8x57 for long range shooting...

[mauser284]

A 325WSM would be fantastic and you can use an 8mm .323 barrel for a .325WSM. An intermediate Mauser like the M48A/B would be a good canidate for the cartridge if the magazine and feed rails can be adapted to the cartridge. If the 325WSM was not a lead ballon I would have explored it myself. It is a huge step up from 8x57. Easily 400fps to 600fps faster than the 8x57 with like weight 8mm bullets.

 

[hoz53]

well after 5 years i have sold the rifle.. too much frustration, poor bullet selection, reloading process was pain in the but, as i have to sort and sort and resort, basic load was lapua cases, nosler cc, br2, and n140....
it can shoot perfectly for 10 strings and an flyer, and every time there is a flyer...

it just cant keep up with the top shooters, otherwise it is phenomenal.... i was using it for local f class matches in open class...

Lately I have been shooting a sporterized M98 made in 1936 in Oberndorf. Trying to get a load and work out the bugs as much as possible. Its sentimental as this was passed to me from my dad. Coincidentally saw this thread today. There is so much info here Im marking it so i can read more later. I just want to use this gun to shoot offhand at 100 yd or less. I have checked this rifle out thoroughly and am satisfied it will be safe. Im just going to enjoy it and remember my dad carrying it through the PA woods. No way I would expect the accuracy of some of my other rifles from it.

 

[hoz53]

A 325WSM would be fantastic and you can use an 8mm .323 barrel for a .325WSM. An intermediate Mauser like the M48A/B would be a good canidate for the cartridge if the magazine and feed rails can be adapted to the cartridge. If the 325WSM was not a lead ballon I would have explored it myself. It is a huge step up from 8x57. Easily 400fps to 600fps faster than the 8x57 with like weight 8mm bullets.

well M284- good 2 see youre still here. near here i posted about the M98 Ive been shooting lately. At first i was just going to shoot this at 100 or less but now im thinking it would be cool to see if I can hit the gongs out to 1000 with it. I will run the ballistics on it to see what it takes. when you shoot this gong at 1000 yds what load do you use??
Thanks

 

[hoz53]

Having read widely on the subject and talked a lot to Martin Pegler, formerly of the GB Royal Armouries and now resident in the Somme WW1 battlefield area of France, who is probably the greatest living researcher on the histories of 20th century military sniping, German snipers very rarely took exceptionally long distance shots on any battlefield in WW2. That applied to most other participants too as the optics used simply aren't up to what we would regard as long-range nowadays. With most German snipers using a selected KAR98k up to '43 or '44 fitted with the very limited usefulness Z41 1.5-power LER type scope, they were far more hamstrung than their US, Soviet or British equivalents with conventional action mounted 3.5-4.5 power optics.

Later on the Ostfront, most German snipers abandoned the KAR98k and used the preferred Walther designed semi-auto Gewehr 43 (or K43 as it's often called) if they could get hold of one, not a super long-range rifle. Likewise many Soviet snipers especially female ones preferred the scoped version of the 7.62X54R Tokarev SVT-40, a weapon that Pegler describes as having a 300-400 metre maximum effective range in the sniping role.

The outstanding sniper rifle in that theatre throughout 1941-45 was the Soviet Mosin 1891/30 especially with the better top mounted PE scope. Many Germans used captured 91/30 or SVT-40 sniper rifles in preference to their own kit if their superiors were willing to allow this and suitable grade ammunition could be scrounged.

Wow Laurie you sure put alot of effort and info into this thread. I put it on watch so i can come back and read it all. Am having a good time shooting an M98 informally lately.
Thanks

 

[hakerman]

I went back and looked at your posts and I never saw what rifle/barrel you were using.

it was a custom made lothar walther 30mm bull barrel, i was using lapua brass, and SMK 200 gn, later on i started using nosler CC...
it was fine, it is excellent choice for say long range hunting, but i just keep faling back with the guys while shooting.
also the rifle was heavy, 8,25kg, but a day shooting with it it was not comfortable ... but nothing too much...

 

[David Milisock]

I use an 8x57 JS as an iron sighted field rifle. Bullet selection is poor for the hand loader but that's OK you have what you need.

The expansion ratio is effective in 21" barrels and it packs elk killing power out to 300 yards. I prefer it over the 308 for this work. I would not use it as a base for long range work.

 

[wboggs]

There will never be the selection of long range bullets fot the 8mm that exists for the .308 and .338 which bracket it.

 

[FNSafari]

Long range hunting....whatever you mean by that....300 yds it should work. More than that, re-think your hunting ethics imo.

 

[Fire Dog]

Perhaps "Ackley-izing" the 8-57 would be an option, blow out the case and put a 40* shoulder on it.
That would give more case capacity...
The thing I remember from my days of youth and hanging around the local sporting goods store were the surplus 8mm Mauser's that were cheap in those days {mid 60's} and that the "go to" was to chamber them to 8mm-06 as 8x57 ammo was all old WWII ball.
With a quick ream to the chamber that was all that was required {about $30 in those days} {30-06 is 7.62x 63mm long as I remember} it then was easy to size the neck up on 30-06 brass to 8mm.
Presto, Elk capable rifle and knock down just about any North America game including bear.

 

[FNSafari]

Perhaps "Ackley-izing" the 8-57 would be an option, blow out the case and put a 40* shoulder on it.
That would give more case capacity...
The thing I remember from my days of youth and hanging around the local sporting goods store were the surplus 8mm Mauser's that were cheap in those days {mid 60's} and that the "go to" was to chamber them to 8mm-06 as 8x57 ammo was all old WWII ball.
With a quick ream to the chamber that was all that was required {about $30 in those days} {30-06 is 7.62x 63mm long as I remember} it then was easy to size the neck up on 30-06 brass to 8mm.
Presto, Elk capable rifle and knock down just about any North America game including bear.

AI'ing may get 100fps more. Still a 250 max 300 yd game cartridge imo.

 

[Fire Dog]

AI'ing may get 100fps more. Still a 250 max 300 yd game cartridge imo.

Aside from some types of goat { I use my 6BR or 280AI for really long shots as I know that I can land them inside 5" at 1,000}, I don't take a shot on game if it is past 300...
Just trying to be ethical in my hunting and also not keen on having to track a blood trail through dense scrub in case of a non-instantly fatal shot.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Zombie thread about a zombie cartridge. Come on - there's better out there! And plenty of cartridges that have available brass and bullets. Yes, the 8mm is a good deer cartridge, but so is everything else.