Finally

[RED BEAR]

Well took the plunge and ordered dies for my 8x50r austrian. Try to get out in next couple weeks and fire form my brass. Looks like i bought them at the right time they have been discontinued by rcbs once they are gone they are gone. Called ch figuring i could save a buck but they are running more than two years behind so if you want a set from them better be ready to wait. It will be good to finally get it to the range. Bought this in 1984 been in back of safe ever since. Gun was sold to me as an 8x56 but chamber cast quickly showed it was really 8x50.

[15meter]

Easy cartridge to load. Load it for a buddy's rifle that is an 8x50r.

It's an English double that's marked 30 Purdey. It was presented on the internet as a re-chambered 8x56r, he bought it on approval. I have an 8x56r, took dropping a couple of loaded rounds in the chamber to disprove that. Didn't take long to figure out it was an 8x50r. Price got negotiated down a little bit.

Easier to load, 8x50r it takes a standard 8mm boolit, 8x56r is an oddball .329 dia.

Trim to length and full length size. One of the easiest forming you can get.

It's a cool old rifle, cooler if it had been in the original chambering, just not as affordable.

[RED BEAR]

It was my understanding that the 8x50r used a hollow base .323 bullet and the base expanded to fill the groves. I have seen a lot that says the .329 bullet is the way to go. I slugged the bore and the rifling cut deep into the bullet but the groves didn't touch a .325 sized bullet. Now my barrel is dark but there is no pitting at all and rifling looks good. So i may actually try the lee .329 mold.

[stubshaft]

If the boolit is a hair small you can always powder coat it.

[15meter]

8 shots, 4 each from myself and my friend from a double rifle at ~ 30 yards. First load I tried.(and last!)

Offhand.

7.62x54r cases shortened and opened up.
16 grains 2400
WLR
Lee 90274 sized .325 gas checked and experimental lube-- Lenox stick lube for band saws, had a tube melted it into the sizer and tried it. It worked! But soft.

This stuff:

https://www.lenoxtools.com/pages/lub...lubricant.aspx

Zero leading, shiny bore after shooting.

Just curious where you got the info that it was a hollow base bullet. My understanding that was one of the early cupro-nickel jacketed military bullets. I didn't think those were hollow base.

But I've been wrong before, just ask my mother-in-law. I've been wrong for 34+ years.

And to drive home that opinion, she bought a magazine subscription this spring for my wife--in her maiden name.

[toot]

I make my brass from 7.62x54 RUSSIAN. just run them through the 8x50 dies, and VIOLA!! little short, but minuscule amount. does not effect loading or shooting.lot cheaper than buying reformed 8x50 brass.

[richhodg66]

Dad gave me a rifle chambered in (I think) this, along with a set of dies and a complete military one in the same caliber. I remember him getting the sporter when I was a kid in the '70s. There were 25 reformed Norma 7.62 Russian cases in the stuff, I haven't gotten to it yet.

The necks on his reformed cases seem short. Now that the influx of M95s in 8x56R has generated PPU ammo and brass, I'm thinking reforming from that is probably a better option?

I'm glad Dad still had the dies, didn't know RCBS was gonna quit making them.

[RED BEAR]

15 meter can't argue with the results. I am going to start with a .325 bullet also as i am already set up for it for my 8x57. I am just glad i finally got around to getting it going.

[17nut]

8 shots, 4 each from myself and my friend from a double rifle at ~ 30 yards. First load I tried.(and last!)

Offhand.

7.62x54r cases shortened and opened up.
16 grains 2400
WLR
Lee 90274 sized .325 gas checked and experimental lube-- Lenox stick lube for band saws, had a tube melted it into the sizer and tried it. It worked! But soft.

This stuff:

https://www.lenoxtools.com/pages/lub...lubricant.aspx

Zero leading, shiny bore after shooting.

Just curious where you got the info that it was a hollow base bullet. My understanding that was one of the early cupro-nickel jacketed military bullets. I didn't think those were hollow base.

But I've been wrong before, just ask my mother-in-law. I've been wrong for 34+ years.

And to drive home that opinion, she bought a magazine subscription this spring for my wife--in her maiden name.

Not HB per se but intended to expand!

The 8x58R Danish (and Swedish) cartridge was developed in the era of BP, with the change over to Smokeless (or semi-smokeless) Powder. Bullets were cylindrical and long, whilst Grooves were deep (BP Practice). Excess Friction from a Long bearing surface on the Lands was reduced by making the Bullet of a diameter intermediate between Bore (8mm-.315" ) and Groove depth (.329-.330"). This Principle was used on all the 1886-1890s Long cylindrical bullets with Metal Jackets. The Flat or concave Base of the Bullet "Upset" to fill the grooves and give Obturation ("Base Upset Obturation") and created a driving Band effect, whilst the rest of the cylinder was lightly engraved with the rifling.
This Method of combining Bullet and rifling is usually called "the Austrian Technique" as Steyr was the first to manufacture rifles to this system in 1888. It will be found in all "8mm" Rifles, mm 7,62 (Russian), and in the Commission 88 (Germany). In effect, all rifles with long, RN, heavy Ball cartridges.

So to fit a bullet for the 8x58R Danish/Swede, one needs a RN, Flat Based .324" Bullet; if one wants to use a Spitzer Boattail, then one must use a .329" Bullet ( Boat Tails don't "Base upset obturate", so a BT .323 or .324 would suffer "Windage" and subsequent inaccuracy.) This was found in 1930 ( Austria) with the improvement of the .324" 8x50R to the Spitzer .329" 8x56R ( with Boat tail...the reduced contact area and the boat tail both required the "Upsize" to prevent windage.
Now: to get Bullets for .324 in the 8x58R...use RN Jacketed Flat based "8mm" bullets, or make your own Spitzer BT by sizing down Hornady .338" in a Lee .329" Sizing die and use a strong (Cast iron/steel) O-frame Press; or cast and size Lead to .329"
Or buy .329" 8mm M30 S bullets from AV Ballistics Technical Services (Australia)...CNC turned Brass to M30 (8x56R Profile, but 172 grains only...60/40 Brass vs. 205gn Lead core steel jacket Milsurp.) Or even Pull down 8x56R ammo for the .329" FMJs.
Best for the M1895 Swede RB in 8x58R is the RN FB .324 diameter Jacketed, or the Cast Lead at .329"; although later used with the improved Spitzer 8x58R later in its life, the RB prefers the (milder) Loads of the RN Bullet....and the rifles are too nice to use with spitzer bullets..."out of Character" and "out of Era".
Doc AV
AV Ballistics Technical Services
Brisbane Australia.

[RED BEAR]

Do yall fire form the brass ( 7.62x54 ) or do you load and fire the 7.62 x 54 and let it form when fired. This gun is a pain in the butt to fire form cases as you can't just load them one at a time. I have to remove the bolt reset the locking lugs insert a cartridge under the extractor. And replace bolt with cartridge . Have to do this for every one because the extractor is fixed and doesnt move.