Loading for 8x50 Rimmed Hungarian/Mannlicher Steyr 1895

[Ranger Green]

My first big project for a great friend's treasure. So does anyone have experience with this cartridge? Anything will help. I will slug the bore and order an appropriate mold but any load date and tips will be greatly appreciated.

I plan to convert brass from 7.62 Russian.

[15meter]

I've converted 8x56r to 8x50r, used Lee 8mm bullets over 2400, was fun to shoot.

Is it an original 8x50r? I have one that has been rechambered to the later 8x56r. I didn't think there were many that didn't get rechambered.

[Ranger Green]

I've converted 8x56r to 8x50r, used Lee 8mm bullets over 2400, was fun to shoot.

Is it an original 8x50r? I have one that has been rechambered to the later 8x56r. I didn't think there were many that didn't get rechambered.

I believe it is a sporterized original.

What was your charge of 2400? What weight bullet worked for you? I could use a starting reference.

[Wayne Smith]

I believe NOE now has the Frankenstein boolit - it was accidentally designed just for these rifles. Does Graff's no longer have brass/loaded ammo? That would be a whole lot easier than reforming Russian brass.

[RED BEAR]

doing the same thing my self ch sells the dies cheap and found a place for loaded ammo (have not tried them yet) www. gadcustomcartridges.com . mine is original 8x50r gun store sold it to me as an 8x56 back in early 80s. chamber cast told the real story. have fun.

[Wayne Smith]

If it has an "S" on the action, usually the top of the action, it has been re-chambered. Absent the "S", not re-chambered.

[pill bug]

I'm going to try the same thing. My rifle is an m1890 Mannlicher (looks like a 1886 Mannlicher but in 8x50r caliber). Got everything I need, enbloc clips, C-H dies, #13 rcbs shell holder, Ideal 323378 mold and 200 rds of 7.62 Russian brass. Just need to convert the Russian brass to 8x50r, then reload it and see what happens.

[15meter]

Do a search for "the load" for military rifles there is a whole article by I believe Ed Harris on cast in old military rifles.

[15meter]

Try this: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?13425-Cast-Bullet-Loads-for-Military-Rifles-Article

[Ranger Green]

Try this: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?13425-Cast-Bullet-Loads-for-Military-Rifles-Article
Thank you very much Sir.

[Intel6]

Here is a pic of the NOE Frankenstein bullet I load in my 8x56R cartridges. I coat them with Hi Tek and either use "the load" or 2400. I started with the 16 grs. of 2400 load and worked up for a bit more power.


http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/Franken_bullet_web.jpg

[15meter]

Here is a pic of the NOE Frankenstein bullet I load in my 8x56R cartridges. I coat them with Hi Tek and either use "the load" or 2400. I started with the 16 grs. of 2400 load and worked up for a bit more power.


http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/Franken_bullet_web.jpg

The OP said it was a 8x50r, IIRC the 8x50r is standard 8mm diameter, this bullet may be to large, the 8x56r takes an .329 dia. bullet. Lee makes a mold for the 8x56r, I seat gas checks then double tumble lube with Ben's Liquid Lube.

For the 8x50r I use a standard 8 mm bullet gas checked and run thru a .325 sizer with what ever lube is in the lube-sizer.

[pill bug]

198939 Ok, this is were I am at, my first experimental cartridges for a Mannlicher rifle. 7.62x54r brass went into 8x50r die easy, it didn't do much more than open them up to 8 m/m. loaded with 236 gr bullets then checked for functionality in gun.Cartridge fits perfectly. feeds and ejects from enbloc clips with no problem. It should be noted that I did not trim the brass, its still 54 m/m long. These 10 rds are lightly loaded, So I'm going to try them with the 54 m/m length. If they shoot good will skip trimming any of the 200 rds of brass that are ear marked for this project. I have heard these older Mannlichers originally used 8x52r cartridges and have a generous throat, so that might explain the easy fit with the untrimmed brass.