8x57 for long range shooting...

[brian923]

i was wanting to know what you guys thought about using the good ol time proven .323" 8x57 Mauser for long range target shooting, and hunting.

i have learned that this round has to be reloaded to achieve its full potential. but i cant find any info on how well this round is at bucking the wind and drop. i know that it can do a lot of damage, and there are not many bullet choices. but i have always had a love for this old cartridge, and hope that more company's start making better bullets for it.,i know that's a long shoot)

so... hat do you guys think.

also, as a side question. i have been kinda intrigued about the 325 wsm. does this round use 323" bullets? would this be a better round for the above mentioned? Brian

 

[MLC]

With the BC Sierra gives on the 200 Match King in 323 it should be comparable the 30'06 shooting 175-190's.

 

[SF340Driver]

The 8x57 is a very accurate cartridge especially in a match chamber. The only problem is the limited bullet selection. I am very impressed with the 200 SMK in the 8x57 though. It pretty much gives the same performance as the 30-06.

 

[brian923]

i am looking to pick up a set of reloading dies, what is a good recipe to start off with, with the 200 sierra matchkings. and, will these make for good hunting bullets? or should i use the gamekings? i believe that they go up to 220 grn.

 

[hakerman]

ancient topic i know, but same question never the less, is 7.92x57 with SMK or NOSLER good for LR, i am thinking of 1000m distance?
any expirience on the subject?
i am thinking os starting this project....
thanks

 

[ImBIllT]

ancient topic i know, but same question never the less, is 7.92x57 with SMK or NOSLER good for LR, i am thinking of 1000m distance?
any expirience on the subject?
i am thinking os starting this project....
thanks

Poor bullet selection. If you really want to be serious about shooting 1000yds, you have to start with a good bullet.

 

[357Mag]

Brian -

Howdy !

You may also want to take a look @
https://cuttingedgebullets.com/shop/cutting-edge-bullets/rifle-bullets?caliber=41

In .323" calibre, they offer 2ea turned brass " match " bullets, and 1ea turned copper hunting bullet.
225gr, 265gr; and 175gr in-order as above. I DK why the link lists "41", when .323" cal bullets are shown on screen ?!


With regards,
357Mag

 

[wapiti25]

this is a 2007 thread

 

[ImBIllT]

this is a 2007 thread

Revived by Hackerman with the intro "ancient topic I know".

 

[hakerman]

yep it is a ten year toddler

anyway as stated by brian923, to achieve full potential bullets must be reloaded.

the fact are that bullet market for 323 is terrible, not many are manufacturing bullets for these, but i also think that this cartridge is under estimated, and it can work very effective on 1000m target, though bullet trajectory is like shooting from artillery with big arc , but very real none the less. by effective i mean that it can actually hold group at this distance

i have seen a couple of guys actually shooting this caliber on f class matches on distance of 1000m, he was using nosler as i found out later.
this is most common caliber in Europe, much more represented then 30 06. it is not the best/ideal choice for this distance but none the less possible

i cant find any relevant data like for 308 or 30 06, target pictures, comments, experiences etc....

even the bullets are the problem, the only one available that i can scour is the 323 SMK, i mean it should be excellent bullet, we will see...

 

[x_wolf]

Shame that there are so few options in .323" diameter. So many great cartridges on european market - the good old 8x57JS, then the middle-class 8x64S (great caliber, almost on the same level as the 300 Win Mag.), then the mighty 8x68S, a true magnum hunting round with potential to shoot heavy bullets fast and far....

Nosler Accubond 200gr.
Nosler Ballistic Tip 180gr.
Nosler E-Tip 180gr.
Nosler Custom Competition 200gr.

Sierra MatchKing 200gr.
Sierra GameKing 220gr.

Hornady SST 170gr.
Hornady GMX 180gr.
Hornady InterLock 195gr.
Hornady BTHP Match 196gr.

Is there anything, what could be useful for middle- and long roange hunting/shooting for the 8 milimeter calibers?

