Anyone have any info on a 338x57 or 338x57MAI?

Found bits and pieces of info about the 338x57MAI but the trail ends there.

How would a 338x57 wildcat compare to a 338 Federal or 338-08?

Thanks
ZM

I believe Dale Story, the WY gunsmith neck necked that case up to .338. I do not remember what he called it.

Zeke

I think Jack O'Connor had a rifle in 338X57 and said it was "the ideal woods rifle".

Cheers
/JOHAN

Detailed article on the .338x57 O'Connor:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/338_OConnor.htm

I found the article. Wondering if anybody actually had one. Couldn't find reamers or dies anywhere.

Working on a 24/47 build. Thought it might be a neat round, but I don't think it has much over the 8x57 except bullet selection. If my gun needs a rebarrel, I'll probably stay with 8x57. Maybe go to a 8x57AI just to be different.

Still like to hear from anyone that has a 338x57.

Thanks
ZM

ZM

Well being a 8x57 holds less powder then the 30-06, that would make it even closer to what 308 would hold. In that respect then I feel the 338-08 and 338-57 would have to be fairly close. Another cartridge to get you thinking is the 8x56R for the Steyr M95 rifles and carbine. Although the marking say 8x56R the groove diameters on most those run from .330 up to .332. Mine mikes out at .331. I think that puts them awful close to .338, at least it's definately inbetween .338 and 8mm.

There is a couple of fellas that have done some interesting work with the 338 MAI over at http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums. Do a search on .338 MAI to find them. It would be a good choice of a wildcat for intermediate length action Mausers that can't make the 338-06 or the Whelen fit. Definitely a custom reamer.

I've got a VZ-24 action with a barrel that slugs .329(deep grooves), so I've been experimenting with handloads using a variety of Steyer M-95 bullets. I call it my 330x57 Mauser and so far it shoots the 150-175g bullets pretty well. I've sized some 200 grain 338 Speers down to .329 but haven't tried them yet because I'm in the middle of finding a handload to use on 195g hardcast lead. When I get bored with it some day I might ream it out to 330x57 MAI or 330-06.

Nels

Read some of their results. Looks interesing. Wonder if the owner of the rifle would miss the 338x57AI reamer for a week or two?

Found an affordable 'smith for the 24/47 comversion, so it is a go. Be shooting 8x57 for the time being.

ZM

Clymer's has listed a reamer for the 33 Mauser for several years. http://www.clymertool.com/cgi-bin/reamer.cgi

.323 vs .338?

The stock 8 x 57 is way under-rated.

Just because US manufacterers underload their ammo doesn't mean that you have to.

Wildcat,

Thanks for posting that info on clymertool. I have to be careful about the caseneck thickness on some brass and not being able to seat the .329 bullets "out" much. That 33 Mauser reamer would take care of that.

Nels

Nelsdou,

If you decide to shoot more hardcast, Lee makes a bullet specifically for the 8x56R round, but they made it so it drops out of the mould at .329 using wheelweights. Now that would be bigger with a harder alloy. They also made up one of their push through sizers and it sizes at .329. Most the M95 Steyrs I've see have grooves of .330 and bigger. I mention this bullet because it's very similar to Lee's 338 cast bullet. I've used both in my 8x56R, but the one Lee made especially for it is a little shorter so this may work for you in your 8x57. Sounds like although your barrel has large grooves of .329, I bet the lands or bore is tighter then the bore on a .338 rifle. I sized down Hornady 210 gr flatnose .338 diameter bullets (meant for the old 33 Winchester) for my 8x56R. They worked and shot fine. I don't believe Hornady catalogs them anymore though. By the way the Lee bullet for the 8x56R uses an 8mm gascheck and the Lee .338 bullet uses the .338 gaschecks, which by the way too are getting scarce. Hornady cut or stopped production on odd size non selling gaschecks.

