I acquired a Husqvarna Mauser in 8x57 a while back. I needed another "deer rifle" like I need another hole in the head but.......you know how it goes. Anyway, I thought I would work up some loads or a load for it and put it to use. Who has an accurate load they might share? I was thinking about the 180gr. Ballistic tip or maybe the 195 Hornady??????I am interested in hearing about the terminal performance of the bullets you have used also. The old rifle is kind of interesting, it once had a side mounted scope and whoever had it before apparently killed 14 stags or something with it since they kept score by pushing small stag heads like tie tacks into the stock on the right side just in front of the buttplate. I may try to up the score with it. Thanks in advance.

As Jeffe has said before, cartridge development could have stopped with the 8x57 over a century ago and we would be well covered.

Jeffe would be right with that assumption. It's a good middleweight. Great for black bear. I hunted with an old German gentleman for a few years who always carried an 8x57 when we went afield for black bear. Swore it was perfect with good bullet weight but not too fast at short ranges over bait. He was right every time. It's a fine round, easily capable of taking all game in North America as long as you aren't trying to shoot 500 yards.

I have an 8x57 barrel for my R93 Blaser, I use H4831sc behind a 185 grain Remington corelok shoots pretty much in one hole.

Have not had a chance to kill anything with it yet but will try to change that this fall.

What a round.
If you like the 308 W, '06 or 358 W this is your guy.
I'd pit a 200g A-Frame at 2600+ fps against any of the big game on this side of the pond. RL19 at 45g and work up from there.
For a GP deer load, bulk Remington 185's at 2730+ fps should do all you need. (RL15, 46g starting)
The older the rifle, the lowe I generally start my charges. Of course, if you find your bullets hit the lands sooner than the manuals expect, knock it down even more. At a point , you'll need to step up the burn rate.

I have a couple in different guises.. from military to sporterized...

however, like the round and rifle itself, I keep it simple..

I have ONE bullet I use in them.. the 170 grain Speer SMP...

I have pretty much settled on ONE powder.. SR 4759.. it avoids the needs for dealing with compressed powder loads...

I use 5 different loads in it primarily, with that bullet and that powder, depending on range...

15 grains of SR 4759
20 grains of SR 4759
25 grain "
30 grains "
and finally 35 grains...

each combo works just fine with that bullet and each one are deadly accurate...

they two that have scope mounts on them, are scoped with Bushnell 1.5 x 4 power scopes with the shotgun reticle.. or circle X as they call it..

those loads are taylor made for that scope... and is effective from 25 to 250 yds...

I don't use it to compete with an 06.. instead I use it as a 30/30 on steroids... or a 30/40 Krag on steroids...either which are more than enough for deer hunting in most of the lower 48 here stateside...

never used the remington 185 grainers, but i do use the hornady 195's. my load is 46.0 gr of imr 4895, winchester large rifle primers, and winchester cases. this load is very accurate in my mauser 42. good shooting!!!

The 8 x 57 is a favorite;

180gr. Nosler Bal. Tip, 47.8gr. acc 2520, 2500 fps. avg. .500" group at 100 yds. Scout type rifle w/ 2 power scope up front .

This rifle and the load were not intended to be used for long range work beyond say 250yds.

Another 8 X 57 and a stouter load are capable of use at much longer distances and almost all , if not all, North American game. roger

Old age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone..

I have a 1951 98FN Husky in this chambering as well, great little rifle and loves 50.3 of RL15 with hornady 195gr interlock bullets and 210 primers, gives 2640 fps over the chrony in mine and works great on eating size black bears

imr 4064 and 170 gr bullets
mine likes imr 3031 and horn 150's
this is 308-06 performance area.
and aa 2230 is also right in there.
mine has the short throat but it puts the first
shot from either a clean or dirty bbl in the same place as a warm bbl

It's one of the great ones, and if two world wars didn't kill it, nothing else will. It's an ideal cartridge second only to the 30-06 in usefulness.

If you only intend to use it for deer the 170 grain Rem Core-loct is perfect. At factory load velocities it opens beautifully and holds together. Couldn't ask for more.

I had forgotten about the 185 Remington. It might make the cut. My rifle looks a lot like dopeydave's but without the checkering on the forearm. I think mine is 1946 vingtage.

How about this one:

8x57 mauser
3.2" COAL
Nosler 180 Ballistic Tip
Remington Brass
53.5 Grains H414 powder
CCI 200 Primer

I didn't chronograph it, but it gave great accuracy (.6" group) out of my 24/47 Yugo mauser. This seemed to be a mild load in my rifle, but as always, start lower and work up, etc, etc, etc.

Or, here's another one for you, my newest favorite load...

8x57 mauser
220 Sierra Game King
3.23" COAL (Notice the long OAL on these loads!)
53 grains H414
Remington Brass
CCI 200 Primers

Gave sub-MOA performance and an average velocity of 2,472 FPS from my rifle. This would be a great short to mid range thumper for bear or elk in the timber... There were no pressure signs, and I'm pretty sure 2500fps is very doable with another .5 to 1 grain of H414, but that and the use of any and all loads off the internet, are at your own risk. And again, as always, start lower and work up!

jdunlapmo,
Thanks for the loads. Have you shot anything with the Ballistic Tip?

