vet · July 19, 2005, 06:16 PM

I've got an older Hornady manual that recommends .312" bullets for 7.65 mm Mauser. But advises that the Argentine actions aren't as strong as the 1898 model and loaders should use caution when working up loads.

You may have a lot of good times with lower pressure lead loads. Good luck.

drinks · July 19, 2005, 08:00 PM

Anti;
Just get a soft lead pear shaped sinker, remove the wire and drive it down the muzzle with a plastic or brass hammer, then use a piece of 1/4" wood dowel to drive it on through, measure the largest dimension with a mike and that is groove diameter, jacketed bullets of about that size should do fine, cast bullets sized .001 or.002 "oversized, with gas checks will be able to shoot very close to or as fast as the original factory loads. 175gr rn at 2500fps.
Don

Al Norris · July 19, 2005, 10:49 PM

Thanks everyone.

The markings on the rifle say:
Mauser Modelo Argintino 1909
Deutsche Wafen - und Munitionsfabriken.
Berlin.

This gun has a true '98 mauser action.

Blueing is all gone, so I keep it pretty well oiled. The serial numbers match on every part of the rifle except the cleaning rod and the bayonet. Rifling is OK, not new, but not shot out, either. The stock has one repaired spot on it - towards the upper swivel stack. All in all, not a bad field piece.

According to what I've pieced together, the serial number indicates this rifle was part of the first shipment of that model to Argentina.

klw · July 21, 2005, 12:00 AM

SAECO has a mould (#305 or #315, can not remember which) that is tapered. Worked well in my gun.

Two things, however, are critical. First the cast bullets MUST be made from linotype. Wheelweights just don't work (don't know why). Second, the powder charge is critical. Think I ended up using 8 grains of unique, which was WAY below the maximum listed in Lyman's handbook.

With linotype bullets and the right powder charge these guns are really great. With wheelweight bullets and/or the wrong powder charge accuracy is non-existant.

Leftoverdj · July 21, 2005, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Two things, however, are critical. First the cast bullets MUST be made from linotype. Wheelweights just don't work (don't know why). Second, the powder charge is critical. Think I ended up using 8 grains of unique, which was WAY below the maximum listed in Lyman's handbook.

With linotype bullets and the right powder charge these guns are really great. With wheelweight bullets and/or the wrong powder charge accuracy is non-existant.

Lino casts about a thou bigger than WW. That's enough to make a huge difference in accuracy in some rifles. Eight grains of Unique would give about 1000 fps. Lower pressures are more tolerant of undersized bullets.

With a GC bullet a thou or two over groove diameter and a decent bore, there is no reason not to expect 2 moa at 1800 fps with aircooled WW. The sights on those rifles are nasty so you can add a couple more MOA unless you scope it.

If all you are interested in is a 50 yard plinker, the Hornady .314 SWC over 5 grains of Uniqye with one grain of dacron should shoot under 1.5" at 50 yards.

Crosshair · July 21, 2005, 08:00 AM

(Probably going to get flamed for saying this)

If you have some "plinker grade" .308 bullets laying around I would probably just load up a light load and see how they shoot. If the groups look like a shotgun blast, then I would probably go through the trouble of slugging the bore and getting the right size.

drinks · July 21, 2005, 07:29 PM

.310,.311 and .312 jacketed bullets are available, molds are available for more sizes and cast bullets can be sized to almost anything.
Plain ww's with a gas check that are .001-.002 oversive will do fine at 2000fps or less, ww's waterdropped with gas check are doing 2400fps in my .35 Whelen and 2700fps in my .243, using liquid alox or LBT soft blue lube.
Going to linotype metal would likely extend the speed range to 3000fps or more, but linotype is not for hunting, it is too brittle and can shatter if hitting a large bone.
Don

July 18, 2005, 03:35 PM	#1
Al Norris Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2000 Location: Rupert, Idaho Posts: 9,660	7.65 Argintine - Bullet size?? Since Norma factory ammo is so expensive and an awful lot of the cheap military surplus is iffy - both on detonation and accuracy, I've been thinking of reloading my own. I have saved every case I have shot. Dies are not a problem... But what size do I get for bullets? I'm thinking .303 caliber. Probably .311. Am I in the ball park here, or would any .310 - .312 do the job?

