Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk loads for a 8mm Remington Mag

I just got a Remington M 700 BDL in 8mm Rem Mag and want to know what other's are using in their 8mm Mags? I was planning on using a 220 Sierra Gameking in my rifle,anyone use this bullet on elk?

Hi 358mag,

Where you at in NM? I'm from there...

I've found the 200-gn Accubond to be a great bullet from my 325 WSM, on a deer and two elk. I won't be changing. If you are loading hot then you'd be what, 150 fps faster than my 2940 fps? So, that might matter, don't know.

I tested that bullet pretty hard, accidentally. Shot a deer right through the hip joint at 40 yards. It ended up under the buck's chin- 39" penetration, 70% weight retention. That was at 40 yards so it was still truckin' right along.

I'd consider the 200TSX, 200NP, and 200 Accubond were it me. If I wanted a 220 I'd skip the Sierra and shoot the A-frame.

Just my opinion, based on the 8-mag lite <grin>...

200gr TSX would be my choice for the big eight. Not a fan of Sierra bullets with big game.

With that 220 Gr Gameking and RL25 your 24" barrel will get you a hair over 3000 fps. But the 220 cup and core bullets won't even scratch an Elk just ask lots of the boys on here. Bang flop!

Will the 220gr Gameking bullet kill a elk? hell yes. Is there a better bullet than the Gameking on the market today? hell yes its called a TSX.....

Jeff O;I'm live in a little place called Mesquite,NM. I will proably try the Accubond in my big 8 along with the sierra's. Is RL-25 the best powder to use in the 8mm?

Nope. Try some BC Headache Powder. Along with some extra strength Tylenol, and maybe a cortisone shot.

My 8mm RM was the harshest kicking thing I ever shot.

I thought Boddington was a fan of the 220 Sierra?

I have never loaded for an 8mm rem mag, but if I were to start today, I would more than likely pick up a box of 200 grain partitions and a pound of R-22. My Nosler No. 6 manual says that 80.5 grains of R-22 was the most accurate powder and charge weight for their 200 grain bullets. IT IS ALSO THE MAX CHARGE THEY LIST FOR THAT POWDER, SO START AT 78.5 AND WORK UP.

They say that it yields 2950 fps from a 24" tube....

I have loaded the 8 mag and have taken at least 10 elk with it. The best powder that I have used with 220s is RL-25. I have taken elk with 200 partitions 220 Swift A-Frames and 220 Hornadys (the 220 Hornady has been replaced in their line by a 195) my favorite elk load is the 220 Hornady pushed by 84 grains of RL-25 getting 3004 fps out of my 24" factory model 700.

Aliant took the 8mm mag data off their web site it listed 85 grains of RL-25 with the 220Hornady and 83 grains of RL-25 with the 220 Swift as MAX loads. I use the standard old cup and core Hornady now because it is faster and more accurate out of my rifle and has killed every elk and deer that I have ever shot with it. The Sierra will do the same. Unless you are hunting the cast iron or Kevlar covered elk. There is nothing wrong with the partition or the TSX bullets either but for elk, deer or anything else they are not necessary.

8mmwapiti

Thank you 8mmwapiti,that is the information I was looking for. 3000 fps would be the MAX with a 220 sierra, I have a chronograph so now I know what to load for.

358mag,

The 8mm Mag is an excellent elk cartridge and with any of the available 200 or 220 grain bullets you will not find yourself under gunned. There are other cartridges that are just as good but few if any that would be considered better. If you can put up with the recoil of a cartridge in this power level then I would say that elk will fear you.

good hunting

8mmwapiti

8mmwapiti; the 8mm Rem can't be any worse in recoil than my .340 Wby,.358 Norma,.375H&H or my .416 Rigby,I'll just practice with it this summer on jackrabbits(if i'm drawn for elk this year).

Oh yes it is.

I have no problem with the big "shove" of my 375 H&H, but the 8mm RM recoil is hard and fast, a much more "violent" and "sudden" type of recoil.

I ended up selling the rifle.

Not having had the pleasure or should I say experience of shooting a 340 Wea to compare it to I still find it hard to believe that the 8mm mag could be noticeably different than it. I can attest to the 8 mag backing up both suddenly and with considerable authority. As my late uncle Glen would say "it kills in front and cripples behind"

That said, if you can handle the 340 wea and the 358 norma you surly can handle the little 8 mag.


8mmwapiti

I loaded my first 8mm Mag. ammunition on March 4,1978, these were loaded with Sierra 220 grain bullets and 78 grains of H4831. I have never shot an elk with Sierra or Hornady 220 gr. bullets so I cannot say how they work. I have killed a number of elk with 200 grain Speers and 200 Grain Nosler Partitions. These bullets worked fine ataround 3120 fps, I never recovered a bullet and all the elk fell to one shot. I too think the 8mm recoils fast and sharp, could be the stock as I also shoot a 338 and a 300 Weatherby and neither seem to be as "lively".
KP

My take on the Sierra 220-gn-

However good it is as a pure penetrator, it ain't no A-frame.

Extreme, guaranteed penetration is the only reason I can think of to run a 220, other than flight ballistics at very long range. The Sierra would indeed shine in that regard.

If you are thinking of using the 220 for the superior flight ballistics, that's cool and I can relate to that.

Otherwise... the 200 Partition, TSX, or Accubond is going to whack the bejeepers out of any elk alive, period, end of story.

I bought my 8Mag.when they first came out,around 1978 and paid $209 for a 700 BDL! It has been on three elk hunts with no score although last year I came close with a 6x6;I just didn't get the shot. With 220 gr. factory Core-Lokts it is one of the hardest kicking rifles I've ever shot and I have shot a few;I shoot my .458 with less "fear" than the Big 8 with factory loads. The recoil seems to be simply quick,hard and unmerciful.It is the first and only cartridge to have given me a scope cut. These days I load it with 4831 and 175gr.Sieras which tames it a bit. And I'm sure the Sierra will down an elk with a good,ethical shot. Is there any other kind? Kix

Come on guys those are just little love taps!

IME any of these medium bore cartridges on a blown-out 375H&H case(8mmRem Mag,340 Weatherby,358 STA,375 AI)dish out a considerable amount of unpleasant recoil.You may feel a difference moving from one rifle to another due to different stock design,weight,etc,but they are all sharp,hard, and fast.

Among thee reasons are heavy bullets at high velocities,and large quantities of slow burning powders. Charges can run into and beyond the mid-80's to get velocity up to where the cartridges are at all justified,and in any recoil equation you not only have to consider the bullet weight and velocity,but the weight of the ejecta(powder) as well.

It all adds up,and a 375 can be more pleasant,simply because it burns less powder (generally a bit quicker burning) and does not go as fast. It takes 77-78 grains of RL15 to move a 250 gr bullet at 2900+ from my 8.5 lb 375,and,while no toy,it is more pleasant to shoot than(say) a 358 STA moving the same weight bullet 100 fps faster.I learned this a long time ago,and since the 375 shoots about as flat to 400 or 500 yards as a 340 Weatherby,I forgot all about Holland length blown out mediums a couple of decades ago,since the 375 with tough, light bullets does anything the others do, with less kick and fuss,and from reasonable weight rifles.

If it's over 30 cal,for me, make it 375

That said,an 8 Rem Mag with a 200 gr Partition is a fine load for about anything that walks....