What bullet for 8mm Lebel Revolver?

[jethunter]

What was the original bullet weight for the 8mm French Service revolver? I'm looking at getting a bullet mould made and was leaning toward a 95 gr SWC bullet. What do you think? I already have a 110 gr mould, for a new one should I get a 100 gr or 95 gr?

 

[Pete04]

Why lighter?
The downside of this round is its poor performance (Cart. of the World) so I would think a heavier bullet with a little more speed would help correct that.

On a side note, do you think this round was ever loaded with Black powder for military use? Wika says it was.

 

[jethunter]

I'm looking at lighter bullets because i already have heavier ones, and there isn't a lot of horsepower here to work with. If we load (for instance) 120 gr bullets we would also have to reduce the powder charge accordingly and performance wouldn't be any better than what we get from lighter bullets, not to mention that they would probably be greatly out of whack with the sights.

A lighter bullet can be driven a bit faster with the same pressure, or at the same velocity with a less pressure, which is always a good thing in antiques. My 8mm revolvers both shoot high at 20 yards. Lighter faster moving bullets should theoretically shoot closer to point of aim.

Regardless of how we load them the 8mm service revolver cartridge is never going to be a high performance cartridge. Using a semi wadcutter type bullet would make them hit a bit harder than the round nose bullets perhaps, but it's still going to be an anemic little cartridge no matter what we do with it.

France was the first military to adopt smokeless powder cartridges. My understanding is that the french designed this catridge for smokeless powder from the start, but that some of the early ammo was loaded with black powder until smokeless powder became available in type and quality sufficient to supply military production quantities.

 

[cyclone]

I always thought that 115-grain bullets were the "optimal" ?....

 

[jethunter]

I have a 110 gr mould already and those bullets do shoot well. A 115 or 120 gr could be interesting.

 

[Pete04]

Yes a lighter, faster bullet would be interesting and may be the ticket for paper punching.

I was thinking more like what the Brits did with the .38S&W by making it into the 38/200 S&W. This turned a relatively weak BP cartidge into a round on par with their previous .455.(Cart of the World) They used it in a break action frame configuration that was much weaker than the full framed Lebel.
I'm thinking of a "bush load" for four legged defence and downed game dispatch so bullseye accuracy would not be a big considerstion. Maybe 5-10m and minute of pie plate accuracy.

 

[drslav]

I thought original was 115 but I'm not sure now.
Lighter would be interesting. My gun shoots high too so I use lighter load. I would say go with a 100. 95 seems too light... Would be nice to try both but I realize is expensive.
Keep us posted what you decide to make. Btw I will be interested in buying more from you.
I will have to have them resized But they are good quality bullet you make.

 

[jethunter]

I thought original was 115 but I'm not sure now.
Lighter would be interesting. My gun shoots high too so I use lighter load. I would say go with a 100. 95 seems too light... Would be nice to try both but I realize is expensive.
Keep us posted what you decide to make. Btw I will be interested in buying more from you.
I will have to have them resized But they are good quality bullet you make.

I'm going to make the next mould .327"

 

[Pete04]

I was thinking more like what the Brits did with the .38S&W by making it into the 38/200 S&W. This turned a relatively weak BP cartidge into a round on par with their previous .455.(Cart of the World) They used it in a break action frame configuration that was much weaker than the full framed Lebel.
I'm thinking of a "bush load" for four legged defence and downed game dispatch so bullseye accuracy would not be a big considerstion. Maybe 5-10m and minute of pie plate accuracy.

Any thoughts on this?
Anyone?