For some reason I really want a rifle in 8mm rem mag...I know it's somewhat pointless, being that ammo and rifles are more rare than say a 300 or 338 win mag, but I still want one. Am I weird? Also are there any actual pluses to this purchase?

Much as I don't like saying it, a 338, 9.3, or 375 will put more on your table. Lack of good bullets, made for the velocities you can attain, will make it unduly difficult for the 8MM RM. Rifle choices in the other calibers will be more, you are sure to find just what you are looking for. I like the 8, only the Noslers seem up to it, JMHO.

^^I totally agree with you in everything you said. But there's something in me that craves a rifle in that caliber! Maybe it's because I'm such a 7mm mag whore!

I wouldn't call it weird. An itch that needs scratching, maybe. As more choices in bullets come down the pipe (ala 325 WSM) it could get better!

fusino,
I hear and understand your pain . In my case a solution was found when a secondhand Rem700 in 8mmRemMag came onto the market. I purchased it but felt the need for a 26" barrel even after 20 rounds. 'Smith emailed me that she's ready to go now, and her accuracy woes were a misaligned recoil lug. I cant wait to get her home and to the range, everyone has a 300 magnum, but only the special shoot an 8mmRemMag. And... the easily available Woodleigh 250gr allows it to reach into 338WM territory better than any of the 300s. Just do it!
Cheers...
Con

fusino

Weird? You are perfectly fine. Naturally you should have an 8mm rem mag. 8mm rem with 27 inch barrel= 3100 fps with 220 grains bullets, it will not bounce off any animal

Swift, Barnes, Nosler, Sierra, Woodleigh, RWS, Degol, RUAG, Norma, Rhino etc. etc. etc. makes bullets.

There is no need for any 30 or 338 if you got an 8mm


Cheers
/ JOHAN

Ditto what Johan said. There may not as many bullets to chose as there are in a 30 but there is certainly a bullet for every occaision. I think there may be as many 8MM bullets to chose from as .338; you just have to look in some different places.

No weirder than some of the rest of us who wanted a good medium bore magnum that not everyone else in the world had. Brass and bullets are available; 3000 fps with 220 gr bullets from a 26" barrel is potent and easily attainable with RL-25. Go for it!

Add a Limb Saver or R3 recoil pad for more shooting enjoyment. -WSJ

Ditto what Johan said. There may not as many bullets to chose as there are in a 30 but there is certainly a bullet for every occasion. I think there may be as many 8MM bullets to chose from as .338; you just have to look in some different places.

Go for it. The 8RM is quite an interesting cartridge and components are not that hard to find. As someone else stated, w/ the new 325 WSM out, there will probably be a few more bullets in 8mm before long. The new 8mm Accubond would be a good deer and elk bullet.

Just the other day I was at the local gun shop and he had a used 8RM that looked like it had never been fired. It had an HS Precision stock & 26" tube w/ satin finish. Quite a nice rifle, very tempting.

Good Luck!

Reloader

quote:

There is no need for any 30 or 338 if you got an 8mm

Truer words have never been spoken...but no-one likes a metric "jack of all trades".
Cheers...
Con

quote:

Originally posted by fusino:
For some reason I really want a rifle in 8mm rem mag...I know it's somewhat pointless, being that ammo and rifles are more rare than say a 300 or 338 win mag, but I still want one. Am I weird? Also are there any actual pluses to this purchase?

The answers to your questions are:

• Yes
• Yes and
• No, unless you plan to convert the rifle to something useful like a 7mmSTW, .375H&H, .416 Rem., or .458 Lott.

George

I owned an 8mm remmag but due to the shortage of good bullets available,I rebarreled it to 338x8mmremmag 8 years ago.

Hey what the hell dare to be different If it takes your fancey go for it. As for bullet weights! Nessetiy is the mother of all invention

quote:

Originally posted by fusino:
For some reason I really want a rifle in 8mm rem mag...I know it's somewhat pointless, being that ammo and rifles are more rare than say a 300 or 338 win mag, but I still want one. Am I weird? Also are there any actual pluses to this purchase?

fusino,

Life is short. Do what makes you happy. If you want an 8mm Rem Mag then get one! I wanted a 9.3x62 even though I already owned a .338 Win Mag and a .375 H&H. So, I got one and I like it. I wanted an 8x57JS even though I already own two rifles in .30-06. So, I got one and I like it too. Frankly, if this hobby/interest of ours was all about being practical and what "you need" then most of us would probably own just one or two rifles.

