8mm Thread

[mgood]

I'm changing your sentence a little bit like: "Shooting as flat as the .300WM and hitting as hard as the .338WM".

Mmmm, sounds good gun)

It's really a shame that there is only one regular manufacturer left in the US, who produces standard rifles in 8 RM, and that's Cooper Rifles.

I was not aware that Cooper made them. I'll have to check it out. I've seen a few very nice Cooper rifles. A guy I know shoots one in our small-bore silhouette matches (.22LR). It is very accurate and very beautiful. I would not mind owning such a rifle.

I read somewhere on the net that the Remington Custom Shop will still chamber a rifle in 8mm Rem Mag. I called to see if that was true. Finally got through to someone who sent an email to the guy who should know and CC'd me in the message. This was middle of the week and I'm still waiting to see a reply.

Sometimes I'm really wondering what's going on with Remington and it's policy ... Invented the fantastic 8 RM, but is not delivering any of its rifles for this chambering any more.

It just didn't catch on here. Sometimes a company makes the right product at the wrong time. Maybe now is a good time for them to try it again. We can only hope.

Are you interested in 8x68S and its superb features . . .

Interested, yes, but I think I'd rather have the 8mmRM or a shorter wildcat that does basically the same thing. If the 8x68S and brass to load it was easier to get over here, I might consider one. But for the trouble it would be, I think I could just as easily do the wildcat 8mm-375.
[EDIT: Not interested in the military style rifle. I want a stainless action and barrel with a synthetic stock. So that pretty much means having a custom rifle built. Building a rifle on an obscure (over here) European caliber makes no more sense to me than having one built on a wildcat cartridge.]

I really do hope that someone is taking care and realizing a 8 mm/.375 Ruger.

I read somewhere, maybe an internet rumor, that RCBS made some dies to neck down the 375 Ruger to 8mm and shipped a batch of them to someone in Africa. I'm also waiting on a return message from RCBS. If this is true and they've made them before, then they already have plans and shouldn't have any trouble making more for me.

 

[mgood]

Thanks for the tip.

I see 8mmRemingtonMagnum listed among the available calibers on the Cooper website. Definitely something to consider. Price is along the lines of the ballpark number the Remington Custom Shop gave me on the phone. I'd rather have a Cooper than a Remington.

This quest started with the simple idea that I'd like to hunt aoudad, aka Barbary sheep. They are tough critters and my .25-06 might be . . . adequate . . . barely . . . but certainly not ideal. Hey, justification for buying another gun (like I need an excuse). A good aoudad rifle should also be a good elk rifle, so I gave that a little thought.

Then I started thinking that since I'm not likely to hunt big game all that often, and I don't have a whole lot of money, I don't need a different rifle for every situation but one good rifle that'll cover anything in North America for which my .25-06 might seem a little light. I start pondering Alaskan coastal brown bears, which I'd really like to make a rug out of one day. And this rifle should be stainless and synthetic to withstand a wet Alaskan hunt. I considered everything from .30-06 Springfield to .375 Holland & Holland Magnum. I even glanced briefly at a couple of calibers that start with ".4". Common wisdom would seem to be that I should get a .338 Winchester Magnum and call it a day. But I've always been the type who wants something a little different from what everyone else has or wants. It causes me no end of frustration, but lots of adventure.

I couldn't decide between the .300 and the .338, but really wanted something in between. The 8mm Rem Mag seemed like overkill, requiring a magnum-length action. But the .325 WSM just doesn't look like it'll push the heavier bullets hard enough to do what I want. The 8mmRM WILL do what I want. No doubt about it.

When I discovered the .375 Ruger is basically a shorter, fatter version of the .375 H&H, I immediately started thinking of it as a starting point for building an 8mm. The more I read about the .375 Ruger, the more I liked it, as is. At the moment I'm thinking that my next gun purchase will be a Ruger Guide Gun in .375 Ruger. I know that's going off in a different direction from the flatter shooting 8mm I was hunting. It's so ugly it hurts, but for some reason it appeals to me. It may or may not someday get re-barreled in 8mm.

 

[Varberger757]

Thanks for the tip.

I see 8mmRemingtonMagnum listed among the available calibers on the Cooper website. Definitely something to consider. Price is along the lines of the ballpark number the Remington Custom Shop gave me on the phone. I'd rather have a Cooper than a Remington.

