Looking for a substitute for the now discontinued Hornady 220gr. Have tried Woodleigh but they are too long for my action. I have tried Sierra in the past but have heard rumors they are fragile. Would like to stay with a heavier bullet, any suggestions? Thanks-karl

If you have tried the Sierras why do you have to listen to rumors? You have first-hand experience...

200 gr Nosler Partitions. Also Barnes X and Swift A-frame.

Save the sierras for prairie dogs and game drawn on paper!

Never shot anything with the Sierras. did perform well on paper though. I would like to use something heavier than the 200 gr. Noslers. Thanks

Craig Boddington did shoot a black (not brown) bear with his custom 8mm mag and had 2 of them sierras blow up on the bear's neck at a normal range! They suck as do most of their bullets for big game. Now varmints and paper are a different story. Believe me the 200 gr Noslers at 3100-3200 fps will do much better than either the Sierra or Hornady in 220 gr flavor.

I feel the 200gr partition is the perfect bullet for the 8mm mag. It has a sectional density of .274, wich is about the same as the 180gr in 30 cal.(.271)

If you want more than 200 grains I would move up to .338 cal.

Personally I would point an 8mm Rem mag with a 200gr Nolser Part. at anything on the planet, and feel confident. Wether it's legal is a different story.

Do any of you fellows know a source for Hornady 220 gr. bullets? I am interested in your comments about the other bullets and appreciate them, but have had such good luck with the Hornadys that I sure would like to stick with them. thanks-Karl

Would you be interested in some Barnes 200 gr XLC's? They don't make the .323 X in XLC, but I had them make me some special, but had to get 5 boxes. If interested, I will sell 2 at my cost, which wasn't real cheap (regular list price).

Thanks for the offer, but like I said I really like the heavier bullets. Besides that it is difficult to impossible to ship bullets from the US to Canada. Karl

Try Russells for A-Frame seconds.

It is a shame that the 220 Hornady is discontinued. I have just completed an 8mm Rem Mag myself on a Ruger No.1S. I have loaded for it with 220 Hornady's as well as 220 Barnes X's, althoguh I have not fired either load yet.

I would like to see a 220 grain Accubong or SST Interbond for the 8mm, I feel either would be about ideal for the 8mm mag.

Kristofer

Check out my website.
It is a shame that more of you do not use it.

http://www.cliffsgunsmithing.com/Catalog_Horn_3132.htm

-Spencer

There have been links floating about here latley about an old piece done on bullet performance. Shows pics of bullets fired into test media and penetration results. I dont recall the name of it, sorry. Maybe someone else can provide it again. No one seemed to mention it, but I noticed that for all of the Sierra bashing that goes on here, they appeared to me to be easily on par with all of the other standard bullets and better than some. I think if youve had good results from the Hornadys that you should expect no less from the Sierras. Some folks just need to justify their "need for premiums".



One fact that nobody considers about the vaunted interlock ring on a Hornady is what happens to the core when it is swagged past the ring. Ive cut them open and seen what it does, the fables that it (the interlock ring) gives the Hornadys an edge is hogwash. But I still use them, because they work..

I used the 8mm RemMag with the 220 SBT Sierra on moose. High lung shot just clipped the underside of the spine, exit offside, no bullet recovery. Dropped at the shot. Range 400yds +/-. None of the other bullets have the BC of Sierra but don't use it if the shots can be under 100yds, for that matter don't use the Hornady's either they also come apart under 100 yds.

My .02

Honey, I don't know what your definition of "heavier bullet" is, but the 200 grain Nosler Partition 8mm bullet will withstand anything an 8mm Rem Mag. can subject it to, and also kill all North American game and most African stuff with one shot!

Yup this is why I suggested it along with the Swift A-frame and the X

Is anyone using Retumbo in the 8mm Mag? I've been working with it for the past year and it's extremely accurate in both of my 8mm Mags (87.0 grains under the 220 Sierra is especially good).

Lee Martin
www.singleactions.com

Many years ago Australia's "gun guru" Nick Harvey wrote about taking his 8mm Remington Magnum to Africa and India for the medium to larger antelopes. His load of choice was the 200gr Nosler Partition. As he reported it they failed at short ranges where impact velocity was high, his beef being that the nose shed violently and the base then failed to penetrate adequately. This necessitated a number of follow ups which shouldn't have been necessary. His solution was to finish his safari using 196gr RWS solids that he'd pulled from 8x68S ammunition. One person's experience isn't the whole story but perhaps it's worth keeping in mind?
Cheers...
Con

Your advice is certainly sound. However, Ross Seyfried, who I suspect has about as much African (and other ) hunting experience as any man now alive, has stated categorically that he has neither seen a Nosler Partition jacket bullet "failure", nor has anyone ever responded to his challenge to pay a significant sum of money (don't remember the amount) to anyone who can provide him with proof of such a failure. Yet, we all know that the front portion of the NPJ is designed to "exand violently" and the rear core is supposed to provide the deep penetration, so I suppose it is possible for the expansion of the front core to be too violent if driven fast enough and the target is at the muzzle. The MV fort the 200 grain Nosler is, according to Nosler, about less than 3100 FPS MAX. Now, I shot a 750-pound bull elk last fall with a 7mm magnum at a range of no more than 30 yards. The bullet, a 175-grain Nosler Partition Jacket, MV 3050 FPS, hit him at the junction of the neck and shoulder at a rear-raking angle. The bullet broke his neck, ranged rearward, breaking the right hip joint, the remainder of the rear section coming to rest just under the skin on the right ham. This bull hit the ground so hard he bounced! I suppose one could call this bullet performance a failure, since the front portion of the bullet was gone, even the front jacket petals were gone, and the rear section did not exit. Of course, one animal does not prove anything!! But I was pleased enough with this load to use it again for large, tough critters.