Lebel Ammo Nomenclature?

I think the CIP (European SAAMI) calls the Lebel 8x51R.

There is an 8x50R Mannlicher, which isn’t the same round, so this may be to avoid confusion (or create it, who knows?)

Stay safe.

The actual case length is 50.50mm, so it depends how you round it . . . .

video time 3:55
what the heck that bullet can reach out that far 420 yards?

theotherwaldo said:

I was gathering up fodder for my recently-purchased Berthier M-16 and lucked into two boxes of Lebel ammo from PPU in my LGS, one box being noticeably older than the other.
The older box is labelled "8x51R LEBEL", the newer one is marked "8x50R Lebel".
The cartridges are all marked "8x50R Lebel" in both boxes.
What gives?

Click to expand...

They are both names used and it is the same cartridge.
51mm = 2.00787402 inches. 50mm = 1.96850394 inches. Rounded off to two significant digits, that's a difference of .003 inches. I have to agree with Lysander, likely a problem with conversion to English measure than anything to do the manufacturer.

Saiga308. The "balle M" load was the original. The later and commonly duplicated load is the "balle D", a 200 grain bullet at around 2100 to 2200 fps. Lots of momentum. Trajectory is a bit high, but it does the same thing (more or less) every time. Considering the accuracy standard was '...le torse de l'envahisseur...' a hit at that distance would be quite convincing.

The video mentions the 8mm Lebel as the first military cartridge in 1886. It was. However, the first commercial rifle smokeless powder cartridge seems to be the .30-30 Winchester in 1895.

Delete the qualification 'military'.