8mm Mauser pet loads

[Zero333]

looking for 8mm Mauser loading data: Cannot find any on the Web.
180 GMX Hornady
125 grain, KURZ
going to the range tomorrow ,,, some decent weather.. thank you in advance: Junnie

This is all Hornady bullets..... danke.

Hodgdon's online has data for the 8mm Mauser with 180 ttsx and 125 gr SP...






Here is Nosler data with 180 gr...

 

[Junnie]

The Hornady data for 125 @ 2.889 is to short in length. asking for 125 Grain, KURZ
Thank you in advance: Junnie

 

[Junnie]

Sorry 2.880

 

[tommeboy]

51gr IMR4350 gave me 2675 out of a 26" Shaw barrel. 45gr Varget gave me 2555. Both with the 200gr Sierra. I shot the IMR load past 1K yds and did very well. But this was a purpose built LR Mauser. It was a 1.125" at breech to a 0.90" muzzle.

It would shoot a 0.20" 7 shot group almost every time you took it out at 100. A bad day was a 0.50".

Surplus Turkish ammo went over 3K fps. Only shot a few in this as it was corrosive. I just wanted to see what it would go. In a Yugo M48 the Turk would do 2950.

 

[Junnie]

FYI... the 8mm 125 grain KURZ is discontinued this bullet is manufactured for the KURZ which is a necked down 8mm kind of like the 308 short ala the AK47 round..... Thank you in advance: Junnie

 

[mauser284]

51gr IMR4350 gave me 2675 out of a 26" Shaw barrel. 45gr Varget gave me 2555. Both with the 200gr Sierra. I shot the IMR load past 1K yds and did very well. But this was a purpose built LR Mauser. It was a 1.125" at breech to a 0.90" muzzle.

It would shoot a 0.20" 7 shot group almost every time you took it out at 100. A bad day was a 0.50".

Surplus Turkish ammo went over 3K fps. Only shot a few in this as it was corrosive. I just wanted to see what it would go. In a Yugo M48 the Turk would do 2950.

View attachment 1138988

My results are almost exactly yours including the Turkish surplus.I still have a bandoleer(sp) of that stuff some place I think some of that stuff was hitting 3180fps to 3250fps but I want to say that stuff is in the 150gr-ish ball park.

52gr of IMR4350 gets me into mid 27XX's and 51gr of IMR4350 high 26XX. I use mostly 200gr SMK's for paper punching.

The IMR4350 is from a 8lbs container that is 20 years old. I used to use Lapua brass almost exclusively when that load was developed. My only aim was to show off at the "Sportsmans Club" that an old military surplus $50 Mauser with a surplus but NOS $20 barrel properly installed could keep up with any modern but more expensive Remington, Winchester,Browning etc.....

I often tell people that on any game Elk size and smaller and under 500 meters the old 8mm Mauser with 180gr of heavier properly constructed bullets for hunting is almost as good as a 338WM or 300WM with 300m to 350m being a sweet spot.That said I say much the same thing about a 30-06 a 180gr. to 220gr. bullet from a 30-06 under 500m will kill anything you need to kill in int he lower 48! Clearly if you push out the range a cartridge with more velocity and flatter shooting really shines.

Today I use that rifle and same load but with Prvi brass and soft point bullets to hunt with.

 

[Clark]

I have many 8mm Mausers.
I have worked up with 200 gr SMK and IMR4895 in a 1903 Turkish Mauser with sticky bolt lift at 52 gr and backed off a safety margin from there.
I have converted 98 Mausers to 45acp, 223, 25/35, 6mmRem, 243, 308, 257 Roberts Ackley, 260rem, 7x57, 300 WinMag, and 7mmRemMag.

 

[SPQR70AD]

Nosler seems fantasy to me. we are all friends here but I call &^%$ Speer 200g cuts off at 2469 MAX. Sierra, my trusted source for things technical, acheives 2600 fps, with a 175g. Hornady Superformnce international tops out at 2400 fps (edit 2500fps). Their USA spec 195 Interlock shot 2390 over my chrono. Lapua, number Two for me, lists 2677 fps for a 180g. The Nosler seems fantasy but hey, if I can get 200 fps just by reading this forum I am all for it. Since watercam's data actually reflects mine, I'll stay skeptical or incredulous at the Nosler's data. Until someone shows me I will remain blissfully deprived !! I accept that war spec ammo was hot and that is consistent with 2475-2500 fps.

Speer lists 2434 fps for 46.0 IMR 4064 MAX load. Nosler, DING !! Gets an xtra 200 fps for exact same load (not the exact same weapon but both Mauser Milsurp with 600mm barrels). I ain't buyin it. I have been wrong once in my life, anyone with a chrono and 200g 323 bullets flingin at 2700 fps from a 8x57 brass and a Mauser 23.-7 inch barrel please share.

I say the reason for higher velocities with the 8x57 compared to a 30-06 is bigger bore diameter on the 8mm. perfect example is the 338-06 pushing a 185 grain 3000 fps- 200 gr 2900 fps and 225 gr 2700 fps in the hornady manual. you cant do that with an 06. I think the bigger bore gets more velocity out of the powder burn

 

[Flouncer]

Since this thread and my post I have been able to hit 2700+ with CFE and 180g GMX and 2800 + with the CFE and the 170g SST. The high Velocities shown with the 200g Partition seem to be from 3-inch longer barrels and with shooters willing to push the envelope. Good work !!

