With more and more hunters realizing that velocity isn't the only thing that brings down big game, and seeing the popularity of the .338-06 and the gun press' love for the 7mm/08, .308, .350 Rem Mag and .358 Win, wouldn't an 8mm/08 and/or an 8mm-06 make sense as a commercial cartridge?

Both of these numbers would make excellent elk/deer/moose rounds, and they wouldn't kick like a .338 Win Mag. More like a .30-06, actually.

I realize Remington failed miserably with the 8mm Rem Mag, but let's let bygones be bygones, folks, and admit that cartridge is way too much for the average deer and elk hunter and that it kicks just way too hard to ever become popular. Also, there is now a much better supply of 8mm bullets for the handloader than ever before.

I would unhesitatingly buy a rifle chambered for 8mm/08 and happily hunt elk in the woods with it for the rest of my life.

Whattaya think?

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

Edited by - seattlesetters on 11/09/2002 23:13:17

Edited by - seattlesetters on 11/09/2002 23:14:55

The 8mm mag failed partly due to a poor selection of available bullets and the fact that it is too close to the .338 bore which is very popular and has a good selection of bullets available.An 8mm-06 or 8mm08 would suffer the same fate for the same reasons.

Also, can anyone point me in the direction of handloading data for either of these two cartridges?

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

www.reloadbench.com

well from what i rember the 30-06 was really a redisined 8mm M. so would it not stand to reasion to use the 8mm M if you wanted a 8mm-06?
i know the us cart. companys down load the 7mm M and 8mm M but dosent the erorpiean Cart. companys load them to modern standerds?

all so as stated the 338 is very close to the 8mm and so is the 35w.

now a 35-08 maybe a good choice?? well not realy look at the old 358. the over 30cal. is a funny market. alot of people look to older rounds for the over 30 "ie 38-55 45-70 and the such." espicaly on deer.
if biger game is on the list to hunt most people wont the most power avalile in the biger cal. IE 8mm rem mag 338 wm 338rum,340 and the such.

rem is the compay that will try and try on unpopular cals more than anyone else. look at the 6.5
L. O. D. Charter member and L.O.S.

You just don't get any really big advantages from going from 30-06 to 8x57. The 8mm will shoot the same weight bullets of lower balistic coefficient at the same or slightly higher velocities, and with bullets 200 gr and up the 30-06 has a huge advantage. The downsides are too great for the upside of a bullet of slightly bigger diameter.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

The one and only reason the 8mm/06 came into existence was the availability of German mausers in 8 x 57 but a short supply of ammo in 8 x 57 at the end of World War 2. My grandfather, as well as many other gunsmiths, made a decent chunck of change reaming out the chambers of 8 x 57 rifles to the 30/06 chamber. Then, with tons of surplus 30/06 brass around, handloaders just needed to open the necks of the 30/06 cases, load'em, and fire form the brass with the first shot. They do make nice shooting rifles, and can be loaded with 125, 150, 170, 175, 200, 220, 225, and 250 grain bullets.
Mine seems to be most accurate with the 170 load. But as others have said, it offers little in the way of advantage to either the 30/06 or the 8 x 57. I've often wondered about having one of my surplus German mausers reamed to Ackley Improved 8mm/06. Just for fun. I think an Ackley Improved 8mm/06 stoked with 175's, 200's or 220's would make a potent big game rifle. I realize that there are over the counter cartridges that will do the same or better..........but, It has to be a labor of love for a handloader as it is a considerable investment of time... By the way RCBS has made the dies as an off-the-rack item for many years.
If you already handload and don't mind having an oddball.........it's not a bad oddball to have. You can usually pick up enough 30/06 brass at any range to keep you stocked in plinking brass anyway.

I really like the idea of an 8mm/08. I'd put a 23" barrel on one, and it would be about the same overall length as an identical rifle in .30-06 with a 22" barrel.

Are there any loads for such a round?

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

8x57 brass is readily available or around $25 per 100 from Midway.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

Briman,
You're right about the 8 x 57 brass and it's price and availability now..........but in 1945 availability and resulting price of 8 x 57 brass was a different story. And Berdan primed was all you could get (then). But it was that scarcity of the German ammo that gave birth to the 8mm/06.
Now, as you say, 8 x 57 ammo including new, surplus and components is available and affordable.
Nothing wrong with shooting available surplus today.......and I shoot bunches of it year round.........but only b/c the price is good now.... and has been for the past 15 years.
Shooting modern factory loaded 8 x 57 is a joke.......it works, but you lose a bunch of potential. Handloading is the way to go for both the 8 x 57 and the 8mm/06. And I always have fresh, loadable brass from my Savage 110 in 30/06.
I have a couple 8 x 57 mausers (a German and a Turk) and my dad has a European sporterized Czeck 98 with only a peep,... but it drives tacks.
I think the difference between the 3 rounds, the 8 x 57, 30/06, and the 8mm/06, isn't very different at all. They are all excellent rounds................it's nice to have all 3 though!