Anyone else use a 8x68s Magnum ??

[Don Harrington]

I was wondering if anyone uses a 8X68 "S" Magnum out there in the shooting and hunting world. Hornady latest reloading book has data for this cartridge.
I want to mention, this is a fine shooting cartridge for big game. Also, the
8x68 "S" is a Gem to reload for and the cases last forever. I saw some where on these forums, someone was asking what the S stands for ?  S came from the word "Schuller". 8x68 S has been out since 1939, way ahead of its time compared to beltless case magnums today which aren't a decade old. 8x68 S is a fine performer and hits with authority. I wish here the states gun and ammo companies would make this cartridge available like Remington did with the M 700 Classic for 8x57 JS. I shot and reloaded for the 300 mag (Win/Weath/Rem Ultra) and  my 8X68 S is shooting a 200 gr speer just as fast as any of 300 s' with less muzzel blast and recoil !! Makes me wonder
why the big gun companies didn't take look at 8X68 S before going to the drawing board for their beltless Magnums. So if anyone has any other loading data they want to share or hunting experiences with me, please share them. Thanks   Don Harrington
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[mauser98us]

Incorrect the S does not mean Schuller. The s denotes diameter .323 bullets instead of .318  Mike

[Mckie Hollow]

Spitzer or spitzenschloss, I think

[deltecs]

Incorrect the S does not mean Schuller. The s denotes diameter .323 bullets instead of .318  Mike

I agree, the S denotes the distinction from the J bullet of .318 to a bullet diameter of .323.  The JS designation means that the cartridge was originally designed with a bullet diameter of .318 and then changed to a bullet diameter of .323 after the 1st World War as Gemany was not permitted under the peace agreements to make cartridges in .318 bore.  So they changed the bore diameter to .323 from the original .318 and designated it the JS.  The 8x68 S was made only in .323 bore and no factory .318 bores exists.  This is a very fine designed round and is reminiscient of the Newton designed cartridges.  No belt with magnum capacity. 

[RussB]

This is a very fine designed round and is reminiscient of the Newton designed cartridges.  No belt with magnum capacity. 

I agree 100% with this statement!

I bought a Heym, back in the 1970's. I bought it while still on active duty and stationed at Bindlach / Bayreuth on the Checz. border.
I got it from Waffen Franconia in Wurzburg, and it was truly a jewel for such a cartridge, especially when it came to shooting from the bench, and the action was "butter" smooth. The gun had "double-set" triggers, and even when not "set" the pull was a bit less than 5#.

I didn't get to try it on big game until I returned to the states and made a Elk hunt in New Mexico. To say I was excited about the performance of the gun / caliber would be an understatement.  I also brought back five boxes of Norma "H-Mantel" ammo, and that ammo was certainly a premium, top of the line, ammo for it's day.

FWIW; I also owned a "new", at the time,  8mm Mag from Remington, and although the ballistics were similar, the 8mm was downright punishing while the 8x68 was no worse than a 30-06, if that.

I do wish I get my hands on another one!!!

Russ... 

[Brithunter]

Incorrect the S does not mean Schuller. The s denotes diameter .323 bullets instead of .318  Mike

I agree, the S denotes the distinction from the J bullet of .318 to a bullet diameter of .323.  The JS designation means that the cartridge was originally designed with a bullet diameter of .318 and then changed to a bullet diameter of .323 after the 1st World War as Gemany was not permitted under the peace agreements to make cartridges in .318 bore.  So they changed the bore diameter to .323 from the original .318 and designated it the JS.  The 8x68 S was made only in .323 bore and no factory .318 bores exists.  This is a very fine designed round and is reminiscient of the Newton designed cartridges.  No belt with magnum capacity. 

Correct me if I am wrong by Schuler designed a few different cartridges including a 6.5x68 that was aimed at the Chamois shooters. I seriously doubt Schuler ever heard of Newton. It's only through the American gun books that that I became aware of his cartridges and rifles and doubt any reached this side of the pond. The Ross rifle and the 280 Ross on the other hand is known especially here in the UK. In 1913 Ross rifles won about every major prize at the annual Imperial Meeting at Bisley camp.

[deltecs]

Incorrect the S does not mean Schuller. The s denotes diameter .323 bullets instead of .318  Mike

I agree, the S denotes the distinction from the J bullet of .318 to a bullet diameter of .323.  The JS designation means that the cartridge was originally designed with a bullet diameter of .318 and then changed to a bullet diameter of .323 after the 1st World War as Gemany was not permitted under the peace agreements to make cartridges in .318 bore.  So they changed the bore diameter to .323 from the original .318 and designated it the JS.  The 8x68 S was made only in .323 bore and no factory .318 bores exists.  This is a very fine designed round and is reminiscent of the Newton designed cartridges.  No belt with magnum capacity. 

Correct me if I am wrong by Schuler designed a few different cartridges including a 6.5x68 that was aimed at the Chamois shooters. I seriously doubt Schuler ever heard of Newton. It's only through the American gun books that that I became aware of his cartridges and rifles and doubt any reached this side of the pond. The Ross rifle and the 280 Ross on the other hand is known especially here in the UK. In 1913 Ross rifles won about every major prize at the annual Imperial Meeting at Bisley camp.

It was not an inference that the 8x68s was a take off or copy of any of Newton's cartridges.  The Newton and other rounds having a base diameter different than the traditional .473" and .532" of the belted rounds, or thereabouts, are more parallel development than copies.  I just commented that the Newton rounds were way ahead of its time, much like the 8x68S.  The belted rounds are unnecessary and take up wasted magazine space for the power generated that other cartridges at the time did not and were every bit as effective and better designed.  The only reason for the popularity of belted rim cartridges is marketing.  The original belted rim cartridges with the exception of the .375 H & H are all obsolete as other existing rimless rounds were available.  The primary reason for the belt on was for headspacing in double rifles for those chambered for it.  No, it was not for cordite as some have posted.  You don't find any continental european rounds with a belted rim until the early 60's.  All the belted rim cartridges were initially designed by H&H  or Birmingham Small Arms in Britain.  Americans took this easily obtainable belted rim round and wildcatted them into factory rounds as new and improved magnum cartridges touting better ballistics and energy figures for marketing only.  Any comparable existing rimless round at the time of the belted mags, not only did, still does, do just as well as any belted round in the same model rifle.   

[Brithunter]

Hi There,

     Well we don't see many Schuler chambered rifles here in the UK either, I saw a Mannlicher in the 6.5x68 Schuler that had just been sold some years ago and the gamekeeper I used to stalk with was ahnded one in Austria to finish off a injured Chamois ( hit by a vehicle) by his companion whilst on a huntign trip in the Tyrol soem years ago. His comments were :-

it's a killer at both ends 

 The impact of the bullet knocked the Chamois off the ledge it was laying on and knocked him back down the slope he was laying on. He never wants to shoot another one again  he is not very tall though of rotound build with the smallest feet i have ever seen (makes it difficult to get good hunting boots). He will happily shoot 9.3's and has shot my 458 but will decline to shoot the 8x68S again.

    As for the Newton reference it was deltecs who brought up the Newton comparision:-

This is a very fine designed round and is reminiscient of the Newton designed cartridges

Which indicates it is Nwton like or reminds one of the Newton cartridges. At that time the US was very closed to most new ideas on firearms and cartridges with only a handful of foriegn cartridges accepted in the US. Germany had at that time (1939) fallen under the Nazi influence so all things Germanic were praised and foriegn things looked down upon so it's doubtful given the circunstances that Schuler looked abroad for ideas.