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Thread: 8x56R

  1. #1
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    8x56R

    Recently got an old Hungarian Manliccher from Dad that he bought as a parts rifle and has had at least 35 years that I can remember and never shot. Stragely, the rifle is in good shape, complete and has a good bore.

    I plan to reload for it, but these are oversized 8mm bores (nominally .329, but usually bigger). I have a few molds for my .32 Winchester special including an Ideal 321232 which casts .324 or so. This is a plain based bullet designed for the .32-40, I believe. The mold casts well and the bullet functions through my lever gun well and is accurate with lighter loadings.

    How well could this bullet be expected to paper path up to .330 or bigger to shoot in this old rifle?

  2. #2
    Boolit Mold
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    Have paper patched a few 8x57 jacketed hunting bullets for this rifle cartridge. Given I'm shooting a carbine barreled gun, accuracy has not been anything to write home about, but it will give me a four inch group at a hundred yards. That is compared to inch and a half groups with the Hornady ammunition that was previously available. I will be looking into a mold for making a paper patched bullet. That is this spring's project...

  3. #3
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    These come up for discussion every so often. Yes, they're supposed to .329, but I've got 5 of the short version, some each of Budapest* and Steyr** manufacture, and they range from .330 to .336. So the only way you have a prayer of selecting the correct boolit is to slug the bore. My general rule of thumb is to take that result and plus .002. They are such an unusual design, and such a handy little rifle that they are irresistible, despite most of them being somewhat inaccurate. I did actually see one, just one, shoot very well at the range, and it was .329. Sadly, it wasn't mine!

    These rifles have been a personal thorn in the side for years and years. Originally ammo was almost impossible to obtain, so I invested well over $100 in some custom RCBS dies for making the brass from 7.62x54Rmm. However, very few bullets and boolits were available, just the products of some garage manufacturers, and they were .329. Eventually Lee made (still does) a .329 mold specifically for the M-95 Mannlichers and carbines, but since that's just the size at which these bores start they didn't shoot well in any rifle I own. After I'd cast up a couple hundred and was having poor results I phoned Lee and chatted with a fellow who said, "Yeah--I've got one of those rifles, and have the mold also. I can't get it to shoot well either." I was laughing so hard I hung up the phone. It's refreshing to find an honest man.

    I kept them though, because they are an engineering marvel, and it's still on my list as something to maybe get back to. If and when I do, I think I'll get a .338 mold and work my way downward.

    One member of this forum, Buckshot, has one that he re-barreled to .30-40 Krag, and it's very accurate. He's posted photos several times, and perhaps will again.

    Disassembling/reassembling the bolt can be a challenge the first couple of times. Using the issue ammo made in the '30s and early '40s, FMJ, they function well but have a kick (recoil) all out of proportion to their size. It took me several years of looking around gun shows in the'70s to finally assemble one clip full of this ammo, then suddenly it appeared on the surplus market in quantity and I bought several hundred rounds still in the clips. Now it's long gone again......so casting is about the only way you can go even if you have a .329 bore.

    Depending on what your bore slugs out at, you may find success with the .32 Special molds.

    Good luck!

    * Osterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft, Steyr
    ** Femaru Fegyvr es Gepgyer, Budapest

  4. #4
    Boolit Master Dan Cash's Avatar
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    I picked up one of these a couple years ago converted to 8x57. I fired off a magazine full at a hasty gong at 100 yards from my porch. Firing off hand, I hit the 10 inch plate 5 for five, cleaned the gun over the next 3 days (corrosive 44 ammunition) and put it away. Were I not burdened with too many choices in hunting guns or more hunting opportunities, it would be high on my list of users. It is a really nice gun, light, fast firing and capable of taking anything in the western hemisphere.
    To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the trouble with many shooting experts is not that they're ignorant; its just that they know so much that isn't so.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    Still have one as a decoration on the wall of my log cabin and I think I still have some of the 1938 Nazi ammo that came on two stripper clips in what looked liked a cigarette box.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check