Favorite 8mm?

What is your favorite 8mm Cartridge?

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1948CJ2A

1948CJ2A

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The 8mm always seems to have had a dark cloud around it, at least here in the US. I've read many theories on why 8mms don't do well on this side of the pond; some I agree with to a degree and some not as much. Regardless, I think the 8mm/.323 caliber is very underrated. Even though 8mm bullet selection was traditionally limited in the past, modern bullets and powders (think pre-pandemic availability) have made this a very viable choice for almost anything you'd want to hunt in North America.

What's your favorite 8mm cartridge? I'm thinking in terms of a hunting or target rifle, most likely bolt-action in most cases.

* NOTE * the single '8mm Mauser' choice encompasses all 8mm Mauser variations and synonyms (ie: .318, .323, 7.92x57, 8x57, 8x57J, 8x57JS/IS/ etc.)
 
I have a 8mm Rem Mag on an old Voere Cougar that was 8x68S but rebarreled to 8mm Rem Mag . A very close Family friend has had it a few years at his remote home in Oregon as his Elk rifle and The two boxes of ammo that I gave him with it are down around 10 rounds which accounted for 4 elk in 12 years ! It is sighted in with an old Elpaso Weaver Steel 2-7 scope and he uses 220 Corelokt ammo from the 80s I bought and I have dies to load it , if it comes to that . He is 68 with no family to inherit it, my son will get the rifle and his remote cabin/land (40 acres) when he passes.
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I have a friend who owns an 8mm Magnum and I fired it once. Some cartridges are popular, or unpopular for no logical reason. Perhaps if the Germans had won WW-2 the 8X57 would be where the 30-06 has been.

But they didn't and the 8X57 became a curiosity while the 30-06 flourished. The 2 are so close in bore size that one should be able to do anything the other can do. Unfortunately over the years better 30 caliber bullets with more efficient designs have been developed while the same can't be said of the 8mm's.
 
I think bullet selection is the reason it has always lacked in popularity. In .308", anything and everything. In .323" perfectly adequate selection, but not so much of the whizz-bang hi-tech $$$$ bullets, and that seems to sell/better.

I've always been interested in the 8mm/06, but have never had a rifle other than milsurp Mausers. The extra case capacity would work well with the Woodleigh 220 grain, but again, don't have a hunting rifle in .323". If I did, I would. That would be a real penetrator and bone-crusher. ! A treat for Mr. Grizz.

I bet an 8mm Remington Magnum in a Ruger #1, shooting the Woodleighs would pack a punch. At any range. !

Then there is the 8X56R, which I think is more of a "true" 8mm at .330". Not sure about that. The 8X57mm is really a 7.92, often (officially?) designated as that. However, I've never dreamed of or desired a sporter or any other rifle chambered in 8X56R. !!!! I'm happy with my Styer carbine, and will leave it at that. Yes, I laid in a good supply, in clips, "back in the day", (the Nazi stuff with swasticas) and also have dies to convert 7.62X54R into 8X56R. Now the bullet "selection" in 8X56R does leave a bit to be desired, although LEE makes a mold for cast bullets. Not a bad cast-bullet shooter, if you don't expect too much. (like instant knock-down kills, or long range shooting at game)
 
The only 8mm I have shot is a 8mm Mauser. It was a lot of fun to shoot the old war horse.

I have had a desire to purchase a 8mm Rem Mag for many years. I fell in love with it while reading fellow southpaw Craig Boddington. Never bought one and probably never will, as ammo is getting harder and harder to obtain.
 
WisBorn said:
Never bought one and probably never will, as ammo is getting harder and harder to obtain.
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Hey, you only need a box of 20. You'll have 15 left to last you for the rest of your life. Just kidding, but I did get a new, only fired five times Ruger 77 in .338" once, the box of 15 rounds and five cases thrown in on the deal. And I don't think the .338Win Mag kicks like the 8mm Rem Mag. !!!
 
WisBorn said:
have had a desire to purchase a 8mm Rem Mag for many years. I fell in love with it while reading fellow southpaw Craig Boddington. Never bought one and probably never will, as ammo is getting harder and harder to obtain.
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That's where I SHOULD be in my desire as well...... But I'm pretty sure I'm going to get one eventually....
I'll have to get the dies to form the cases from basics.....
And I'll spend way too much money on it.....
And there's nothing it'll do that my other rounds don't do at least as well......

And I don't care, i want one 😁



It's the only 8 mm I have any real desire to own.

I'd be happy to have any of the others if a rifle I wanted was in that chambering.
 
JeffG said:
I have an 8mm Mauser in a Yugo Mauser. I cannot imagine why the caliber is not more popular.
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Just marketing, demand, and promotion. Nothing a .30US can do that an 8X57 can't, and visa-versa. In addition, not many rifle makers use the chambering, the market just does not demand it. However, for sure, it will certainly do anything the .308/7.62X51mm and the .30US will do. And, they will do anything the 8X57mm/7.92 will do. Too much of the same difference??
 
My first 8mm was an 8mm Rem Mag; this was probably ~15 years ago. I had recently read an article by Boddington on the greatness of that cartridge so I decided I had to have one. A few years later, I got a chance to talk with Boddington at the Dallas Safari Club show. He was in his booth selling and signing books. I mentioned the 8mm Rem Mag and he lit up and said "great cartridge, very underappreciated" or something along those lines. I'll see if I can get a picture of my rig up on this thread later today or tomorrow. Mine is a 1978 Remington 700 BDL. Someone prior to me put a brake on it. It's the only rifle I own with a brake. Honestly, with my handloads and 200gr Accubonds, it still punches me harder than my 300 Wby Mag loaded around the same bullet weight.

I've since acquired an 8x57 and 8mm-06, and really like them as well. If you handload, you can do so much more with the 8x57 than factory and published "safe" loads, provided your rifle is able to handle modern pressures. You're pretty much stuck with handloads for the 8mm-06 :)
 
cornfused said:
I marked 8mm/06 but load and shoot the Ackley 40°version. It's a hammer!!
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I bet it is! Wonder if that's got more case capacity than a 325 WSM? I think my 8mm-06 fits nicely between my 30-06 rifles and my 35 Whelen. You can always make an argument for the 338-06 as well; but I lean towards the 8mm stuff when it comes down to those two calibers (.323 & .338).
 
WisBorn said:
The only 8mm I have shot is a 8mm Mauser. It was a lot of fun to shoot the old war horse.

I have had a desire to purchase a 8mm Rem Mag for many years. I fell in love with it while reading fellow southpaw Craig Boddington. Never bought one and probably never will, as ammo is getting harder and harder to obtain.
Click to expand...
Do you handload? That's the only way I justify ammo with many of my rifles. If you're interested, I can check and see how much spare 8mm Rem Mag brass I have. At one time I had a lot... too much for me to ever shoot, but I can't remember if I sold some off or not.
 
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