8mm Mauser to .338 RUM?

I am not sure about the length of your mag well, but perhaps if you like to play a bit and want to make that 8mm a screamer, have you considered the 8x63 Swede? If you google 8x63 or Andy Prindham you are sure to find it. Others here with more experience might correct me if I am wrong but you would likely need a 24" barrel at least to make full use of the case.
Marstar has a pile of the loaded ammo for surplus pricing. Only downside is it's Berdan primed.

Then you can have a little brother to acompany your 338!

They are talking about this round in the reloading forum, FYI, Andy has posted there too!

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142671
 
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Yea I may look into another cartridge for the 8mm but right now Id like to hear more about the .338 federal and maybe 8mm-06. Thanks for the link though Ill keep it in mind.
 
338 RUM and Lapua are basically a 250 gr bullet at 2960 fps from a 26" barrel (handloads, all the factory loads I've chrono'ed have been going between 2700 and 2800 fps with 250 gr bullets). Depending on the gun, you may get slightly more or slightly less velocity. I've seen claims of 300 gr at 3000 fps from the Lapua, but the rifles I've read about had 30" barrels. I know in my 338 Lapua, there is no way to get the bullets going that fast without blowing something up. Ballistically speaking, the 338 RUM will do exactly what the 338 Lapua will do (in my experience). The 338 Federal is actually the 308 Win case necked up for 338 bullets, think 2400 fps with 250 gr bullets. The 338-06 is the 30-06 case necked up to take 338 bullets, think 2500-2600 fps with 250 gr bullets. the 8mm-06 is (you guessed it), the 30-06 case necked up to take 8mm (323) bullets. I've never shot 250 gr bullets in mine, but it will push the 220s to 2700 fps. The Ackley versions of the 338 Federal, 338-06 and 8mm-06, simply blow out the case taper and change the angle of the case shoulder, thus giving you a larger case capacity, Simply speaking, a larger case capacity gives you more room for powder, which in turn usually translates into higher bullet speeds. Not always, but usually. There are also Gibbs version of the 338-06 and 8mm-06, which stretch the case even more. Your Mauser can be rechambered for the 8mm-06, 8mm-06 AI, or 8mm-06 Gibbs (usually just called the 8mm Gibbs). The 338 federal, 338-06 and all it's variations will require a new barrel, and a fair bit more gunsmithing (read "money"). FWIW - dan
 
Hmmmm it sounds like if I do anything with this rifle itll be rechamber it for 8mm Gibbs, I think thats the one you said had the most power. Then Ill make a carbon stock for it and top it off with one of my leupolds :D . If it shoots well enough I may use it to replace my remington .308 as my hunting rifle :confused: . If I dont do anything itll continue collecting dust. Im open to some other suggestions by the way. Looking to make the most power and accuracy without having to do TONS of stuff, the 8mm Gibbs sounds like a good option, is there one better?

Thanks Steve :canadaFlag:
 
Wait i thought that the 8mm was more powerful than the .30-06? If so why would I change it to a .30-06 cartridge pushing an 8mm bullet? :confused:

Steve
 
steveyb4342 said:
Wait i thought that the 8mm was more powerful than the .30-06? If so why would I change it to a .30-06 cartridge pushing an 8mm bullet? :confused:

Steve
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Because you thought wrong. The 8mm bullet is larger in diameter but the 06 case is larger and pushes a 220 grain bullet about 300 feet per second faster.

On top of that I think you are trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear! :puke:

In the long run you will save money if you simply buy a new magnum rifle.
 
Steve, is your rifle a milsurp, or something like a Husky 146, 1000, 1100?

Depending on what you want the finished product to look like, Dennis may have a point there.

I toyed with the idea of rechambering my Brno 8x57 also, but if you look in the reloading forum, there is a post there as of late on the 8x57 loads and some are respectable. A 200gr bullet at 2700 is nothing to cough at. It is almost a Mack truck. Mine will be staying as chambered, out to 300 yards it will only make a difference of an inch in your trajectory anyway.

Too bad the 318 Westley Richards is so rare here, that would be a fun conversion as well!

Noel
 
Its an old world war two rifle, still has the swastikas ingraved {they will be ground off, i hate them}. Im not going to try to make this rifle a .338 now. I want that rifle to be half decently nice and shoot quite well so ill wait until late summer early fall so I have some money for that build. Now Im just looking to restock, new glass and possibly rechamber the rifle. I want to do this because as it sits now the rifle is not used and I dont particularily like it. Im not trying to make a great precision rifle out of it. Just something I can hunt with and maybe send some bullets down range and have some fun with it ya know? If it turns out to shoot really well, great! I wouldnt mind be able to shoot long distances anyways. I'm just looking for a different cartridge to fire and something with some good ballistics ya know? Im not looking for a show stopper. If I could make it shoot 1.5 MOA or 1 MOA Id be very happy as its no where near that right now {no Im not balming that on the cartridge just saying}.

Thanks Steve
 
steveyb4342 said:
Im not trying to make a great precision rifle out of it. Just something I can hunt with and maybe send some bullets down range and have some fun with it ya know? If it turns out to shoot really well, great! I wouldnt mind be able to shoot long distances anyways. I'm just looking for a different cartridge to fire and something with some good ballistics ya know? Im not looking for a show stopper. If I could make it shoot 1.5 MOA or 1 MOA Id be very happy as its no where near that right now
Thanks Steve
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Steve give your head a shake... then step out on your back porch and take a couple of hundred dollars out and burn them up. Then go shoot your rifle again. Does it shoot any better? No? Well re-chambering it will end up costing more in the long run and it won't make it shoot better. If you can not make that barrel shoot 1.5 inches - give up on the bloody thing! Get rid of it for whatever you can before wasting any money on it. You are over your head on this project.
 
I know why it doesnt shoot well, Its the scope mount. Someone installed a very makeshift one in hopes of not having to alter the gun, if you shoot the gun you can actually watch the scope shift. I would fix it except like I said I dont enjoy shooting the gun as it is, the butt is way to small for my shoulder and it digs in like wild and to fix it I would have to take the action out then I would put it back together only to have a rifle I still dont like. You understand what im saying? I say 1.5 because I know what it shoots now {very bad!} so I just dont want to get my hopes up. Also 1.5 for a hunting rifle isnt bad in my opinion. I own the only rifle in the house that will do better than that {.300 savage}. Anyways, I can tell you guys are starting to get frustrated dont worry about it and thanks for your help. See ya.

Thanks Steve
 
338 Dakota might be doable. You'd have to alter the bolt face & extractor and rebarrel. Feeding system might require tweaks, too. $1-1.5k ought to do it
 
nah Im not looking to spend that much. Like I said dont worry about it. Sorry if Ive annoyed anyone or if I spoke out of my lane. Thanks for all your advice.

Steve
 
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