Reloading the 8x56 Mannlicher

[Shooter55]

Hi all
Just picked up a M95 steyr carbine in 8x56 along with a die set..reloading resources are pretty slim...anyone have any recipes? Hoping to load a 205 grain bullet but have not settled on that yet.
Thanks everyone

 

[lowridersvt]

I load 40 grains of varget or about 42gr h4895 using either 7.62x54r formed brass or ppu brass

 

[ted_dent]

"The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions" lists a load for a 205 gr. bullet as 45 gr. of 3031 for 2300 FPS. A problem with this cartridge is that the bullets are .329" diameter, not the usual 8mm .323". I have seen these bullets advertised but it may have been in the US. I don't know if they are available in Canada. You could probably find a cast bullet that would work although the powder charge would have to be reduced substantially.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Tradeex has some bullets, FMJBT for 100 bullets for 44$
http://www.tradeexcanada.com/content/8x56r-bullets-prvi
They also have some brass for it as well 45$ for 50 cases
http://www.tradeexcanada.com/content/8x56r-mannlicher-brass-prvi

Hope this helps

 

[mbogo3]

Some swag down .338 bullets.Harold

 

[Old Ranger]

I've had some sucess shooting cast bullets out of mine. My understanding is that the bores should measure 329 and that is the dia of the jacketed bullets sold by Tradex. Apparently many bores are a little oversize. I lucked out and mine slugs right on a 329. My Lee mould casts at 331-332 and I seat GC's with a Lee sizer opened up to 331. Bullets are then pan lubed. I've worked up a couple good plinking loads. While I've never fired surplus or equivalent jacketed loads through mine apparently the little carbines have some nasty recoil and muzzle blast. They do make a nice plinking rifle when loaded down with cast. Economical to shoot as well once you've acquired some brass. Both my Carbine and brass came from Tradex and I'm using Lee dies , mould and sizing equipment. Bullet takes a regular 8 mm GC.
Time permitting I should do a detailed write up on cast load development for these little rifles. The topic of reloading for them seems to come up quite often.

 

[MiG25]

40 grains of IMR4064 shoots to the sights for me with the Hornady 205 grain soft point. It is slow, not even breaking 2000 fps though. Worked fine on a Mule Deer though. Faster goes higher, IIRC factory stuff from the 30's shoots a foot high and clocks at 2340 from the short barrel.

Btw, the data with Lee Dies is actually their already weak 8mm Mauser data.

 

[dnepr]

Haven't done to much with this one yet I tried 46 gr of h4350 with the privi 208 gr fmj-bt , gave me 1825 fps over the chrono and was a bit more accurate than the privi factory ammo ,