This quest started with the simple idea that I'd like to hunt aoudad, aka Barbary sheep. They are tough critters and my .25-06 might be . . . adequate . . . barely . . . but certainly not ideal. Hey, justification for buying another gun (like I need an excuse). A good aoudad rifle should also be a good elk rifle, so I gave that a little thought.

Then I started thinking that since I'm not likely to hunt big game all that often, and I don't have a whole lot of money, I don't need a different rifle for every situation but one good rifle that'll cover anything in North America for which my .25-06 might seem a little light. I start pondering Alaskan coastal brown bears, which I'd really like to make a rug out of one day. And this rifle should be stainless and synthetic to withstand a wet Alaskan hunt. I considered everything from .30-06 Springfield to .375 Holland & Holland Magnum. I even glanced briefly at a couple of calibers that start with ".4". Common wisdom would seem to be that I should get a .338 Winchester Magnum and call it a day. But I've always been the type who wants something a little different from what everyone else has or wants. It causes me no end of frustration, but lots of adventure.

I couldn't decide between the .300 and the .338, but really wanted something in between. The 8mm Rem Mag seemed like overkill, requiring a magnum-length action. But the .325 WSM just doesn't look like it'll push the heavier bullets hard enough to do what I want. The 8mmRM WILL do what I want. No doubt about it.

When I discovered the .375 Ruger is basically a shorter, fatter version of the .375 H&H, I immediately started thinking of it as a starting point for building an 8mm. The more I read about the .375 Ruger, the more I liked it, as is. At the moment I'm thinking that my next gun purchase will be a Ruger Guide Gun in .375 Ruger. I know that's going off in a different direction from the flatter shooting 8mm I was hunting. It's so ugly it hurts, but for some reason it appeals to me. It may or may not someday get re-barreled in 8mm.

Too bad , your "8mm - enthusiasm" was just a flash in the pan ... Fortunately there are others whose enthusiasm lasts longer!

 

[mgood]

Too bad , your "8mm - enthusiasm" was just a flash in the pan ... Fortunately there are others whose enthusiasm lasts longer!

Actually, the 375 enthusiasm may be a "flash in the pan." I've wanted an 8mm for a few years. I've wanted the .375 Ruger for a few days. We'll see if it lasts.

Other than money and no real need for two large-caliber guns, there's no reason not to have both. Need has never stopped me and money just slows me down a bit until I can afford what I want, so it's possible I could end up with both. It's also very possible that the action from the Ruger Guide gun will someday have an 8mm barrel and an aftermarket stock.

 

[mgood]

I read somewhere on the net that the Remington Custom Shop will still chamber a rifle in 8mm Rem Mag. I called to see if that was true. Finally got through to someone who sent an email to the guy who should know and CC'd me in the message. This was middle of the week and I'm still waiting to see a reply.

I just got the confirmation email. Remington Custom Shop WILL build a 700AWR in 8mm Rem Mag.

This is now very high on my list of candidates.

 

[Varberger757]

I just got the confirmation email. Remington Custom Shop WILL build a 700AWR in 8mm Rem Mag.

This is now very high on my list of candidates.

OK, finally! Have you been in contact with Cooper Rifles concerning their offerings in 8 RM?

 

[MudRunner2005]

I just got the confirmation email. Remington Custom Shop WILL build a 700AWR in 8mm Rem Mag.

This is now very high on my list of candidates.

If I had to guess, I would say you could find a local guy in Texas to build you a much nicer rifle with a blueprinted 700 action, and a cut-rifled aftermarket barrel for probably a lot less than what Remington's custom shop wants to build you that rifle for...

 

[Varberger757]

If I had to guess, I would say you could find a local guy in Texas to build you a much nicer rifle with a blueprinted 700 action, and a cut-rifled aftermarket barrel for probably a lot less than what Remington's custom shop wants to build you that rifle for...

Another very, very good idea! Saves both money and time, plus the gunsmith in charge is a fixed contact. Considering Cooper Rifles wouldn't be a mistake either.

 

[mgood]

OK, finally! Have you been in contact with Cooper Rifles concerning their offerings in 8 RM?

Not yet. Cooper is even higher on my list than Remington. I know Cooper's website shows the 8mmRM available in most of their models. I'm liking the Excalibur for this.

A custom build from a small shop is also an option.

