Fun with the 8mm

[Texas by God]

I finally got to try my 8x57 with boolits. No rhyme or reason I selected these loads and boolits. The target tells today's story. The NOE had a bad day. Further research on a nicer day is in order! That Red Dot load is a pussycat.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180228/856633769e8dad6077862edfe1cedc4d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180228/41feda270b2d94aaf1c13cbd8cbdadcf.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[hc18flyer]

Trying to figure out why the NOE 326471fn shot so poorly? Have fun! I hope to shoot this weekend?

[Texas by God]

I don't know; they sure are pretty. My twist is 9.5"- shouldn't be a problem there. I'll try the Red Dot with it. Thank you again for the help. If the Accurate 33-205 holds accurate to 100, ''twas a short hunting load search!

[Cheshire Dave]

I'm interested in that accurate mold. I just got an 8 by 57 rimmed with a I think 318 bore. I haven't slugged it yet. I'd really like to get about a 200 grain hunting load for it. Nice thing about accurate he will make them whatever size you want.

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk

[Bohica793]

I have a new to me VZ24 that slugs at .328 grooves and .312 on the lands. Just poured up some of the Lee C329-205s and will see how they shoot. Anyone else seen large bores in 8mm?

[arlon]

Might have to get one of those Lee molds myself. I just got an old (1937) Mauser sporter last weekend. I just liked the way it was done so got it. Never owned an 8x57 until now. Bore looked really good, hoping it will make a decent cast shooter.

[Texas by God]

I've owned a few 8x57s and in my twenties I had a Shaw barreled BRNO K98 that I used exclusively. From prairie dogs to elk it worked perfectly. Now I'm learning cast in it and I'm confident it won't disappoint. It is one of the greatest cartridges ever!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[RedneckRob]

What was the velocity of the Lee / Red Dot load ?

[Texas by God]

What was the velocity of the Lee / Red Dot load ?
I did not chronograph any of the loads as it was light drizzle/ rain that day. However an estimate from my Lyman cast bullet handbook puts it in the 1300-1400 fps range.
I may shoot the rest of that load this afternoon, they are a hoot!

[Czech_too]

I have a new to me VZ24 that slugs at .328 grooves and .312 on the lands. Just poured up some of the Lee C329-205s and will see how they shoot. Anyone else seen large bores in 8mm?

I picked up a VZ24 a couple of years ago. Off hand I can't recall what it slugged at, but I'm sizing the same Lee at .327
The Yugo 24/47 gets sized differently.

[sharps4590]

The Accurate bullet you have is the same as mine. I've used it in 3 or 4 different 8mm cartridges, both .323 and .318, sized accordingly, and it has never failed to give me more than adequate groups, some downright impressive. I really like it!

[Texas by God]

The Accurate bullet you have is the same as mine. I've used it in 3 or 4 different 8mm cartridges, both .323 and .318, sized accordingly, and it has never failed to give me more than adequate groups, some downright impressive. I really like it!

Have you taken any game with it? The meplat is impressive.

[hc18flyer]

I did take a nice doe in November 2016 with the Accurate 33-205T, at about 30 yards. I was using my Yugo M48 and a 'scout scope setup. Need to try again this season.
hc18flyer

[Texas by God]

I did take a nice doe in November 2016 with the Accurate 33-205T, at about 30 yards. I was using my Yugo M48 and a 'scout scope setup. Need to try again this season.
hc18flyer
I can see that working, what was your load? And what is your recommendation for the NOE326471 for target shooting?

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I've got a couple german mausers and all I've ever shot through them is surplus ammo. The 196 gr. loads along with the steel butt plate thumps you pretty good so I never shot them much. Setting up to cast and load for a new caliber is expensive. Your results show it can be worth it.

[sharps4590]

No sir Texas, I have not taken any game with it, yet. Given my experience with similar design bullets in other calibers I can't imagine it would not be effective.

That Accurate bullet is "the load" in my 1908 Mannlicher/Schoenauer in 8 X 56, Strover '98 Mauser sporter in 8 X 57, my most recent 8 X 58R Swede roller and.....son-of-a-gun...can't remember the other rifle. At any rate, I do like that bullet!!!!

[hc18flyer]

sharps4590- I want a 'roller next! But I have everything I need assembled for a M96 in 8 x 57, my winter spare time dissolved! Oh well, steel and walnut can't go bad! I like that Accurate 33-205T in my Yugo M48. hc18flyer

[sharps4590]

My Husky '96 is in 9.3 X 57 and that was a fun cartridge and, good rifle, to work with. I'd love the opportunity to try the 9.3, 262 gr. Accurate bullet on game.

The old Swede roller was a lot of fun to work with. I will forever think they are one of the ugliest rifles ever made...lol! But, I do like the old thing!!! I finally found a safe, accurate enough, SR-4759 load that would shoot to the sights if the folding blade was flipped up. Unique was more accurate in my rifle. Never did find a load that would shoot to the standing sight.....yet.

That '96 should make for a nice 8 X 57. Are you going to convert it to cock on opening? I'd kinda like to do that to my '96.

