8x56R

[lebl468]

Hey, looking for some loads for 8x56R 205gr Lee cast. Shooting them through a model 95 Steyr, not the carbine but the full size rifle. Got the brass from Buffalo Arms.

[Buckshot]

..............lebl468, hello, and a hearty welcome to the board! So have you slugged your rifles' barrel yet? Reason I ask is that most run .330" to .333" or so. In addition they have VERY generous caseneck OD's in the chamber. Add in a throat that will swallow a slug sized .340" in some rifles (and the chamber will also accept it).

The Lee C329-205-R 'may' drop @ .330" depending upon your alloy. However due to the .316" (or so) bore, a boolit at .329" does have quite a bit of lead being moved, and it may help to seal the grooves.

In this cartridge you can get along very well using any regular cast boolit loads for other similar sized full power military rifles. Some of these would be:

10 - 13 grs Red Dot (builds pressure quickly)
10 - 15 grs Unique (builds pressure quickly)
16 - 18 grs 2400
18 - 22 grs 4227, SR4759, AA5744
22 - 28 grs 4198
25 - 30 grs 3031

I'd use dacron with the loads using 4227, SR4759, AA5744, 4198, 3031 and slower, but it's use is up to you.

................Buckshot

[NuJudge]

http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearm...om/topic/27941
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=32688
http://www.handloadersbench.com/forum5/5879.html
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/dow...4837&mode=view

[Bret4207]

Try the Lee 338 boolit and 13.0 Red Dot.

[junkbug]

Anyone have a load for a 200-225 grain cast boolit and IMR4895, for the 8x56R?

Thanks.

Sean

[skeet1]

lebl468,
Please let us know what you decide and how well it works out. I am considering buying one of these in the carbine length.

Skeet1

[DanM]

I use .334" boolits in my M95 carbine. The Lee .338", 220gr sized down to .334" shoots very well in my carbine. I am using a Lee .329" push through sizer honed out to .334". You may get lucky with the performance you want from the smaller slug, but many see an improvement in accuracy with a fatter boolit. As for loads, I hit on a good one with IMR4350 right off the bat. Using compressed COW fill, I started with 36grs IMR4350, and bumped it up to 38grs and stopped there for about 1800fps with the Lee 220gr slug. You may have to get your .338" checks from GatorChecks. BACO was the only supplier with any Hornady .338" checks left and they ran out a couple of months ago. I had back ordered the .338" checks from them, and I just got an email from BACO yesterday saying that the .338" checks had shipped. Supposedly Hornady has discontinued making .338" checks. I had forgotten about the back order, and was surprised to hear from Buffalo about the shipment. I wonder where they found them? Back to the boolit sizing issue, I think the M95s shoot best with a boolit that really fills the throat, rather than just sizing to fill the groove diameter. Keep us posted on your results....

[lebl468]

Hey, thanks guys, This gives me a great starting point, heading to the range sat morn, results to follow!

[LeadThrower]

I ordered .338 checks from Buffalo Arms and was told they were on backorder with no re-supply date. So, I went to Hornady and ordered right from the source. Hornady delivered, and I forgot to contact Buffalo about my order, so they delivered as well. There's a supply still out there, even if Hornady has discontinued production.

[Jeffreytooker]

[QUOTE=DanM;412584]I use .334" boolits in my M95 carbine. The Lee .338", 220gr sized down to .334" shoots very well in my carbine. I am using a Lee .329" push through sizer honed out to .334".

Dan:

Have you ever shot any of the .338 Lee boolits with out sizing and tumble lube? When sizing .334 do lube grooves still carry enough lube?

Thx.

Jeffrey

[DanM]

My Lee .338-220 mold drops boolits that mic at only .335". Very undersized for true .338cal. applications, but great for 8x56. It is an older single cav example. The two skinny little lube grooves worried me at first, but no problems so far. I am using LithiBee lube. Have three sticks left, then will change over to the 50/50 NRA lube that I have ordered. I am not using LLA with this boolit, but do on other rifle boolits with good results. Buckshot will make you a good custom sizer if you want to try the bigger boolits....

[lebl468]

Welp, here's the results. I used Privi Partisan cases, WLR primers, Lee 205gr sized to .329 with Alox lube, 5 shot groups, shot at 50yrds:

19gr 2400 2 5/8"
22gr IMR4227 3 1/2"
22gr XMP 5744 3 3/4"
26gr IMR4198 6 3/4"
30gr IMR3031 3 1/2 (3 in under an inch)

After, I reset at 75 yards, and they all opened up preportionaly, except IMR3031, 4 shots in a 3 inch bullseye, at point of aim. Forgot the chrono, next weekend for sure.

[Buckshot]

...............And your 1895 Steyr slugs out at what?

.............Buckshot

[lebl468]

Not sure Buckshot, I have never slugged anything before, do I use pure lead?

[Buckshot]

Not sure Buckshot, I have never slugged anything before, do I use pure lead?

...............Pure lead is easiest to get through. Most guys use bullet type fishing sinkers, as the come in several sizes. You can also mash'em lengthwise in a vise to bump them up some if needed. Clean the barrel well, wipe with an oily patch and drive it through. You may also upset one in the muzzle and one just ahead of the chamber. If they're different, hopefully the one at the muzzle is smaller

If your groove is the more common .330" - .332" you may find a slightly larger slug may tighten up your groups.

...............Buckshot

[DanM]

Like Buckshot said. Try those fishing sinkers that are sorta football shaped with the hole thru the center. They should be almost pure lead. Use a brass punch that is close to bore sized to force the slug in. Some lead will slough off the sides as you tap it in. I like to support the slug from behind with a length of steel rod stock and give the slug some extra taps to really force it to fill the grooves. do one near the muzzle and another just in front of the throat.

[Bret4207]

At .329 that's not terrible. Size to .332-.335 and watch the groups shrink.

[daveefish]

buckshot, what velocity do you expect with the 30 gr IMR3031? thanks dave

[Buckshot]

buckshot, what velocity do you expect with the 30 gr IMR3031? thanks dave

..............Using the RCBS 338 slug sized to .335" and using 32.0grs of IMR3031 I got 1750 fps. I think 3031 gives between 35 and 50 fps per grain burning efficiently, so I'd think 30.0grs would give somewhere from 1625 to maybe 1675 fps, depending.

................Buckshot