Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Europe 8 X 68 S

Okaay Europe,
I have been very interested in this European cartridge (8x68s) for a very long time but all I have been able to find are descriptions of it. No pictures, guns, or other specifics on it. Can any of you gentlemen enlighten me on this particular caliber with some pictures, diagrams, and information about it. Me thinks it a well kept European secret that you guys don't want to share with the rest of us. Can anyone be of assistance?

Flower_Child

That's a hard kicker for sure !

Pushes 200 grains at nearly 3000 fps !! No belt but some kind of magnum power for sure.

The only rifle I saw on the field in that caliber is the Mauser '66 telescopic bolt rifle.

http://www.lima-wiederladetechnik.de/Waffen/Mauser-66/Mauser-66-von-rechts.jpg

There are still lots of rifles offered in the caliber but I never had the opportunity to see another one that the great '66.

It is not a very common cartridge. To much power for the usual hunt & game, and for the common shoulder. It would probably make a nice Alaskan round ...

Moutainers could also like its cousin very much too: the 6,5X68 mm.

When I was guiding a fellow from Switzerland used a Mauser66 in 8x68S on a Mountain Goat. He also used it on Blacktailed Deer, Black Bear and Moose a couple of years later when I no longer was guiding. The ballistics sound a bit optimistic to me realisticly it is in between the 8mm RM and 325WSM in power. It is a good cartridge.

Not the best picture but left to right 30-06, 300 WM, 8x68S, 375 Ruger. Hope this helps.

Looks like a RWS "KS" bullet load.

It is an RWS load I think it was a 224 gr bullet IIRC, it did a fine job on the goat. It would fit nicely into a standard length action like a Ruger 77.

Probably the 14.5 grams KS load.

RWS balistic datas always seemd very optimistic to me. For that load it gives 2,854.3 fps & 4,047.7 ft�lbf

The KS is known as the "cone point" bullet in English. Old bullet but still performing.

http://www.rws-munition.de/en/projectiles/ks_cone_point_projectile.htm?navid=18

That's the one, I couldn't remember what it worked out to in grams. For some reason I really like the metric calibers if we could get 8x68 brass here I might have considered getting one. I have heard that factory ammunition here costs about $200 a box.

14.5 grams gives the 224 grains you mentioned. The KS is the only available 224 grains load in 8x68 from RWS.

There are some other interesting 8 mm still available in metric calibers: 8x57JR, 8x57JS, 8x57 JRS, 8x60S, 8x64S.

The 8x57JRS is the most common around here, as a double rifle rimmed cartridge.

The 8x64S would make a great all around caliber for any non dangerous game, but it remains scarce, 'cause there are few rifles and factory loads available on the market. It was designed by W. Brenneke, as well as the 7x64 and 9.3X64.

grande veneur & gerrygoat,
Thank you for the terrific data and pictures. For some reason I just gotta get me one of those 8x68 S rifles. Probably have to have it custom made assuming there is anyone who could build one around here. Currently I have been trying to come up with a project for re-barreling my old 24" barrel Winchester Model 70 in .264 Win Mag and this sounds like it might be something decent to attempt. Do you think the Winchester Model 70 action would work as an 8x68S ??? Thank you so very much for the good look at this rather interesting cartridge.

Flower_Child

My sample of one shows the rim to be .5095 and the head size to be .520 so the magnum action might work you will have to ask a gunsmith about that though. At least in the U.S you can get factory loads in the $50 per box range from Midway and maybe elsewhere which is reasonable unlike what we would have to pay in Canada. Have fun with your project, you know that you are going to do it If I get an 8mm rifle myself it will be the common 8x57 S.

hi Flower Child,


yes you can use Winch 70 to make an 8x68S, if factory ballistic seems optimistics it because they use pressure barrel of tight chamber dimensions 26inches long but for sur you can best the 325WSM. I have one 8x68S, one (2)8mmRem Mag and i've shot the WSM. The german cartridge is really easier to reload with great precision than the 8 Rem that can be temperamental. In France we use mostly a powder call Vectan 7000 very close to the IMR/H4350 or the VN160 with really good results. For cases if the RWS are hard to find in the US call the Norma distributor cause Norma is making case and one loaded cartridge for a year now. I'm my belgien made Dumoulin Mauser actionned 8x68s i got 890m/s (about 2900fps)with a 200grs nosler partition and 4,62g of Vectan Tu 7000 and RWS5333 primers and 62cm barrel.
Enough power for all the game in the US or Europe and most of the african one except big four;