[TCLouis]

Ya may want to try 21.5 gr. of 4759 with that Lee Boolit.
I was using the GB boolit.
Start lower and work up of course.

Above that looked like a buckshot load for me

[opos]

8mm does have a bit of a kick to it...lol...Don't ask me about this but it was a '98 "sporter" that has some stock fit issues for me..wheeee

215974

[Texas by God]

8mm does have a bit of a kick to it...lol...Don't ask me about this but it was a '98 "sporter" that has some stock fit issues for me..wheeee

215974That's merely more "therapy" for that repaired shoulder[emoji6]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[HangFireW8]

Been there, done that bruise.

That is why I currently cut all my stock toes inward a bit at the bottom and replace the useless pointed bottom hard factory buttpad with a quality softer flat or rounded pad like a Decelerator.

[TCLouis]

Dang, opos what load were you shooting outa that thing?
Surely not a boolit based load!

[BigMagShooter]

i suspect the NOE needs more pressure to work better.

[Texas by God]

i suspect the NOE needs more pressure to work better.As in more velocity?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Texas by God]

Back at it today for a few minutes, I shot the thumper and the plinker @ 40yds then the last four 33-205T @ 100 yds in quick fashion. I'd hunt with the thumper.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180313/1e3f7a7b583b87e36157d4f386ddfb7d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180313/72aef95ca2573c6ed468643652182549.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[LostSoul]

It's great to see several of you cast for 8mm Mauser, I'm just getting started with the cartridge and will have some questions in the coming days and weeks...

[Texas by God]

I fired 3 of the Red Dot load today with no ear protection - they are fun and will shoot through two milk jugs of ice or a steel well pressure tank at 100 yards.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Tackleberry41]

I use the .325 215gr 325365 in my M48, PC. Shoots great subsonic, not really messed with em full power yet.

[mrrch]

Need to follow this, I have an 1891 Comission rifle with a pretty bad barrel that will hopefully still shoot some light cast loads.

[hornady308]

I hunt with a sporterized '88 Commission Rifle using the Lee 8mm Karabiner available from Midsouth Shooters Supply for $19. These weigh ~240 grains and have a huge meplat. I size to .325 and send them downrange with a moderate amount of 2400.

216788

[RedneckRob]

I thought the 88 GEW bore was .318 or was this one that was rebored to .323 ?

[Hardcast416taylor]

I`ve got a LEE Karabiner mold that I keep telling myself I should try. Any suggestions of how much 2400 powder as a load or what other powders?Robert

[Texas by God]

I'm going to try these when I can.
10.5 grs of Unique in reformed .270 cases.
It's gonna be fun.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180531/1155d14c84b59685455bc3604dd86b93.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Geezer in NH]

8mm does have a bit of a kick to it...lol...Don't ask me about this but it was a '98 "sporter" that has some stock fit issues for me..wheeee

215974

Need for a Past recoil sheiled you wear. No sissy thing but helps and won't let a flinch develop.

Way you are going OW flinching on the way

[Texas by God]

I just tried a few at my 40 yd line and I'm pleased even with my wobbles. The excellent Tikka trigger suprised me a couple of times. The targdots are one inch.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180601/e996a79b72af5631f6a36a1049b5251e.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[fast ronnie]

Need to follow this, I have an 1891 Comission rifle with a pretty bad barrel that will hopefully still shoot some light cast loads.

Don't know about the commision rifles, but the '93 and '98 are not too bad to change the barrels. Green mountain from Midway for the '93 is less than a hundred, just have to do the last few thou to set the headspace.

[roverboy]

I have a new to me VZ24 that slugs at .328 grooves and .312 on the lands. Just poured up some of the Lee C329-205s and will see how they shoot. Anyone else seen large bores in 8mm?

I've never slugged my K98k but, it tumbles some jacketed loads. Bore looks good though. Just must've been made oversize.

[roverboy]

I hunt with a sporterized '88 Commission Rifle using the Lee 8mm Karabiner available from Midsouth Shooters Supply for $19. These weigh ~240 grains and have a huge meplat. I size to .325 and send them downrange with a moderate amount of 2400.

216788

That's a mean looking boolit.

[Texas by God]

I fired three of the NOE 326323 bullets at sun up this morning the first two went into the same hole, I got all excited, and promptly blew the third one out about an inch and a half LOL
Thank you I H C 18 flyer for the boolits!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[yeahbub]