An 8mm Rem Mag is a good cartridge that will work fine. It's more practical than many wildcat cartridges to handload. Bullet selection is limited compared to some other calibers but there are enough choices to get the job done. The guys in Europe that use the 8x68 seem to get along just fine. And, it's just fun having something a little different. If you want one, then go for it.

Just my two cents worth.....
-Bob F.

quote:

Originally posted by fusino:
For some reason I really want a rifle in 8mm rem mag...I know it's somewhat pointless, being that ammo and rifles are more rare than say a 300 or 338 win mag, but I still want one. Am I weird? Also are there any actual pluses to this purchase?

Not particularly. I've lusted after a 9.3X64 for years, don't need one, just want one.

I won't address the weird part, but just say that I've got a 8mag in a Rem Classic and am building another.

Winchester 70 Classic CRF action, opened to match the 375/416/7STW actions, Willaims bottom metal, 26 inch Pac Nor,all bedded into a decent Super Grade stock that I've added a second cross bolt to. A 6x42 Leupold and I should be good to go.

I won't argue that it's any better than a big 300 or 338, but it works as well, and it's different.

quote:

Originally posted by stubblejumper:
I owned an 8mm remmag but due to the shortage of good bullets available,I rechambered it to 338x8mmremmag 8 years ago.

You mean re-bored or re-barreled, right?

George

quote:

You mean re-bored or re-barreled, right?

Re barreled,bad choice of words in my previous post.I will correct that.

The 8mm Rem. Mag. is a great cartridge. It never got it's due in the marketplace, but it's still a great and useful cartridge with the right case capacity. It's sort of like the .358 Norma Magnum -- largely ignored, but still great.

AD

Remington blew it with this one. They offered a relatively poor selection of factory loads for it and promoted it poorly. (no 250 grain load) I wouldn't buy one because of the poor resale factor but it is certainly a powerful and effective caliber for someone who likes Remington rifles..

MikeIravy,
Yes the 8mmRemMag was not popular but I'm not so sure that Remington blew it, other than putting it in a rifle that may have been a bit light. The 185gr Core-Lokt was certainly light for caliber but adequate for deer sized game and the 220gr Core-Lokt was an absolutely sensational loading from all reports on elk-sized game. The current 200gr Swift A-frame wouldn't be too shabby either. My only "issue" was that for such a potentially far reaching caliber the Core-Lokts weren't that aerodynamic. Maybe if the 325WSM gets some momentum, Remington may do a rerun of 8mmRemMags (doubt it!)? In which case a 180gr Nosler Accubond (deer load), 200gr Swift A-Frame (elk load) and 250gr Woodleigh (African plain use) loading would certainly be enticing.
Cheers...
Con
PS: I'd certainly buy a CDL with 26" barrel in 8mmRemMag, but I doubt Remington's bright enough to think of it.

Con
I agree on all points. If Remington had more persistence they might have had a real success on their hands. A lot of people I knew were interested in it when it came out but the ammo wasn't what the cartriidge is capable of and I don't think it can acheive it's potential in a light rifle with a 24' barrel either.
It took Winchester a long time to make the 338 into a good seller.

Good point regarding the 338WM, it did take the market awhile to realise its virtues. Remington also hampers its cartridges by not offering them across their product range. I'd personally like a CDL in 8mmRemMag, but you might like a stainless/synthetic, whilst Joe Average goes ga-ga for a 710 ( ), unfortunately Remington never gives you that choice.
Cheers...
Con

fusino,

If out of the ordinary is your aim and 8mm your caliber, why not go way out on a limb and try an 8x68s?

I am slowly puttin one together right now - just got slower as I've decided to buy rather than rechamber a barrel.

Otherwise, look around for a used one. The handful of 8mm Rem mags I've seen at gun shows and such were in like new condition as their owners decided the recoil was a little much. My gunsmith has a 8mm Rem mag, but prefers his 358 Norma - says the recoil on the Rem is a little stout...

