8mm Mauser?

[younghunter12]

Hi. I resently picked up a yugo m24/47 8mm mauser. I will be putting in for elk this year and was wondering if a 8mm will take an elk or if the 30'06 would be a better choice. Thanks. Alec.

[CyberSniper]

That kinda depends...American factory ammo is under loaded, and
is not much more powerful than a .30-30 in my opinion.
The #13 Speer Manual has 8 x 57 data that gets much closer
to the actual potential of this cartridge.
Barnes Bullets shows loads that push a 180 grain X Bullet
to 2,700 feet per second also. By golly, that should do it.
So, the way I see it, the 8 x 57 will handle Elk, but if we are
only talking about factory loads, then I'd prefer a .30-06.
( Unless there is somebody with a decent factory load that I
do not know about of course. )
That's my opinion anyway, others might not agree.

[savageT]

younghunter,
Yes, the 8mm Mauser is certainly up to the job if!!!!............Do you handload?  If not, I would look for a good Sellier and Bellot S&B commercial load from Europe.  As mentioned earlier, the American loads are designed fo presumably a worn-out aged Mauser with a large dose of safety built in (read underpowered).
Good Luck!
Jim

[Mikey]

younghunter - SavageT is absolutely correct.  You have spent your $ on a great rifle in an excellent caliber, don't waste it using American made ammo.  Get yourself a supply of Sellier and Bellot 8mm with the 196 gn cutted soft point and you won't look back or lament not going with an 06, period.  

Clean the cosmoline out of that rifle to remove the stink so the Elk don't 'scent' ya; scrub the hay out of that barrel to remove any copper fouling, and have at it.  If you want to 'trick it out' a bit without getting away from the military (9.5 lb) profile, get a Bold Trigger (with or without safety) and she should shoot to your satisfaction.

Good luck, and let us know how she goes for ya.  Mikey.

[jamaldog87]

if you go to www.mauser.org/ammunition/index.htm they have some loads for 8mm.

175 gr Hollow Point Boat Tail (HPBT)

198 gr Police SWAT

175 gr Pointed Soft Point (PSP)

[younghunter12]

How does the 8mm comapir to the .308 win recoil wise. Thanks. Alec.

[Mikey]

Off the bench - everything kicks.  In the field you will never even notice it.  If you leave your 8mm in military configuration the added weight of that rifle, over a sporter in 308, dampens the recoil considerably.  JMHO.  Mikey.

[Larry Gibson]

How does the 8mm comapir to the .308 win recoil wise. Thanks. Alec.

With a decent load for elk your 24/47 in original military form will let you know you've pulled a trigger, especially from the bench.  With the more modern loads or a good reload the recoil will be pretty much the same or a tad more than a .308 fired in a military trim M98.  If you put the 24/47 into a decent sporter stock with recoil pad it should be manageable for you. Just remember, as mentioned, they ALL recoil worse off the bench.  Just use the bench to get zeroed anyway and practice from the standing, kneeling, sitting and prone positons. Practice at a distance such as you can hit a paper plate from each position everytime. Under hunting conditions 100 yards is about max for standing, 200 yards for kneeling and 300 yards for sitting or prone.

If you reload take a look at the Remington 185 gr CoreLoc bullet. It's not the most accurate 8mm bullet but it is plenty accurate enough for elk out to 300 yards if pushed at 2600 fps. I use 48 gr of H4895 in Winchester cases in my M24/47 and M48 for just such a hunting load. It kills elk very well but you must be practiced to put that bullet where it counts. Good luck and good shooting.

Larry Gibson

[crow_feather]

They have the Limbsaver slip on recoil pad that will tame the recoil of your rifle.  If you can manage it, you can put a regular limbsaver pad on your rifle or have it done for you by a friend.

C F

[1marty]

I picked up the same rifle at a gun show recently. It is in excellent condition; found the PMC ammunition the most accurate; I know people will disagree but a well placed shot from a 8mm will bring down the elk. So my advice is find the bullet which shoots the tightest groups and practice, practice, practice.

[Mikey]

All my 8mms love the S&B 196 gn cutted edge soft point.  Those with military sights put them into 2-2.5" at 100 yds.  My scoped Husquarvarna 98 in 8mm groups under one inch at 100 yds.  The factory velocity listings for that load are 2590'/sec. 

If you go up to the mil-surp forum there is a thread on the 8mms and one of the posts showed a chart comparing the 8mm, the 308 and the 30-06.  Will the 8mm take an Elk - you betcha.  Mikey.