I just collected my rifle, an 8x57 Mauser sporter with iron sights and the only ammunition that Gander Mountain had available was Remington 170 grain round nose Safari ammunition. I bought a box but when I came home and opened it, it looked pathetic. The cases were spotted in some places as if the brass was beginning to corrode for some reason and one case had small dings on it.

Would anyone here rcommend a good brand of ammunition for this rifle - if it is possible to privately order Sellier and Bellot or Prvi Partizan from somewhere, I'd like to do it. Norma would also be nice I am told, but I have no idea of the procedure for doing this. Any suggestions, please?

Thanks and good hunting!

Mehul, These guys have the S&B ammunition here in Texas:
http://www.moltengold.com/cgi-bin/eBzget5A.pl?shop=LoneStarS79954&trolley=5196800596&page=http://www.lonestargunsandammunition.com/ammo-sellier-01.shtml

US made 8X57 ammo is loaded pretty light. This is because there are older 8X57 mausers with a .318 bore vs: the .323 bore of most mausers. They load them lightly in the US to preclude dangerous pressures if someone shoots them in a .318 bore. If you can buy European ammo you would get full loads. If not, you really need to load your own or have a friend load them for you. Good 8X57 loads are just under a 30-06 in ballistics. I really like my sporterized K98 Mauser. I also have an original condition K98 and a Yugo M48. They are fun to shoot.

mehulkamdar,



I recently purchased a new Remington 700 Classic in 8x57.

I wanted to try out some "European level loads" instead

of the underloaded American 8x57 ammo. I looked at all of

the European factory ballistics charts that I could find

and discovered that RWS had the highest velocity, for a

given bullet weight, followed closely by Sellier & Bellot.



The RWS brand is rather expensive but Cabelas ( www.cabelas.com )

carries the S&B 196gr 8x57JS ammo and the price is reasonable.

I tried some out in my new Remington 700 Classic.



The factory spec muzzle velocity for the S&B 196 gr Soft Point

Cutting Edge (SPCE) load is 2,592 fps.

See: http://www.sb-usa.com/rifle_pages/sba85703_spec.htm



These were the results from my chrono test of the S&B ammo

in my Rem 700 Classic with a 24" barrel:



Shot# Velocity fps

1 ___ 2,646

2 ___ 2,648

3 ___ 2,636

4 ___ 2,637

5 ___ 2,645

6 ___ 2,667



(Chrono about 15 feet from the muzzle. Velocities are not

corrected back to the muzzle. Just raw data. Close enough for me.)



Average Velocity: 2,647 fps

Energy: 3,050 ft lbs

High Velocity: 2,667 fps

Low Velocity: 2,636 fps

Extreme Spread: 31 fps

Standard Deviation: 10 fps



I was pleasantly surprised with the results. This is certainly

in the same power level range as a .30-06.



-Bob F.

browningguy,

Thanks for the link. The S&B ammunition they offer is sonsiderably cheaper than the Remington and I am sure it would be better as some is available in India and I have seen it in 30-06 though I have not shot it. It looked much better than the Remington ammunition that I bought here.

Good hunting!

BFaucett,

Thanks for the detailed information. I do not have a chronograph here but I would be surprised if the S&B performed badly in my rifle. I have a Mauser sporter made on a DUV 42 action with a 23 1/2 inch barrel and I hope to shoot it at the Rod and Gun Club here with my friend's daughter and her boyfriend this Sunday. I would definitely not be able to get the S&B ammunition by then but I am going to order some without fail.

Thank you for the details.

Good hunting!

Val,

I have no idea at how how to handload as India bans it and you can only buy off the shelf ammunition.

Thanks for the advice and yes, I am going to buy S&B which is Czech or Prvi Partizan (Yugoslavian) ammunition for my rifle when I find some.

Good hunting!

BFaucett, I am considering purchasing an 8x57 Classic and would like any opinons you might have on overall fit and finish, and accuracy if possible. I was quoted S540 plus tax for the rifle new.

Sellier and Bellot rifle ammo is tops for some time. Excellent accuracy! The yugo ammo might surprise you, 06 FMJ just outshot every Federal I tried!

For hunting ammo: RWS TUG ( expensive! ), Norma, Blaser ( these all belong together in the same company RUAG, Switzerland. Add Hirtenberg ).

If you handload: Nosler 200 grs Partition ( Speer 200 for working up first and smaller game ) and 4064, 4350 or the VV powders, I think 140, 150, 160.

Some ammo sold as surplus or Match has Boxer primers, this is usually stated and makes zthe ammo slightly more expensive. Buy 250 to 500, for plinking and then reloading.

Have fun and don�t change the caliber! A top load with the 200 Part will take care of anything in America, Europe and most of Africa!

Hermann

Thanks!

A German company called Metalwerken makes excellent ammo for the 8x57, but I haven't a clue where you would purchase it now. RWS is also top notch stuff. How about DWM? I think you're much better off reloading it yourself. The ammo we produce in North America is anemic at best, mainly due to all the old military rifles still around. I'm getting the Remington Classic in 8x57 also. I think it's one of the best calibers ever created. We know little about the caliber here and are leery of things we're not familiar with. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Just another note on the S&B SPCE ammunition. I've been using it extensively in my 7x57 the past two seasons and it's accounted for a large Japanese Sika and a medium bodied Axis with one shot. The Sika was at 165 yd.s and the SPCE bullet went through both shoulders and exited. I do think they expand almost too violently, the Texas Dall I shot last weekend had an exit wound about 3" diameter. The shot was a little high through the lungs at 135 yds.

It's not the most accurate ammunition in my rifle, shooting between 1 - 1 1/8" but really gets the job done.