Can I use 8mm Mauser and 7mm Mauser brass?

I have a ton of Hornady 7mm Mauser brass, and a ton of RWS 8mm Mauser brass.

Was thinking it would be great to use it on a project.

Sure.
That said depending on your chamber you will probably need to turn your necks.

Interesting way to get 240Wby capacity ( duh wrong caliber. )

Curious as to the expected gain over say the 224Clark or TTH?

The guys shooting 6mm Rem AI them here use mostly 7x57 brass to get the benefit of Norma quality. I did great with judicious sorting of 6mm Rem RP.

The 7mm and 8mm Mausers are dissimilar. You may be able to use the 8x57 but I suspect you will be moving the shoulder back. Also check neck thickness in both cases to be sure your brass is not too thick as Paul mentioned.

My 6mm AI is a slow 1 in 14 twist. Shoots 68 to 70gr just shy of 4000fps with a 27" barrel. Can almost not think what that 22-6mm AI would do.

I guess the 224 Clark is what I want.

Been doing some research.

You know when you stare at a box of bullets and brass and try and figure out a thing to build to utilize the componants that you have.

quote:

I guess the 224 Clark is what I want.

I think the basic 7x57 case will do everything you want. (Just my opinion)
When I was hunting WTX several had the 224TTH chambered in a tight twist for heavier bullets.
Basically the same as the Clark. Different shoulder angle etc.

Being as it was a fad since the Clark hit in 1947 you might find a reamer and dies easier.

Just checked 4D and Reamerrentals both list the 224TTH but no Clark

Ross Seifred (sp?) has written 2 articles that I know of on the 224-6mm AI. In the first one he uses 6mm brass and says the neck has to be turned. In the second one he says that Manson makes a reamer that allows use of 6mm brass without needing neck turning. Appears there are at least 2 different specs for this cartridge.

I have been curious about this cartridge for a long time but have not yet built a rifle for it.

Thanks gents,

I'll keep looking. I had plans to build a factory (hah!) 5.6x57, but the brass is supposed to suck at the neck to reload.

Clark used 257 Roberts brass, necked down and annealed, walls turned to 0.0142". Barrel twist was/is 1-9, best accuracy was with 80gr bullets and MRP power.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:

You know when you stare at a box of bullets and brass and try and figure out a thing to build to utilize the componants that you have.

That feeling that is more expensive than buying a factory chambering and new components? Yep. I understand it fully. Can still be fun though.

Had to go back to add that a 6mm R AI is impressive. It is a laser inside 300m. The shot is still booming and the bullet is at the target.

I had a 6mm AI. Shot 95s at around 3600 fps, it shot SOOOO flat. Bucked wind pretty well too. Favorite shot was knocking a spray paint can off a log at 1100 yards first try.



It was all luck

I built a 22-284 several years ago. I thought it was the ultimate, until I got the urge to see how fast I could burn a barrel out and had Dennis Bellm rechamber a Savage 223 to the 22-378 Wby AI.
60gr Nosler solid bases ran just a bit over 5400fps, and the barrel did 120+/- rounds. The test was for a barrel interior treatment process by Black Star in Texas. Round count ran 240 rounds, before the erosion ate the throat.

BWW,

I still have those reamers if you really want to go big...

A friend of mine has a 22/6mm, no other alterations. He generally just gets 6mm rem brass and necks it down. To use 7x57 brass, since the 6mm shoulder is further forward, you should make sure that when sizing the case that you make the headspace tight enough to hold the cartridge in place to correctly fire-form the shoulder to 22/8mm or Ackley Improved dimensions.