 

[mgood]

Several years ago I decided I was looking for something that hits harder than a .300 WinMag but shoots flatter than a .338 WinMag.

I thought I'd found what I was looking for when I saw the .325 WSM, but no. I can't see that it does anything the .300 can't do. It needs a heavier bullet with a better BC.

The best 200 gr loads for the .325 WSM seem to be maxed out on case capacity. I want 220+ gr bullets, maybe as high as 250 gr. Longer bullets leave even less room for powder, so that pretty much rules out the WSM.

I thought maybe necking down the .338 WinMag would do it. But it was pointed out to me that a necked down WinMag would gain very, very little over a WSM.

Need an 8mm Rem Mag. But that means most likely having a custom rifle built, and handload-only ammo. (Yeah, there are some used 8mmRM rifles out there and there are a few factory loads that can be ordered.) So I may as well have it built the way I want.


A couple weeks ago I had this same thought. A .375 Ruger necked down to .323" should duplicate the performance of the Big 8 but in a standard-length action.

I couldn't decide between the .300 and the .338, but really wanted something in between. The 8mm Rem Mag seemed like overkill, requiring a magnum-length action. But the .325 WSM just doesn't look like it'll push the heavier bullets hard enough to do what I want. The 8mmRM WILL do what I want. No doubt about it.

It is possible that I've been overthinking this and getting ahead of myself with this wildcat idea.

I've always thought that the 8mm Rem Mag was more than I was really looking for. I only started considering it because I thought the 325 WSM wouldn't hold enough powder to scratch my itch with the longer, heavier bullets. (And that a necked-down 338 WM would be pretty much the same.)

What if I used a 325 WSM and seated the heavier bullet out long, even if I had to chamber it in a longer (30-06 length) action? I see a lot of folks on this forum seating bullets long so that they don't have them crammed so far down in the case. Apply the same principle to the WSM and I get my heavier bullet and probably have enough powder capacity to push it. I get the accuracy advantage of not having the bullet set so deep. I get to avoid the whole belted magnum thing. I get to avoid the 375 H&H size action.

My reloading manuals show 300 WM, 300 WSM, and 338 WM launching bullets of the same weight all at pretty close to the same velocities. All I really want to do is push a 220 gr .323" bullet out the muzzle at about the same velocity as a 220 gr bullet would come out of a 300 WM/WSM or a 338 WM.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

With CEB now making some nice high BC bullets, I've had plans to rechamber one of the Mausers to 8mm/26-Nosler but....

Someone listed and I popped for a Pac-Nor 9twist 8mm (.323) barrel. Rather than mess with the Mauser bolt head work. Just gonna put that Pac-Nor on a Weatherby Mark V action to be the 8mm/26-Nosler. CEB 8mm 225 and 256s should fit the Mark V magazine seated per CEB.

 

[mgood]

. . . I've had plans to rechamber one of the Mausers to 8mm/26-Nosler. . . .

****, this forum is going to cost me a lot of money. I have already considered a . . . a 32 Nosler. Thinking that if Nosler made such a thing, I'd even buy one of their Nosler rifles chambered for it.

Again, that's more than I need, but dang it would be cool. gun)

 

[Varberger757]

My reloading manuals show 300 WM, 300 WSM, and 338 WM launching bullets of the same weight all at pretty close to the same velocities. All I really want to do is push a 220 gr .323" bullet out the muzzle at about the same velocity as a 220 gr bullet would come out of a 300 WM/WSM or a 338 WM.

The 8 x 68 S accelerates a 220 gr bullet without any issues to a MV of 2887 fps, and that's almost 187 fps faster than a 300WM usually does with a 200 grainer. The Big 8 with even 14 gr more of case capacity (H2O) as the 8 x 68 S will do even better!

 

[gohring3006]

The 8 x 68 S accelerates a 220 gr bullet without any issues to a MV of 2887 fps, and that's almost 187 fps faster than a 300WM usually does with a 200 grainer. The Big 8 with even 14 gr more of case capacity (H2O) as the 8 x 68 S will do even better!

Who is loading the .300 ? I would think .300 Win mag would push a 200gr to 3000 fps, especially since I can get my 30-06 to shove a 200 SMk to 2600 fps. Broz pushes a 215 Berger to 3000 fps with his .300 Win.
I can run it to 3100 in my .300 Weatherby easily.