Why are there no wildcats based on the 8X57? It seems just as capable a cartridge as the 308. How about a 338X57? Just curious cause Ive not heard of anything like that at all. I know there have been some great developments based on the 7X57 in smaller calibers but that isnt exactly the same cartridge as the 8X. Very close but a little different.

It's a 'metric', and it was never popular here. Perhaps some of our European friends may know of some 8x57-based cartridges.

George

My prusumption would be that wildcatting is generally a US thing. And, the actions we use fall in 3 general catagories, short ie 2" brass, std ie 2.5" brass, and magnum 2.85" brass.

So, if you're using an action for 2" brass, you'll use .308, .284 or 6.5/350 rem mag. If you jump up to the 2.5" action, then you'll use -06 or win mag brass.

The X57's are too long of the short action, and give less capacity then the -06 for the std length action. That and -06 brass is more plentiful. Most folks starting with a 7/8X57 action will simply use the longer magazene box to take advantage of the longer -06 brass.

But take heart, the 308 and 306 are based on the 8X57 case, so really, it did start it all afterall.

Where would there be room?

In the 8x57 family, we already have the 9.3, the 9, the 8, the 7, the 6.5, the .257 Roberts, the 6, and a .22.

I know one, the 7x57AI

Cases based on the 8X57 Mauser:
7X57 Mauser
7X57 Mauser Improved
6.5X57 Mauser
.257 Roberts
6.5-257 roberts
6.5-257 Roberts Improved
6MM Remington
6MM Remington Improved

I have not heard of 30X57 or a 338X57 or a 35X57 but I suppose it's been tried at some point. If not, sounds like you are on the leading edge. Make a run for it.

OTTO

add 9,3X57, 9X57 mannlicher and 10,75X75 to the list

/ JOHAN

30X57 also known as the 30 Dunlap. The brain child of the late Roy Dunlap, Tucson, Ariz. gunsmith.

/

ANYTHING with a 0.473" casehead diameter is, to some degree or another, based on the 8x57mm. ANYTHING.

RSY

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ALF:
[QB]Gentlemen:

The Mauser M88 case is parent to:

8x57R (M88A) aka 8.06x57R
8x57R (M88B) aka 8x57 JR
8x57R (M88C) aka 8.06X57R (narrow rim)
8X42R (M88D) aka 8mm Mauser Kurz
8X51R (M88E) aka 8mm Mauser Kurz short
8x57 (M88F) aka 8.15X57R
8X57 (M88G) this is the 8X57J (318 cal 8mm)
8X51 (M88H) aka 8.06x50.7
5x57
5.6x57 RWS
5.6x57R RWS
6x56 (luger)
6x58 G Mauser
6x58 Forster
6x58R Forster
6.5x54 Mauser
6.5x57.8 Meig
6.6x57
6.5x57 Persian mauser
6.5x57 Mauser
6.5x57R Mauser
6.5x58 Portuguese
6.5x59 Angier
6.5x63
6.5x65 RWS
6.5x65R RWS
6.8X57
6.8X60
8x57JS (.323 8mm)
8x57RS
8x63 RWS
9X56
9X57
9X57R
9X63
9X63R
9.3X57
9.3X64 (not the brenneke version)
9.4x50
9.4x56
10.75x57
10.75x61
6.5x57

There they are! I knew they had to exist somewhere, Im not farmilliar with most of them, I suppose research is in order for me. The 9X63, 5X57 and 6.5X57 sound particullarly intriging to me. Thank you Alf.

The 7x57 is not based on the M88 case but the M93 case;

And thank you for again pointing that out as I did initially..

/

[/qb][/QUOTE]A 30-06 can be resized to a .308 and their attributes are similar but that doesnt mean they are the same case, their origins are worlds apart.[/QB][/QUOTE]

Gimme a break. The .308 is a descendent of the .30-06, with maybe a detour through .300 Savage, itself a offshoot of the .30-06. Even the .30-06 ain't nothing but the 8x57 case stretched and reformed.

Some old German ran a Commission rifle case up into a sizing die and the 7x57 was born. Folks don't go inventing new cases when they have perfectly good tooling to do an old one that is close enough to interchange with a simple neck job.

There ain't but a handful of basic cartridge families to cover 95% of the centerfire cartridges ever made.

OK Whatever, every rimless case on the planet is a decendant of the 8X57. Can we return to the real world now?
In my narrow way of thinking it ususally works something like this;

some cases based on the 30-06 are 270, 338-06, 25-06, etc.

Some based on the 308 are 243, 7-08, 358 and so on.

The 8X57 and 7X57 may have been made from the same tooling machines and designed by the same guy, I dont really even care. What I do know is that they do have some distint differences besides the bore diameter. Sure they can be reformed to each other but I damn sure wouldnt want to have to form my 06 brass from a 308.

The 308 may have derived from pre existing technology but is it the same case? Not according to my caliper. Give ME a break!

Like most military arms, Mausers were designed to feed one round and one round only. The legendary Mauser smoothness and reliablity goes to hell if you use a round with a different body taper. More Mausers were made for the 8x57 cartridge than any other, so why not have a powerful, cheap wildcat that uses common US components and feeds smoothly in an as-issued 98 after a simple rebore? Such a rifle and round would be cheap, rugged and ideal for hogs, bears and elk. Add good peep sights and you're in business. Our beloved 35 Whelen started that way, so why not a 35x57, or a 375x57? Or you could try the 9.3x57. European ammo makers still load it; it can be hard to get .366 bullets here, but that's changing as more people buy 9.3x62 rifles from CZ and Sako.

By the way, if you don't think the Europeans did much wildcatting, see the Vihta Vuori manual for data on several interesting Scandinavian wildcats based on the 8x57 and 7.62x54R. Just like in the US in the late Forties, they suddenly found they had a lot of extra rifles and ammo lying around.

Hope this helps, Okie John.