8mm Mauser ammo - what's with the lack thereof?

[BeaverMeat]

I would like to know why it is so hard to find good hot loaded 7.92.57mm ammunition? The only retailer I can even find 8 mil Mauser is at Home Hardware. Which only stocks the neutered Winchester soft points and the basic FMJ Prvi. Everywhere else everybody says "no" with a "why the f@k do you even want that caliber" look on their face.

Is there a bias against this particular round these days? My grandfather said it was very popular in his day as it was his caliber of choice. He had to switch to 30-06 in the late 80s as 8mm became harder and harder to find. So whats the gives?

I know there are hot loads out there, but seem to be elusive in Canada. Especially the Prvi 7.92x57 IS loaded ammo.

 

[LUTNIT]

It's simply fallen out of favour and become more of a specialty round (so handloading is a good option for them now.) I can't buy 8x57mm locally except in one store that specializes in reloading, milsurp, and prohib calibres. You can still find ammo online at the larger, more specialized retailers or, if you want it cheaper and to load whatever hottness you want, switch to handload.

Back in the day, sporterized milsurp rifles where far more common as inexpensive hunting rifles so military calibres where far more in demand. As the market has changed, purpose built hunting rifles have become more common now and as more calibre options opened up people switched to others. 30-06 has remained very common because it's American so a lot of US hunting rifles are chambered in it and the US is the source for the vast majority of our hunting rifles. 303 British has remained common because there are simply so many surplus British rifles in Canada as we are an ex-colony. If we where an ex-German colony we would probably have 8mm mauser ammo in every Canadian Tire and Walmart (or 9.3x62mm since that was the civilian calibre.) I've read that in Germany 8mm and 9.3mm Mauser ammo is as common as 308 on store shelves; it's to them as 303 British is to us.

The 8x57mm round has similar energy and performance to 30-06 and 30 calibre is the standard US calibre for most things. So if a company makes 8mm projectiles for factory or reloading use they can be used in only a couple different cartridges; only one that is "common". If they make .308" projectiles their market is dozens of different cartridges from all different power levels and game types.

Pretty much all European calibres are neutered by US ammo manufacturers, it's not just 8x57mm. 303 British, 6.5x55 Swedish, 9.3x62mm, and others are all similarly reduced in power for liability reasons in the lawsuit-happy US.

 

[zuke]

I loaded 8mm with the same charge as my 30-06, 50 grain's of IMR 4064.
In the 06 it was under a 165 grain bullet, in the 8mm it was under a 175 grain bullet.

 

[Longwalker]

I have bought Hornady 195 gr. hunting ammunition that is loaded to full CIP specs. Norma stuff is very good too, but not as well distributed. Sellier&Bellot is reasonably common. You can order good 8x57 ammo from Tradeex, so buy a case - you'll have to pay some shipping but you won't have to worry about supply for quite a while.

 

[Caleb314]

Pvri partisan is pretty good too and if you get a case from tradeex its free shipping.

 

[BeaverMeat]

Pvri partisan is pretty good too and if you get a case from tradeex its free shipping.

All they have are the plinker loads. I am looking for the IS loads as I will be hunting with it. Prvi does sells a commercial FMJ equivalent of the Yugo M75 sniper round along side soft point/hollow point equivalents. That is what I am looking for. Other option... handload.

 

[Caleb314]

If hunting ammo is what you seek then Canada ammo has prvi partisan 198gr sp and tradeex has some S&B 196gr sp loaded quite hot around 2550-2600fps from what i hear, .308 does that with a 180gr bullet so yeah .I haven't shot the prvi sp but I will this Sunday or maybe even tomorrow il let you know my findings as I will try to compare both.

 

[Eagleye]

I have shot and chrony'd the PRVI 198 grain load out of my 8x57.
IIRC, it was about 2580 out of a 24" tube, so pretty decent power.
I do reload for mine, and I can drive a 180 to 2800, and a 195 to 2675.
No slouch, the 8x57!!
Regards, Eagleye.

 

[CanAm]

https://www.canadaammo.com/product/...of-prvi-partizan-8mm-mauser-soft-point-196gr/