No, you are not weird! The .323" bore size, although largely ignored/overlooked in the U.S., is an excellent one. Next to the .308 and .30/'06, more money and research/development effort has been expended on the 7.92X57JS cartridge than probably any other small arms cartridge in history. Some of this activity has benefitted ALL 8mm rifle cartridges, and the 8mm Rem. Mag. is no exception. There are quite a few great 8mm rounds beside the Rem. Mag., such as the 8X68S, and one that intrigues me, the 8X75RS, which I believe would be the ultimate small-bore double rifle round for medium game! Just take a look at all the 8mm's in Cartridges of the World.

There is simply no reason for 99% of us to buy another rifle, other than the fact that we simply want it.

Let's face it, with the new 325WSM, there will be a push for lots of new bullets in 8mm. It's not like brass will disappear anytime soon, so there is the perfect excuse to "revive" the 8mm. JMO, Dutch.

Gentlemen

Anyone here who has an 8 x 75 S or 8X73 DWM ?


Don't be shy

/JOHAN

While you are getting a lot of good input, let me give you another thought. Having an 8MMRM may just give you the itch/reason to get into bullet making. That in turn could lead you into lath making of your own mono's, now your talking a real hobby. I have felt for a long time that 8MM mono's, pushing the velocity, had promise. Some custom shapes come to mind, I have one that I call the "Cavity Stretcher" that I would like to try out. As to weird, you haven't even scratched the surface!!

When I look at the rifles in my rack, I can in no way think you are weird for wanting an 8mmRM.
I have a friend who guides for a living and he has used an 8mmRM since they first came out. Sure, technically it could be argued that there may be some better cartridges. But isn't half of our enjoyment of rifles based on a personal preference that differs from others? I like CZ527 rifles but most of my friends won't own one due to the detachable magazine. I'm glad they don't like them, it keeps the price of used CZ527's down in this area. Enjoy the challenge of making the 8mmRM work for you.

Yes, your weird, but so what, thats the reason I have a 10.75x68 so I will be in that class where only a few of us can say, why of course I have shot many buffalo with a whatchamacallit!

No your not If I am bored wit ha caliber I do not enjoy my hunting as much for osme reason....................I find the 30/06 to be quite boring, it is a great round but it does not "grab my attention" so to speak So get your 8mm.

I agree 110% with the comment about not needing a .30 or .338 if you have an 8mm.

The 8mm is the true all around (most versitile) medium bore.

My idea of the ultimate North American all metric battery is:

5mm (204) Ruger for small varmints

6mm Remington for large varmints and antelope/deer.

7mm Express (280) For a dedicated deer rifle

8X68S,8mm WSM(lets call it by it's proper name) or 8mmRem Mag For the bigger stuff.

Think 8mm bullets are hard to come by? Just check out how many are listed on "Quickload",
86 different listings on my version and it is several years old.

Alright, I'm going to do it! Now I just have to find the rifle!

Fusino,
No...don't find it...build it!! The wait is half the fun, as is the selection of actions (Remington M700 surely?!), length of barrel (got to be 26"), profile (bit heavier than what they came out with originally), synthetic stock or classic BDL (I like the BDL stock)...mate your already weird. May as well stay in touch with your insanity now!!
Cheers...
Con

Hmm build it you say? I think you may have something there

I have never built a rifle before! I know, shame on me!

wildcat junkie:

7mm Express (280) For a dedicated deer rifle

I would rather have a 7X64 Brenneke

What about 9,3?

Cheers
/ JOHAN

Ok if I'm going to build this bad boy, and specific action suggestions?

My opinion, the 8mmRemMag is a small-bore magnum for distance work on upto elk sized critters so I'd build for accuracy. I'd build on a Rem700. Buy a donor rifle with magnum bolt face and standard/magnum length action. Then go for it any which way you like! Mine is just a Rem700 BDL with a longer barrel fitted, but I specified 3 shot MOA groups or I dont want it back! Cleaned up the bedding and action and now its ready to pick up!
Cheers...
Con

I already have an 8mm Rem Mag, so I have that itch scratched. How about an 8mm Ultra Mag!? That sounds like the real deal now! That sounds like a cartridge that could actually perform like the 8mm Rem mag was supposed to.