8mm-06 length question

[rtracy2001]

After dreaming for years, and looking under every stone, I finally found a good 8mm-06 for a reasonable price. The bore looks pristine to the naked eye, no pitting, bright and shiny with well defined rifling. Judging from the marks on the barrel and action, it started life as a Nazi K98. The PO sporterized and glass bedded the stock, had the bolt cut and turned down to mount a scope, as well as the necessary safety flag relocation. The gunsmith I bought it from remembers doing the conversion to 8mm-06 years ago.

Anyway, my reloading manuals claim that I have to use the shorter 8x57 COL or the cartridge just won't fit in the magazine. Being the skeptical sort that I am I loaded up some J-word loads this afternoon (waiting on the group buy for a mold). Anyway I had some Sierra 220 gr Sp BT bullets that do not have a cannelure, so just for giggles I seated them at the max COL for a 30-06 (3.340”) instead of the recommended 3.228”. I then proceeded to load them into the magazine. While a notable tight fit, they all went in without binding or rubbing at the ends. The bolt closed without resistance, and the sharpie on the bullet trick revealed no contact with the rifling. Based on these results I am inclined to leave them long and shoot them.

Am I nuts? Or is this an OK idea?

[madsenshooter]

Sounds like the way to go.

[shotman]

If they will feed from mag thats great bet someone redone the mag the old 8mm would not have worked.Been there

[rtracy2001]

If they will feed from mag thats great bet someone redone the mag the old 8mm would not have worked.Been there

Well, there does not appear to be any obvious sign of anyone working on the magazine box itself. The bluing appears intact, though the magazine follower was sporterized (bolt closes when magazine is empty) and then presumably cold-blued. The boss for the stripper clip is still there (blocked by the scope of course.) I have not tried any round nose profiles as of yet, only the spitzers. I think I have some milsurp 8x57 round nose that I can pull down for the projectiles, be nice to know what they weigh anyhow.

So now that I have established a new COL for this rifle (at least with spitzers), can I expect loading differences due to the somewhat increased case capacity?

I assume so.

The advice would then be if I wanted to approach a max load, proceed slowly checking for signs of pressure until I get the results I want or see warning signs?

I look forward to getting my group buy mold. Can't wait to start shooting cast through this thing. Should be fun!

[bruce drake]

A Long Action Mauser should fit the 8mm-06 with no modications required. If it was a Intermediate Action like a Yugo 48 series or a Short Action like a Mexican Series Mauser than you'd run into issues of the length.

[220swiftfn]

I know that Hornady has load data for the 8mm-06 I think thas Sierra does too, not sure about Speer, IMR and Hodgdon, I'll check and post back tomorrow.

Dan

[Mk42gunner]

While I don't have an 8mm-06, I do have several 98 mausers in calibers based on the 06 case. Two are 98a Carbine actions, a couple of VZ24's and one nazi marked action, I think it was a byf. None of them had any magazine mods for length.

Robert

[bruce drake]

VZ24's will fit a 30-06 case with no mods required.

Load data for 8mm-06 -- You can use 30-06 starting data for the corresponding bullet weights with no issues.

[cowboyt]

I have a 1916 dwm that has no mag work done and it takes the old speer 225 gr without a hitch but will not take the privi 196gr fmj ( seated to crimp groove) except as a single shot. seating them deep ( base of bullet to the start of the neck) works fine, I just back off 3 gr of powder charge

cowboyt

[Larry Gibson]

he nominal magazine length for a K98 is 3.315". That is "nominal" and production magazines can, of course, vary. The commercial mauser actions had a 3.400" length magazine for '06 length cartridges. If the magazine and trigger guard assembly has the serial number on it then it most likely is a slightly over size original, lucky you:-) If there is no serial number then it could be a replacement. As long as the cartridges fit into the magazine and feed without binding your AOL is fine.

Larry Gibson

[littlejack]

r2001:
Welcome to the CastBoolits.
I have an Egyptian Mauser that I had rechambered to the 8mm-06 AI. I consider it my
"Magnum" rifle. When the Smithy got to the magazine, he did have to lenghten it out for the
extra length of the 30-06 case and the 200 grain Nosler that I was planning on loading for it.
Have fun with your new baby.
Jack

[leadman]

In my old magazines there are articles on the 8mm-06 and at the time it was recommeded to use roundnose bullets due to the magazine length.
I built a 6.5-06 and changed out the magazine box to a longer version and it works fine.
Could be that the majority of the early bring-backs or imports had the shorter magazine box?

[Multigunner]

Norway rebarreled many left behind K98 rifles to .30-06 with no problems.

Other than a few receivers being compromised by having a flat ground too deep when a new serial number was stamped.
One of those apparently fractured with serious results some years back, so I'd examine any reworked K98 , the Norwegian and Israeli 7.62 K98s especially, to be sure that the carburized layer hasn't been ground through.
The Israeli don't seem to have bothered scrubbing NAZI markings, I guess a few workmen at the Nowegian Arsenals still had bad memories and took it out on the receivers.

The same caution should be excercised when dealing with a sporterized Mauser than might have been ground down before refinishing due to deep rust pits.

[rtracy2001]

No evidence of refinishing on the steel, other than the mag follower.

Took it out to the range a couple days ago and man, I think I got lucky. The military trigger sucks, but even with that, I was able to get a 3 shot 100 yard group under a $0.50 piece. The way I figure it, with a new trigger, and proper load development, I should have a sub MOA shooter out of the deal.

The one bad part is the recoil. I guess I am just not used to shooting 220 gr bullets. I even caught myself closing my eyes just before the trigger broke. After 6 shots I was quite bruised. Happy at the results, but bruised.

I'll try to get some photos of the gun posted in a day or so.

[littlejack]

r2001:
If you squeeeeeeeeeeeze the trigger slowly, you will not know when it is going to go off
and therefore will not close your eyes.
I shoot a 200 grain Nosler Partition (ooopppps) in my AI. It is a real sweetheart.
Jack

[rtracy2001]

r2001:
If you squeeeeeeeeeeeze the trigger slowly, you will not know when it is going to go off
and therefore will not close your eyes.
I shoot a 200 grain Nosler Partition (ooopppps) in my AI. It is a real sweetheart.
Jack

That is my normal technique, but this trigger needs work to say the least. I don't know the technical terms so bear with me. The trigger has about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch of slack or free play where there is little or no resistance to the pull. After that the trigger gets really stiff (typical military Mauser trigger) and needs to travel another 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch before it releases. What seems to be happening is I line up the shot, place my finger on the trigger and take up the slack. Once I start feeling resistance and the trigger starts moving, it becomes increasingly difficult to hold on target. Just as I get close to the release point I start flinching and close my eyes (the body knows what is coming even if I try to let it surprise me).

There does not apear to be any adjustment on the installed trigger, so I think my best bet will be to invest the $50 or so to install an adjustable trigger.

Anyway I promised some photos, they aren't the best as I had to use the old camera, but here they are: (pardon the mess in the background)

Full view
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t23/tracraym/IMG_0431.jpg

a little closer

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t23/tracraym/IMG_0430.jpg

and the action

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t23/tracraym/IMG_0432.jpg

Anyone know anything about that CROWN scope?

[littlejack]

That is a good lookin rifle you have there. I really like the Mausers. So does most of the other manufacturers, thay patterned their actions after them.
You can get a Timney adjustable trigger for a very reasonable price.
I don't know anything about the Crown scope. I'll bet you can find some information about them on the net.
Jack