Mannlicher 8X50R Brass and 244 Grn. RN Bullets?

Drachenblut

Drachenblut

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Hello All,

I have a Mannlicher M-95 Stutzen and I would love to shoot it. I've heard about and plan to do a bit of custom sizing down of the 8X56R case to make it work, but that aside, if we can stick to 3 questions, please, it would be helpful!

1. Does anyone make/have 8X50R brass, if so, who makes it, where can it be found and how much does it usually run cost wise?

2. Where can one find jacketed 244 Round Nose Bullets for 8mm? Cast lead? Any ideas gents? How about custom bullet makers who can make a jacketed 8mm 244 grain round?

3. Where can one find loading data and charts for this caliber, bullet type etc?

Thanks,
Drachenblut
 
1. Kynoch made some before World War Two, but it was Berdan-primed. Some was made in Bulgaria during the War but that, also, was Berda-primed. Apart from that, I don't think anyone has made it since the War. Easier to size down 7.62x54R Russian, which you can get from Partizan or from Norma: less work and it WILL fit your chamber. 8x56R30M is available from Tradex (Partizan) but it just COULD be a little fat at the base for your carbine.

2. I think a custom maker would be your only chance. Sierra makes a 220, which should have her pretty close to your sights. You CAN use the 220 and drop your powder charge a bit and still have your sights bang-on. It's less power, of course, but it still should flatten anything much smaller than a Sherman and certainly will do the job on Coke cans. You COULD make a bullet-mould up, a bit undersized, and paper-patch your bullets. It HAS been done with smokeless-powder rifles: original Swiss 1889 ammo was like this. Perhaps somebody has something lying around.

3. Cartridges of the World has the only data I have ever come across for this number.

BTW, Text Book of Small Arms (1909) gives the MV of the Stutzer as 1900 ft/sec. With the 244-grain bullet, that is (1900x1900) 3,610,000 divide by 450240= 8.018 x 244 (for your bullet) = 1956 ft/lbs muzzle energy, which is just 30 pounds MORE than you got from a Lee-Metford (which had a 30-inch tube) with the Cordite Mark II Ball round. Not bad!!!

TBSA also gives charge weight as 42.44 grains of 'nitrocellulose' powder but there is NO indication as to burning rate. Remember, this cartridge originally was loaded with Black powder from 1888 through to 1890, so the case is fairly big.... so they had to use a fair bit of powder because the bigger the case, the less pressure you get from any particular charge. But they didn't have a very good handle on controlling burn rate. I have dissected an original round and found that it was loaded with a flake powder, likely related to the French flake (Poudre B) or to the Belgian (Cooppal) which was in use into the 1950s. Likely it was fairly quick stuff.

Hope this is of some help, anyway.
 
I checked their website last night, right after John Sukey mentioned it. They DO have the stuff in stock but shipping to Canada is a REAL pain these days, with the new regs.

Their 8x50R brass is converted (FL sized and trimmed) 7.62x54R. Do it yourself quicker and cheaper. And just as good.
 
Hah. Figures they would sell converted ammo. I'll focus on getting 8X56R brass and trimming it down. Less work, and just more reliable in my opinion.
 
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