So I have this sporterized K98 Mauser in 8X57. It came to me as a deal sweetener. It's had all sorts of problems, but little by little I've worked through them over the past 4 years. Today I had it out for the first time to shoot with a newly reworked scope mount and a new scope. I loaded 175 grain Prvi Partisans over H4895 and gave it a go. My results were strange.
Round 1 and 2 were about 1.5 feet high and a foot to the right, grouping inside 4 inches.
Round 3, 4, and 5 are in a decent pattern starting 2 inches high from the bull at 12 O'clock and working their way down to 1" out at 3 O'Clock. I let the barrel cool a bit and round 6 was 2 feet out at 10 O'Clock. The next round is back in close to the bull.
I've shot some screwy groups before. This rifle was shooting minute of bushel basket when I first got it, and realized the reason why was the threads were stripped on the back end of the mount. However, I sent it off to new gunsmith this spring and it came back with his assurance the mounting problem was fixed. If it was consistently throwing them all over the target board, I'd be able to understand this. A flyer or two I could grasp. However, I'm trying to figure out how a rifle could throw a flyer 2 feet out and then come back close to the bull.
This is the original stepped barrel and the action has been bedded by a previous owner.
I"m interested in y'all's thoughts.
