8mm Mauser Projectile (inexpensive)

[ultralightbackpacker]

Just finished reloading some 8mm with speer projectiles. I find it is very expensive to use speer. :banghead: What are other alernatives for plinking and having fun, not match/game rounds. Any responses and answers would be great. Thank you for your time.

 

[dakotasin]

i have 3 boxes of some old hornady 220's you could have for the cost of shipping.

i urge you to not use them for hunting, though - the bullet was designed around the 8 rem mag and the mauser won't get velocity up anywhere it needs to in order to get predictable on-game performance. but, they should work great for what you're looking for...

 

[NuJudge]

Do you want full power in these 8mm loads?

You could buy cast bullets, or even cheaper cast them your self. I don't shoot much 8x57 cast bullets, but I shoot a lot of .30-'06 and other centerfire bullets. Having been casting for many years my equipment is amortized out and my costs per box of ammo with cast bullets is maybe 8 cents a shot.

To use them, you need to flair case necks before bullet seating. If you want anything like jacketed bullet ballistics, you must use a gas checked bullet, must use a rather heavy bullet to get velocities down into the 2000 to 2200 fps range, and would be best using powders no faster than 4895 or so. When you try reduced loads of powders slower than 4895, pressures go way high (Secondary Explosion Effect) and rifles have blown up. Barrels must be relatively smooth to shoot well above 1600 fps.

This link is to a custom caster in Alaska (he casts all sorts of things):
http://bullshop.gunloads.com/photos.html

I don't buy many cast bullets, but I have bought some from this supplier, and I really like his gas-checked bullets:
http://mysite.verizon.net/bill10/

Another supplier:
http://gardnerscache.com/8mm_170_lfp_g_c.html

Another supplier:
http://www.montanabulletworks.com/wst_page5.html

 

[dmftoy1]

If you decide you want to try out cast boolits but don't want the expense of startup I'd just start asking around at your local tirestores for a free (or cheap) bucket of used wheel weights. I know that most caster's would GLADLY cast up a whole bunch of boolits for you in trade and all you'd be out is the cost of a mold that you could easily sell for what you had in it when you were done. The local caster's might even have the mold already and then you'd be out next to nothing. I know quite a few guys who work this way for their 45/70's, etc.

So my advice would be to start scrounging up a 5 gallon bucket of wheel weights and we'll find someone in your neck of the woods who'd be willing to do the casting/sizing for you.

Just my .02

Regards,
Dave

 

[cracked butt]

I shoot a lot of cast bullets in my 8mms.

I use straight wheelweight metal.

The bullets I cast are from a custom Lee mould- they drop out at about 180 gr. and .3265" on the driving bands. You could probably use a standard .323" mould and open it up a bit by using aluminum tape between the blocks, groove diameters on 8mms are rarely as tight as .323", most seem to be close to .325"

Powder: 18 gr 2400, or around 12 gr Unique.
Gas checks aren't necessary if you keep the velocities around 1400fps or so or lower.

With such loads, the cost to me is around $0.05 - 0.08 per round. I can't include the cost of the casting or reloading equipment in the price, because I've come to realize that I might never be able to recoup those costs.

 

[cracked butt]

My go- to bullet in the 8mms is the hornady 170 gr rn bullet. They cost around $16/100.

 

[TEDDY]

8 mm

I use Red Dot in 30/06 at 13 gr with 311291 its a tack driver in my 1914 springfield.I load 8 mm with Lees 8 mm bullet and 13 gr of Red Dot and the same in 8 mm lebel.the o6 clocks 1680 fts.have not clocked the others as I realy just plink with them.my 88 commision will use same,as soon as I get extractor.

 

[Steve C]

You can get Remington jacketed soft points from Midway USA for around $16 per 100.