31pointer

What weight/style of bullet would be best for the 8mm mauser? I have been told that a heavier bullet will shoot better in the mauser, is this true? Right now I am shooting Nosler 180 grain ballistic tips. Is there a better load out there or am I OK with what I got for deer?

Smokem Joe

make sure of your bore diameter, seems like early 8mm mausers had a different bore diameter.

Can anyone help refresh my memory?

Briman

Yes, before 1905, the 8mms had a .318" diameter, but most Mauser 98s were refitted for .323", about the only place you'd come across a .318" bore anymore is in a commission 88 rifle.

I've never used the 200 gr bullets for hunting, but I'm sure others here have, I shy away from them with the thought that they might be of heavier construction meant for 8mm remington magnums.

I get good accuracy with 150 and 170 gr bullets.

31pointer

thanks guys, appreciate the help, the mauser 96s had the .318 bore. I have a mauser 98 which was made quite a while later. thanks 31

DM

My drilling is chambered in 8x57jrs, and i wanted one bullet for all of my hunting needs. I wanted to learn how one load worked and then stick with it, instead of relearning two or 3 different loads when in the field.

After much testing, i started useing 200 grain Nosler partitions at 2350 fps, and i'm staying with this one load forever!!! So far i've shot everything from moose to javoilna, and it really works well.. I've taken numerous whitetails with it in the last few years alone, and all have been one shot kills.

I'm very pleased with this bullet, and i recommend it highly, just don't expect to recover many bullets, as even though they do expand well they go on through.

Drilling Man

jmfa1957

I got a new Remington Classic in November in 8x57mm Mauser. I've started working up a load for it, and have tried the Hornady 150 grain Spire Point with IMR 3031 powder, and the Remington 185 grain PSP bullet with IMR 4064 powder. I will be trying other powders with both bullets, but have found that 46.5 grains of IMR 4064 over the Remington 185gr yielded average 3 shot 100 yard groups of 0.75" (biggest 1.38", smallest 0.38".) I found that 48 grains of IMR 3031 over the 150 grain Hornadys yielded 5 shot 100 yard groups averaging 1.19". I have some Hornady 150s loaded over various weigts of IMR 4064 but have not yet had a chance to try them.

My experience with reloading 8x57 is limited, but extensive tests with .30-06, 6.5x55 and .243 all suggest that IMR 4064 is a very satisfactory powder in terms of accuracy. I have not been impressed with IMR 3031 or IMR 4831 in terms of accuracy in any of my rifles. Other posts on this forum come from guys who have enjoyed excellent results with these powders, so you need to see which works best for you in your rifles.

Good luck!

Charley

?????? the 1896 Mauser was chambered in 6.5x55.


Almost every "J" (.318) bore military rifle in German service was rebarrled, or had the throat opened to accept the "S" (.323) bullet adopted in 1905. This includes most G88s as well. Seems there was a war on, and they were not about to let perfectly servicable rifles sit it out simply because of an ammunition change.
Most existing .318 bore rifles were hunting rifles, and .318 bore rifles were made up until at least the late 1930s. You do run into the occasional miltary G88 that wasn't converted, but they are relatively few.

Carpmaster

As far as bullets in the *x57, I have had good luck on deer and accuracy with Hornady 150's, Sierra 170's and Nosler 200 grain partitions which i currently am using, all I can say is it kills deer and is accurate, but much more I have only killed 1 doe at 40 yards with a lung shot.