Ideas for 8mm plinking rounds?

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Hi I'm wondering if someone has any ideas for plinking rounds for 8mm Mauser?

I have lots of IMR 3031 and no gas checks! My mold is Lee 175gr .324".

Ideally, would like to go 1000 - 1200 fps with decent accuracy at 50 yards. I will be using wheel weights to mold. Will I need case filler if I say, am only using a few grains of powder?
 
IMHO, IMR 3031 is totally unsuited for what you are trying to do. If you were trying for velocities in the 1500 fps range about 30 grains of it would be fine over standard large rifle primers. Some Dacron fiber over the powder would be a good idea as well. Dacron is cheap and easy to find at any fabric shop. I haven't tried to go for lower velocities.

I shot a 165 grain bullet over 30 grains of H4895 which is very similar to IMR 3031 without gas checks and bullets cast from wheel weights using the Dacron packing. Some people really frown on the packing but I have never had any issues with it. I pack it fairly tight. I get just over 1500fps and I use a good bullet lube. Rooster Red. A bud of mine just uses a Beeswax mix he makes up himself. Great for plinking and hell on gophers.
 
The old C.E. Harris load, referred to as "The Load" was 13 grains of Red Dot Shotgun powder with a standard rifle primer and a bullet weight similar to the original military loading. This is a useful load not only for the 8x57, but also most of the Military rifles such as the .303 British, 7.62x54 Russian, .308, 30-06, 30-40 Krag, 6.5 Swede and 6.5 Japanese, and similar capacity cartridges. It is accurate out to 100 yards and I have used it out to 600 yards, in the .303, with about the same accuracy as Mark VII Ball. Velocity is about 1500 - 1600 fps. You sometimes have to adjust the loads plus or minus a grain to get the best accuracy. About 200+ loads from a pound of powder.

With regards to wheel weights ----older weights are about 92% lead, with the rest being Tin and Antimony. As such, they are a bit "hard" for cast bullet use, and the addition of lead will help sealing the bore when shot. VERY GOOD Lubricants should be used.

Be aware that the newer wheel weights are of an alloy composition. They will not mix properly with older type weights, and you will have an alloy that will not fill out your mold properly. And, they are a hard thing to remove all traces from a melting pot, so subsequent batches of bullet mixture will still be contaminated. However, they are all right for molding Cannonball sinkers for fishing with downriggers, or similar non-bullet making uses.
 
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If you want 1000-1200 fps, you need to use a fast pistol powder, with Unique being on the slow end. The fastest pistol powders will only require 5-6 grs and no filler, so will be very economical.
 
buffdog said:
The old C.E. Harris load, referred to as "The Load" was 13 grains of Red Dot Shotgun powder with a standard rifle primer and a bullet weight similar to the original military loading. This is a useful load not only for the 8x57, but also most of the Military rifles such as the .303 British, 7.62x54 Russian, .308, 30-06, 30-40 Krag, 6.5 Swede and 6.5 Japanese, and similar capacity cartridges. It is accurate out to 100 yards and I have used it out to 600 yards, in the .303, with about the same accuracy as Mark VII Ball. Velocity is about 1500 - 1600 fps. You sometimes have to adjust the loads plus or minus a grain to get the best accuracy. About 200+ loads from a pound of powder.

With regards to wheel weights ----older weights are about 92% lead, with the rest being Tin and Antimony. As such, they are a bit "hard" for cast bullet use, and the addition of lead will help sealing the bore when shot. VERY GOOD Lubricants should be used.

Be aware that the newer wheel weights are of an alloy composition. They will not mix properly with older type weights, and you will have an alloy that will not fill out your mold properly. And, they are a hard thing to remove all traces from a melting pot, so subsequent batches of bullet mixture will still be contaminated. However, they are all right for molding Cannonball sinkers for fishing with downriggers, or similar non-bullet making uses.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions. I scrapped most of the wheel weights myself from a local landfill, most of the rims they came off appeared quite old. But that brings up another point, my Lee pot looks pretty bad now... all rusty inside with a lot of crud. Do you suggest maybe having one Lee pot only for pure lead that I can do my BP casts in and maybe another one only for wheel weights?

Also what is really good lubricant? Right now I am giving a tumble in Lee alox, letting dry a night, then another tumble in alox and letting dry a second night.

What do you think of the Lee Molds? The .312" shot like crap in my Lee Enfield and the .324" shoots like crap in my Yugo 98K Mauser. I've heard some people say they are too small and loose in these milsurps? I was getting leading no matter what type of loads I tried.
 
My old Lyman book only goes to 168 cast with gas checks. Does show IMR3031 though. The 7 grains shouldn't matter. 33.0(2012 fps) to 39.0(2304 fps).
Thought I saw some site that explained how to make gas checks. They're required but fillers are not. Don't recall where or what was necessary to make 'em. Can't be terribly difficult though. They're just a wee cap.
Your Lee-Enfield may not have a .311" barrel so .312's might be too small anyway. Slug it.
 
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