The 8 x 57 and the 9.3 x 57 sort of cover the gamut of what the x 57 case can do. I understand the appeal of the 338 x 57 because of the bullet selection but I can't see what it does that the 8MM doesn't do as well. The 9.3 takes it to the next level.

Max,

I thought the deep grooves/tall lands might be the cat's meow for cast but initial results for good accuracy are limited to low loads and velocities. I'm shooting a David Moss design hardcast FN .329 advertised at 175 grains but actually tip about 195 grains with lube and GCs. OAL is max @2.850. Shoots well at low charges but accuracy goes south when I try to crank her up. I really need a chrony and some powder choices to determine what's going on. The twist rate on the mauser barrel may be a limiting factor as well.

On the other hand, I get excellent accuracy shooting the stubby 150g jacketed bullets from Buffalo Arms in this rifle at near max loads.

Nels

I'm hijacking my own thread.

Same Yugo 24/47 action

What about the .284 Winchester based wildcats?

Does the Mauser handle the rebated rim ok?

On paper I like the 338-284 and 375-284. Anyone comment on those rounds in Yugo Mauser?

ZM

As much as I like the .338's If I wanted bigger than 8mm in an intermediate action I'd choose the 9.3x57.. In a 98 it would tread on the heals of the 9.3x62.

Of course if you simply must have a bigger whallop then look to the .376 Steyr and quit dickin around with wildcats.

It seems to me that the relationship of a .338X57mm to the .338 Federal would be about the same as the relationships between any .308 Win-based rounds and Mauser 57mm-based rounds using the same diameter bullet. That is, the 57mm Mauser-type case will hold slightly more powder, and give 50-100 FPS more velocity when both are loaded to the same pressure level......

Zeke, tigertate, et al.,
Being one of the guys who developed the 338x57 MAI, I suppose a few of my thoughts on this particular wildcat might be appropriate. Paul & I wanted a cartridge of .338 caliber that would fit/feed without too many issues in the 98 Mauser action and with a pressure limit of no more than 60,000psia. We did just that.
As to whether or not its better/worse than the standard 8x57 cartridge handloaded to the same pressures?....you will have to decide. I feel that its just another cartridge in the scheme of things...one more option. When my shop is up and running I will be doing more experimentation with the 8x57 case. I also have a 8x57 AI reamer and will build a rifle chambered for that cartridge.
Lets just be honest about cartridge selection...Most any cartridge you may choose will get the job done with proper bullet selection on most any 4 footed game to 300 yards. The most important thing to me is the shooters ability to put the bullet in the right place.......I personally am still working on that part of the equation. So choose the cartridge you want, use the action/barrel you want and get to it. Thats what I do and am having a great time with the experimentation.

Best regards to all...

Ol' John

I've done a 8 x 57 AI, 8-06 AI and 8 mm-376 Steyr AI. Each one lead to the other trying to improve on the stock 8 x 57 in an intermediate Mauser action.

I can *almost* get to 3000 fps with 185 gr bullets out of a 24" barrel with the 8 mm-Steyr (anything more than 2900 had pucker factor). I can *almost* get to 2700 fps out of the same length barrel with a lot less powder with a stock 8 x 57.

I learned a lot by making these reamers and chambers, but I think maybe the most significant thing I learned is that the 8 x 57 is an excellent and efficient cartridge that's really tough to improve on.

But of course this shouldn't keep us from trying!

why no 35x57???

spit out those pistol bullets over 300 fps!

The Germans got it right with the .366 diameter!

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:

why no 35x57???

spit out those pistol bullets over 300 fps!

It's called the 9x57.

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geuoMlsjVFoIEApaJXNyoA;_ylu....com/9x57_mauser.htm



left to right 8x57, 9x57, 9x56, 376 steyr, 338 win mag, 375 h+h

oh, sorry i did not know...

the article was good and gives me more respect for the 35 whelen...

but it reeeeeeeeeeeeeely makes me want a 35 newton!

I never said I was perfect!

torque... i am confused by yer last post...