Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles How Many 8mm RM Owners Here ?

I remember dad having at least 2 of them over the years, I know he didn't hunt with either of them. The last one he sold at a gun show in the late 90's or really early 2000's. On the little post-it note he used to price it he wrote, "Hippopotamus Gun". LOTS of folks just HAD to pick it up with that little note on it.

No 8mm RM here, but I got a Winchester 1885 in .325 WSM. Shoots 3/4” groups with the first factory ammo I tried. Its very cool gun, but a little heavy so I’ve never hunted with it.

They chamber the .460 also.

The one I had was made in the very early 80's and the first inch or so of the barrel was pitted and I had it cut off. Then I had the stock replaced with a Boyds laminated stock. It probably weighed 8-1/2 to 8 3/4 lbs. It was still lively from the bench.

IF I was to get another,the MRC or my 1917 Enfield (most likely the Enfield) would be the action and the barrel would be 26" long. With a Leupold 3.5x10,loaded with either a NP,Sierra or the Swift A-Frames,there's not much I cannot do with it.

L O L, that's a new one on me. brought a smile to my face.


Jerry

8 RM and 325 WSM, IIRC they're pretty close. I don't hunt heavy rifles either.


Jerry

Yep, it would have the power and range for any BIG game.

As long as you can kill bunny wabbits with your 460, it'd be redundant. grin


Jerry

Yeah,that .460 on bunnies is a special kind of fun.

I have always had a soft spot for the big 8. Growing up, it was the only rifle (700 BDL) my dad owned so I handled and played around with it often. Living in south central PA it was and still is certainly more rifle than needed for our whitetails. I am not really even sure the back story on how he happened to buy that rifle originally and why he didn't just get something else. He still has it but it only gets used a few days every few years. He much prefers a model 7 in 7mm-08 now as his go to rifle. I have carried the 8mm mag and have shot deer with it as well. He has mainly used factory 185s from it. I loaded some 200 grain partitions with RL-22 for him to try but we have never made it to the range with them yet. An accurate 200 grain partition should be all he will ever need if someday he can afford his Newfoundland moose dream hunt.

extreme

I am really surprised at how many folks have the Rem 8 Mag. I was always too skeptical of the 185s to shoot deer with them.
I have 'either' 180 or 185s that I got from Midway -- way back. I don't remember why I got them but I did load and chronograph them.
I know I used some for practice.

When it comes to WT or MD I feel the 8 mag is WAY more than needed. I intended and still intend to use it for Elk,,,,,if I every get drawn.

I sure hope y'all can work out a Moose hunt with HIM and the 8.

Thnx

Jerry

A friend of mine bought a new bdl in 8mag maybe 20years ago, for whitetail deer. He called it his "hoves in the air" gun cause it supposedly killed with one shot and zero tracking. He sold it the following year. That's the only 8mm I've ever seen.

Elk was the main vision I had when I acquired mine. Hopefully get another chance to try it on one. Mine shoots OK with 200 gr partitions, would probably shoot better if I spent more time on load development. It's just not a lot of fun to shoot lol

Very close - the 8mm RM is a bit bigger, but very few of the loads for it took advantage of that fact. QL says I could get an extra 80 ft/s over my .325 with the RM, and I don't have any reason to doubt it. Powders would be RL-16 and RL-23.

L_B

When we first got this 8 RM the ONLY data I had to go on was what J R S used in his development. I found nearly the identical results he had.

I posted this on P 3



Since I haven't been using mine lately, I haven't searched any new load data EXCEPT...
Nos # 7 list 78 gr IMR 4831 under their 200 P for velocity (speed) 3000-3100 ; which is their highest vel listed.

I've used 80 grs IMR 4831 many Xs over the years and have good case life.
With 3100-3120 fps...... I've been satisfied.

Since I have some Rl 26, I may give it whirl.

Thnx Again

Jerry

That tells you something. Don't forget, diff people have diff recoil tolerance.

Thnx

Jerry

I’ll give you a suggestion that helps me w/recoil.

If you can get the Rifle high enuff for shooting to where you are in a
MORE natural SITTING position....

Your body can roll back WITH the recoil instead of RESISTING or trying to stop
the motion. It makes a diff to me.

eg. the 375 HH is stouter from a bench THAN standing up as in hunting.
That’s an exaggerated illustration to the point.


Jerry

Wow, fellas the hobbit hasn’t been around to ruin a thread 😂

Oh he was thru P 7

Interesting thread. Respectfully I for one have never understood the 8mm Rem Mag, again it will get the job done but it is not really a very efficient cartridge when comparing the latest .323 projectiles to say 338 Win Mag projectiles and velocity generated. It’s best claim is similar to the 284 Win in that the 8mm RM case has been more popular for wildcatting, i.e., Layne Simpson’s STW chambers, Jon Sundra’s 375 JRS and of course Remington’s factory 416 Rem Mag, which is greatly more successful. In all truth the 338 Win Mag is a much better choice for putting down heavy game at long range with roughly the same recoil when shooting 200 grain 8mm RM load vs. 250 grain 338 WM. Again, not criticizing owners or use just comparing the two. As far as I can tell the 338 Win Mag is quite a bit more useful shooting 165gr through 275 grain loads at long range, not to mention on a 3.4-inch action vs. the needed 3.6-inch for the 8mm RM.

My chief memory of the 8mm Remington Magnum is from a catalog when they first came out with it? I'm thinking around 1978 or so? I was in grade school at the time, and had a Remington 580 "Boy Scout" .22 Rifle-my one and only firearm and, therefore, a committed, loyal Remington customer for life.
I never did buy an 8mm, but this thread brings back some good memories.