[johnm1]

I have a little time before loading for this rifle and I am just starting my research. The rifle is a Steyr M95 long rifle and for now lets assume it is in the original 8x50R caliber. Confirming the chambering is one of the reasons I have a little time. I'll be doing a chamber cast just to be sure. The barrel markings are not quite as definitive as I would like as the Czech property mark was struck directly over th Austrian proof marks. There is no large S on the barrel though the Czech property mark starts in an S (small).

Brass
Brass being the first issue to overcome. I see that there is 7.62.54R reformed to 8x50R dimensions available. I would think that resizing 8x56R brass (cut and resize) would be simpler than using the reformed Russian brass or resizing it myself. Cost is an issue here as the price on reformed Russian brass is $1.32/case. The cost of empty 8x56R brass is a more realistic $0.40/case

1. Can I resize the 8x56R to 8x50R fairly easily? Can I use the 8x50R sizing die to reform the case?

Bullet Size
The original caliber used a .323/324 bullet but the base expanded to fill the bore diameter of .329/.330. The 8x56R chambering uses a .329 spitzer bullet in the same bore. Using prudent reloading practice, is there any reason, other than bullet availability, not to use the .329 bullets and a reduced 8x56R load to start. My thoughts here are that any modern .323 bullet will allow gas to escape past the bullet. And as long as the .329 bullet is a boat tail, with less surface area in contact with the lands/grooves, it should be safe. My assumption here, and I believe the specifications for the M95/30 rifle confirms this, is that the bore diameter was not changed when the rifles were re-chambered from 8x50R to 8x56R. The chamber had to be reamed longer but I can't imagine that the barrel was rebored/rifled.

2. Do you see any issues working up a load for the 8x50R from the 8x56R data (starting low) and using a .329 bullet?

Thanks