I am thinking about buying a rifle in this caliber mainly for boar and red deer hunting. I would appreciate info on practical experience with this caliber as well as bullets used.

Super caliber. A little above the 300's and a little below the 338's.

Bullets of choice would be Blazer CDP 196 grs( also factory loaded), Swift A frame, Norma Oryx, 220 grs Woodleigh(gives messy carcasses but hits like a sledgehammer) and so on.

Good Luck

Great caliber - if a tad hard to shoot. Very popular in the Germanic part of the world. It would be about perfect for the game you mention. Ammo and brass is a tad expensive. RWS 8x68S brass is about the thickest, meanest brass I have ever come across, it is unbelivably tough! And again: make sure you are comfortable with the recoil level, otherwise you might have problems with the caliber.
Good luck - mike

mho is right, it kicks like a mule

I shot the 8x68S and wouldn't say that. I'd rate recoil halfway between the .300 Win and .338 Win, as it's power level would suggest.

Is the 8x68 too long for a M98 action ? If so, would it be sufficient to work on the magazine or should I just forget the idea ? Mine is a 1917 action, full lenght made in Danzig Germany.

Regards

Max Ocl is 3.425. I got the idea to build my 8x68 when I bought a M98 action from Global Trading and the paperwork listed the cartridge as one that would fit the action. I had never heard of the round before then so I thought I would try something different. There is not to much data available but it was not to difficult to come up with a decent 200 grain load. Anyway I used it on a trip to RSA and everybody was quite impressed with my rifle but they still would not lower my shooting fees! O well....
Shayne

@GBF: the 8*68S fits with no bigger problems into a standard M98 action.

@Pawel:
The 8*68S and the recoil a long rumour....that sometimes is true if u do have a stock that isn�t designed to this Magnum cartridge.
The best Results you will get if u looking for a "straight manufactured" stock. Monte carlo stock is IMHO one of the worsest stocks you can "order". (or steyer..bad too)
A classic english safari stock style will reduce the recoil a lot !
Don�t go for magnaport!!!
Better way a good recoil(Pachmayr Magnum) pad and maybe as plus... Kickstop in the stock.

Doswidjenja

Konstantin

The 8x68S is very close in power to the 8mm Remington Magnum, with the Remington having just a bit more case capacity. I load 200 grain Nosler Partitions in an 8mm Remington to 3030 FPS, which makes a pretty universal load for it. If hunting nothing larger than Red Deer, almost any bullet of 170 grains or more will do the job.

Stonecreek

I guess you must be a happy fellow with your 8mm rem mag. I had one but it was no tack driver, the importer blaimed the barrel dimentions. How does your rifle shoot?

I guess there are not manny of them in Georgetown?
Cheers
/ JOHAN

[ 12-07-2003, 03:33: Message edited by: JOHAN ]

If you can find an improved version, it's easy to match the 8mm Rem in capacity.
I made up a 2.6" case, improved, for a COL of 3.34" to fit nicely in a Mauser, and it was about 2g shy of the 8mm Rem under a seated bullet, which is basically nothing. And if there's any benefit to shorter powder column, that may mititgate even that difference.
As soon as my plate gets a bit clearer, I think I'll have to rechamber a VZ and see what it'll do out of 29" of barrel.

I shoot the american version, the 8mm Rem Mag. It does have a bit of recoil. Nothing to worry about though. This cartridge has great accuracy at 300 metres. The 8X68 is not as powerful as the 8mm Rem Mag.
Also, Remington is making a rifle in 8mm Mauser. this is the first rifle chambered for that cartrdige in the states in 50 years or so.. at least in a factory rifle. I'm looking foward to buying one.

Stonecreek

I went thru Georgetown a week ago on my way to the boonies.

I would much rather live in Georgetown than temple In fact I was stuck in a traffic jam for two hours between Temple and Georgetown because of a hazmat

/ JOHAN