Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 8x57 deer bullet ?

I have no shots past 200 yards. So aerodynamics should mean very little.

Is the 180 gr. Ballistic Tip to tough ? I sectioned one and it had the thick .338 type jacket.

I was sort of leaning toward the 170 gr. Hornady roundnose.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks, Chrome

Speer makes a good 170 and Sierra makes a 175.

I load the Speers for a buddy.
Catnthehat

I have used the Speer 170 @ 2570 fps in the past. Without hitting bone there was little expansion. This year I am trying the Hornady 150 at 2720 fps, but I have not used it yet. If you are worried about not having enough expansion, the Speer 170 would do well.

Have killed deer with the 150gr Speer, 150 gr Sierra and the 125gr Hornady in 8x57 M98s. In my experience, the Speer has a tad too tough a jacket for reliable expansion much beyond 200 yards in the 8x57. The Sierras work just fine at about any distance, but the 125gr Hornady is what I've killed the last three with and are the most accurate of the three, in my favorite M98, (20"bbl sporter).

Tried a few 180gr Noslers when they came out, but liked the 150gr Sierra and 125gr Hornady so much, never did get around to finishing the Nosler experiment. IF I hunted in a place where 150lb and up whitetails were the norm, would be more inclined to give the Noslers a go.

Most of the deer taken with my two favorite 8x57 loads were in the 100 to 130lb range, at distances to 250 yards, most at 100 yards or a bit less. IMR 4064 works best for me.

I have had failures with the Hornady 170 RN. bullets. Two blew up on the out side of a deer..maybe that was a freek thing, but I use Sierra 150 pro hunters now, and the 175`s. Expansion has been picture book, with no core/jacket seperation.

I loaded up some 150 gr. Hornady SP with H4198. I know this probably is not the best powder to use but its all I had.

Average velocity was 2,630 fps. So I was getting .300 Savage ballistics. Accuracy was excellent considering the rifle was new.

On the first hunt with the Remington I took a 5 - pointer at around 65 yards. It was a double lung hit and the buck ran for 65 yards. Leaving a nice blood trail.

There was a quarter size entry hole, and the exit hole was double that.

Would like to try the Sierra 150 gr. What kind of velocity should I get from the 150's ?

Chrome..What rifle is this chambering in? What barrel length?

Please remember, the 8x57 is no slouch when loaded for use in a good 98, or "modern" action. Therefore, modern pressures can be utilized. With the right combination, bullet/powder, you should realize velocities in the 2850+ fps area safely with the 150`s. Remember, "Safely". This has been my experience working with the 8x57 anyway. This case/caliber won`t dissapoint you. Good luck hunting.

My best 150gr load for the 8x57 in a M98, is 49grs of IMR 4064, (with the Sierra 150gr bullet). That should produce something close to 2800+fps from a 24" barrel.

I'd say H4198 is probably a bit too fast for this cartridge.

Chrome..I`m home now, so can look up some of my old notes. In 67 I used a load of52 grns 4064 w/a 150 grn Speer in my 98. Per the loading manual, this should yield about 2900fps.
4895,3031, and 4320 should all give good load densities/velocity.

Dube, the 150 load I cited above was 49.5 gr IMR4064, R-P cases, WLR primers out of a 28" barrel. Another rifle with a 24" barrel I get 2660fps from that load.

Probably that dense, moist Marquette Co. air what slowed 'em down.

Missed your comments on the 170gr Speer in that previous post. Like I noted, the 150gr Speer Hot Cors never impressed me on the several deer I shot with them. One passed straight through between the ribs of one at about 200yds, coulda shoved a carpenter's pencil through there and touched flesh. That's the doe I hurried up and gutted, afore she realized she wasn't dead and got up and trotted off.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

The 150gr Sierras usually do a perfect job of combining penetration and expansion, on our smallish deer (100-130lbs). What's impressed me on the last few though, are the 125gr Hornadys. They group much better in my 20" M98 sporter than anything else and do a dandy job on deer when put into the boiler room.

