8mm Lebel cast bullets

[rodgervich]

I have an old Lebel rifle in very good condition and only a few rounds of ammo, also old, I have shot it a few times and it's kind of a novelty item. But it's old and I don't really like to shoot full power loads in it. I have a die set and a few cases but never loaded for it. My question is can I use light .32 caliber lead bullets for low power plinking?
I assume the bore is .315/.323 like a Mauser, but I don't know for sure. Will the .32 caliber (.311/.313 diam)  lead engage or expand enough to give even 50 yd accuracy? I have read about using buckshot in .30 cal rifles but never tried it, any size work for this Lebel?
If anybody can give me ANY ideas for this old thing I would be super happy! Load info would make it even better! Thanks in advance!

[Leftoverdj]

Nominal bore is .323 and .314 bullets ain't gonna work.

A single 00 buck over 5 grains of Unique will make it go bang and oughta kill beer cans up to 25 yards. Don't resize your cases for this. Just deprime and reprime by any convenient method, charge, and thumb press the buckshot into the neck of a fired case. I usually seat the ball flush and add a smear of bullet lube when loading single buckshot.

Cast bullets intended for the 8x57 will work fine. Starting loads for the 8x57 with cast bullets bullets should work, too. With a 170 grain .324 cast bullet, either 13.0 grains of Red Dot or 15.0 grains of Unique is a  safe charge.

I've never had a Lebel, but I've shot a whole pile of other military bangers like this. There are likely better loads for any given rifle but these work in almost anything.

[Sheriff Bart]

Try the Lee 8MM Mould and size to 324.  I load 11.0 Gr of Herco behind this bullet with Large Pistol primers.  I don't know how good this load really shoots as the Lebel sights are pretty crude, but I can usually shade 3" at a hundred.

[Kenneth L. Walters]

For whatever it is worth, Huntington's is having new brass made.  Should be in in the next month or two.