8X68 experience needed

06 July 2003, 23:32

<maral>

Hello Johan!
I have a custom Ruger No.1 in 8x68S, and in the last 4-5 years I have got some experience with this round. It is a truly spectakular hunting round. I have used it mostly for red stag and roe, but have talked to some guys who have used it for almost everything from bear down. My favorite bullet/loads are:

220g Swift A-frame/ 2880fps
180g Nosler balistic tip/ 3200fps

I hope Swift could start making their scirocco bullets in 8mm(.323"), as this bullets, weighting 190-200g would be perfect long range bullets for the 8X68S.

For this fall I am going to try some norwegian made premium bullets( looking much like the HT bullets)in 185g(boat tail) Take a look at these bullets at www.arms-ammo.no

07 July 2003, 03:43

<JOHAN>

maral

Thanks for the input. If you want a long range bullet for the 8X68 I suggest you look at the 220 grain TOG projectile from Brenneke, is a true missile

how have the effect been on game?

/ JOHAN

07 July 2003, 05:25

NitroX

Johan

If your friend is looking for heavier bullets, Woodleigh makes 250 gr projectiles I think in RNSP and FMJ. Check out the woodleigh web site if interested.

For practice the cheaper 150 gr projectiles might be good value but probably not constructed for 8x68S velocities.

07 July 2003, 09:35

mho

quote:
Originally posted by JOHAN:

What is your experince with this caliber, velocity ans choce of bullets. The action is a commercial mauser.

Don't be shy

/ JOHAN

Shy?? Us?? Surely something got mixed up here [Big Grin]

Back to the business at hand: the 8x68S is very highly thought of in the Germanic part of Europe. A lot of people swear by it, a lot of them are very experienced hunters too. Where I live, the 8x68S is considered as one of the primary rounds for hunting (heavier) game at long range - mountain hunting, if you like. I had a friend who shot Chamois with an 8x68S in a heavy Weatherby rifle for years (not quite sure how that combination came about?), he made some incredible shots on his yearly hunts. Later, he guided for Ibex and Maral in the Russian part of Altai, and would routinely recommend the 8x68S for that business.

Unfortunately, as with any other round that gets a good reputation, a lot of people jump on the bandwagon, who would have been better off staying with a smaller caliber... If the shooter can handle the round, it is indeed excellent!

Brass is hard and expensive to find - is RWS the only manufacturer of new brass for reloading?? It is certainly the only brass I have had the (mixed) pleasure of loading. Why "mixed" pleasure?? I'm sure the brass is of good quality, but it is built like a tank, and it kind of takes it out of you trying to trim or deburr it! Just wait till you try, and you'll see what I mean. Apart from that, surely that brass should last a long time - it is certainly sturdy enough!

8mm bullets are not the most proliferate, but maybe you have access to some German or Scandinavian 8mm bullets (at a price)? Personally, I think a 200 grs Nosler Partition is all the 8x68 needs - unless you want to turn it into a short range pig slugger - in which case, you are probably better off with a 9.3xSOMETHING.

In my mind, the 8x68 is at its best when employed as a dead ringer for the 8mm Rem Mag - a long range cartridge with a bigger bullet diameter than a .300. Just about perfect medicine for big Reds or Wapiti...

FWIW - mike

20 July 2003, 00:52

<Safarischorsch>

An excellent choice.
I had a 300winmag and shot a 300 Weathmag but the 8x68S was more accuratly. I use my 8x68S for long and short distances for hunting boars and red deer with the 196gr CDP(It is a little bit more stabil than the partition) Brass is available from RWS, Hirtenberger and THUN (RUAG). RWS and Thun is best. When my last CDP-load is used i will
use the new 220grain Brenneke TOG. See here:http://www.brenneke.de/countdown/tog_e.html

20 July 2003, 06:35

Yukoner

I have guided a couple of Austrian hunters that were using the 8X68S. I am pretty sure they were using H-mantle bullets. Very impressive on moose and caribou. The 8x57 was no slouch either. They sure did the job.

Daryl

25 July 2003, 10:01

snowman

As already mentioned the 8x68 is a very powerfull round.I would place it closer to the 338 Win in performance than to the 300 mags. It is NOT more powerfull than the 8mm Rem.The anemic factory loads of the 8mm Rem do not show that calibres potential. The 8mm Rem will best the 8x68 by at least a 100 fps with every bullet weight with proper handloads. (very similar to comparing the 338 Win to the 340 Wby). I have found the 200 Speer and the 200 gr Nosler to both be very good bullets. The partion is the obvious choice for heavier game.RWS brass is very good. Hirtenberger? also makes 8x68 brass. You can also make cases from 300 Win mag or 300 H&H but that is a bit of work. I have also found IMR 4831 and RL19 powder very good with 200 gr bullets. I'm not sure how availible either bullets or powders are availible in Sweden but there must be comparable components. I would also suggest you lengthen the magazine as long as possible so you don't have to seat the bullets overly deep. Hope this helps.

25 July 2003, 20:57

dan belisle

My own experiance follows Snowman's. Close to 8 Rem Mag performance, but not equal. - Dan

26 July 2003, 09:16

Andre Mertens

quote:
Originally posted by mho:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by JOHAN:
[qb] I had a friend who shot Chamois with an 8x68S in a heavy Weatherby rifle for years (not quite sure how that combination came about

FWIW - mike

The Weatherby Mk V Europa used to be chambered in 8x68S and 7x64. I owned the latter but had it rebarreled in .300 Win for reasons of inaccuracy (it came with the Weatherby freebore [Eek!]