8mm Talk

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A_Stripper's_Clips

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There's no 8mm in my area of existence. Is PPU not currently producing 8mm and producing another cartridge at the moment or is it that they are and my LGS are not receiving 8mm? Are you all finding 8mm in your area? Also for reloading 8mm how many grains of powder and what type is best? I want to start getting into reloading due to the expense and limited supply of this cartridge in my area.
 
"Also for reloading 8mm how many grains of powder and what type is best? "

Buy a reloading manual and READ it. I recommend LYMAN as it gives a wide variety of bullet brand-type-weight combined with numerous powder choices.

As far as ammo is concerned, I've seen some Romanian steel cased stuff advertised and Widener's may still have some "slightly corrosive" match(?) grade European ammo.
I used to shoot my old 8x57 Mausers and have a good supply of dirt cheap surplus ammo plus enough domestic boxer primed brass to last my lifetime so I haven't been watching the 8x57 ammo market much. Good Luck
 
Reloading is a can of worms when asking questions.
Lets just say if you get into it powders vary but you're looking at 40-50 grains per casing. That's about 140 cartridges per pound of powder.

Then if you narrow your supplies down to say XYZ powder people are still going to tell you that you have to do a work up from the starting loads up to or toward max to find the most accurate in your rifle.

Maybe you can find an online supplier. 8MM is decently easy to find here depending the store.
 
For reloading 8X57, IMR4320, Reloader 15, and WW748 are good powders. Choose bullet weight based on your intended use, lighter bullets for target/range, heavier bullets for game animals. Or just move to just about any other state, they will have ample supplies of 8X57 ammo.
 
^^

He may have meant surplus 8MM. A few months ago I was looking for some deals on 8x57 for my Buddy's kid. He owns an Egyptian contract FN-49. It is pretty dry out there. There is Romanian surplus (And new manufacture), but it is some real garbage, let alone corrosive. Reloading may be the way to go, but it does cost to start up, and there is a learning curve. I used to be on a Mauser kick many years ago and 8x57 is a very good round, both for target shooting and hunting.
 
"...surplus 8MM..." None of that for eons. No major military has used 8mm Mauser since forever. However, your local gun shop can order it for you.
Might be some daft California thing going on though. Don't know.
Hornady Vintage Match is currently on sale at Midway. $25.99 per 20. Hunting ammo runs a bit more.
 
I took a look on Ammo Seek, and it seems Selway Armory currently has the best price on brass cased 8mm Mauser- it's Prvi Partizan soft point for 70 cents a shot.
http://www.selwayarmory.com/prvi-partizan-8mm-mauser-196-gr-soft-point-box-of-20.html

If I'm not mistaken, your new ammo law takes effect in California at the beginning of next year. Meaning you won't be able to mail order ammo anymore at all. It has to be shipped to an FFL, and I think you'll also have to go through a background check just to buy it.

Since 8mm is hard to find as it is, and it's expensive when you find a box locally, I STRONGLY suggest you stock up now (possibly even a lifetime supply if you can swing it), and learn to reload it.
 
Ammo is out there and available.

If your LGS doesn't have it, they haven't ordered any.

You can always order online...

Surplus? It's still out there, but not worth the cost or trouble; and it can be difficult to locate.
 
For reloading 8X57, IMR4320, Reloader 15, and WW748 are good powders. Choose bullet weight based on your intended use, lighter bullets for target/range, heavier bullets for game animals. Or just move to just about any other state, they will have ample supplies of 8X57 ammo.
Click to expand...

Add IMR 4064 to this list and you should be able to find an accurate load for just about any bullet you wanna shoot.
 
i live in a free state so far and i am always on the look out for good once fired brass at flea markets,yard sales and gun shows and store it in plastic containers is my cool dry celler and have supplied some of my friends with cases they needed at cost. i lucked out on about 300 remington 45-70 once fired cases for 25.00 at a flea market. i cleaned them up and packed them away. eastbank.
 
I live in obnoxiously gun-friendly Arizona.......And have never seen any Mauser-type cartridge behind the counter at the "LGS".

I have a small quantity of surplus for my Yugo M24. But I have only shot the thing once or twice. Regardless, I see that Privi Partisan stuff on the Internet, so you know somebody is loading it.

I am sorry that this might not be an option for you. I guess you might have to pay a premium to have your LGS order it for you. Your practical choices for guns and ammo are increasingly limited.

You might consider voting with your feet next time.
 
or you could sell your 8mm and buy a .270, 308 or 3006 and by able to buy ammo at just about any sporting goods store. eastbank.
 
No check in 4 days?

You need to get this query over to the reloading page.

Very deep subject and you need to get a reloading book to start with.

Best is probably Horndady right now.

The bullet choices and powders used are extensive.

You take those and find out what is available.

Then you research and see which powder is the best (or powders) that typically perform the best in 8 mm (whatever size you have)

But, reloading is not a casual thing and its a $350 investment in equipment go get going and there are a whole list of decisions to be made on brass cleaning and how accurate you want your rounds.

Mostly this then gets into advanced part and you need to be able to do a basic reload first.
 
while its always a good idea to check, .318" 8mm barrels are rather rare these days, only a few European sporters kept the .318" bore when the German military went to the .323" bore diameter.

CHEAP milsurp 8x57 ammo is pretty much gone. Cheaper stuff from current European makers is still available, though not stocked everywhere.

We're never going to "run out" of 8mm Mauser, only the cheap stuff.
 
I have a sporterized 8mm built by my grandfather for my dad and given to him in 1963. I have never shot any factory ammo in it. When I received the rifle I had already been reloading for many years. So all I have ever shot were my own reloads.

Brass was hard to find so I bought a case forming die from RCBS and reform brass from 30-06 brass. I use either Remington 185gr when I can find it it or Sierra 170gr Pro hunter bullets. I killed one elk with those Sierra bullets. Worked just fine.

I pretty much just use around 48grs of IMR 4350 for most loads. I do have some Hornady 150gr loads with 46grs of 4064. From my gun the heavier bullets are just a little more accurate. The 150gr loads will stay in a 2-2.5" group and will work fine for mule deer whitetail hunting. And they are a little more pleasant to shoot. My rifle has not been a super tight grouper. My best loads are always in the inch and half range.
 
I do load my own but I don't think I've used my RCBS 8x57 dies since I bought them 30 years ago. I don't hunt and all of my shooting is informal target shooting so I can get by nicely with FMJ ammo. Shortly after I acquired the dies I saw an ad where a big ammo dealer was offering foreign contract 8x57 at ridiculous prices. The more you bought the cheaper it got. I bought 4,000 rounds for a total of $79. This was right around 1987 but even back then this was really cheap. I got a mixed lot of South American, Egyptian and Belgian manufactured ammo. Some was 170 grain and some was 196. All was FMJ, of course. Ammo looked clean and shiny. I think I've had one dud so far.

I have shot some over the years, and I have given some to friends who shoot 8mm rifles. Still have a bunch in boxes in the garage.

Same place had a deal on 7x57 about 10 years later but it wasn't quite as good. I got 3,000 rounds for $99.
 
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