jmfa1957

I just bought a Remington 700 Classic in 8x57 Mauser. The commonly available 8x57 mm factory loads are all pretty mild owing to the concerns over the old, tight bore 8mm rifles in circulation. To realize this cartidge's potential one needs to handload for it. I reload for several other calibers and was wondering if anyone out there has a favorite hunting load for their 8mm.

Thanks in advance.

oldrgr

Hey pard. Just came across this thread at the following link.
http://p089.ezboard.com/fmilsurpafterhoursfrm20

Scroll down to the thread on most accurate 8mm load. This whole forum is on the 8mm Mauser rifle and the specific thread has some 19 responses on various loads. This is the same cartridge that you are interested in.

Factory loaded 8mm is a bit anemic because of concerns over mistakenly trying to load it in the older pre 1900 Mauser rifles that can't handle it.
Also if you have access to the Nosler reloading manual it chronicles their most accurate loads by type powder.
Hope this helps.

Briman

If you aren't adverse to using round nosed bullets, try this:

Rem brass
Fed 210M primer
50.0 gr IMR 4064
Hornady 170 gr RN

Iwould start at 47-48 gr and work up in .5 gr increments until you get to this load to make sure your rifle will handle it as its a hot load.
I have 6 (or was it 7 at last count) mauser 98's that all shoot very accurately with this load, two of the rifles will consistantly shoot <1.5" 5 shot groups with this load using iron sights, they might actually be capable of shooting better with this load, but I'm not. I've used this load in the past in a persian 98/29 to shoot in 200 yard military rifle matches, and have done really well with it.

I've heard of people using 175 gr spire point bullets with a very similar load, usually .5 to 1.0 gr less of IMR 4064 shooting good as well, but I haven't had time to try it myself.

stress-relief

I have three 8X57 Milsurp Mausers. A sporterized K98, a Russian capture K98 and an M48 Yugo. They all prefer heavier bullets. All three shoot their best with 200 grain Speer Spitzers with 44 grains of Varget. This load gives me a chronographed muzzle velocity of 2265 FPS in my sporterized K98. I'm getting three shot groups just under an inch with my scoped sporterized K98. Your new rifle may like the lighter bullets.

My sporterized K98 also likes the Nosler 180 grain Ballistic Tips. I use 43 grains of IMR 4064 which yields a muzzle velocity of 2272 FPS.

jmfa1957

Thanks guys - - I am taking notes here!

lonewolf5347

jmfa1957 : I have a BNZ 42 IN 8X57 MAUSER USING THE HORNADY 150 SP BULLET AND 3031 POWDER CAN'T REMEMBER THE LOAD OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD ,BUT IT WILL CLOVER LEAF GROUPS AT THE 100 YARD TARGET.
THE GUN IS A FULL SPORTER 3X9 MILLET SCOPE AND RINGS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE,DID PICK IT UP LAST YEAR FOR $75.00 BUCK ,STOCK WAS CRACKED BUT I DID REPAIR IT, BENT THE BOLT AND DRILL AND TAP THE ACTION.THIS IS THE LAST OF MY CENTERFIRE RIFLES ,JUST PARTED WITH MY A3-03 SPRINGFIELD THAT I OWNED SINCE THE LATE 60'S WHICH WAS ANOTHE TACK DRIVER .THAT SPRINGLFIELD HAD TAKING MANY DEER OVER THE YEARS AND I COULD SAY I NEVER LOST ANY OF THEM OR IF THEY DID RUN MAYBE 30 YARDS MAX;

jmfa1957

I've started to work up handloads for my new Remington 700 Classic 8mm Mauser. The factory loads aren't very powerful and aren't very accurate.[:'(] I tried some Remington 185 grain PSP Core Lokts, which are inexpensive in bulk. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any published load data, so I had to go into this blind.[8D] I looked at load data for bullets of similar weights and started conservatively, working my way up a half grain at a time, looking for signs of excesive pressure. Fortunately all loads tested in MY rifle seemed safe, but I accept no liability for anyone else trying these loads, especially in a rifle other than a Remington 700, and MOST ESPECIALLY in an older firearm where the bore diameter is .318", rather than the .323" diameter that is more common in newer firearms of this caliber. If you handload, you know to start low and work your way up. If you don't handload, buy a book and read up before attempting it yourself. Better yet, buy several reloading books and compare notes.

I used new, full length resized Remington brass, Federal 210 Large Rifle primers, and IMR 4064 powder. This powder seems to work well in every rifle I load for, including .243, 6.5x55, .30-06 and now 8x57S. In the 8x57 cases all charges came fairly close to filling the case.

Interestingly enough, the lower charges were more accurate than the heavier charges, exactly the opposite of my Remington 700 .30-06. I don't own a chronograph so I have no idea of velocity, but I would estimate it to be ~2400 to ~2600 fps based on similar charges with bullets of 180 grains.

All data below are averages of three groups of three shots each at 100 yards, allowing about 12 shots per hour, cleaning after each 6 shots (new barrel, want to be gentle with it.)

Here's how it went:

46.0 grains = 1.00" avg group size
46.5 grains = 0.88" avg group size
47.0 grains = 1.88" avg group size
47.5 grains = 1.83" avg group size
48.0 grains = 1.38" avg group size

Looks like the sweet spot is somewhere between 46 and 46.5 grains.

lonewolf5347

BNZ42 8X57 MAUSER LOADS IMR3031 45.5 CCI PRIMER OVERALL BULLET LENGTH 3.035 150 GRAIN HORNADY SP INTERLOCK BULLET
BNZ 8X57 MAUSER SPEER 170 GRAIN SS SEMI-ROUND NOSE 3031POWDER 44 GRAINS OVERLENGHT 3.000
BNZ 8X57 LOADS 3031 47 GRAINS 150 SP HORNADY BULLET OVERALL LENGHT 3.000
ALL THE ABOVE ARE TACK DRIVER AT THE 100 YARD TARGET

jmfa1957

Thanks Lonewold, I have some IMR 3031 and also some Hornady 150 grain bullets. That will be my next experiment.

I was pretty pleased with the Remington 185 PSPs, although the wallop became rather noticeable at the higher charge weights. Can't beat the price of these bullets in bulk.

jmfa1957

Tried IMR 3031 and Hornady 150 grain bullets on Christmas Eve. Not sure I trust the data all that much as the wind was pretty bad.

These are averages of five shot groups at 100 yards through the Remongton 700 Classic in 8x57.

46.0 grains = 1.50" avg group size
46.5 grains = 2.31" avg group size
47.0 grains = 1.75" avg group size
47.5 grains = 1.88" avg group size
48.0 grains = 1.19" avg group size

Here, the maximum load seemed the best, although there may be a harmonic effect as the powder charge heads down towards the minimum I tried.

Got a nasty Christmas present too. There was a sign on the range office that said that the City of Azusa voted to close down the range, which has been there since 1948. Seems that the developers built some big new houses in the foothils nearby, crowding out the coyotes and adding to everyone's fire insurance rates by buidling in a brush fire area. All of the homeowners signed releases but now they are bitching anyway.

There sure aren't many reasons to want to live in this state anymore. [&o]