July 19, 2005, 06:16 PM	#4
.45 Vet Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2004 Location: Western Penn. Posts: 387	I've got an older Hornady manual that recommends .312" bullets for 7.65 mm Mauser. But advises that the Argentine actions aren't as strong as the 1898 model and loaders should use caution when working up loads. You may have a lot of good times with lower pressure lead loads. Good luck. __________________ For those who've never fought for it, the price of freedom shall never be known...

July 19, 2005, 08:00 PM	#5
drinks Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2004 Posts: 405	Argentine Anti; Just get a soft lead pear shaped sinker, remove the wire and drive it down the muzzle with a plastic or brass hammer, then use a piece of 1/4" wood dowel to drive it on through, measure the largest dimension with a mike and that is groove diameter, jacketed bullets of about that size should do fine, cast bullets sized .001 or.002 "oversized, with gas checks will be able to shoot very close to or as fast as the original factory loads. 175gr rn at 2500fps. Don

July 21, 2005, 12:00 AM	#7
klw Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2005 Posts: 118	SAECO moulds SAECO has a mould (#305 or #315, can not remember which) that is tapered. Worked well in my gun. Two things, however, are critical. First the cast bullets MUST be made from linotype. Wheelweights just don't work (don't know why). Second, the powder charge is critical. Think I ended up using 8 grains of unique, which was WAY below the maximum listed in Lyman's handbook. With linotype bullets and the right powder charge these guns are really great. With wheelweight bullets and/or the wrong powder charge accuracy is non-existant.

July 21, 2005, 07:29 PM	#10
drinks Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2004 Posts: 405	7.65 .310,.311 and .312 jacketed bullets are available, molds are available for more sizes and cast bullets can be sized to almost anything. Plain ww's with a gas check that are .001-.002 oversive will do fine at 2000fps or less, ww's waterdropped with gas check are doing 2400fps in my .35 Whelen and 2700fps in my .243, using liquid alox or LBT soft blue lube. Going to linotype metal would likely extend the speed range to 3000fps or more, but linotype is not for hunting, it is too brittle and can shatter if hitting a large bone. Don

July 18, 2005, 03:54 PM	#2
wrcook Member Join Date: July 7, 2004 Posts: 30	Can you slug the bore and get an accurate bore measurement? That will determine the best bullet size. You might also want to look at loading cast bullets. These rifles seem to be somewhat inconsistant as to bore size. Bill

July 19, 2005, 01:13 PM	#3
Al Norris Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2000 Location: Rupert, Idaho Posts: 9,660	Thanks wrcook. Guess I'll have to take the rifle to my smith and have him do that.

July 19, 2005, 10:49 PM	#6
Al Norris Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2000 Location: Rupert, Idaho Posts: 9,660	Thanks everyone. The markings on the rifle say: Mauser Modelo Argintino 1909 Deutsche Wafen - und Munitionsfabriken. Berlin. This gun has a true '98 mauser action. Blueing is all gone, so I keep it pretty well oiled. The serial numbers match on every part of the rifle except the cleaning rod and the bayonet. Rifling is OK, not new, but not shot out, either. The stock has one repaired spot on it - towards the upper swivel stack. All in all, not a bad field piece. According to what I've pieced together, the serial number indicates this rifle was part of the first shipment of that model to Argentina.

July 21, 2005, 08:00 AM	#9
Crosshair Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2004 Location: Grand Forks, ND Posts: 5,333	(Probably going to get flamed for saying this) If you have some "plinker grade" .308 bullets laying around I would probably just load up a light load and see how they shoot. If the groups look like a shotgun blast, then I would probably go through the trouble of slugging the bore and getting the right size.