What has your experience been with this cartridge on game?

Personally, I don't have any first hand experience with the 8x57 in the field, though I own several. FWIW, if you're a handloader, it is very effective. I know several people that use K98's on deer and bear with excellent results.

quote:

Originally posted by Rub Line:
if you're a handloader,

This pretty much says it all.....

Roughly equivalent to a .30-06 in power in a good action and properly reloaded.

A lot of them have been rebarreled to .30-06 and other similar cartridges.

It is interesting to know, that just before the start of World War 2, the Germans replaced the 154 gr spitzer bullet at 2,880 fps with a 198 gr spitzer boatail bullet at 2,575 fps. The main reason was that the bigger powder charge of the 154 gr load produced excessive muzzle flash in the shorter barrel. At the same time they gained better sectional density even though they sacrificed velocity - overall a much more lethal and devastating load ... more momentum and better penetration whilst the lower velocity was less destructive on the bullet.

Norma of Sweden still offers ammo for the 8 x 57 mm - a 196 grainer at 2,526 fps, which is ideal for larger antelope at short to medium range. Ironic enough, there was an influx of military 8 x 57 mm rifles into America after the war, and so American ammo manufacturers started to produce ammo for this calibre, but it was totally under loaded and thus its popularity waned against the 30-06 Spr. Here is the American load with a 170 gr bullet, and it is also happens to be their only load for the calibre:

170 gr bullet with 43 gr IMR 4350 @ 2,315 fps

PMP's 30-06 Spr load with a 180 gr bullet = 2,625 fps ..... Momentum = 67.5 Lbs/ Ft-Sec
Norma's 8 x 57 mm load with a 196 gr bullet = 2,526 fps ... Momentum = 70.7 Lbs/ Ft-Sec

8x57mm with its moderate velocity ensures good bullet performance - excellent hunting cartridge!

Warrior

If you have a good action that has been checked out, the 8X57, when loaded to "adult" pressure level (60,000 PSI) can easily reach 2700+ fps W/200 gr bullets.

That Mv will generate over 3000 ft #s of energy.

Here are a couple of targets I shot W/a milsurp barrel that was re-contoured & re-crowned.

NOTE: The powder charges are mis labeld & are 10gr over what the charges actually were.

The 180 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip load was 54.5 gr Vv N550





The 200 gr Nosler Partition load was 53.5 gr Vv N550

My "go to gun" is a 8x57jrs, and it's been a very good cartridge for me. I load 200NP's @ 2,550 for all of my hunting, and i've taken everything from Moose and bear on the big end, on down to coyotes and havolina on the small end.

I try to keep my shots under 300 yards or so, as i'm a hunter, not a sniper.

Here's a 200 yard group,



I like the cartridge a lot better than i thought i would.

DM

Prvi Partizan makes a good cartridge as does S&B.
Hand loading opens up the hunter to really customize the cartridge. I started using an 8x57 for hunting in the late 1980's and have never looked back. I used Sierra 175gr hunter bullets over 49.5gr of IMR4230. MV is 2700fps. 180gr Barnes TSX uses the same charge. IMR data shows 48.5 at 2610.
If you are hunting under 400 yards a 150..160gr will do nicely for medium game. I load both Barnes 160 and 180gr and both are very accurate.
I've used it on everything from Whitetail to coyotes. My rifles have changed and been added too, but 8x57 always stays. I don't own a .30-06, never had a need for one.
1955 Husqvarna build, 1947 FN 98 receiver. Original commercial Short side rail mount.

I've had 2 8x57s and still hunt with one of them!

I like the 185 Rem CLs over IMR-4064 and the 200 NPT over IMR-4895.

I've knocked off two bear and quite a few deer with the Rem CoreLoct load. Performed well everytime though always at short range.

The 8x57IS is a very popular cartridge here in The Fatherland; primarily for those who do most of their hunting in forested areas.

quote:

I try to keep my shots under 300 yards or so, as I'm a hunter, not a sniper

I consider DM's comment quite succinct; and that's where the 8x57IS does it's best work.

I've a German hunting Buddy who's not a "Gun Techie"; just a natural born killer and he shoots anywhere from 60-120 Wild Boar (and a coupla Red & Roe Deer) a year.

He got rid of all the rest of his rifles including a .30/06 Sprg., 300 Weatherby & 9.3x62. Kept his 8x57 with which I load with 200 gr. Nosler Accubonds.

He claims he doesn't need anything else .....

In Europe, you get a lot of very potent fabric ammo for the 8x57IS, there are loads from RWS, Norma, Blaser, Sako, Brenneke, S&B, PRVI ..
Standardweigt is 196 to 198 grains with nearby 2600fps(800m/sec) - the .30/06 will not do more!

I use it against everything from roedeer to reddeer and boars!
I heard it was used with great success at Utah and Omaha-Beach in 1944 in the MG 42!