Nothing more than paper so far. My hunting load last year was a 175 sierra pro-hunter over a hodgdon book max load of H4895, only gave around 2600fps, but worked well on the one deer I shot with it. I didn't discover how well the noslers shot till sfter our season was already over. May have to give it a go this year though.
By the way, you'll notice that both of my other loads are with H414. I have discovered, thanks to a couple of other posters on this board, that H414 is the powder for velocity in the 8x57. Not much data out there for it in the 8x57, but it's a really great powder. Give it a try, I think you'll like it!

Here is a thread I started when I was working up loads on my 8x57.

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=571108278#571108278

And a trip report after I took it to Namibia in May.

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6321043/m/527102178

Once you find a load it likes, you are in for a lot of fun.

quote:

Originally posted by dopeydave:
I have a 1951 98FN Husky in this chambering as well, great little rifle and loves 50.3 of RL15 with hornady 195gr interlock bullets and 210 primers, gives 2640 fps over the chrony in mine and works great on eating size black bears

That handload is a fair bit better than the Hornady factory load featuring their 195gr. bullet at 2500fps. If I recall correctly my hunting companion used a similar performing load to that and it was fantastic for killing big black bears (195gr. @ 2500fps). So much more powerful than the anemic Federal 170gr. load at a whopping 2200 and change.

I'd love to find a older sporter 8x57mm.

Its Europes answer to the 30-06 or visa versa. Some claim its even better than the 06..

I like the 8x57 and have use it on a few cape buffalo on a cull hunt, and I have shot a few plainsgame animals, and a few deer with it...I found it to be a very capaple round..Given a choice I would still opt for the 06....

quote:

Originally posted by Magnum Hunter1:
I acquired a Husqvarna Mauser in 8x57 a while back. I needed another "deer rifle" like I need another hole in the head but.......you know how it goes. Anyway, I thought I would work up some loads or a load for it and put it to use. Who has an accurate load they might share? I was thinking about the 180gr. Ballistic tip or maybe the 195 Hornady??????I am interested in hearing about the terminal performance of the bullets you have used also. The old rifle is kind of interesting, it once had a side mounted scope and whoever had it before apparently killed 14 stags or something with it since they kept score by pushing small stag heads like tie tacks into the stock on the right side just in front of the buttplate. I may try to up the score with it. Thanks in advance.

I just hope it's chambered for 8x57JS cartridge. You should have looked for one in 7,62x63 that way you would have plenty of primo ammo to choose from. Next time if you look for vintage rifle buy something really good like: Browning 'Safari' Gr, Sako on FN action, Ole' Mod 70,.....

quote:

Originally posted by Paolo9,5x73:

quote:

Originally posted by Magnum Hunter1:
I acquired a Husqvarna Mauser in 8x57 a while back. I needed another "deer rifle" like I need another hole in the head but.......you know how it goes. Anyway, I thought I would work up some loads or a load for it and put it to use. Who has an accurate load they might share? I was thinking about the 180gr. Ballistic tip or maybe the 195 Hornady??????I am interested in hearing about the terminal performance of the bullets you have used also. The old rifle is kind of interesting, it once had a side mounted scope and whoever had it before apparently killed 14 stags or something with it since they kept score by pushing small stag heads like tie tacks into the stock on the right side just in front of the buttplate. I may try to up the score with it. Thanks in advance.

I just hope it's chambered for 8x57JS cartridge. You should have looked for one in 7,62x63 that way you would have plenty of primo ammo to choose from. Next time if you look for vintage rifle buy something really good like: Browning 'Safari' Gr, Sako on FN action, Ole' Mod 70,.....

All the Husqvarna's that I'm aware of in 8x57 are chammbered for teh 8x57js. None have the .318" bore unlike some Sakos.

But you coment on getting a quality rifle is out of line. A nice used Husky is far more rifle than you could purchase a contemporary model for new today at twice the price. The irony of your statement is that the Husky uses the same FN action as the, well, FN, Browning, and some Sakos. Wood certainly isn't on par but the action is the same and the barrels while factory were quite accurate on the whole.

Rem721--Like you mentioned, all the factory Husqvarna 8x57's have the S bore (.323).

Magnum Hunter 1 -- If you look closely at the pins I am almost sure they will be either roe deer and/or moose heads.

The old HVA's are one of the very best values on the used gun market.

quote:

Originally posted by rem721:

quote:

Originally posted by Paolo9,5x73:

quote:

Originally posted by Magnum Hunter1:
I acquired a Husqvarna Mauser in 8x57 a while back. I needed another "deer rifle" like I need another hole in the head but.......you know how it goes. Anyway, I thought I would work up some loads or a load for it and put it to use. Who has an accurate load they might share? I was thinking about the 180gr. Ballistic tip or maybe the 195 Hornady??????I am interested in hearing about the terminal performance of the bullets you have used also. The old rifle is kind of interesting, it once had a side mounted scope and whoever had it before apparently killed 14 stags or something with it since they kept score by pushing small stag heads like tie tacks into the stock on the right side just in front of the buttplate. I may try to up the score with it. Thanks in advance.

