looking for the right ammo for my 8mm mauser

[ted65]

Well, i've been looking into all the choices out there for ammo. What I really want is 8mm mauser ammo @ 196 grains, soft point, @ 2600 fps+. (oh yeah and accurate) I've found that except for hornady, the american ammo, well.. sucks. I can't afford to get comfy shooting many many rounds of that stuff. So, wolf looks pretty good, but i've heard a lot of not so good things about it. (accuracy) The SB ammo is good but not as hot as I'd hoped. How bout hunting white tales with hollow points??

[Mikey]

Ted - S&B advertises exactly what you want, a 196 gn soft point at about 2600'/sec.  PRVI is next down the list with a similar load at about 100'/sec less.  Don't bother with American made ammo, it is on the 30-30 level.

The Hornady bullets at 195 gns shoot to a one hole group in my 8mms when loaded over a full charge of VV N140 powder for about 2530'/sec and the Nosler 200 gn Accubonds group the same with the same powder. 

I don't know which 8mm you are shooting but I have found the S&B to be the best ammo available, in either ball or soft point. 

The best mil-spec is either the S&B or the Portugese made 8mm with a 198 gn slug, and then you have the PRVI. 

I tend to avoid Wolf ammo.  JMTCW and HTH.  Mikey.

[TribReady]

I use, and recommend, the S&B 196gr SPCE ammo.

there's some companies that make full powered 8mm ammo with multiple bullet choices (Hornady, Nosler, etc).  Price were a bit more than the Hornady commercial loads. I can't remember the website, but I'll double check.

I've got alot of milsurp 70's Yugo ammo that shoots awesome, but it's tough to find now. As far as hollow points, I'd stay away from them for big game hunting....and they may not be legal in your state.

[Larry Gibson]

Any reason you are stuck on the 196 gr bullet for white tails?  Have you considered reloading?

Larry Gibson

[cbxboy]

Ted,  not being mean at all......but how did you determine your "need list"?  I mean how are you coming up with your criteria?

I gather in your post you will be whitetail hunting.  I will share my requiremnets on a 8x57 mauser ammo.  I want it to hit the target where I expect it to hit.  Thats it.  If I blow the shot it will be my fault.

Mr or Mrs Bambi will never ask how fast my bullet was going or how much energy it discharged upon striking.  If you put a 139 grain Wolf Gold in the zone the Bambi is dead.  If you put a 196 gr S&B in the same spot you have the same result.  Remington whatever grain will do same result as well.

I only ask my ammo to be consistent, I do not personally need it to go fast, faster or hyper text.  196, 175, 200, 180, 150 or 139 grain on a 200 lb buck is plenty sufficient.

All this is in my "humblest of opinions" of course.  I am just wondering about how you defined your criteria.

[ted65]

cbxboy, that is a good question, one that made me think a bit. I guess i've been trained, right or wrong, that a heavy bullet at high velocity is needed for big game. I know more deer have been taken with the 30-30 than all others combined. I have taken two myself. If i'm going to be taking shots around 150 yards or less, then that's fine but I want a bullet that will have a lot of stopping power out to at least 300 yards. I am using a turkish 8mm mauser. I don't want my 8mm to shoot with the power of a 30-30. I want the power to be that of an 8mm.

[Larry Gibson]

ted65

I'm afraid you'll find all American made 8x57 ammo to be underloaded. The 196-200 gr loads all are hard pressed to make 2200 fps when milsurp 196 does 2400+ fps (that's out of 23" barrels).  Of all the American made ammo I've found the federal 170 gr PwerShok and the Winchester 170 gr PowerPoints to be the best. They both run and honest 2400 fps (vs Remingtons 2100 fps) or close to it out of 23" barrels.  The foreign made ammo is somewhat better but your best bet is to reload.  Inexpensive hand tools are available that allow neck sizing of the cases that have been fired in your rifle.  They will turn out very good ammuntion that will give you the safe performance you want.  A very good deer load would be the 175 gr Siearra at 2600 fps or the 150 gr Hornady at 2800 fps (23" barrels).  All are very good and flat shooting for your 300 yard limit. Those 196 factory loads at 2200 fps are going to have a lot of drop over 300 yards.