I think Jeffe said cartridge development could have stopped over 100 years ago with the 8x57 and all bases would be covered. Pretty much true. I use an 8x57 Brno 21-H alot when hunting deer & hogs, and a slough of milsurp Mausers. A great all-around cartridge when handloaded.

think "how good is the 30-06" and you are done ... while not "the same" the results are interchangable ... for those that might call foul, that the 30-06 is bigger, then swap 308 for 30-06

Forrest, I certainly did ... though I think it was the 7x57 that had been my first love ... the 8x57 HAS killed everything on this planet -- the German settlers in Africa had little complaint ...

the 7x57, 303, 8x57, and 30-06 are actually so interchangable that your results only vary on the quality of the gun, if one reloads.

quote:

I heard it was used with great success at Utah and Omaha-Beach in 1944 in the MG 42!

I heard that the .303British and .30USGov't. were used at Omaha, Utah,Gold, Sword and Juno Beaches, plus in North Africa, Normandy, the Netherlands and the Rhineland.....with even greater success.......

I have a HVA 1600 which is having a replacement stock installed, being bedded and a Wisner 3-pos. safety, thin Pachmayr pad and some "peep" sight-scope bases installed. It is a 60mm 8x57js and continues my enthusiasm for German cartridges and Mauser-derived CRF rifles.

I just got another Brno 22H, that has a newer factory tube installed in 8x57 and while I am stripping this for the action to match on I already salvaged from a beat 21H, I would not hesitate to hunt with it in BC, had I not many other "tuned" rifles already.

If, there is a "perfect" deer round, the 8x57js is it, IMO.

I took my first deer (depressingly close to a half century ago ) with a late WW-II K-98, so I harbor great sentiment for the old cartridge and have plans to build a European-style light sporter in this caliber on a vintage FN action I own.

In most instances it is essentially as useful as the .30-06, although the .30-06 has a slight edge for smaller big game when lighter bullets and longer range are called for.

As to American-produced cartridges, the ammunition companies load the 8x57 to extremely conservative pressures out of fear that their ammunition may be used in one of the old 1888 Commission rifles, or in one of the "J" bore (.318") rifles floating around. I can't say about the pressure limitations of the Commission rifle, but a modern J-bore rifle could care less if you fed it .005" oversized slugs. The difference that makes to chamber pressure is inconsequential.

As with any cartridge, proper handloading brings out the best in a rifle and this may be doubly true of the 8x57.

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
[QUOTE]
I heard it was used with great success at Utah and Omaha-Beach in 1944 in the MG 42!

I heard that the .303British and .30USGov't. were used at Omaha, Utah,Gold, Sword and Juno Beaches, plus in North Africa, Normandy, the Netherlands and the Rhineland.....with even greater success.......


Yes, thats right, but the "succesfullest" caliber was the 7,62x54R!

I have a HVA 1600 which is having a replacement stock installed, being bedded and a Wisner 3-pos. safety, thin Pachmayr pad and some "peep" sight-scope bases installed. It is a 60mm 8x57js and continues my enthusiasm for German cartridges and Mauser-derived CRF rifles.

The 60mm-case is a more powerfull cartridge, not interchangeable with the 8mm Mauser! With its best loads - called 8x60 Magnum or Magnum Bombe - it reached the potential of the .300 Magn.!

Nah, if the British first and then the US had not supplied the Stalinists, the Axis forces would have beaten them and controlled all of Eurasia...absent Hitler and a few of his lunatic lackies and with someone like Von Lettow-Vorbeck or one of the many fine German senior officers as "Chancellor", the peoples of that continental mass would have been FAR better off.

We will probably have to join together and clean out the commies and Islamofacists, anyway, there never seems to be "peace in our time", sad to say.

Sorry, I am still "Imperial" in my measurements as we used that until the commie-fag Prime Minister of Canada, Trudeau, made us go "metric" to appease all of the Frenchies in Quebec. So, I should have posted a 60CM barrel and I am familiar with the 8x60S, but,really want an 8x68s in a modified CZ-550...someday....

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
So, I should have posted a 60CM barrel and I am familiar with the 8x60S, but,really want an 8x68s in a modified CZ-550...someday....

Sorry, than i understand it in a wrong way and I was wondering!

If you want to have a very good 8x68S, than you must buy a Mauser 66 or Sauer 80/90 in this calber - they are quite cheap here in Europe (under 1000€).

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
Sorry, I am still "Imperial" in my measurements as we used that until the commie-fag Prime Minister of Canada, Trudeau, made us go "metric" to appease all of the Frenchies in Quebec. So, I should have posted a 60CM barrel and I am familiar with the 8x60S, but,really want an 8x68s in a modified CZ-550...someday....

Then you may be interested in my project, which should be ready to shoot soon. It's a 8x65S on an unmodified CZ 550 medium action - just rebarreled, using one of the controversial LW barrels, with a custom reamer and dies.

I hope to be posting range reports within a month.

KB

Great performer! roger