I'm shooting a Remington 700 Classic.

I had a gunsmith cut 2" off the factory 24" barrel and adjust the trigger pull.
I'm not pleased with the trigger its rather stiff.

Was planning on sending the rifle in and having the Cerakote finish applied. A McMillan stock and a custom trigger is in the plans as well.

I would really like to try the Nosler 180 Ballistic Tip. Not to sure on what kind of velocities I would get out of the 22" barrel.

The rifle is nice ! Its rare that you get a new rifle that has no bugs in it. So I may just leave it alone and not mess with it.

Also the first trip hunting with it and I bag a buck.

[img]"http://www.hunt101.com/?p=220239&c=500&z=1"[/image]
[img]"http://www.hunt101.com/?p=220242&c=500&z=1"[/image]

Looks pretty damn spiffy to me just the way it is, why fuss with it anymore? Great looking wood. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

BTW, mine didn't really shoot all that well at first either after cutting the barrel, until I eliminated all other possible problems, then discovered it just needed a better crowning job on the muzzle.

Would love to have a new M700 8x57, but already have 3 of them in assorted M98s, so probably won't be getting another one. What yours looks like is pretty much what I had in mind when I lopped the barrel on one of the M98s to 20", put it in one of the old Fajen rough-finished blanks they once sold and made me a handy little deer rifle that packs a pretty good punch. I actually built it for my kid, but when he quit hunting I adopted the thing.

Got the Timney Sportsman so perfect on this one, made me want to go and re-tune the one on my FN-action, Douglass barreled 25-06.

Cut about four inches off the forend on the Fajen (had a nasty black plastic cap on it), took a fair amount of wood off when I finished and re-shaped it. It weighs a tad over 7lbs with the Trashco 3x9x40WC on it.

Did the walnut stock in tung oil, stripped what little was left of the finish on the barreled action and trigger guard/floorplate and painted them matte black, which matches the matte finish on the scope almost to a T. Wish it was as pretty as yours is, but it sure ain't. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

try the remington 185-grain core-lokt at 2,700 fps over some 4064.

chrome
I've had good luck with the 200 grain Partition at about 2650 fps. Seems to open fine but doesn't blow up. Shoots flat enough for 300 yards. I'll be using this load when I go to hunt with whitetail in a couple weeks.
Charlie

Got a new load sighted in.

Went with IMR 4064 and the Nosler 180 gr. Ballistic Tips.
I was worried about the muzzle velocity with the 22" barrel but was averaging 2,712 fps.

Accuracy was great.

I think I've found my favorite deer rifle ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Best of luck with it in the coming deer season, I think you'll be happy with the cartridge. I hardly hunt with anything else now, on opening day of our firearms season.

This was quite informative regarding the lighter bullets and the 8x57JS. From what my reloading books say, the 8x57JS was originally designed for a 154gr bullet at about 2880 fps. Personally, I have found that mine does not like the heavier bullets (180gr) over 2500fps.

I am interested in the 125gr because my 12 year old wants to move away from his 30-30 to a bolt action and I do not need another rifle. I am thinking the 125 grain load in the 8mm JS could be an option for him.

Could you give me some specifics on your 125 gr recipe?

I have found that 46.5 gr of IMR 4895 behind a Hawk 180gr .030 RT medium jacket gives me a good group averaging 2500fps. This is still a little rough in the recoil for a 12 year old.

Gah! That Charlie Sisk fellow, whoever HE is, beat me to the punch! I was going to suggest the 200 gr partition over 50 gr of H380, a load I've used for more years than I'd like to admit for whitetail. Since he already mentioned the bullet, though, I've nothing to say.

Anyone using W-748 powder in the 8x57? I wanted to use 4064 but am all out, so I loaded up some 150gr. hornadys with 50.5 of 748, guestimating about 2820-2850fps. Will shoot them tomorow to see about accuracy. I have read 748 being a good powder for the 308 Win, but my 308s always did better with 4064.