Larry Gibson

[454Puma]

ted65
  Well if your not tied to the 196 gr and you'd like to reload I say go with 180 gr Nosler BT's. Heavy bullet good for just about every thing. I load them for my  G98/40 8mm but I'm only running them at 2400 fps cause I use them in an open site gun so this gives more then enough power out to 200-250 yards! They are also very accurate in my rifle! I've tried Rem 185 gr SP's but couldn't get them to group well enough for me!

[Sweetwater]

On the reloading theme:
It is about cost. Everything is skyrocketing, not just gas.
The ammunition you are suggesting (196gr @ 2600fps) would drop an elk at your range of 300yards, and possibly a good deal further. At 265yards, they drop like a hammer. A decent shooting session with any 8x57 factory ammunition would fund a modest reloading kit like the one previously posted. Usually less than 50cents per reloaded cartridge, plus a bit of sweat equity, will yield a priceless quantity of satisfaction. Powder in the $20/lb bracket, primers about $25/1000, bullets at whatever you want to pay. The Remingtons were $8/100 when I bought them 6 years ago. Wish now I had bought 5000 instead of 500!! I dumped my first Idaho Whitetail last Fall with the 185 Rem SPCL at a modest 2400fps from a Model 98 Persian Carbine - 18"barrel. Down and dead in his tracks! That particular load cost about 25cents plus my time. For about 73 cents, a 200gr Nosler Partition dropped a running cow elk at 265 yards with a Texas heart shot. Went the length of her and broke her shoulder. Only animal I ever shot with my Dad alongside, and the most difficult. 150gr Hornady and Sierra are tough enough for Whitetail and will run over 2700fps in my carbine, so you could get a bit more from your longer barrel. The 170 and 175's might be a better choice if you run into really big Whitetails at extended ranges. I'm going to run the Remingtons for a few years and garner a real opinion. I've run the others for over 40 years. And the Remingtons were/are cheaper. Today, that could be the only reason and enough reason. The savings over time could fund another rifle/handgun!!

Regards,
Sweetwater

[darrell8937]

I am so Happy now. Cabelas has just taken up shop in Scarborough Maine. Now I can get my Sellier&Bellot 196 gr 8x57 JS instead of ordering it. I bought all they had at the time.. Was only three boxes. Hope the get more. I am sure they will. Hell I have 41 rounds left. so that is 41 deer and 41 years. I have a yugo 48 with a Mitchel Performance trigger(wow) and mojo dual aperture sight. I never thought a mil surp could shoot so good! I love this gun. And I have a lot of guns! I highly recommend a diffrent trigger and sights! and this is the gun I got for practly free. Always wanted the Mitchell performance kit with the 2-7 scope, mount, rings and target trigger. but was to pricey for my frugal mind. Found a Mauser m48 with the kit and mojo sights for $459.. sights retail over 120, performance kit about 400.. hell the gun was free. So happy, it must be a sin! Did I mention I love this gun! I have successfully hunted with the M1 Garrand. Now this year it will be a Mauser. The pretty Browning(acera) will sit it out this year.

[kiddekop]

Here's a source for rifles & handguns if you're a dealer but anyone can buy ammunition http://www.centuryarms.com                 For some unknown reason they won't ship ammo to CA residents the laws haven't changed as yet.

[1marty]

I have a yugo 24/47. I fired the S&B 196 grain and after four shots I drove to the chiropractor to have him work on my shoulder. Worse yet they shot all over the place at 100 yards. I went back to the Win. 170 grain.

[1911crazy]

I shot some 8mm 170gr sp out of my hakim and it was very accurate so it would be even better with your bolt action.  I believe that the PMC ammo is the hottest or on the hotter side of the american made ammo. I wouldn't be afraid to be in the woods with it.

[darrell8937]

Marty..


When I shoot at the bench I use my Caldwell Lead sled. It absourbs virtualy all the recoil. Then you can concentrate on you shooting. My m48 Mauser trigger was not great. I use a Mitchels performance trigger.
What a diffrence it makes. I also have Moj sights dual aperture sights. This is now a real rifle. Accurate and reliable. I would not want to shoot all day long with that steel butt plate! Shooting a mauser with military sights and trigger and ammo that you are not comfortable with will not work. Stick with what is confortable for you.

[prairiedog555]

Wolf 8mm is also pretty good.