8mm-06 handloads

kjohn

kjohn

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I have a CZ 98 that was rechambered from 8x57 at Gwynn's years ago. I have dusted a few whitetails with the rifle. I handload for it, using nickle plated 30-06 brass, or I also have some factory 35 Whelen brass that works. I prefer the nickle plated as I know it will be 8mm-06. My hunting load is 150 gr Sierra. For plinking I use cast. I found a few 220 gr. Sierra "Spitzer Boattail" the other day. Loaded them over some Ammomart 44. These will likely pack a good punch, as in recoil. :)
 
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I have my father's 8mm-06 rifle that sounds similar to yours. My father shot a lot of deer with that rifle and it always dropped them extremely quickly. He used Nosler Partitions in his reloads if I remember correctly. I don't shoot the rifle much but your thread has brought back to my mind and I'll have to make up some reloads for it.
 
I just bought a reamer and plan on getting a couple of my 8x57's turned into 8mm-06. First one will be a Zastava M70. Looking forward on playing with this wild cat cartridge.
 
Using nicled brass for the 8-06 is a good idea. Especially if you also have 30-06 ammo. Otherwise, Murphy will win.

Don't ask me how I know....

308 in a 30-06

RZmwZUs.jpg


223 shot in a 7.62x39
gate4Xg.jpg
 
I used up the last of my ammomart 44 a number of years ago. Interesting to see that someone is having fun with a wildcat...
 
Ganderite: precisely why I use nickle-plated brass. I have several (understatement) 30-06 rifles. No need to invite ol' Murphy in. I bought some new 35 Whelen brass when I couldn't find any nickle stuff a few years back. I am extra careful to keep it marked clearly.
 
kjohn, I had a lovely 8mm-06 a few decades back. It was a very common conversion at one time for a couple of very good reasons.

The first good reason for it was availability of good components and factory ammo for the 8x57JS cartridge. If you could find them, they were two to three times the price of North American offerings.

There was a plethora of good 30-06 brass available everywhere. All of the gun shops carried it.

There were also lots of K98s that Bubba had picked up and had his way with, to be found very cheaply. Back in the seventies, they could be had for $15 +- ten dollars depending on condition and severity of the BUBBA. Sherwood even offered premium grade Douglas barrels for 98 Mauser receivers, that were pre chambered for the 8mm-06.

The Hornady third etidion even listed loads for the 8mm-06

Hornady was even considering offering commercial loads for the cartridge, but couldn't convince Remington/Ruger/Winchester to build rifles in the chambering.

The biggest problem with the Hornady loads, is that they followed the same cautionary loading ratios as those restricting the 8x57JS loads. Because of this, the cartridge languished to the point of dying out.

In strong rifles, such as your CZ or the Zastava Mod 70, or the surplus 98 actions, this cartridge can really be loaded to velocities exceeding those of the 338-06 with 200-225 grain bullets, using similar powders.

I got the best velocities/accuracy out of mine, using vvN160 with a 220grn Norma bullet over a compressed powder charge and magnum primers.

It was quite easy to get 2800+fps without pressure signs and still retain good case life. That's pushing on the heels of the 8mm Rem Mag.

The rifle I had was a surplus Belgian made 98, that had been rebarreled with a 24 inch Douglas from Sherwood. It still needed work to extend the mag well and profile the feed ramps to be able to seat the bullets out far enough to utilize the available powder space. The rifle was post war and originally chambered in 30-06.

As you mentioned, RECOIL WAS BRUTAL at those velocities and one of the reasons I sold the rifle. In all honesty, I would have kept it if decent components had bee available back then. I eventually went to the 338-06 for that reason. I am now much more recoil shy than I used to be and my 338-06 rifles languish in the safe.

I would feel very well equipped for hunting anything in North America and most of the world with the 8mm-06, loaded to proper pressures and velocities, in strong rifles.
 
kjohn said:
I have a CZ 98 that was rechambered from 8x57 at Gwynn's years ago. I have dusted a few whitetails with the rifle. I handload for it, using nickle plated 30-06 brass, or I also have some factory 35 Whelen brass that works. I prefer the Nicole plated as I know it will be 8mm-06. My hunting load is 150 gr Sierra. For plinking I use cast. I found a few 220 gr. Sierra "Spitzer Boattail" the other day. Loaded them over some Ammomart 44. These will likely pack a good punch, as in recoil. :)
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I have and have used an 8mm-06 and a 8mm-06 AI for years. In the 8mm-06 I have found W760 to be the best powder with 175,200 and very good with 220 gr bullets. # 44 is a little fast for the heavier bullets
 
My rifle is a CZ refurbed Model 98, not a "new" CZ.

I am loading 44 at 10% lower than 3031 starting load for 220 gr.
 
