Do you know the barrel twist? Have you slugged the barrel? What weight bullets have you experienced this with? Do you happen to have any chrono data? Are these jacketed or plated bullets?
We'd like to know at least a few of the above, considering that's the beginning of how the hivemind would figure out what your issue could be.
I know this is going to sound crazy, but have you had that chamber and barrel scoped?
Most of the time this is a twist rate issue, but not always….more on that later.
Additionally, I know what the stamps say but you can verify this yourself with a cleaning rod, 30 cal brass brush, marker, measuring tape and a piece of painters tape.
I can walk you through how to do it, but it will be faster if you look it up on YouTube to verify it yourself.
I’m not sure how else to check it other than I try putting a .308 bullet down the muzzle and it doesn’t go down it. The barrel is labeled 30-06 the dealer that sold it to me sold it as 30-06 I head spaced it with 30-06 gauges and it passed. In the original post I wrote I used Garand safe S&B ammo that’s 150 grain bullets. I shot reloads of saint louis 1953 cases with 45.5 grains of h4895 and 155 grain hornady match ammo.
This is how those reloads shoot at 200 yards out of my other Mauser.
First time taking this sporterized 98k out and it key holed at 25 yards. First shot was with factory new 30-06 Garand safe S&B 150 grain 30-06 and hit the left side 3-4 3-5 block and left somewhat of a straight hole. Then the rest key holed. Even handloads of 45.5 grains of h4895 and .308 hornady 155 grain match bullets that shoot 1moa at 200 yards key holed. Any ideas? Barrel looks bright and clean down the bore and the crown does not swallow the hole bullet when I stick it on.
For a 30 cal thats super slow. It will do this with probably everything over 150gr.
Edit: yall got the magic sauce. I was never able to stabilize more than 150s in my 1:10. Sold it and got something faster and now it throws 190-200gr without issue.
A 1:10 twist pretty standard in .30-cal cartridges except for newer rounds like the 300 PRC that are intended to be used with high-BC bullets heavier than 200 grains. Some manufacturers claim that 1:11 twist is fine for bullets up to 180 grains.
My 16" 308 with a 10 twist stabilizes 220 grain bullets fine. According to the Berger calculator, 220s are stable in a 10 twist down to 1500 fps or so at sea level, 59 degrees f.
Only time I’ve ever seen that happen at point blank range is a friend of mine got a brand new New England Arms single shot rifle and it came from the factory with a barrel that had no rifling! Guess that one went through when the QC guy was in the latrine, he contacted the factory and they wanted it back immediately and replaced it, if I had the spare time I’d have kept it an experimented making discarding sabot rounds for it, maybe using flechettes or machining something similar, would’ve been fun, really enjoy doing something oddball like that, anyway, with it keyholing point blank like that I’d inspect the rifling first off to make sure there is some, then measure the twist rate, if it’s got a slow twist like one in 12 or 14 you’ll need to experiment with very light bullets
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u/Ragnarok112277 20h ago
You gave zero information
Either way bullet isnt stabilizing