Target 8mm Mauser Ammo?

[Mosin-Marauder]

Im looking for some sort of target or match grade ammo for my Yugoslavian M24/47. I've seen lots of different kinds but I wasnt sure what type I should get (Hornady, PPU, Sellier and Bellot, Nosler, etc.) What has performed the best in your Mausers (specifically Yugoslavian Variants or K98's). Im trying to establish a baseline of what my rifle can do with good ammo, The Turkish Surplus is good blasting ammo, and groups in the 3.5-3" at 50 Yards, but It's not acceptable for any sort of target shooting. Any help you can provide is appreciated. Group sizes also help.

Thanks,

-Mo.

[reynolds357]

Different rifles will shoot different groups with different ammo.
You will just have to see what shoots best in yours. I have a German 98 sniper rifle that would shoot sub minute before the bore got so bad. The way I know it was a sniper rifle is the man I bought it from took it off the dead sniper he killed in WWII. The man who sold it was the local mail man here in town. He lived an interesting life.

[gojuice101]

The most accurate ammo I ever shot in my Yugo (outside of my reloads) was the Yugo "sniper" ball ammo. I think the designation was M75. It was surplus but it shot great. I've never seen factory "match" ammo, but I've also never looked since I now reload for it and can surpass any other ammo with those.

[Mobuck]

Check Widener's. They have some high quality 8x57 "sniper" ball ammo at a reasonable price.
FWIW A couple of VZ24 rifles I have shoot the Turkish ball into 8-9" @ 250 yards from supported sitting position while handloads with Nosler 180 BT will go under 2" @ 100 yards(about twice as accurate).

[Mosin-Marauder]

I think I might buy some of the sniper ammo. It'll probably do better than that of the Turkish. Thanks for your help, guys.

-Mo.

[Mobuck]

Widener's "sniper" ammo isn't cheap (IIRC $9/15 rds) and MAY be corrosive. I only shot a few rounds and can't remember exactly how it shot.
I suppose I should drag out the old project rifle and light off a few some day. This brain fart rifle has the original mint bore military barrel tensioned using an aluminum sleeve. It looks like a monster heavy barrel but only weighs around 8.5#. Shoots like a laser beam but gotta watch the cadence or it'll overheat.

[hartcreek]

I just picked up 8mm Mauser dies last week and turned out some loads using 30-06 cases. If I can do it in a few hours what is your excuse?

[kilimanjaro]

There is no commercial 8mm Mauser match ammo outside of Europe. The surplus 'sniper' ammo is not match ammo.

Best thing you can do is pony up for dies and brass, make your own rounds. You can become much more consistent than a Bulgarian quality control team in about an hour, since you're too young to drink vodka.

[Kosh75287]

Hartcreek, did you expand the case mouth straight from .308 to .323, or did you use an intermediate diameter expanding plug?

[Mosin-Marauder]

Would 196's over 4064 be a good place to star, kilamanjaro? I appreciate your help.

[hartcreek]

Kosh

I moved the shoulder to where it is supposed to be incrimentally till I got it right. Then I cut to length. The necking I did not even have to do as the 30-06 cases were already .323 from fireing but if they weren't the process of moving the shoulder would have done it anyway.

I neck 30-30 brass up for .32 Winchester Special with one gentle push.

No I did not take any photos but when I was done you could see the old shoulder mark from when it was a 30-06 case on the newly shaped 8mm Mauser case neck.

[hartcreek]

Mosin-Marauder.....yes that bullet would work over 42-46 grains of 4064.

[Mosin-Marauder]

It's probably be cheaper in the long run to go ahead and start reloading. I do for all my other C&R rifles. Thanks for your help guys.

[ThomasT]

RCBS makes a case forming die. I have them in 7x57 and 8x57. Just use any case like a 30/06 for the donor like stated earlier.

Put the die in the press and adjust till the die is against the shell holder with the ram at the top. Lube the case and run it in the die. The extra brass will squirt out of the top of the die. Trim it off with a hacksaw. Go ahead and deburr the inside of the case neck.

The case will be at maximum length. I run mine through a case trimmer and trim .010 under max and deburr. Now you have perfect cases. Just be sure you make certain your new 8mm rounds aren't mistaken for the parent round and fired in the parent rifle. It WILL blow up the gun.

And 4064 is a good powder. Any of the medium slow powders will work. My grandfather loaded 48grs of 4350 in all his 8mm mauser rounds with a 170gr hornady round nose bullet.

[DPris]

The 3-under-an-inch load through mine was what Mitchell's Mausers sells under their own name, which I understand is PRVI re-branded, 198-grain FMJ.

Second best was Federal 170 Power Shok softpoint at 1 3/8 inches.
Denis

[Mosin-Marauder]

Denis was this scoped or irons?

[DPris]

Iron sights.
Mine was as-new, though, better shape than yours.
Dunno if that'd make a difference, it's the inside that counts with those, not the outside.

[kilimanjaro]

Mosin, I use 4895 as my 30-caliber powder, but 4064 is just fine for 8mm Mauser. Your 196-grain bullets are the original spec, no issues with them.

You can use your 4064 for your other 30-caliber cartridges, too.

You want to load below max for an old milsurp, nothing is gained by pressuring up.

[psalm7]

I saw where The Sportsmans Guide has 8mm made in Romainia non corossive but steel cased . May not be match/target but seems to be a good price for this 8mm .

[Snyper]

It's probably be cheaper in the long run to go ahead and start reloading.

That's the smart thing to do because when you find a load that works, you won't have to worry about running out

[James K]

FWIW, when a reloader wants to make a shorter case from a long one, like 8x57 from .30-'06, he should be aware that the neck is being moved to a point where the brass of the original case is thicker than at the neck.

That means that the new neck is thicker, and there might not be enough room at the chamber neck to allow case neck expansion and proper bullet release. If the neck is not reamed to the correct inside diameter, the pressure may increase beyond safe levels.

FYI, a poster has reported that in his WWII German rifles the bolt won't close on that Romanian 8x57JS (7.9) ammo. I suggest not making a heavy investment in it until you can check it out.

Jim

[SaxonPig]

Not really a match grade rifle, will it benefit from ultra high quality ammo?

Best solution is start loading your own. You can play with powders and bullets and find what it likes best at much lower cost.

[hartcreek]

James

Thankyou for the reminder. I measured mine and they were within spec but others might not be so remember this step guys as James has reminded us.

[Kosh75287]

JAMES K, do you notice if the overly thick necks on the reformed 8x57 occur less often if ,25-06, .270Win or .280 Rem is used? I would THINK that the result would be thinner case necks, but perhaps at the price of more split necks. Just wondering.

[Mobuck]

That means that the new neck is thicker, and there might not be enough room at the chamber neck to allow case neck expansion and proper bullet release. If the neck is not reamed to the correct inside diameter, the pressure may increase beyond safe levels.

FYI, a poster has reported that in his WWII German rifles the bolt won't close on that Romanian 8x57JS (7.9) ammo. I suggest not making a heavy investment in it until you can check it out.


Both good points. The "donut" in the neck can be dangerous and/or cause functional problems although many 8mm Mausers have fairly loose tolerances in the neck/shoulder area to help digest dirty cased ammo.