Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 8mm mauser load for deer

Hi, I just picked up an old Mauser 8mm JS chambering (rifle id post below) and would like to know a good factory load to use for deer. The loads I have seen on the net all use an almost 200 grain bullet and I am looking for something more along the lines of a 150-180 graqin bullet for deer. Now I see that Rem and Federal both offer loads with a 170 grain bullet but the velocity is only bout 2250 fps.I realize that will kill deer but I would like a factory load with a little more oomph than that,say a 150-170 grain load at around 2500 to 2600 . Does anyone manufacture such a load and if so where can I find them? Thanks, Craig

I think you are going to have to handload or use surplus ammo to make up some Mexican match ammo.

I see S&B makes a 196gr sp @ 2,600fps and Prvi makes 139gr sp at almost 2,700fps, but I don't know where you are going to get either.

Personally, if I were to ever use my Mauser for hunting, I'd go the Mexican match route. Surplus 8mm is (or at least was) too cheap to justify buying reloading dies for it. I think the Romanian surplus is 150gr.

And then there's the sight regulation issue. You rifle was probably regulated for either 150 or 196. Their impacts are far apart and the rifles are usually regulated to hit way high. You'll probably have to get a tall replacement front sight and whittle it down to suit your needs. If you go with the 150s, I'd sight it about 3" high at 100 and never touch the elevation again. I think you should be good out to 300 then with maybe a little favoring. Nevermind, I see your rifle is a sporter, not an old military gun. Sounds like a VERY nice peice you have there.

I had the exact same problems when I was shooting 8mm mauser. Some of the better european ammo is much faster but I could not afford it when I could find it. I bought a Lee Loader for $10 bucks and loaded mine with 170 grain Sierras. I had really good success with my reloading and got the velocity I wanted. Sorry I don't have any recent experience, but I bet the european ammo is still loaded much hotter.

Great suggestion. Only I'd go with the elcheapo Remington 185 gr PSPCL @ 2300 to 2400 fps. If you only need a few rounds for hunting every year, the Lee Whack-It Loader is the way to go. If your friends laugh at you, laugh back all the way to the bank.

The only problem is that Lee no longer makes the Lee Loader in 8x57. But you should be able to find a used one, probly right here on the Campfire Classifieds.

Privi and S&B 8x57 ammo are both usually available at gunshows in these parts, or it they aren't where you live, some mail order firms offer them.

Other than somewhat feeble by comparison velocities, nothing much wrong with Rem. green box 8x57 ammo for killing deer.

Prefer to roll my own 8x57 loads and have for many years, but probably not a wise investment for the person that only shoots a few rounds per year?

The Federal/Remington/Winchester 170 grain factory loads are loaded at 30-30ish pressure levels, but they kill a pile of deer every year. Although I'm not a huge fan of S&B ammo, their 196 grain SPCEs work well in my Husqvarnas and Remington 700 parts gun.

196 grains seems to be Norma's bullet weight of choice, they load it in the Vulkan, Oryx, and Alaskan styles. Maybe 196 grains is the "sweet spot" for the 8x57JS.

Jeff

i load a couple different bullets in mine these are shot out of a 23inch shilen number 2 mauser 98 15ogr hornady interlock win case 45gr of imr 3031 cci large rifle primer the other load is 175gr sierra pro hunter rem case 48gr imr 4064 cci large rifle primer start lower and work up and make sure it is 323 and not 318

I played a bit with the 8x57 and my favorite load for deer was the 160 gr. GS Customs bullet with H414 as the best powder...I lent it to a friend for elk and it really did a number on his smallish bull and internal damage was devastating..I suspect the new tipped monolithic from Barnes would also do the same thing..I have a hunch that the tipped monometal bullets may be the answer to the pinched shut hollow point that has plagued the monolithics for some time. I hope so and I intend to try the Nosler first chance I get. I have even shot 6 buffalo on a cull with the 8x57 and milsurp full metal jacket ammo, not recommended but it kills them, just not fast enough to suit me unless the brain or spine is hit.

