What to do with 8x57mm mauser

Jayph

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I have finally run out of my Hornady ammo that was actually loaded to the velocity this cartridge is capable of. They don't make it anymore and the federal and remington stuff is anemic at best. I found some norma but with shipping and the cost it's way to expensive.

My long term plan was to rebarrel to 30-06 but it shot so good as what it was that I never really did anything to it. I have too many projects as it is so it will likely be awhile before it gets done. I was looking through my load manuels and you can't really get it to norma and hornady velocities with the powders availiable to us.

Thats when I turned the page and found the 8mm-06. This seems like the best way to go but I have no idea what a rechamber would cost? Or what the round is like? I reload so it's not a big deal to go this route. The gun is very close to mint shape (doesnt need a new barrel) and shoots so good (Hornady factory hung around 1"-1 1/4) that I think that this is the way to go. The thing is were to send it and what will it cost?
 
Why not just reload and put it up to the pressures and velocity you were getting with the Hornady ammo?
You should have a chrono for doing it.
 
Have you tried the Winchester ammo? I have a Steyr M95M, and it shoots like a dream with that ammo. Marstar (sponsor) has it at a pretty fair price.

I have not but assume it's loaded to the same (Iam scared it will be shot in old rifles with the wrong bore size lawyer loads) as federal and remington.
 
Why not just reload and put it up to the pressures and velocity you were getting with the Hornady ammo?
You should have a chrono for doing it.

You (supposeably) cant I phoned Hornady and they use a special powder blend. The closest load they could give me was 120fps slower than there factory and that was at Max loads.
 
I wouldn't rechamber. 8x57 can do about anything a 30-06 can. Hodgdon website has modern load data for the old 8x57:
150 gr - 2950 fps
175 gr - 2800 fps
BLC-2 and H4895 powder work well in 8x57.
 
I wouldn't rechamber. 8x57 can do about anything a 30-06 can. Hodgdon website has modern load data for the old 8x57:
150 gr - 2950 fps
175 gr - 2800 fps
BLC-2 and H4895 powder work well in 8x57.

The rifle doesn't shoot anything below 190gr very well. I will go see what they have for that.
 
The old 8X57JS have set the bases of all post 1898 high power rifles.
CIP have set the MAP pressure of the 8mm at 57 700 PSI, wich is almost the same as the '06. The pressure thing isn't really a matter of bore size, this was proved by P.O. Ackley, it is more of a nationalist over-protection (remember the US had to pay big $$ to P. Mauser for copying is patens).
The old 8mm will do anything a 8mm-06 will do, though. There is no real advantage in rechambering it to suc ha cartridge.
I do reload for modern 8mm and for older ones too. If ever you decide starting reloading (wich is what I do recommend you to do) I am sure plenty of us may help you developping safe but powerful loads, for bullets up to 225 grains....
 
The old 8X57JS have set the bases of all post 1898 high power rifles.
CIP have set the MAP pressure of the 8mm at 57 700 PSI, wich is almost the same as the '06. The pressure thing isn't really a matter of bore size, this was proved by P.O. Ackley, it is more of a nationalist over-protection (remember the US had to pay big $$ to P. Mauser for copying is patens).
The old 8mm will do anything a 8mm-06 will do, though. There is no real advantage in rechambering it to suc ha cartridge.
I do reload for modern 8mm and for older ones too. If ever you decide starting reloading (wich is what I do recommend you to do) I am sure plenty of us may help you developping safe but powerful loads, for bullets up to 225 grains....

I have reloaded for 12 years but I had a bunch of factory ammo for this rifle and it didn't get shot much. My old manuels didn't have very good velocity numbers with the 195gr bullets I wanted to load and after hornady told me that I couldn't come close to there loads I looked for other options.

I just got back from the hodgdon site and they have higher powder charges and velocities than my book and it looks like sane pressure so I will start looking for dies and try working up some loads before I give up on it.
 
You (supposeably) cant I phoned Hornady and they use a special powder blend. The closest load they could give me was 120fps slower than there factory and that was at Max loads.

Hornady gave you some very poor information!
No "Special blend," of powder is required to equal the velocities of their loads.
I just looked up the old Norma GunBug Guide. They show loads for a 198 grain bullet of 2625 fps. I will guess that is better than Hornady's.
The Norma loading charts are the only loading book charts I know of that show honest figures. I have chronographed a few loadings in my rifles and I always got very similar velocities as to what Norma showed. Sometimes a bit under, sometimes a bit over.
 
The Norma loading charts are the only loading book charts I know of that show honest figures.

Are these available anywhere online? Google gave me no good leads for this. The Nosler reloading site info is also generally hotter than any other sources I see, but they usually only list 3 powders so the selection is somewhat limited.

Mark
 
The differences between 8x57 rounds loaded to max potential for your rifle, compared to 30-06 rounds loaded to the same potential, are minimal. In the field, I consider them to be near equal. Also, it can be argued that the .323 bore size may be preferable if one chooses to use bullets of 200gr. or heavier. I would leave your rifle as is, it is an ideal choice for deer, elk, moose and black bear.
 
Are these available anywhere online? Google gave me no good leads for this. The Nosler reloading site info is also generally hotter than any other sources I see, but they usually only list 3 powders so the selection is somewhat limited.

Mark

Mark, Norma powder has been unavailable for quite some time, so you are unlikely to find much about it on the internet.
There used to be the odd can of powder show up at gun shows, but I haven't seen any for three or four years.
I have the original Norma GunBug Guide, where, in 24 pages, they give the complete loading book information on reloading rifles and pistols, all you need to know.
Three pages are devoted to brass; various types, annealing, sizing, in short, getting the brass case ready for reloading.
A bit over three pages explains all you need to know about powder.
There is a section (page) on pressures and another page explaining velocity and the chronograph of the day.
Another two pages on measuring breech pressure and a page entitled, "Rambling about the designation jungle."
There is a page on, "Why do you overload?"
The rest is loading charts.
This was my first reloading manual and the only one I had for something like twenty years of reloading. As a matter of fact, I don't even have a modern loading manual.
I also have a single page Norma loading chart. If you send me your email address I could send a copy to you.
Bruce
 
Wholesale Sports lists 8mm bullets in 200 and 220 gr. The Sierra reloading manual shows some fairly decent loads; PM if you want them.
 
8MM-06 is cool, lots of Captured German rifles were getting rechambered to this after the War....should allow for more case capacity but I doubt it will make much of "real world difference" . If nothing else its not common and that alone is a good reason to do it. I dont' think it would be that expensive...think 150-200$ Give David Henry a call to find out what he charges, that's where I would go. (that's if he has the correct reamer).

Personally I would be keeping it as is....I load my Father's old Sporterized Model 98 with Sierra 175's seated out as far as the magazine will accept (I forget the measurement). I believe 49-50 grains of 4064 was shooting very well (about an inch or a little more) and the velocity was at par with what you would expect out of a 30-06 (2700 fps plus depending on how my chrony was feeling that day)
 
No way would I do anyting to that rifle. You load already - load for it! sit down and work up a load. With most actions - the bullet can be seated quite far out and that gives more space. The loads that are given by most manuals are low power as they are still worried about the smaller bore size of some older rifles. If you load for yours - 200 gr bullets are a great chhoice.

Load it out almost to the lands or mag well length (whichever comes first) with a Reloader 15 (the Reloader is regarded as identical to the Norma series to those who know) or so and you will be very very happy.

I feel it is better than a 30-06 as the brass is a little shorter giving you more bullet length for powder.

An 8-06 will not help you for factory rounds - so you will need to work up a load for it anyhow.
 
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