great thing found - definitely worth of reading - where is it from (whats the source)?...

Delightful. Not much Carpathian hunting literature available in the English language - German is another matter.

Even today, the Wood Carpathians (German: Waldkarpathen) is one of the primary stag areas in Poland. The more famous, and to this day center of Carpathian hunting, part of the Carpathian Mountains is further east and south -in Rumania proper these days. There is still great and adventurous hunting to be had.

- mike

The good old days.
Brings back memories to stories told by my grandfather. He also did some hunting in the Karpathen.

It may be of interest that Germanic gunmakers created a "Karpathenbüchse" between the wars:
single shot, most with break-action ("Kipplauf"), 26'' or longer barrel (still very handy with the short action), caliber at least 7x65R, preferably bigger (8x60R, 8x65R, 8x75R).
Except having a falling-block action, Mr. Rosenberg's rifle fits nicely.

Fuhrmann

Absolutely facinating reading, Nick. Where and when was it published? Do you know anything else about the author?

A few years ago I found a book on hiking in Romania on a Sale table for all of about a buck. I’d love to head into those mountains, even better if I had a rifle over my shoulder!

- stu

OK, let's hear from the experts then. StuC and I were just discussing: what rifle and what caliber could this guy have been using on this trip??

We know from the text and from the picture, that it was a single shot, falling block rifle, with what looks like a claw mounted scope. StuC and I were guessing the rifle might have been a Farquharson (impossible spelling), although there are apparently also other, similar looking rifles (Ruger #1 lookalikes, so to speak...).

And what about the caliber "8mm Magnum"?? Initially I thought it might have been an 8x68S, but if the title of the thread is correct, then that might a bit early. The 8x68S is supposed to have been introduced in the mid to late 30-ties, perhaps 1939.

So, let's hear from the experts...

- mike

1934 does seem far too early for the 8x68s (RWS 1938-39) and then we have the action type to consider. Yet he refers to it as a "magnum". My guess is the 8x75Rmm, ideal for the single shot, classed as an "express" cartridge and quite close to the .300 H&H magnum in power.

I guess Fuhrmann listed the possibilities. Are there any others? Of those I'd second Nick's suggestion 8x75R would be the best candidate for 8mm Magnum.

***

I did a search on bookfinder and found two books by the author. One in English - Big game shooting in British Columbia and Norway (1928) and one in Norwegian - Skytterliv. Skytterens abc. (1952). I've been reliably informed it translates into something like "Life of a Shooter and the Shooter's ABC"

The rifle looks German to me.
There were a few vertical block actions made in Germany. And the scope might be a Zeiss.

One other cartridge that comes to my mind is the 8x60 R (or RS). For this rather standard case, DWM had created a "+P version", named the "8x60 R Magnum Bombe", advertised speed ca. 890 m/s with a 12.1 g bullet, from a 72 cm barrel. The 1940 RWS handbook lists a 8x60 RS Magnum, 12.1 g H-Mantel bullet, 857 m/s, 65 cm barrel.
But ballistic claims were quite optimistic or generous at that time.

Fuhrmann

I looked in my (modest) reference material, and can't really come up with anything better than the learned proposals of Fuhrmann or StuC. If the 8x68 is out of the question due to timing, and we assume cartridges such as 8x57I(RS) or 8x72 R are less likely candidates due to the "magnum" designation, then what remains is really 8x60(R)(S), 8x75(R)(S), 8x64(S) or 8x65R(S).

As Fuhrmann have pointed out, the 8x60R(S) seems to been the only one of these ever associated with the "magnum" label... I'll bow out to his experience and knowledge.

- mike

A great read that one....i liked the ref to the sights in the last paragraph

In factory form, the 8x75R would appear the more powerful of the group mentioned, even more so than the later 8x68s.

8x60R - Held about 50 grains of powder under the 196 grain RWS bullet. MV=2,580 ME=2,890
Also offered by RWS, a 187 grain bullet MV=2,810 ME=3,275

8x65R (Brenneke) - Held about 60 grains of powder under the 227 grain bullet. MV=2,578 ME=3,347 Also offered was the 185 grain bullet MV=2,890 ME=3,420

8x75R - Held perhaps a bit more powder than the Brenneke (both based on the 9.3x74R case)
and was factory loaded with a 196 grain bullet MV=2,715 ME=3,230 Also offered was a 198 grain bullet MV=3,050 ME=4,120

8x68s (not rimmed) Factory loaded 200 grain bullet MV=2,985 ME=3,958

As usual, excellent "reading material" provided, Nick !

Which makes me remember I am still missing the Nickudu files ...

Martin

Wonderful article. Certainly fascinating to read. Thank you for posting it. The rifle made me curious. I did a search on Gunbroker and came up with a likely match.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=42667798



At least this fits the time and place. Not caliber, however. This is a 7mm Brenneke.

That's a "Kipplaufbüchse" (break action), not a falling block.
The seller is most probably wrong with "7.65 Brenneke" meaning 7x65R.
Probably one of the older, weaker 8 mm cartridges like 8x57R/360, 8x58R or 8x72R (which was a Brenneke development).

Fuhrmann