I'm with Mauser 98K. The following method is what I use to prep the pockets on dimpled eastern bloc cases of both 5.5mm and 6.5mm primers, but for 6.5mm (.254) primers (7.62x54), a bushing must be swaged from something like 1/4" soft copper tubing which can be easier than might be thought. For cases with 5.5mm (.213-.215) primers (all 8X57 I've seen), the following process will work to completion: The Eastern Bloc cases all have that dimple on the inside of the case between the flash holes which marks the center of the anvil. I use a 5/64 "aircraft" length drill bit (5") to reach down inside the case, get centered on the dimple and drill until it starts to grab and spin the case in my hand. At this point, the tapered anvil is drilled nearly through and very thin and the case can be deprimed with a conventional decapping pin which breaks off the tip of the anvil and punches out the berdan cup. A carbide primer pocket uniformer (Lyman, I think) is chucked up in the hand drill and used to remove the remainder of the anvil and cut the pocket to the correct depth. By the way, the eastern dimpled cases fortunately have pocket depths of approximately .120, handily allowing depth uniforming to .125 for boxer primers. Some foreign cases have pockets considerably deeper (see below). Now we have a clean pocket that's .213-.215 dia. or so which must be reduced to properly fit a .210 primer. This can easily be done by clamping a long 5/16 punch (Harbor Freight) in the vise with the end of the handle resting on the vise screw housing for support and the punch sticking straight up out of the jaws. The case is inverted and dropped onto the punch and a fat center punch (too big to slip into the pocket and ground to a shallow 30-45 degrees) is centered on the primer pocket and struck to upset the brass around the pocket into the pocket to reduce its diameter to less than .210. It doesn't take much - a good crack with a 4 oz. ball peen hammer will do. Pockets are then swaged to uniform diameter with a primer pocket swage tool (mine is RCBS) just like swaging out primer crimps and they are now ready to be primed. I've done this conversion with both brass and steel cases, using them at full power and have gotten good service from both. Having three flash holes doesn't seem to have any noticeable affect on pressures or accuracy. Most of my shooting is done with .311-.312 cast boolits paper patched with three wraps of drafting vellum, bringing them to a .325-.326 diameter, perfect for the 8mm. A PP'd 175gr 311041 cast of WW over 48gr of Rel 15 speaks with some authority and shows promising accuracy, but could probably use some tweaking, which is yet another thing on the overloaded to-do list. Sometime before Fall, hopefully.

Two things about Turkish, Egyptian and other cases from non-eastern-bloc sources: The Berdan priming system does not rely on uniform pocket depth for proper function, rather the relationship between the anvil height and the priming pellet-and-cup thickness, so the pocket depth can often be deeper than .125. Some I've attempted to convert (Turkish) resulted in seated primers being .020 below the case head and unreachable by the firing pin, thus needing a disk of material to be pressed in place to make the pocket workable with boxer primers. Nice cases, but another step I'm not willing to do unless the cases are something exotic. Also, these generally do not have the dimple between the flash holes, so they must be converted by another process - hydraulic or mechanical depriming, center drilling with a flash hole drill guide which fits into the pocket for centering purposes, etc. (A 1"-1.25" 1/4-20 set screw with a friction nut set .125 back from the end with the threads spin-filed to .210 diameter x .125 long and bored through for the 5/64 flash hole drill makes a dandy drill guide. Insert into primer pocket over the tip of the anvil with the nut against the headstamp and you're ready to drill the flash hole.) British Radway Green 7.62x51 cases are high quality and have good pocket depth, so they can be converted by this method, but boxer 7.62x51 is ubiquitous and too easy to get. I haven't gone there beyond proof of concept experimentation.

[Texas by God]

That is very interesting information but it certainly makes me glad Boxer 8x57 brass is readily gotten at present and readily obtained by reforming .270,.280, or 30-06 when it's out of stock!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[yeahbub]

DOH!! I'm mortified to realize I posted the conversion info in the WRONG THREAD! Okay, anyone know how to move it to the "Converting Berdan brass to Boxer" thread? . . . . Yeeesh, what in the world was going on there I wonder, what th'. . . dang computers mrrmnnr, harrumph, grumble snort. . . . I need a computer that does what I want it to, not what I tell it to do. . . .

[Texas by God]

That's hilarious! I feel your pain....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Geezer in NH]

Think Past Recoil Shield!!!

[3006guns]

I thought the 88 GEW bore was .318 or was this one that was rebored to .323 ?

If there is an "S" stamped on top of the receiver ring, it was rebored to accept the .323 spitzer bullet. This does NOT mean you should use military full pressure loads, even thought the Germans thought it was safe. They shoot cast boolits beautifully though.

[Texas by God]

Weren't they just enlarged in the neck and ball seat and the bore left @.318"? And marked "S" with stripper guides soldered on and a bullet notch in the front rec. ring? I've just described the 88/05 haven't I? A Bit Confused- maybe I am.

[Texas by God]

No pics but I fired a single 3 shot group from both NOE boolits @100yds with the 10.5 gr Unique load. Less than 3" so considering the heat I'm pleased.

[RU shooter]

No pics but I fired a single 3 shot group from both NOE boolits @100yds with the 10.5 gr Unique load. Less than 3" so considering the heat I'm pleased.
Try upping the unique loads some in my experience it seems to do do better the warmer the loads. 13-14 gr range was the sweet spot for a few different bullet weights for me .

[Eddie1971]

That's a mean looking boolit.

I use the same head powder coated and gas checked in my 88's and have been having great results with 30.5-31.5 grains of Winchester 748 using a magnum primer. They are sized to .323, bores slug out to .321.