Dom

Thank you Marseille,
From what I am able to determine, the 8x68 S is the equivalent of a .338 Winchester Magnum in both power and performance. It is certainly what I wanted in a hunting rifle but I am a bit concerned about the overall length of an 8x68 S cartridge. The .264 Winchester Magnum that the rifle is currently chambered for is 3.307inches overall length which is about 84mm in total length and while this length cycles through the action I have some reservations about anything significantly longer being able to function reliably. Would you please try to measure the overall length of your 8x68 S cartridges in either MMs or inches so I can be sure my action is long enough to accommodate the length of the 8x68 S. Many thanks to all for the great information I am getting for my project rifle. Thank You.

Flower_Child

Flower Child-
Be careful of the rim diameter of the 8x68S. It is .513. A standard bolt face is .473 and a magnum is .532. You can run into extraction problems depending on the action you use. I have an 8x68s I built on a Sako AV action. The action is plenty long enough but I had to modify the exractor on a magnum action to
function properly. Just oneof the joys of the 8x68s. I took mine to the range last Sunday. It shoots 180 gr TSX into sub MOA at 3275 FPS. I'm a happy camper.
Regards,
sbsmith

You're right sbsmith but with Mauser claw extractor on a Winch 70 a good gunsmith must not have problem to tune the rifle.
For accuracy it's about what i got with mine and RWS 187grs H-Mantel.

Flower Child,

I, too, am an admirer of Teutonic cartridges. I have long looked for a 8x68s or a 6.5x68. The odd head size is definitely a consideration.

May I suggest that if you build on a M-70 action, you start with one with a .30-06 (.473) bolt face. It is far easier, I'm sure, to open up a .473" bolt than to alter a .532" bolt to .513"

The only disappointing thing, that I can see, is that the velocity figures cited by various respondees, exactly duplicates the 8mm Rem Mag. My 8 Maggie, with around 77 grs. of Reloader 19 pushes a 200 gr. Nosler part. to a chronoed 2973 f.p.s. in my factory M-700 Bdl. Thus, if I were to build a 8x68S, it would merely duplicate what I already have and don't use...

That said, if your itch is the 8x68, then one must scratch ones itch... I believe the 8x68S O.A.L. is shorter than the .300 H&H, Thus: any action suitable for the venerable H&H cartridge should work quite nicely with the 8x68S... HTH...

Grasshopper

To Grasshopper,

Not to push you buying a 8x68S, just for information: you get same velocity burning less powder around 65/66grs of IMR4350 burning rate equivalent powder, and most of time it's easier to get an 8x68S shot VERY accurately than an 8RemMag (i've got both for the same time), i don't use them for hunting mostly because they're overkill, but i take them once in year or twice. Not long ago i zeroed a Blaser R93 in 8x68 for a friend and it's amazing how well this rig shoot. A bit less than MOA with factory RWS fodder 200meters.
The 6,5x68 version is another story and can be as temperamental as the 264...Not easy to get advertised velocity with heavier bullets and pressure can jump. A good 6,5x65 or 6,5-06 is easier to work with.
Dom

I have a 8X68 and a 6.5. The 6.5 likes 120 grain Sierras and 65 grains of H4831.This has been a good repeatable load in my rifle.



I also use 65 grains oh H4831 and a 185 grain Remington for a load in the 8X68. Have not shot it as much as the 6.5 but plan to in the future.

Got one: Mauser 66S, with good Zeiss optics, terrific for red deer hunt.

La carabine et le fauteuil me disent vaguement quelque chose ...

there is an 8x68 foer sale on either G-broker or auction arms, I fer-git which. Search MAUSER SPORTER