Author Topic: Good bullets for 8x57 loads (Read 1078 times)

kombi1976 · « **on:** December 01, 2004, 03:18:50 PM »

I'm buying a sporterised Mauser 98 in 8x57 soon and as I'm well aware that factory rounds for the 8mm are grossly underloaded I intend to load for it myself.
I'll be using it for medium game mostly with the occasional big deer. What have people found are the most effective bullets for this cartridge?
Is the Nosler BT anygood?
Is the Barnes X reliably accurate in this cal?

lgm270 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 02, 2004, 01:06:16 AM »

Nosler 200 grain partitions are great in this cal.

I have read good things about the 180 grain Barnes X bullet and they shoot well in my rifle, but have no field experience with them.

Mikey · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2004, 04:10:23 AM »

kombi - I like to equate different bullet weights and diameters for comparability. Some folk are going to shoot me in the butt for this but it has worked for me in the past and I hope it works for you.

The 8mm has a .323 bore, the 06 has a .308 bore. To me, a 170 gn 8mm, even at good reloaded speeds, would hit about the same as a 150 gn 06 - lots of meat damage on medium to large size deer. The 180-185 gn 8mm hits like the 165 gn 06s and probably better than the 165 gn 308s. Some of the Hornaday light magnum loads for the 06 carry the 165 gn load, I think, and that is a pretty good load. The 8s a 196-200 gn load is at least on par if not better than the 180 gn 06 load. A 200 gn 06 load at 2500'/sec will or should penetrate farther than an 200 gn 8mm load, but I think they are really pretty equitable on the business end.

I don't feel that a properly loaded 8mm gives up anything to a 308 or the 30-06. I would take either one for boar or bear, although for the later I would prefer my heavy 444. Just my thoughts and hth. Mikey.

Snowshoe · « **Reply #3 on:** December 02, 2004, 01:20:01 PM »

I have been shooting the Hornady 170g RN with IMR 4064 at about 2630 fps. This load works very good for whitetails, and has put lots of meat on the table. I have also worked up a load for the Hornady 195g PSP, at about 2500 fps, but the recoil is a liitle much for my liking.

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** December 03, 2004, 06:00:40 PM »

Nosler is now making the Accubond in 8MM, 200 grain I think it is. I have a couple boxes I got by mistake I could let go of at a decent price if anyone is interested. I've never owned an 8mm anything and likely never will.

Mikey · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2004, 03:37:33 AM »

kombi - Can you obtain Sellier and Bellot ammunition: they load a 196 gn soft point cutted edge into their 8mms that is an excellent load. In all my 8mms, that one shoots the best. According to the factory ballistics, that 196/200 grainer is clockin' at around 2500'/sec or somewhat better. That's pretty darn good. Handloads in the 06 will get you there, too. HTH. Mikey.

kombi1976 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2004, 01:57:57 PM »

I can get S&B ammo but it's quite expensive to use all the time, like most factory ammo here in Australia. As such it really is simply cheaper to load my own. If someone could give me a load using a Winchester powder that would be really excellent because the powders used here in Australia are basically Winchester and ADI, a firm that supplies some powders for Hodgdon. I would really like to make the most out of the 8x57 and try and get the sort of velocities you mentioned by handloading.