The 8mm Rem Mag is the least successful cartridge introduced by Remington since WW2. After just 7 years, it was no longer sold in a factory produced rifle (just custom shop).

I think it never caught on due to the lack of bullets, as well as the wrong timing. 25 years ago, the 8mm Remington Mag was within 100 fps (with 200 grainers) of the current .300 Ultra Mag (a rifle I hear my friends parroting some gunscribes about how its the ultimate caliber for NA hunting and so versatile and hype hype hype). With the rise of elk herds and elk hunting over the last 10 years, and the increase in people using .300, .338, and now the Ultra Mag versions of those, its hard to argue that there isn't a market for the 8mm Remington Mag. Its just it never recieved the hype at the time as the Ultra Mags. A failure due to no bullets and the wrong timing.

Anyone who can justify "needing" a .300 Ultra Mag could be just as well served by an 8mm Remington Mag. Many of them probably dont know what one is though because you rarely hear about it (partly because there are so few rifles in it).

I've got one in a M700 Classic. Lovely rifle.



As to the historical reason for it's lack of popularity, I think everyone has pretty much hit the major points. It's a somewhat specialized round that a lot of guys don't need. Lack of promotion (Craig Boddington not withstanding recently, but he's about the only "name" writer I can ever remember even talking about it...), a lack of appropriate bullets for the extreme need placed upon them coming out of the 8mm Mag (the stuff designed for the 8mm Mauser/8x57 just ain't gonna get it with this thing...), and yeah, that sucker does kick. It's one of the hardest shooting rifles I've ever shot. It's recoil is hard AND fast. Some are one or the other, but the 8mm Mag combines them in a particularly tough way.



It's true... it's the "Ultra Mag" of years past, but just didn't get the hype that the current crop is receiving. Too bad too, because it really is capable of taking on just about anything in North America...

They mostly came in M-700 BDL stocks,I have a M-700 BDL 30.06 and a Sako 338,what a difference a stock makes in felt recoil.

The 8mm Remington Magnum was designed to be a powerful, long range round for heavy North American game. It has plenty of caliber and bullet mass, and it pushes them to velocities which were way to fast for the earlier generations of hunting bullets. Bullet explosions, superficial wounds, plenty of damaged meat from jackets being ripped off, the factory loads left a lot to be desired. They also put the round in a rifle with a stock which is not conductive to reducing felt recoil. It hammers hard as a .375, but seems to "stab" faster, making it even more uncomfortable to shoot. Meanwhile, rounds like the .300 and .340 Weatherby Magnum, .300 and .338 Winchester Magmum and 7mm Remington Magnum have already established their reputation as excellent performers on heavy game, hence the popularity of the latter rounds. People flocked to them because they didn't experience the same problems to the same extent. Craig Boddington, from what I recall, has been using one for quite some time, nearly 10 years from when I first read about his experiences with the big 8. He's done some promoting, and with increased accessibility to handloading equipment and wildcats being based off of the 8mm, there is some renewed interest. But with the recent heavy marketing of new rounds like the .300 and .338 Ultra, it's almost like throwing more dirt on the big 8's grave. Nonetheless, in a well-built rifle handloaded with tough bullets at high speed, there isn't anything in North America the 8mm Remington Magnum can't handle.

I think that if you look at Remington's own ballistics tables and compare the velocity and energy figures of the 8mm Rem. Mag. against those of the .338 Win. Mag. you find the answer to your question: The 8mm Rem. Mag. has no advantages over the .338, yet it burns more powder and produces more blast and recoil to achieve what it does. It also requies a long, .375 H&H length action to work through.



I understand that when the 8mm Rem. Mag. was first introduced at one of the forums sponsored by Remington for gun writers, Elmer Keith was bold enough to speak the question that was on everyone's mind: "What the hell good is it?" since the .338 already existed and had shown its usefulness and mettle.

Actually, I think the 8mm RM is a hell of a lot more cartridge then the 338 Win Mag (and yes, I have both). I can push 220 gr bullets out of mine at around 3100 fps (26" barrel) easily. It more accurately straddles the territory between the 300 and 340 Wby's. And yes it is a niche gun, but it gives you slightly larger and heavier bullets at comparable speeds then the 300, and a little less then the 340. It recoils about like a 340 too, at least in a relatively light Rem 700. I believe the lack of publicity, and problems in the early days with decent 8mm bullets (certainly on this side of the pond) is what hampered it; there certainly isn't a lack of interest in the Ultra Mags et al, but they've been given a lot more press. Also, it seems in this day and age that companies are much more prone to jump on whatever bandwagon seems to be the "next big thing", regardless of who's name is on the cartridge, Winchester certainly started chambering for 300 Ultras and 7mm STW's right quick after Remington introduced the cartridges. On it's own merits, it is a very useful, powerful large game cartridge. Stock it right, load it with good bullets (of which there are a great many more now days), get used to the recoil, and it will do for any game you care to point it at. That doesn't make it an elephant gun (although I've no doubt one could certainly be taken with the 8 Mag), but a damn good cartridge, in spite of the naysayers. FWIW - Dan

My observation of the demise of the 8MM is plain and simple to me, ammo cost. How many hunters are willing to pay $25.00 to $65.00 dollars per twenty rounds of factory ammo to feed those monsters. The vast majority of hunters are middle class or less in income potential. They just will not pay that much for one twenty round box of factory ammo. The reloader still has the edge on cost for ammo expended, but that is fast being eroded away by constant yeary supply cost increases. That cost factor per round is most important to all shooters, weather they buy factory ammo or load their own ammo. As the cost for factory ammo rises, more of us died in the wool shooters will look for less expensive ammo to feed our habit. Rim fire ammo can still be pruchased at a decent price and many of us will shoot rim fire ammo more often as opposed to shooting centerfire ammo.

All shooters and hunters must live within their means and as women will not do without the beauty parlor, hunters and shooters will not do with out their weekly fix of shooting at the range. If we must shoot the less expensive lowly 22 rim fire, then so be it. We will save our pennies until we can afford to buy supplies for our center fire ammo. Factory ammo costs today are at the extremes and nearly out of reach for the average hunter or shooter.

so is remington the only company who still makes factory loaded cartridges

n/m im retarted. neglect my previous post.

Yes, you can still buy factory ammo for the Big 8 and new brass as well. Remington sells both. Not sure if other companies load for it.

John-17

The 8 mag kicks substantially less than the .338Rum and .375Rum and I would say it recoils a little less than the 300 Ultra loaded with 200gr. bullets.

The 8 mag kicks pretty hard for the ballistics it delivers. This all by itself is at least one of the reasons that it is unpopular.
If you look at the S.D. of the 8mil 200 grain and compare it to a 30 cal. 180 grain they are almost identical. Of note is that the 300 Win. will match trajectories with bullets of the same S.D.

The 338 win will push the larger bore 210gr. Nosler almost as fast and it will penetrate at least as well as the 200 gr. 8mil bullet.
I think the 338 Win. kicks less in the process.

On average it would be my guess that the 8 mag is more accurate than the 338 Win.

All that said I think the 8 mag is one of the best choices for Elk combining good frontal size with a plenty flat trajectory.

Jamie