8MM Mauser Recipe
- Thread starter Andrew28
- Start date
Winchester-1897
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Newmarket,Ontario
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Not likely. The cheapest copper jacketed bullet runs about 50 cents a piece, powder about 30 cents a piece. Then you have to add brass, and primer costs. For some reason, 8 mm bits are relatively pricey compared to 30 cal equivalents. If you want to get the cost down to your level then you have to shoot low velocity cast loads.
See if one of the commercial sellers of cast bullets in the West (Bullet Barn?) sells a 8mm gas check bullet. That might be the cheapest.
If I was doing it I would look for something around a 200 gr round nose. That style of bullet has always worked for me.
For a powder I would use a fast rifle powder like 4227 or 4198 or a slow shotgun powder, like 800X or Unique.
That would be as cheap as you can get, unless you buy your own mold and make your own bullets.
If I was doing it I would look for something around a 200 gr round nose. That style of bullet has always worked for me.
For a powder I would use a fast rifle powder like 4227 or 4198 or a slow shotgun powder, like 800X or Unique.
That would be as cheap as you can get, unless you buy your own mold and make your own bullets.
It is standard practice to size lead bullets about 2 thou over groove diameter. You want a good tight fit in the barrel.
Ganderite is correct.
With a copper alloy jacketed bullet, sealing the bore is not so important. The jacket is pretty tough and not as heat sensitive as lead alloys.
With a lead alloy cast bullet, if the bullet does not seal the bore then burning gases from powder ignition can expand through the gap between bullet sidewall and the bore. This hot gas will melt a portion of the bullet on one side, and leave lead in the barrel and/or flame cut the bullet causing poor accuracy and possible key-holing if the flame cut is bad enough.
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8mm Mauser is expensive to reload. Brass is a buck and the bullet 50 cents plus the powder costs and the primer your looking at minimum a buck seventy per round. Your second reload is still gonna be at least 70 cents so it's still not cheap but there isn't much options for 8 mm
My cheapest 8mm reload is cast with reduced load of 4198. Works out to 55 cents a round. Going to the cheapest jacketed is costing me 77 cents (expensive bullet, more expensive powder and more powder). It's not cheap to reload but there is no alternative in surplus like you get with the Russian calibers.
Thanks Sledge and others. This hobby is expensive (more than golf !) especially when you have a 13 year old to bring along.
$0.55/round is acceptable compared to Box FMJ costing $1.65/round.
Start loading 8mms, shoot some .308s, 6.5mm, 9mm and lots of .22s will be okay.
BTW Sledge, you casting your own right ?
$0.55/round is acceptable compared to Box FMJ costing $1.65/round.
Start loading 8mms, shoot some .308s, 6.5mm, 9mm and lots of .22s will be okay.
BTW Sledge, you casting your own right ?
Bassmaster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- WMU 48 - Whitetail country
I stopped buying 8mm brass when I discovered how easy it is to form your own from 30.06....it's everywhere. My own cast bullets and fast shoty powder as has already been suggested and the el cheapo dominion primers.....
If you're going to shoot only cast, your brass can last a very long time - as long as 100 uses if you neck-size or partial F/L size, and anneal after every five uses. Even if you only F/L size and don't anneal, 10 uses is not unusual for cast before necks start to crack.