I also liked the 185 gr. Corelokt bullet and H414...I played with heavier bullets a bit up to and including the 250 gr. Woodleigh, but velocity was that of a 30-30, a good short range killer however. The 170 gr. Sierra was a nice bullet also and it expanded well according to some other 8x57 local fans. Everyone that uses the caliber seems to like it...

If I had one today, I think I would punch it out to the 8mm-06, that always seemed like a really nice round to me but I have no experience with it..It just has to be good however, couldn't be otherwise!

John Lee told me a few years ago that they would eventually discontinue all the Lee Loaders due to slow sales. I immediately bought one in all of the calibers for which I load. In fact, I shoot two different 45-70 bullets, so I bought two 45-70 Lee Loaders so I wouldn't have to change the seater setting. Same with 44 mag. One Loader is for 240 gr Keith-style plain base, and the other Loader is for the Lee 310 gr FP. At about $20 per complete Loader, you can't go wrong.

I worked up a good load for mine the other day with AA 2520. The max load listed on the Accurate website was the best. With an 18.5 inch barrel, I was getting about 2650 fps with a 175 grain Speer. The book said that you should get about 2760 with a 24 inch barrel for that load.

Just go to the Accurate website.

I'm not aware of any commercial 8x57 loads that are going to be ideal. Of course, I generally shun store bought ammo, and haven't looked very far.

For a time, I did have a strain gauge instrumented Yugo 8x57, and the load I used in that was 53 grains of Varget, a 175 grain Sierra bullet, with S&B brass and a CCI LR primer, for 2750 FPS (24" barrel) at 53.8 KPSI. Pressure in your rifle will be different, of course.

It's a pity that it's so awkward to ship ammo. I have about 15 rounds of that recipe, and long since turned my Yugo 8x57 into a 6.5x55.

the s&b 196 spcle round is great, just hold on to your hat, because that sucker will kick you some.

graf's has the prvi. it's good ammo just not a speed demon.

The S&B 196 grain has done well for me.....three rounds consistently between 1" and 1.25" and velocity was about 2650 if I recall (notes aren't here). I shot two wild hogs in TX last spring with the S&B ammo and it performed fine. Should be a great factory load for deer. Much better than the weak load US manufacturers are selling.

I found some Wolf that was running about 2500fps, but my rifle wouldn't shoot a decent group with that.

I hand load for mine...and use the Speer 170 grain SMP..

I load those bullets down to some pretty low velocities ( well below 2000 fps) and they will plow right thru whatever they encounter...

have loaded up the same bullets to a velocity of 3200 fps out of a Mauser ( yeah, they are Hot.. and then a little more HOT.. but the rifle and the brass don't seem to care..as they are reloadable more than 5 or 6 times..).. that bullet still plows right thru whatever it encounters..

so the point I am getting at, I would not feel handicapped with the Federal Loads, using the 170 grain Speer SMP at 2200 fps..
it has more than enough power and performance to dump any deer than ever walked..

or elk as far as I am concerned..

My favorite load is a 200 gr. Nosler Accubond over a healthy charge of IMR 4350. It gets the job done with authority.

My 8mm Mauser is an old K98 that was rebarreled by Yugoslavia after the war. Played with 170 & 175 grain bullets and eventually discovered that I could get more velocity and equal accuracy with a 150 gr. Hornady over 47.7 grs. of IMR-3031. That's a half grain below max. in my Hornady manual and averages 2799 fps. Saw a load earlier in the thread using that bullet and 3031. Maybe we're on to something. All I know for sure is that my rifle likes it. I'm sure a 150 gr. Hornady at that velocity will work well on deer, although I haven't had the chance to try it out yet. Gotta wait till deer season.

The 8x57mm S&B 196gr SP 2600fps from MidwayUSA @ $25 would be a great factory load to try in your Mauser. Good luck.

If you want a factory load, then also look at the 195gr Hornady ammunition. The bullet works fine in my handloads.

Hi,thanks for all the info. I am curious as to whether the partizan and the wolf is the same ammo with a different name. Ballistics and will they expand on deer ? I may go the reloading route and If i do i am thinking about a few different powdes,4064,Imr or H4895, varget ,benchmark. I am really thinking bout a 150 Sierra somewhere between 2700 and 2850 or so. I need some more input guys. thanks,Craig