I've never owned or shot one so my .02 cents ain't even worth that much but whenever the 8x57 Mauser is mentioned the first thing I think of is the write up in Nosler manual #3 by Al Miller (1st paragraph):
"Among other things, terror can beget respect--that's why I always think of the old 8x57 with mental cap in hand. We were introduced the hard way, that round and I, one hot July day in 1943, just off the Sicilian coast. An ME-110 knifed over the ship I was on, and as it thundered past, the rear gunner cut loose, raking the deck behind me as I sprinted for a nearby gun tub. Luckily, he missed--but anybody who thinks an 8mm is a popgun never dodged bullets from one!"
He might have been refering to pompous Col. Askins who in the same manual said (writing about the 8mm Rem Mag) that "any comparison between this modern number and the antiquated 8x57mm is sorta laughable". I don't know of anyone who would compare the two but maybe it made the old Col. feel more manly.
Anyway, I remember reading those quotes as a kid and they always stuck with me. I wouldn't mind a 8x57 Mauser one bit, but truth be told, I'd rather have the Ruger 77 RSI in .338 Federal over on the .338 Federal thread. Besides, I already have a Whelen so I can't lose!
Use that Mauser and keep us posted on game results (complete with pics, of course).
BTW, sweet Mauser Kudu, Ingwe--very classic!
