8x57

[tomme_boy]

Hello, I am new here and was wondering if anyone has had any experiance with this round. I am going to have an 98 action re-barreled in 8x57.

I really like this round. I have been using a couple of differant mausers for some informal target shooting at a friends farm. He has a nice set up. Inclosed shooting shack, and target frames that go out to 300yds. We have gone to the back of the property to be able to shoot out to 960yds. For this we have a 22"sq. armored steel plate. We are using military issued bolt guns in 8x57. I am able to hit the plate about every time, 4 out of 5 every time. And this is with surplus ammo and with iron sights. Pretty cool watching the vapor trail going out there.

Looking for some opinions on Douglas barrels. It has got to shoot better than the military barrels. I worked up some loads for a friend in his scoped 98 with a mil. barrel with 200gr SMK that are going 2635fps and he has shot a bunch of groups at the 960 mark that were in the 11-12" range. Anyway, do you guys think this would make a good 500yd gun or not? Thanks.

 

[Pete Lincoln]

The 8x57 is a pretty popular cartridge here in Germany, you can class it as Germanys 30-06 and it performs very similarly. I'm not sure about the availability of 8mm bullets where you are, or even factory loaded ammo but the guys using it here seem to do ok.
regards Pete

 

[lastoftheline]

Go for it... I did.

I took a 98k and rebarreled it...basically you could say I turned the action into a bench/ varmint gun. Went with a stainless steel Douglas premium in 8x57 with 1 in 10 twist, trued action, floated barrel, alum. block bedded stock, tmney trig, faster spring, and scoped it with an 8-32x40. That way I can see FAR.

As for shooting, handloads only...200gr sie HPBT match, with varget powder, etc, etc. I say handload only because while there is some good ammo out there by winchester and hornady (the best IMO), it is 20 a box /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. handloads can get you at 8-9 a box /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif. Plus you dont have to rely on mail order for the ammo because the best deals on factory are on the web (midway, natches, etc).

Accuracy is interesting..... I can do about 1/3 MOA at 100 meters, and about 1/4 MOA at 500 meters. The bullets need time to stabilize I suppose.

what else....hmmm....its a good long range cartridge, IMO.

I would have loved to be at whatever range you were when your friend shot a 960 yard group!!!!

Best I can get around here...within decent driving distance is 550 yards (500m). I am just dying to see what my rifle would do at 1000m.

One last thing...get yourself a good mauser action...a 98k made earlier or before the war... anything after 43 can be suspect in terms of action rigidity. I have a byf 43, I have heard that se, dou, and a few others are excellent.

Ask around on surplusrifle.com in their mauser section for more info on getting a good one...

Hope this helps.

 

[tomme_boy]

This is where we shoot at. The shed in front of the barn is the shooting shack with the stands out front. I have the metal plate circled in the pic. We could go back about another 100yds but we wanted the hill for a back stop. It's pretty neat to watch the bullets going out that far through a scope.

Here is a look from the shed the other day.

I have 2 Turk actions that are large ring/small ring thread. One looks like it was just made. It makes some of the new guns I have sean that are for sale at the sporting goods stores look like they should be a surplus gun. This is the one that I am going to use.

 

[älg]

Lastoftheline, which mounts were you using on the 98k?

 

[lastoftheline]

bases are burrie 2 piece dovetails. and the rings are millet extra high. with that set up, I have about 5mm of clearance between barrel and bell.