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

So developing a load for my 1940 Sauer made 98k. Using 200gr SMKs and 4064 lapua brass. Getting conflicting information from the loading manuals Sierra says 42.7 max, hornady says 47.0 max and Nosler states 46.0. Hodgdon states 44.5. All state the close to same velocity.

So what is your opinion on close to military loading. Thing I find strange is this rifle shoots low which is contrary to most peoples expireces. Any input would be great. The most accurate load so far is 42.6.

Bestest powder for 8mm is H4350. It's like magic. 53.1 grains exactly with sierra 175 or 180 noz. Bt. For deer it's 55+ grains with 160ttsx barnes. 200 grain matchking around 51+. My 98 and yugo 48 shoot teeny tiny groups with these loads.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Bestest powder for 8mm is H4350. It's like magic. 53.1 grains exactly with sierra 175 or 180 noz. Bt. For deer it's 55+ grains with 160ttsx barnes. 200 grain matchking around 51+. My 98 and yugo 48 shoot teeny tiny groups with these loads.View attachment 1191573

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

View attachment 1191579

 

[Just Say Moe]

I have used CFE223 with 160 grain Barnes TTSX (2900ish) or 170 Hornady SST's (2800ish).

 

[Flouncer]

Bestest powder for 8mm is H4350. It's like magic. 53.1 grains exactly with sierra 175 or 180 noz. Bt. For deer it's 55+ grains with 160ttsx barnes. 200 grain matchking around 51+. My 98 and yugo 48 shoot teeny tiny groups with these loads.

Have you tried RL-17 with the 180 ? In theory its real close to H4350 ...

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Have you tried RL-17 with the 180 ? In theory its real close to H4350 ...

Yes, it is very good but just can't beat H4350. My targets are incredible for original barrels.

 

[Flouncer]

Just re-checked Hodgdon page. No 4350 listed for 150, 160, 175g, 180g bullets. That's why I am a member here still after 10 years.

 

[SPQR70AD]

Varget worked great in my 8mm tanker made new by Zastava better then the German mausers

 

[Canuckenstein]

As adopted, the sS round nominally gave a 198gn Tombak-plated steel jacket and core FMJBT bullet 2,575 fps MV at 46,926 psi average chamber pressure, but note that MV was from a 29.13" KAR98b barrel, so the the nearly six inches shorter KAR98k barrel will produce a fair bit less.

Been awhile since I picked up my Kar98k, I saw my original post about a week or so ago and since its Covid (nothing better to do) I decided to load some rounds and go shoot it. Here’s a little follow up.

Went to the range today -3*C no wind took the Cronograph. And 30 rounds of 8mm loaded with H4350 using 200gr SMK,Geco Brass(RAUG/RWS) and Win Match primers. Charges and velocity’s are as follows.

Factory GECO 200gr RNSP gave a AVG MV of 2560.

Charge weight. Avg MV
52.2gr 2517fps
52.6gr 2535fps
53.0gr. 2569fps
53.4gr. 2596fps
53.7gr. 2608fps
54.1gr. 2618fps


All are 5 shot strings. I went .1 over Hodgdon advertised 54grC max. No signs of excess pressure primers just started to flatten out at 54.1 (just barely). Brutal to shoot that max charge.

If what I’ve read is online is true the sS round out of a Kar98k gives a MV of 2493fps or 760m/s. Which is a 13.66fps loss per inch of barrel from the Kar98b 6 extra inches. So in my rifle with H4350 and the data I gathered today. If one wanted to recreate the sS round which I do (+2gr bullet weight). I would load 51.4gr to 52.0gr H4350. would be inline the sS factory loading. I will load 51.0,51.4,51.8 and 52.0gr shoot them over the Crony and see. Hopefully it won’t take another 3 years.

Jon

 

[0.1 Aggregate]

That “maximum” load only produces 44,800 cup of pressure, ‘way too mild to see signs of excess pressure. Perfectly safe in a decent Kar98. Those rifles have been safely chambered to much higher pressure cartridges like the .270 WCF (52,000 cup).



.

 

[Canuckenstein]

That “maximum” load only produces 44,800 cup of pressure, ‘way too mild to see signs of excess pressure. Perfectly safe in a decent Kar98. Those rifles have been safely chambered to much higher pressure cartridges like the .270 WCF (52,000 cup).



.

Probably max due to it being compressed, I was using a Forster long drop funnel and it was just below the shoulder neck junction.

Regardless not fun to shoot those rounds, that steel butt plate punishes the shoulder when you bench that rifle. The cheek weld (for me anyway)when you pull the trigger is like, a little devil opens a hatch and punches you right in the cheek. Perhaps this is why this gun is a bit of a safe queen. It usually sees about 40rounds a year. Tried to do a mad minute like I’ve done with my long branch Lee Enfield. It was more like a mad 35-40 seconds 25ish rounds. It think by that time I was on round 50-60 of the day. I would take a 270Win sporter recoil all day over the 8mm lol.