Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 8mm-06 owners... take a read

I posted at another site, but thought any 8mm-06 owners would find this helpful<BR>Hi to all...<P>Well I made it back from Korea, and then last week the smith 'finally' finished up the 8mm-06.<P>A little background is in order since the time last posted on this.. This is a M98 that I had rebarreled.. It was orginally in 8mm-06 from the 50's, but the throat was 'loong' and showing wear. The only bullets is would shoot well (and very well at that) were the 200g ones, especialy the Noslers($). I had some cash from the year end bonus at work, and figured I would treat myself to a rebarrel job on the ol' 98. I thought far and wide about what to rebarrel her to. From 375-06 wildcats down to 6.5-06. I was really temped by the 338-06, but when I was visting the barrel makers sights, the one I chose for the barrel had a 8mm-06 remer also.<P>Most 8mm-06 are rechamber jobs, and the chambers tend to be a bit on the generous side. They have always been reliable hunting arms, and the shooting potential of most were in the 1 to 1.75 inch range with the right bullets and loads. Would not win any target compitions but the game animals never attend target matches anyway....<P>Well given that I had the bullets, dies, and plenty of cases for the 8mm-06 made up, and the barrel maker had the reamer, I opted to stay with the 8mm-06, instead of the 388-06 route.<P>I have always wondered what a 8mm-06 would be like if done in fresh cut chamber and match grade barrel. Well I am about to find out. Also during the time the smith had the rifle, I ordered and recieved a 1.5x6 B&L 4200 scope. I just finished putting the scope in the mounts. Last night I loaded up some 185g Remingtons, ahead of a mild charge of AA2700 in virgin brass. Now after this post... it is off to the range for some easy work up and testing.... Stay tuned...<P>...Pick...<P>06/28/01-6:44 PM Posted by: pick <P>Just back from the range... to sum up in one word ...NICE... only 15 rounds down the barrel, 5 to get the scope dead on, 5 at 6x for group and 5 at 1.5x for comparision, and to check if scope holds POI at different power settings.<P>Well the 5 shot group at 6x measures right around 0.50 in the vertial, and just on 0.75 in the horizontal. This was done at 50yrds, which is were I do all my inital testing of ammo and rifles. Given this was a virgin cases, not formed to the chamber, and no load development, but just a mild book load, with published vel in the 2600fps range, and a virgin barrel... I am quite happy.<P>The other thing that I am quite pleased with is the now once fired cases show NO (0) strech during firing. I had the bullets crimped in the grove, using a Lee factory crimp die I had made up at the factory for the 8mm-06. In my other 8mm-06's and this one prior to rebarreling I would get anywhere from 3 to 10 thousand's of strech for virgin cases. When I requested the barrel be prechambered in 8mm-06, I asked them to keep it as close to minium chamber and still be safe. It appears they did a great job at it.<P>It is strange to look down the barrel of a 8mm-06 and not see the rounded deep (high) rifling of the original military barrel, pitting and all. Also no military step tapper on the barrel. But that is what will make this one special.<P>What has all this cost in time and money?<P>Ordered the barrel in Mid Feb.<BR>$235 for Chrome Molly match, contured, chambered and prefit for M98 action.<P>Delivered to smith rifle and barrel Mid March.<P>Smith did the following completing in Mid June.<BR>Rebarrel the action<BR>Insure action and barrel square and contact<BR>Set head space.<BR>Adjust the Timmy trigger to requested pull and travel<BR>Open barrel channel in stock for new barrel<BR>Re-glass the front of the action bedding due to new barrel<BR>Bead blast and buff for non-glare surface (whole rifle)<BR>Reblue from the white in a stain dark blue<BR>Total time ... 10 weeks to turn around<BR>Total Gunsmith charges $440<P>So the final cost is $675 and 13 weeks (four months). Was it worth it? For me yes. You can maybe buy two rifles for that amount of money, but they would not be what I really wanted. I found in life it better to wait for what you really want then to settle for something else.<P>Now the fun begins... Working up the right loads for this rifle. I plan on starting with the 185g Remington, since I have 400+ of them, and after that it is on to the 200g spiters.<P>Any one have their favorate loads using the 185, now is the time to let me know. ...Pick...<P>07/05/01-7:16 PM Posted by: pick <P>Well got some range time in today...<P>I tested the following loads<P>Rifle<BR>1914 M98, manufactured in Orbenduorf (spelling?)<BR>Pac-Nor Chrome Molly Match, 8mm, 1 in 10 twist<BR>Pac-Nor #3 sporter contour, cut at length 23 inches<BR>chambering - 8mm-06<BR>Scope - B&L 4200, 1.5x6 36mm, set at 6X<P>All loads, all cases once fired<BR>WW case reformed FL sizied to 8mm-06<BR>Remingtion 9 1/2 standard Large Rifle primer<BR>Case length 2.485<BR>Bullet - Remington 185g 8mm Spitzer Core-Lok<BR>C.O.L. - 3.200 inches<BR>Crimp, heavy - in groove with Lee factory crimp<BR>(custom made at factory per my request)<P>Powder loadings tested, all AA2700<BR>52grains<BR>53grains<BR>54grains<BR>55grains<P>Inital results at 50yrds<BR>52g 1.75 inches at 50<BR>Neck sooted to shoulder, common to very mild pressures<BR>0.004 to 0.006 case strech<BR>primers full radius<P>53g 1.2 inches at 50<BR>Neck still sooted to shoulder<BR>0.004 to 0.006 case strech<BR>primers full radius<P>54g 1.5 inches at 50<BR>Almost no soot on neck<BR>0.003 to 0.005 case strech<BR>primers full radius<BR>very easy extraction<P>55g 0.38 inches at 50<BR>No soot on neck<BR>0.001 to 0.002 case strech<BR>primers full radius<BR>very easy extraction<P>Conculsions.... getting the neck to 'snap' to the chamber walls seems to be key in this first go around, and case strech is less as I am going UP in powder charge!.. I will take it.. The most accurate was the last load at the highest charge wieght. All shots touching and just a ragged hole at 50 yards. I plan on loading 'hunting' rounds for this rifle and that is why the seating of the bullet in the groove and the heavy Lee factory crimp I had made up for the 8mm-06. It looks as if I should work around the 55g area up to maybe 56.5..<P>For the next go around I am thinking about the following...<P>55.0g again as a base line<BR>55.5g<BR>56.0g<BR>56.5g if no pressure signs and groups as small or smaller..

