8mm to 8-06 conversion

[oz_lowrider]

I have this sporterised 1945,8X57 JS Mauser and I was wondering if anyone has converted this cal to 8-06. Is it practical?

 

[mbopp]

IIRR after WWII many war trophy Mausers were converted to 8mm-06. It may be as simple as a rechamber job.

 

[NCsmitty]

You'll find that the 8mm-06 will better the 8x57js by about 100fps using like bullets, give or take.

The 8x57js is quite potent when loaded to it's potential.
If you do not reload, then some of the European brands of 8x57js offer better ballistics than U.S. ammo.

It is basically just a rechambering deal to convert to 8mm-06, but it will be mostly a reloading proposition to shoot.



NCsmitty

 

[Smokey Joe]

Conversion...

Oz Lowrider--You asked

if anyone has converted this cal to 8-06. Is it practical?

In the late '40's and early '50's, there were a fair number of Mauser bringbacks being sporterized. Due to a general lack of 7x57JS ammunition and brass in the US, many of these were re-chambered to 8mm-06, since the brass is easily made from .30-'06 brass.

Now, the 8mm mauser and the .30-'06 and the 8mm-06 are all about ballistically equal. You aren't going to make a huge gain by the re-chambering. (I regard a 100 fps gain as a negligible advantage. If you're desperate for every possible stitch of velocity, you oughta be considering one of the magnums, anyhow. And if so, then we're talking boltface alteration in addition to rechambering, not to mention more $ per shot and a bigger recoil.) And the brass and bullets for the 8mm cartridge are now readily available.

I expect that the same situation existed/exists in Oz as in the US, regarding lack of 8mm brass years ago, and availability of same, now.

So while it CAN be done, and the reamers for the conversion are readily available, IMHO it would be a waste of time and $$.

You have a nice Mauser as it its. Leave it 8mm, and put the $$ saved into ammo to shoot.

 

[rbernie]

Well, if you have a 8x57 with a throat erosion issue, rechambering to 8mm06 will put that rifle back into business. I've known a few folk who did such a conversion (coupled with a minor sportification to include a teeny barrel shortening and recrowning) to effectively extend the lifespan of an old Mauser by another generation or so.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

You're going to a wildcat cartridge -- which means you'll have to reload.

But if you reload, you can reload 8X57 and get performance that just about equals the 8mm-06, without all the expense of rechambering.

 

[dirtyjim]

i've always thought the 8x68s was a better option than the 8mm-06 but its a little more involved than simply reaming the chamber. you also have to slightly open the boltface and extractor

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If you have to go to a wildcat, the Brown shoulder would be an option. The Brown wildcat (the .35 Brown-Whelen) takes all the taper out of a .30-06 case, pushes the shoulder well forward, and sharpens the angle.

 

[Lovesbeer99]

I was at a fun match with a guy who had a gun chambered in 8mm-06 set up like a sniper rig and this thing was accurate. Anyway I'd just rebarrel the gun and keep it in 8x57, or rebarrel it to 30-06. Why bother with a wildcat of this caliber in this day and age?

 

[Art Eatman]

My gunsmith uncle did a fair number of chamber-reamings on bring-back Mausers, to 8mm-06. Quite common after WW II.

 

[MMCSRET]

I've done two of them for my personal use. One was a simple rechambering, the other had a short magazine box and we had to extend the magazine box and replace the follower. Both of them were very good and accurate rifles and with the 175 gr. Sierra I could easily better 30-06 180 gr. ballistics. Each time I was offered more than I could refuse, so both are gone. I still have my dies and I have several rifles I could do again if I decide to.

 

[Justin Holder]

The 8mm-06 always interested me.

My crystal ball tells me I will have one some day.