Some of my RIFLE RANGE STUFF

8MM MAUSER "SNIPER AMMO" TEST


9 DECEMBER, 2007. My hand loads were:

150 grain Hornady bullet #3232
54.0 grains H-414
Winchester Large Rifle Primers
Mixed brass: Win, R.P., PMC.
Cartridge OAL 2.95 inches

Brass was resized, tumbled, primer pockets cleaned, primed and loaded. Nothing fancy, just everyday handloads. This box was sitting on the shelf, and not something special I "loaded for the test".
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The "Sniper" rounds were:

Military surplus M75
196 grain FMJBT buillet
1980s - 1990s production

I ordered them from Graf & Sons, @$6.99 for 15 rounds. I ordered 30 rounds just to try them. They were clean and the brass looked good.
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I fired from a solid bench rest using sandbags to rest the rifle. The range was 100 yards. The targets were 2 inch orange target stickers, on sheets of 11 X 15 inch computer paper, stapled to the target racks.

The rifle used was an M98 8mm Mauser with a 6X scope.
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Today I got the chance to try out the M75 "sniper" rounds and compare them to some of my hand loads. The weather was perfect for shooting. ZERO WIND, absolutely still. 60°-70°F, and overcast. The air was heavy as though it might start raining any moment.

I take 5-6 rifles to the range when I go, so that I can rotate through them after I fire each one. By the time I have fired the fifth rifle the first rifle's barrel is cool. This way, I always have a cool barrel to shoot.

I fired 5 shots at a time But the M75 tended to string out with 5 shots. Hand loads were OK.

Then I changed targets and fired 11 rounds of each, in 3 round strings. I fired 3 "sniper" rounds and let the barrel cool. Then, after rotating through my other five rifles, fired 3 rounds of my own. I did this till I had fired the 11 rounds of each into 2 seperate targets.

(I probably fired a 5 and two 3s, I know 11 isn't divisable by 3 evenly)

The M75 "sniper ammo" is OK, but IMHO "nothing to write home to mom about". It tended to string out when fired 5 rounds at a time. My hand loads held smaller, rounder, groups.

M75 "Sniper" ammo

total of 11 rounds. Top to bottom spread:5 inches.
Left to right spread 3 inches.

Handloads

Top to bottom spread is 2 inches
Left to right sperad is 2 inches.

It's hard to see, but there is a large hole where several rounds tore out a chunk of the target. I will admit I had one "Flyer" (about 5" from center) when I jerked the trigger. So what you see is the result of 10 rounds.

My Opinion

The M75 ammo is OK, but nothing special. Maybe in another rifle with another shooter, the results would be diferent or even reversed.

I am NOT, and don't claim to be, an expert shot I throw away many more targets than I hang in my garage. Some days my targets look like I fired 00-Buck Shot, but every now and then I have an 'X-Ring" kind of day.

From the results of the other rifiles I fired today, it was a pretty average day.

What the heck, it was fun to try it out. I think I will stick to my hand loads.

Nick

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