I've got a half dozen 8mm's of various flavors from standard 8x57, 8mm-06AI, 8x62 Durham Mag and a few others... them all. The 8mm-06AI with a 25" Douglas barrel is running 3050fps with a 175gr Sierra in front of a stiff load of Re22...I only get 2 or 3 loads out of a case before my primer pockets loosen but it gives me -1/4" groups and groups open up significantly when I back it off so after a long chat with the techs at Alliant I decided to leave it as is. Have been shooting that load for about 20 years or whenever 22 came out and have never looked back. I would highly recommend the 8mm-06AI. Have never recovered a bullet from any of the elk I've shot with it but mostly shoot 180gr Barnes or 200gr Noslers and North Fork bullets. I don't think you could go wrong building one bu it is a lot more gun than the standard 8mm-06.
