8mm-06 ??

do to parts that I found at an estate sale one of my on going projects is an 8mm-06 , I know in years before my time (after WW2) many 98Mauser's was reamed out to 8mm-06 to use available brass in this country , I thought load data would be as easy to find as any wild cat round, What I have so far is from Spreer and Hornady manuals that are about 30 years old, all far J-words , on the bright side H4895 is in the list. At this point I have found no cast boolit data, I have a 190gr. mold that works well for my 8mm Mauser. I believe it should work for this too. I am hoping for cast data and some thing a bit more up to date.

Start with 30-06 loading data and work up your own cast loads.
And you can use low loads from a .35 Whelen for starting points reduced by 10%

Never fear, Mr. C.E. Harris has you covered.

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...Rifles-Article

The 8mm 06 would fall within the 180 grs - 200 grs range:

"Sixteen Grains of #2400 is the Universal Load

The same 16 grain charge of #2400 is universal for all calibers as a starting load. It is mild and accurate in any larger military case from a 30-40 Krag or .303 British up through a 30-06 or 7.9x57, with standard weight bullets of suitable diameter for the caliber. This is my recommendation for anybody trying cast bullets loads for the first time in a military rifle without prior load development. I say this because #2400 is not "position sensitive", requires no fiber fillers to ensure uniform ignition, and actually groups better when you stripper-clip load the rifle and bang them off, rather than tipping the muzzle up to position the powder charge.

Similar ballistics can be obtained with other powders in any case from 7.62x39 to 30-06 size. If you don't have Hercules #2400, you can freely substitute 17 grains of IMR or H4227, 18 grains of 4198, 21 grains of Reloder 7, 24 grains of IMR 3031, or 25.5 grains of 4895 for comparable results."

My own preference is for IMR 4227 and IMR 4895. With the former, a starting load of 18 grs will get you headed in the right direction. With the latter 27 grs should be a good place to start.

If it hasn't already been rechambered, I would really suggest leaving it as a 8X57. It is a well balanced chambering, and is only second to the .358 Win for my favorite cast chambering.

8mm-06 is a fine cartridge. People swoon over the 338-06 but diss the 323-06 and forget what a hammer of Thor the 8x60 is.

Ric, it sounds as if his is already so chambered. It is a fine cartridge and decent bullets and boolits are both available, just use 8x57 boolits. Or the MidSouth oversized molds if it is a little shot out.

Re Chambering to 8mm-06 can greatly improve performance of a well worn 7.92 Model 98 Mauser even if the owner doesn't take full advantage of the larger capacity case.

Extending the chamber and throat deeper into the barrel clears away eroded throats and freshens the origin of rifling. If care is taken headspace with the new chamber can be held to minimum specs without requiring setback of the breech.
This can also allow blueprinting of the lugs and seats removing signs of lug setback from older guns for smoother and more precise lock up.

The Swedes used a cartridge similar to the 8mm-06 in a line of long range Browning type MGs and special ordered a Mauser rifle chambered for this round to issue to the MG crews so they could use the same ammunition.
The Swedish cartridge required that the long heavy low drag 7.92 bullets used be set back into the case mouth to stay within the same OAL as the standard 06 cartridges.

The LEE 8mm Karabiner mold that Midsouth Shooter's Supply offers is a great gas-checked rounded flatnose boolit design for the 8mm-06 that I rechambered from a 8x57 K98 barrel on a FN 1922 model 98 action. It drops at 216gr with my lead mix and finals out around 220gr once the lube and gascheck is added in.

Its my personal "Hammer of Thor" design with that 30-06 case nearly full of WC-860 powder and that heavy bullet.

https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...roduction-mold

Bruce