30.06 to 8x57

[Cheesehead]

I am going to try one of these since I have buckets of 06 brass and two 8mm rifles and no 06 rifle.

"RCBS Trim and Form Die 8x57mm Mauser (8mm Mauser) from 30-06 Springfield"

Cheese

[cwlongshot]

 Very common. You should have no problems. You will likely need to thin the necks and of coarse do allot of trimming,  but you will get a good bunch of cases!!

 CW

[Cheesehead]

8mm brass sells for 48 bucks a hundred, at the very least, so the economics are there.

Cheese

[moxgrove]

rechambering to 8mm'06 is easy and gives you an extra 150-200 fps over the 8x57 . It is one of my fave's My improved8'06 is a real tackdriver and shoots flatter than the 338-06

[Skunk]

Sounds like a great idea Cheese. My favorite dealer has a brand new Rem 700 Classic chambered in 8x57 for a real steal of a deal. I'm thinking that would be a fun chambering to load for, and would be fun to shoot.

[cwlongshot]

Sounds like a great idea Cheese. My favorite dealer has a brand new Rem 700 Classic chambered in 8x57 for a real steal of a deal. I'm thinking that would be a fun chambering to load for, and would be fun to shoot.

 If you need a "deer rifle" and you say the price is good, GRAB IT!!  Its a GREAT caliber, you will not be upset!!!

 CW

[Skunk]

Sounds like a great idea Cheese. My favorite dealer has a brand new Rem 700 Classic chambered in 8x57 for a real steal of a deal. I'm thinking that would be a fun chambering to load for, and would be fun to shoot.

 If you need a "deer rifle" and you say the price is good, GRAB IT!!  Its a GREAT caliber, you will not be upset!!!

 CW

It's very tempting CW. I don't really need another deer rig, but that's never been a good enough excuse to pass up on a new rifle.

[mjbgalt]

i think this is really right "on the line" meaning i don't think the information is dangerous, given the explicit instructions to be careful and proceed at your own risk...but i agree that the surplus ammo is often loaded at or close to the max, and someone changing a variable, like brass, could very well create a problem.

honestly, i would not worry about it myself. i would use a mild primer and that same bullet and i think it would be fine 99.9999% of the time.

just...thinking about being that one guy who DOES have a problem with it is the issue here...

-Matt

[Sweetwater]

Rechambering my 8x57 Persian Carbine is probably one of the few things I haven't done to it and crosses my mind every now and then.  As posted, it is a GREAT cartridge (look what the Germans did with it!) and handloaded properly is totally capable. BUT, there is just something about that long case - even though the COAL is still in the vicinity of 3.25", so it is really insignificant. Most of what I've read in the last 46 years with the 8x57 indicates using a COAL under 3.00". and as short as 2.86". Mine is not a "deer rifle" and I quit using the lighter 150gr bullets a long time ago. It is splendid with 175gr, 185gr, and 200gr bullets and I have taken Elk with all of these bullet weights with the 8x57. Seating bullets to 3.25" and using a "pressure ceiling" similar to a 30-06, 8mm-06 ballistics can be matched by the 8x57, with less powder, especially in a commercial action or modern military action. It is simple physics and your rifle will tell you when it's enough.

I used to believe using brass with 'the wrong headstamp' was a dangerous practice. However, over the years, I have trimmed 30-06 to 8x57, necked 257Roberts up to 8x57, necked 8x57 down to 257Roberts, trimmed 30-06 to 6.5x55Swede (my Ruger 77 doesn't know it's not 6.5Swede brass), trimmed 8x57 and sized for 356W (my BB94 loves them), and trimmed 30-30 cases for my 41Mag Ruger Blackhawk. Never has the wrong headstamp created a problem. Where I do have trouble sorting the empty cases when they look so much alike, there has never been a problem identifying a loaded round.

Al Miller wrote a piece in the March 2009 issue of RIFLE Magazine entitled "the 8mmx57 Magnum". Not to be confused with the 8mm Remington Magnum. The article pretty much mirrored what I've learned over the last 46 years. It's a good read and a terrific cartridge - when properly loaded.

Regards,
Sweetwater

[v-man]

In my younger, stupid phase I loaded up a WWI Danzig model 98 way, way beyond the load manuals (by 8 or 10 grains) trusting that the lawyers were keeping published loads within model 88 pressures. I was trying my best to match my buddy's '06 reloads. I shot hundreds of rounds as this was my first centerfire rifle and deer gun. Maybe I was just lucky but I got away with it. I did have some split cases. I chrono'd 3000fps with 150gr bullets. I don't know how "stressed" the rifle was but after about 15 years I had some serious headspace issues and sold it for parts. I have 2 more but I am older and wiser now. I am a believer in the 98 Mauser and the 8mm round.

[Cheesehead]

I finally received the die in the mail the other day. I will need to do some trimming to change the case length from 62 mm to 57 mm. I have an RCBS power trimmer that does do a fine job, just that it take 2 minutes per case. The cutting head for the power trimmer costs 20 bucks. I am worried that I will wear out many cutting heads or the motor on the trimmer, maybe I worry to much. I have a small reciprocating saw, maybe try to trim the brass as it protrudes above the die during the sizing process. I will have so much brass when I am done, this is great!   

Cheese

[Badnews Bob]

Dremal tool Cheese use your dremal.

