So this is an european wildcat that has been accepted and chambered by at least Blaser and Mauser:

It is the 9,3x62 necked down to .338 and given a 40 deg shoulder. Reports claim it gives 100 fps less than the .338 WinMag.
Anyone knows more?

I have exchanged Emails with Mr. Reb and from my experiance I believe that the round is actually based on the 30-06 case. He recomends useing 35 Whelen brass for making 8,5 brass. A friend of mine made a few out of 9.3X62 brass but they did not look right to me however they did work.I need to get mine back out and play with it some more.It is a very consistant round to work with and pleasant to shoot.

Nice pictures, they look like they were shot at my shooting bench and I have a blaser that looks just like that.

Ron Williams/Corjack

The shoulder is quite sharp; couldn't it cause some "roughness" to feed?

quote:

Originally posted by wildboar:
The shoulder is quite sharp; couldn't it cause some "roughness" to feed?

It has not been a problem.They feed like glass on glass.

Hello Bent,

Run into this via the Nitroexpress.com forum. If you'd like, I can look up the fellow's contact details who helped me in getting some additional info on the cartridge and PM to you.

In the meantime, brush up your German: 8,5x63 article
This is the rimmed version, but seems it also pretty much applies to the rimless version. Impressive load data, wouldn't you agree?

Me no understand - is that not a 338-06improved? Perhaps the shoulder has been moved forward as well as the angle changed.

Personaly I would think it should be 8.5x64 utilising the 9.3x64 case (as per the 8mm Mazon)

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
Me no understand - is that not a 338-06improved? Perhaps the shoulder has been moved forward as well as the angle changed.

Personaly I would think it should be 8.5x64 utilising the 9.3x64 case (as per the 8mm Mazon)

Then set about making yer own.

This makes sense to me for those looking for an EASY conversion. Even in a Mauser it would require little or no adjustment to feed properly depending on the action.

If it is based on the 9.3x62 I could see a little advantage over the .338-06 improved due to the 9.3x62's slightly fatter case.

Nothing wrong with the 9.3x64 but why reinvent the wheel when, if you want a fatter case, you already have the oh so effective .338 Win Mag?

quote:

Originally posted by ron williams:
Nice pictures, they look like they were shot at my shooting bench and I have a blaser that looks just like that.

Ron Williams/Corjack

Hey Ron, that would be funny! I found it somewhere on the net, hope you do not mind!
I also understand it is made on the 06 case, but that it began as a 9,3x62, thus the location of the shoulder; same as the 9,3x62.

quote:

Originally posted by Bent Fossdal:

quote:

Originally posted by ron williams:
Nice pictures, they look like they were shot at my shooting bench and I have a blaser that looks just like that.

Ron Williams/Corjack

Hey Ron, that would be funny! I found it somewhere on the net, hope you do not mind!
I also understand it is made on the 06 case, but that it began as a 9,3x62, thus the location of the shoulder; same as the 9,3x62.

No problem, but that really is my shooting bench and my Blaser and my 8,5 round loaded with a 200 grain Nosler ballistic tip.

You are all wrong. The round bases on the .280 Remington!

Its not a magnum but very effective...

quote:

Originally posted by Safarischorsch:
You are all wrong. The round bases on the .280 Remington!

Its not a magnum but very effective...

I do not believe it is based on the 280 case as the shoulder is further forward and the neck is a little shorter. It is not based on the 280 AI either as the amount of body taper is different.However this matters not at all as the case is 63mm long and has the same head and base size as the 30-06.

My dad builed a Custom M98 rifle for a customer. The hunter is very satisfied with this round. Reb created first a rimmed version, based about the 7x65R in the beginning 80th. A few years later he made a rimless 8,5mm based on the 280Rem. It´s nearly a improved .338-06 with a better chamber measuring. The freefly is shorter, I mean.
Here´s the threat from the last year: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=471109239#471109239
It´s a great hunting round and I´m wondering why not any commercial ammo maker, like RWS, will make this round.


Martin

Well Bent..!

We all know the real 8.5x63 is the .333 Jeffery

The 8,5x63 is really based on the .280 Rem or the .35 Whelen. Not on the 9,3 or the .30/06!
The easiest way to get the case is reforming from the Whelen!
As Safarischorsch saied, it is the sister of the 8,5x63R (based on the 7x65R).

At first I ran 30-06 brass up into a 35 die and took them back down to 338 until I was able to purchase a supply of 35 whelen brass.This is What Werner had recommended to me and is the easyest way to go about it. But brass could be made out of any case that uses the 30-06 as a parent case, including the 30-06.I have only fired around 5 or 6 hundred rounds out of my Reb so far, so I will not argue with my much more experianced euoropean brothers. You can tell me that the round is based on the 10,3X60R and I will consider that the gospel truth.

quote:

It is the 9,3x62 necked down to .338 and given a 40 deg shoulder. Reports claim it gives 100 fps less than the .338 WinMag.
Anyone knows more?

It’s a very nice calibre, and in the R93 compared to the 338 WinMag it's a 3” shorter barrel.
If I should ask a gunsmith to customize a rifle with a std length bolt action, the 8.5x63Reb would absolutely be considered, but in my R93 I would go 338 WinMag

do you guys think that a 250gr at 2560fs is achievable in a 22-24" barrel?

You can safely get 785m/sec with the 250grs bullets - no problem. I got a little over 740m/sec with the long Speer 275grs bullet, pressure tested!

Reforming: you can use .30/06 cases, but than the neck will be 1 or 1,5mm too short! Not a big problem, but this will not be with the .280 or the Whelen!

Here is my fireform load, it matches the 338 Federal load and is accurate and pleasant to shoot. it would make a great load for deer and such size critters.

Basic Brass to be necked up and than fireform is .280 REM.

It´s a real lot of job, so most people here just buy the Cases made by Horneber Brass

Best
2RECON

Guys,

Notwithstanding all the nuances, I've handled the 8.5x63 cartridge but never fired one; they do appear to have an "Improved" form.

I happened to be invited on a Hunt just before Christmas where I met Werner Reb and we shared some small talk - as you can imagine; mostly about his cartridge. According to him; not this year but next year, factory ammunition will be available.

quote:

Originally posted by 2RECON:
Basic Brass to be necked up and than fireform is .280 REM.

It´s a real lot of job, so most people here just buy the Cases made by Horneber Brass

Best
2RECON

But it is much cheaper to reform .35Whelen with a cheap .338 bullet than to buy Horneber cases! I use the "Reb" since 1992 and I never had a Horneber-case!

quote:

Originally posted by Monastery-Forester:
You can safely get 785m/sec with the 250grs bullets - no problem. I got a little over 740m/sec with the long Speer 275grs bullet, pressure tested!

Reforming: you can use .30/06 cases, but than the neck will be 1 or 1,5mm too short! Not a big problem, but this will not be with the .280 or the Whelen!

Thats the point!

The argueing about what case this round is based on has sure turned this into a nonproductive thread. I was hoping someone would have some good information to pass on as I really enjoy working with this round and hope it will be succesful in the future.