Don't have any 8mm06's but do have a corner full of 8x57's. Two things on 8mm bullets: tried a handful of the new 180gr Nosler Ballistic tips last fall, they may hold some promise. They are made for the 8mm Rem. mags so they should be stout enough. <BR>Also tried 125gr Hornady spitzers in my short barreled 8x57, and they are very accurate. Also appear to kill deer fairly dead, as I dumped one at about 80 yards with the 125gr bullet last winter....went right through him. Sierra 150gr spitzers also have worked very well in my 8mm's over the years. Good luck with the new rifle.<BR>The 125gr bullets may give you some extra shooting practice, if you live where varmints are plentiful and they will shoot in the new gun.

Thanks DudePA..<P>Right now I will work on the 185, followed by 200g spitzers, that is what I have on hand now.<P>I put in for the PA elk tag draw, and hopping real hard, somebody has to get it, and might as well be me, Right?<P>I live in the Reeders area of Monroe county, how about yourself?

The Elk hunt is drawing a good response, last I heard they've received over 3000 applications and will likely get more 'til it's over and done with. Don't know anyone that lives in Elk territory, so didn't apply for a tag. As originally drawn, the regs required a minimum 243 caliber for Elk, now it's 270.<BR>I live in eastern Cumberland County, mostly hunt in the northern tier counties of Potter and Tioga.

Back from the range today... the 100yrd this time.<P>Since the last time I posted I did the work up and found that 56.5 was very accurate and no pressure signs, and then I went to 57.0 and seemed just as accurate. Then I tried 57.5 and the grouped opened somewhat, and the rifle really started to move. Exctraction was easy, and the primer pockets still tight on reloading. Considering that these were shot with it was in the 80 degree range I was happy with. I felt that I could have safely pushed 58g but already I was getting much more blast and flame, and the groups showed signs of opening so I quit while I was a head, and even droped the 57.5g loading from any further testing.. BTW this is all AA2700 with the 185 Remington, as is the prior posts.<P>That got me to today, I was only working with two loads.<P>a. 56.5g AA2700<BR>b. 57.0g AA2700<P>At the 100 yrds I can tell the difference, were as at 50 I could not.<BR>The 56.5 would print between 1.2 and apx .8 for the three set of groups I shot with it.The 57.0 printed no larger then apx .8 inches and one seemed on the edge of 0.5 inches, the combined bullet holes were larger then the spread.<P>Final loading:<BR>Win Case FL for 8mm-06<BR>Trimmed to 2.485 inches<BR>Rem 9 1/2 primer<BR>57.0g AA2700<BR>Remington 185g 8mm PSPCL<BR>C.O.L. 3.200 inches<BR>Heavy crimp in bullet groove using Lee factory crimp.<P>I will tell anyone this, I do not care what you shoot, but bench shooting any hard recoiling rifle from the bench is no fun. I will never be a benchrest shooter, at least not with the cals I shoot. I have found my hunting load for this bullet for the rifle and on to the 200g Spitzers, though I think I will take a break here for a few days.<P>I love this Pac-Nor barrel. It cleans up so nice and easy compared to all the others, and it has not printed any really bad groups. From what I can tell during the work up nothing would have gone over 3 inches at 100 hundred, so I could really use any of the loadings for hunting. Now if I can only get an elk tag in the PA drawing [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img] ... Somebody is going to get it, might as well be me, right?