[cwlongshot]

 Some years back, I made a couple hundred 7.65X53 Mauser cases from one lot of once fired 30-06 lake City brass. I ran it into the die and with a small saw cut the necks to near length and finished with my Foster trimmer.. that lasted about 30-50 PCs... I ran right out and bought a Lyman power trimmer!!! Finished all remaining in less time then it took to do the first 40+-!!!

 The dremel works, but I really liked the control of the hand saw. It didn't take but a dozen strokes and the case was cut. To each his own.

 Sweetwater mentioned the head stamp issue. I have riflers chambered for  most in the 308 and 30-06 class cases. I will not reform cases from another caliber because of the head stamp. its not a safety as much as its idiot proof and if something happened to me, what will/ how will the loads get sorted out. they would all get pitched if there was no rime or reason. The one exception is military cases, i will re-form these to what ever is needed as they have no designation and require a closer look to see what the caliber is. I'm not going to head out and mistakenly grab the wrong box of shells.

IE you spend all summer working up a great load for the fav 270W. Time to pack for the hunt. You grab that sweet shooting 270W and then mistakenly grab 25/o6 shells you formed and trimmed from 270 brass... BUT you don't discover your mistake until your hundreds or thousands of miles from the correct shells...

CW

[Sweetwater]

CW-
Great stuff there!! I concur on the right rifle-wrong shells item!! However, I never thought of sticking to the military brass for case-forming. You make a good case for that, no pun intended! I've inherited a couple thousand Lake City 30-06's from my Dad's stuff; he's retired from shooting and handloading. My son has his Custom 30-06, and I have his Remington 700 30-06 (soon to be a 35Whelen!). I still do all the handloading until my son gets out of college - then it's his inheritance!  I've pondered the question of brass and now I know; I can sort out the military brass and use it in the Whelen - no brainer! We don't have any other 30-06 based calibers - so no mix ups. I've got a couple thousand commercial 30-06 cases, also, so will have plenty for both rifles. Thanks for the idea!

The load I ended up with in my 8x57 does 2750fps with 175gr Sierra from an 18" barrel. COAL is 3.25" My load for the 150gr Sierra tripped the screens at 2850fps, but I have since ceased to shoot the 150's. I've trimmed my "different load for each specie" down to basically 4 loads. (1)Nosler 200gr Partitions at 2450fps for really serious stuff, and (2)185gr Remington Coreloks or (3)175gr Sierra's for eveything else that doesn't get a (4)183gr cast bullet! I really like the Remingtons, but I shoot more cast now than anything else.

I've adapted my RCBS trimmer to use my electric drill instead of the handcrank. Put a short piece of threaded rod with a 1/4" coupler in the trimmer and locked the coupler down onto the shaft. Makes a nice flat hexagon surface for the jaws of the chuck to grip. Not as good as a power trimmer, and not as bad as a manual trimmer for the larger jobs.

Regards,
Sweetwater

[cwlongshot]

 Your gonna like the Whelen!!  Try it with lead GC bullets!!!  I have a mold that throws a 280GCRN bullet. It shoots GREAT!!!!  I am currently working up loads with Noslers 225 Accubond bullet for an upcoming Elk Hunt. It was supposed to be this Oct/Nov. but me recent heart attack put the kibosh on that!!!  There is always next year!!  I am pretty sure the elk will not mind. 

 In the 8mm, I used that 175gr Sierra for some time. I like how it performs!!  I do not remember the velocities, but I am shooting 4064 powder in a max load with excellent accuracy. Another I have been using is Hornady's 170RN. I have a real soft spot for RN bullets. This one shoots great and drops deer in there tracks! My 8MM is a hand me down from my Grandfather. He sporterized it some time in the mid 40's. Lyman peep and front site, altered Mil trigger and bueler lo safety. I received it in the early '80s. I quickly had it drilled and tapped for a scope, trimmed and re-crowned the barrel. My grandfather recently passed, I am kind of sorry I altered that rifle, so I am returning it to how it was when he gave it to me.

CW

[Tackleberry]

I try to use some method of instant ID when I use "other " headstamp cases for a caliber I'm loading.

For instance, I load .338-06 from resizing .30-06 cases.  I only use Nickel plated cases for .338-06 use, and only use Brass for .30-06.  The two calibers are similar enough in size to make me want to separate them somehow from an accidental .30-06 into a .338 chamber,  but not similar enough to make me want to pay $50.00 per 20 .338-06 headstamped A-Square cases.

My .270 cases are brass likewise and my .280 cases are all nickel plated.

The only other cases that I have resized from something different is 7mm-08 and .243 from .308, and that is waning since I now have accumulated enough properly headstamped 7mm-8 and .243.

Dave

[Sweetwater]

I like that! Another great idea for similar cartridge "ID".

Regards,
Sweetwater

[spinafish]

I formed some 243 brass from 7-08 and colored the primers with a permanant red marker to serve as a warning that the head stamp was incorrect.

[Cheesehead]

I formed some 243 brass from 7-08 and colored the primers with a permanant red marker to serve as a warning that the head stamp was incorrect.

I like this idea and will try it. I have completed nearly 100 rounds of this "06-8mm" ammo. It chambers in my rifle nicely, after some tweeking. Just need some decent range weather for the real test.

Cheese