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Some where in the old tickle trunk I have a barrel chambered for 8/06. If I get extremely bored may have to screw it on to one of the several actions that are also in the trunk. It should be a good performer for sure.
 
kjohn said:
My rifle is a CZ refurbed Model 98, not a "new" CZ.

I am loading 44 at 10% lower than 3031 starting load for 220 gr.
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Ammomart #44 powder was between 3031 and 4895 in burning speed. 10% below a 3031 start load would be a low pressure low vel load.
 
rokoro said:
Ammomart #44 powder was between 3031 and 4895 in burning speed. 10% below a 3031 start load would be a low pressure low vel load.
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When it warms up, I'll chrono these loads and post the results. I was told by those that know to start 10% below 3031. I ended up with 16 lbs. of this stuff, still in good condition. I have used some in 30-06, 303 etc.
 
I have a Husqvarna commercial M98 that I had re-chambered to 8mm-06 AI. I chose the AI version primarily to reduce number of case trims. And, the cartridge does look cool. I plan to load heavier bullets than I do with my 8x57.
 
kjohn said:
My rifle is a CZ refurbed Model 98, not a "new" CZ.

I am loading 44 at 10% lower than 3031 starting load for 220 gr.
Click to expand...

I used a lot of that #44 powder back in the day. The recommended powder equivalent, on the brown paper can, to load by on the can was IMR 3031. When I first started using it, it became obvious that it was close to an exact duplicate of IMR3031. I had a hundred pounds of it at one time. Some buds twigged on that I had it and I ended up with about half of that order, once all was said and done. Tom Higginson was a good friend. I helped him develop some of the loads for that powder and a few others that he supplied in newspaper form with his orders.


It should be a good powder for the 8mm-06 with bullets in the 170 grain weight.

As for your CZ being surplus, I had now way of telling from your post. That being said, your receiver is one of the better variants and strong enough to load your 8mm-06 to produce velocities well over that which can safely be achieved with the 8x57JS. Norma loaded their Oryx, 170 grain bullets to 2800+fps, with a powder very close to N160.

It would be a shame not to load your 8mm-06 to at least that equivalent or better.
 
bearhunter said:
I used a lot of that #44 powder back in the day. The recommended powder equivalent, on the brown paper can, to load by on the can was IMR 3031. When I first started using it, it became obvious that it was close to an exact duplicate of IMR3031. I had a hundred pounds of it at one time. Some buds twigged on that I had it and I ended up with about half of that order, once all was said and done. Tom Higginson was a good friend. I helped him develop some of the loads for that powder and a few others that he supplied in newspaper form with his orders.


It should be a good powder for the 8mm-06 with bullets in the 170 grain weight.

As for your CZ being surplus, I had now way of telling from your post. That being said, your receiver is one of the better variants and strong enough to load your 8mm-06 to produce velocities well over that which can safely be achieved with the 8x57JS. Norma loaded their Oryx, 170 grain bullets to 2800+fps, with a powder very close to N160.

It would be a shame not to load your 8mm-06 to at least that equivalent or better.
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I only have a few loaded with 220 gr. I have a stash of Sierra 150's that are reserved for hunting. Mostly, out of this 8mm-06 and my other 8x57's, I shoot cast, well lubed, mostly WW with a bit of lino, gas checked. Lee mold, 175 gr. The Sierra 150's into the heart/lung area does the job on whitetail. :)

Edit: I must say that Mr. Higginson was a real gentleman to deal with. I'll say the same with Alan Lever. They were both good to me.
 
kjohn said:
I only have a few loaded with 220 gr. I have a stash of Sierra 150's that are reserved for hunting. Mostly, out of this 8mm-06 and my other 8x57's, I shoot cast, well lubed, mostly WW with a bit of lino, gas checked. Lee mold, 175 gr. The Sierra 150's into the heart/lung area does the job on whitetail. :)

Edit: I must say that Mr. Higginson was a real gentleman to deal with. I'll say the same with Alan Lever. They were both good to me.
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A lot of people feel that way about those two gentlemen.

I met Tom through Alan Lever. I used to work for Alan Lever during my summer vacation. Did that three years in a row and put in a couple of stints over the ensuing years. Both of them could be gruff, if irritated. They both treated me well.
 
I inherited some old reloading gear a while back. Included was a 1962 Speer Reloading manual. It has loads listed for the 8mm-06.
It must have been quite a common conversion for Speer to publish load data back in the day.
 
Ganderite said:
Using nicled brass for the 8-06 is a good idea. Especially if you also have 30-06 ammo. Otherwise, Murphy will win.

Don't ask me how I know....

308 in a 30-06

RZmwZUs.jpg


223 shot in a 7.62x39
gate4Xg.jpg
Click to expand...

Thats why I've past on a 3006 a fue times, 90% of my 8x57 brass is made from 006.
 
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