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Mauser M 03 Barrels

Mauser M 03 Barrels

I got my Mauser M 03 Extreme (synthetic stock) in October 2007 and in that time have given it a good ‘run ashore’ with regular use in the UK and Europe. This has been my first switch barrel rifle and my biggest mental hurdle was to learn to trust the fact that when you changed the barrel/scope the zero would not shift. Once you have got your head around this you can fully appreciate the advantages offered.

Initially I opted for 30-06 Springfield as my main calibre, followed by 223 Remington. My reasoning was that the old 06 would do me for just about anything I was likely to encounter and the 223, though not the most powerful 22 centrefire, would be ideal for fox and muntjac. Since that time I have explored the possibilities of other barrel styles and options and added another three. By doing this I have also made a couple near redundant as we shall see…

Mini, Standard & Magnum

The M 03 offers a range of calibres that are divided into three groups and two, standard length options:

Mini: 222 and 223 Rem, 60 cm (23.6”) barrel

Standard: 22-250, 243W, 7mm-08, 308W, 6.5x55, 6.5x57, 6.5x65 RWS, 25-06, 270W, 7x64, 30-06, 8x57IS, 8.5x63 and 9.3x62 – 60cm barrel

Magnum: 270 & 300 WSM, 7mm & 416 Rem Mag, 300 & 338 Win Mag, 300 Weatherby Mag, 8x68S, 375 H&H, 404 Jeffery and 458 Lott – 65 cm (25.5”) barrel
Mauser also offer the options of shorter barrels too - Magnum: 60 and 62 cm (23/24") Standard: 56, 54, 52 and 50 cm (22, 21, 20 and or 19"). I took advantage of this and selected a 20” for my 223.
Magazine capacities will vary due to case diameter, with both Mini and Standard offering 5+1 with Magnum being 4+1 apart from the WSMs and the 404 Jeffery, which are 3+1. Likewise there are bolt heads to suit all, though the smart money would try and pick calibres that use the same head and where possible the same magazine. For example 30-06, 6.5x55 and 8.5x63 can all use the same magazine and bolt head. My 22-250 can use the same bolt, but needs its own mag. Whereas 222/223 Rem is dedicated in both areas.

Three Choices

When I first selected my calibres I was not aware that I also had some choice in barrel styles, as I assumed that as a hunting rifle I would get a light profile, as both the 06 and 223 showed such a build. However there are three main choices – the Standard with or without iron sights, the Solid and the Match (fluted or plain). All barrels I have seen come with a concave muzzle and deep crown for maximum rifling protection.

In 223 the standard weight is fine, but in 30-06, given the amount of powder you are burning, barrel heating is a concern. OK it’s a hunting rifle and you won’t be firing a lot of ammo at any one time, but a rule of thumb shows that two rounds will keep it around the ½- ¾” but a third will noticeably step out from the main group. To this end I started looking at the Solid, which offers a heavier and slightly shorter barrel that tapers to a ¾” muzzle diameter.

The extra weight and rigidity combined with the length makes for better consistency and a gun that swings and handles well for driven game use, plus Mauser offer it in 8.5x63mm. Designed by Werner Reb the 8.5 is based on the 30-06 case necked up to .338” (8.5mm), similar to the 338-06. However, the Reb round has the shoulder pushed forward in an Ackley-style, which offers more capacity and lower pressures than the original 338. The Solid is not available in all calibres, but for the UK includes useful numbers like 308 Win, 300 Win Mag and 30-06 plus some metrics.

The Solid can be bought as a complete rifle, or (as I did) a spare barrel. If you go the latter route you must be aware that the standard forend of the M 03 will need opening up a bit to accept the extra girth of the new tube. Plus the new barrel will up the weight a little on what is already a medium/heavy build.

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Oldy but Goody

The Solid in 8.5x63mm has very much replaced the 30-06 as my big bore, overseas rifle (always take enough gun). I then wanted a more UK-oriented choice so went for one of my other all time favourites - 6.5x55mm Swedish. The old Swede is an amazing calibre and Mauser prides themselves on offering a good barrel. In Standard format mine is ammo tolerant but shoots a ¼” with Hornady, 140-grain A-MAX at 100 yards, which is impressive. Also, given you are burning near a third less powder than the 06, overheating problems are considerably reduced. Truth is the 6.5x55 will easily handle any deer I need to shoot and if I want more I have the 8.5!