I just hope it's chambered for 8x57JS cartridge. You should have looked for one in 7,62x63 that way you would have plenty of primo ammo to choose from. Next time if you look for vintage rifle buy something really good like: Browning 'Safari' Gr, Sako on FN action, Ole' Mod 70,.....

All the Husqvarna's that I'm aware of in 8x57 are chammbered for teh 8x57js. None have the .318" bore unlike some Sakos.

But you coment on getting a quality rifle is out of line. A nice used Husky is far more rifle than you could purchase a contemporary model for new today at twice the price. The irony of your statement is that the Husky uses the same FN action as the, well, FN, Browning, and some Sakos. Wood certainly isn't on par but the action is the same and the barrels while factory were quite accurate on the whole.

One sees lot of commercial FN actions on older sporters (Weatherby, Sako, H&R, S&W, Sears Roebuck),.... because they were well made, requred little or no modifications, and those were inexpensive.

There are plenty of nicer rifles out there. At last show I went to there was a nice early Ruger (one with tang safety where safety really belongs) in kal. .35Whelen. That rifle had nicer wood, better Fe sights, better scope mounting setup than most of them ole' Swedish sporters. The price for that American gem was only $475. Not saying those ole' Husky rifles are klunkers, but there are plenty of better deals out there.

Paolo,

I guess better deal is a matter of opinion or perspective. You can have all the Rugers you want, they don't interest me unless they are way under priced. However, a nice unmolested Husqvarna will get my attention everytime. I much prefer the scope mounting of the Brno M21/22 but of course they cost much more. The fact that the Swedes are usually not drilled & tapped is of little consequence and is easily fixed. In fact, because most Husqvarnas were not drilled & tapped they usually sell for much less than that Ruger. Incidentally, I've sen mor ethan a few rugers that had their dovetails off center. Whereas, when I drill & tap a Husky, the holes will be straight.

The metall-finish of these Husquarnas (or BRNO) is fare away of this modern yankee-stuff!

American gem = Ruger, now that struck me as funny!! Like the man said, its all a matter of opinion or perspective. Thanks for the laugh.

you can have my share of rugers too, I'll keep my husky's and cz's thanks

The 8x57 is a very capable round. I have many. For most NA game a bullet in the 180-200 gn range should do but it also slings the 220's out nicely. Surprisingly, the Rem 185 is extremely accurate in many of my 8x57's. I've never shot any game with it but suspect it would be hell on pigs. I hope to test that theory this fall loading the Rem 185 in my 8x60S.

As for the Husky's vs Ruger, I'm squarely in the Husky Camp. A very under rated rifle that has finally been dicovered by those looking for undervalued shooters. Get em while you can. Metal finish is quite good. About the only real complaint to be made is inletting, it seems the Swedes weren't quite as picky about this task as their German counterparts. No matter, a little glass bedding makes it right. The stock design however is quite nice.

Scope mounting? Well, I like the Husky's as-is with the open sights. If I have to have a scope, I just build a Mauser off a Military action.

Here's a couple of my Husqvarnas:

Z1R,

Those are some nice rifles. What are they chambered in? And that one on the far right, that's not a Husky, is it?

Rem,

Thanks.

Left to right:

9.3x57, 9.3x57, 9.3x57, 8x57, 8x57, 8x57, and lastly, 8x57. You are correct the one on the far right is a Model 96 as sold by Vapen Falun. It is actually a really nice, light weight rifle with a nicely designed stock, accurate as heck too.

One of my 8x57's also came with 4 moose head pins which I thought were kinda cool.

Ken at Kebco has a real nice 8x57 on a 98 action for sale similar to the third one from the right.

quote:

Originally posted by Monastery-Forester:
The metall-finish of these Husquarnas (or BRNO) is fare away of this modern yankee-stuff!

Hey, check out this mid to late 70s vintage gem from ole' W. Germany:
Krupp-Special Laufstahl baby!
Put a juicy rubber washer (BassPro used to offer slip on thingy) on that eye piece....or

The Mauser model 66 was on the cutting edge in many ways with interchangeable barrel, options of set triggers, telescoping action, etc. I can appreciate them for what they are although I prefer the pre-1945 Mauser made guns. The 60's-70's style of clothing, guns stocks, haircuts, etc and not always pleasant to look back on, but compared to the junk being produced by other manufacturers at the same time the Mauser 66 really is eye candy! Unlike the Rugers these guns routinely shoot very well and are innovative.

Z1R/Mike, those are my kinda rifles too. Make mine genuine 98 Mauser every time.

Mike, I have a Husky FN 98 in 8x57 mm just like the two you have in the photo, third and second from the right. Hardwood (birch/beech?) stock and all steel. Nice rifles.