 

[Laurie]

Look at what our continental European friends bring to the annual European F-Class Championships at Bisley every September, and you won't see a single 8mm in 'Open'. Lots of sevens, a few 6.5s, sixes, and thirties. Yet, 8x57mm is still widely used by Germans and Austrians for medium game and Europe's large red deer stags (if not as widely as the 7X64mm Brennecke I'd hazard) - that says it all. In the UK, there is no use of the 8X57 at all on either range or hill other than by Historic Arms shooters. In the days when I was one such, I owned and shot three 7.92X57 IS rifles over a period of several years and wasn't impressed by the performance of any of them other than in recoil. Give me a good 6.5X55 or 7X57mm Mauser any day, 7.5X55mm Schmidt Swiss too. Even the old British 303 rimmed number will outperform the 8mm on paper if used in the Ross straight-pull or Mauser system Pattern 1914 rifle (the British version on the 'Enfield' M1917').

 

[MLC]

If you already have an 8mm, the Hornady 196 is a reasonably inexpensive and accurate way to go.
My friend has a Yugo Mauser that shoots accurately enough to pummel steel silhouettes at 700 yards.
Otherwise, as others have stated, there are many better options.

 

[hakerman]

well yes, i have one 8mm that i will probably use for this experiment.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

8x57 for LR? Ask the Russians about WWII...

 

[Laurie]

8x57 for LR? Ask the Russians about WWII...

Yes, in the MG34 and MG42, the latter still in widespread use in 7.62X51mm. For that matter ask the Japanese about the 303 as fired in the Vickers water cooled job at Kohima or the 30-06 in US Army and USMC Browning MGs in the Pacific. Very interesting, but what does the 7.92X57's employment in belt firing MGs with rates of fire of around 1,000 rounds per minute tell us about the cartridge's capability in long-range use in an Accurate Shooter forum? Every rifle calibre cartridge in military use in WW2 had an effective range of up to 3,500 metres in machineguns.

The Germans structured their small unit infantry tactics around the GPMG crew who did the serious volume slaughter with the riflemen mainly there to protect them - an effective policy adopted by all NATO armies since.

 

[ImBIllT]

The cartridge is excellent. Only bullet choices hurt it. The .257 Rob and 7x57 have almost the same capacity as a .308, so necking them up to .323 is very similar to a .338 Fed except the bullet choices stink. However, the 8x57 actually has increased case capacity over the two. For close range hunting tough animals the cartridge is excellent. The fact is, if you have an 8x57, it's an excellent and under rated cartridge, but if you're going to build a rifle for a specific purpose there is something else that will fulfill that role better...almost regardless of what that role is. The reason, again, comes back to bullet availability.

If there were 8mm VLD's etc. with form factors similar to those of 7mm's and .338's, then it would be an incredible cartridge. Non-magnum boltface, shorter powder column than an -06, more case capacity than a .308, less recoil than a .338, and would totally spank a .338 Fed. Because the bullets suck for long range, the .338 Fed kicks its butt. On the other end of the spectrum, imagine if for score shooting at close range, particularly HBR. If there were some 130-160gr benchrest bullets it would be pretty interesting for that.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

I was referring to the Nazi snipers...

 

[hakerman]

I was referring to the Nazi snipers...

your reference is the caliber is good or bad? i dont get it?

in Europe the f tr rules are little "modified" for different countries, so 7,92x57 is actually in TR as is more widely spread than counterpart 308, as long it doesn't weigh more than 8,250 kilos /this apply to some countries, not all/

 

[Laurie]

your reference is the caliber is good or bad? i dont get it?

in Europe the f tr rules are little "modified" for different countries, so 7,92x57 is actually in TR as is more widely spread than counterpart 308, as long it doesn't weigh more than 8,250 kilos /this apply to some countries, not all/

Ah ... hadn't heard of that. It makes sense. Some US clubs allow .30-06 in FTR class in their comps for the same reason. In the UK it's almost invariably ICFRA rules, ie 223 or 308 only, although many clubs also have sporting rifle or 'alternative F-Class' comps.