When I first decided on 223 Rem for the M 03 I asked for a heavy barrel and was told it was not available in this calibre, though I could get it in 222 Rem, so I let it lie. To be honest the light, 20” tube firing a 60-grain Hornady JSP at around 2870 fps will hold ½” @ 100 yards and is highly effective on muntjac and foxes out to 200 +. However, in the back of my mind I always wanted a more varmint-type option and this year decided to up the ante and get a Match fluted in 22-250 Rem.

At 23” long you have the choice of a plain or fluted and in truth it’s really a longer version of the Solid as it has the same ¾” muzzle and heavy build. It’s extremely capable with a ½ - ¾” ability with factory ammo. But with reloads it’s bonkers; using a .224”, Barnes, 53-grain, TSX flat base and Hodgdon Varget or H335 the barrel can produce near one-hole groups consistently. This is available in 222/22-250 Rem, 308 Win, 30-06 and 300 Win Mag.

Another optional extra is Magnaport, which for the heavier/magnum calibres is worth consideration, as it offers an integral muzzle brake system. This process has been around for a good few years now and cuts, precision recoil ports directly into the barrel with electronic discharge technology to give a clean and precise aperture. Still with the muzzle you can also opt for threading in either M14x1 or M15x1.

Let’s Twist Again

There’s little doubt in my mind that the M 03 offers high accuracy potential, however I found achieving top performance was in some cases a matter of coming up with solutions to some rather odd choices of rifling twist and throat dimensions. For example the 30-06 is a 1-11” and after much experimentation discovered that it really only liked 150-grain, flat based bullets, as it does not like anything heavier nor boat tails either. Likewise the 223 is a 1-10”, which is an unusual rate for this calibre as it sits between the factory standard 1-12 and the faster 1-9 & 1-8” for heavier bullets. Though it will shoot 55-grainers, what it really likes is the old Hornady, 60-grain flat base, though shoots their 60-grain TAP FPD, which is a boat tail V-MAX pretty well too.

The 22-250 is the old, standard 1-14” twist so 55-grains is about the limit, but it does not seem to show much preference to flat base or boat tails, but is powder-type sensitive, as the same bullet with two different powders can produce near ½” fluctuation in group size. However, the 6.5x55 (1-12”) and 8.5 X 63 (1-10”) are not that fussy with the former shooting 90s to 140s with good accuracy, though it’s not a fan of anything heavier, which is not needed for the UK. The latter will go from 185 to 250-grains too, though personally I find a Barnes 185-grain TSX boat tail to be the best choice for just about anything in terms of power and ability.

Irons

Generally speaking I do not bother with iron sights on hunting rifles, though the 8.5x63 Solid was the exception. As this calibre was more about driven boar and maybe dangerous game too, which is mainly a short range scenario, I decided to go for them as a belt & braces option. Though this calibre/barrel combo is also capable of good accuracy at normal hunting distances! I also have them on my 6.5x55 by default, as I did not specify that I did not want them! But just ask either way when ordering.

The sight layout is basic with a silver-tipped, elevation-only blade up front on a ramp and a simple, windage-only U-notch at the rear. Ideal for up to 50-75 yards and capable at 100 they are far from essential for the UK market. Recently Mauser has up-rated these with a set up that shows hi-vis orange dots on the blade and either side of the rear U-notch. This is available as extra or as standard on their new Extreme Trail that shows a short (18.5”) Solid-type barrel, with a muzzle safe system and 360° sling swivel. Light and handy it’s the nearest thing to a practical M 03 carbine you are going to get.

As can be seen the M 03 offers a number of barrel options, which gives you the hunter a great deal of versatility. However, it’s all too easy to get carried away and though now not totally redundant the 30-06 and 223 Rem do not often come out of the cupboard. To be honest I could get by without them…

PRICES:
Bolt head (all sizes) £145
Magazine (any calibre) £119
Threading £99
Standard barrel is £554
Solid £815
Match £785
Match Fluted £1285
Magnaport £298 (proofed)

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  • Mauser M 03 Barrels - image {image:count}

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  • Mauser M 03 Barrels - image {image:count}

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