Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk loads for a 8mm Remington Mag

Heck, step down to the .325 then! As is repeated around here until we all want to barf... "will the critter know the 100 fps difference?"

I can assure all reading that .325 WSM recoil is NOT brutal.

Jeff will your .325 WSM really get to 3056 fps I know my 8MM Rem gets to 3156 with a 200 Nosler and RL22 load that used to be on the Alliant site. Oh and that's out of a 24" barrel.

Well... no...

I pushed it to ~3000 fps then backed down to my current load. Which is 2940 fps.

But what critter is gonna know the 200 fps difference? :-)

Well Jeff since 200+ fps is nothing why aren't you still using the tried and true 30 06? Would the Elk ever know?

Oh, hell yeah.... grin...

Took my 8mm Rem Mag out saturday and 84 grains of RL-25 with a 220 sierra averaged 2893 fps,with 2 bullets touching and the third way out there.I'm having a Limbsaver recoil pad put on it,because the pad on it now is great for a .270,308,or a .30-06,or smaller.The rifle has been restocked with a Boyd's laminate before I got it.

Limbsavers are great for perceived recoil reduction. Their cosmetic durability is suspect at best. 3/4 of mine are "gummy" in at least one area. If that kind of thing bugs you, might want to go Decelerator instead...

I already have 2 Limbsavers 1).358 Norma Mag 2).300 Win Mag,and I have not experienced any "gumminess"yet.

I've heard the problem is "solved". That's a good thing, if so. I've also heard they'll replace mine if I send them back to them, but then I have to grind them again... ugh...

I've been watching this thread for a little while due to my interest in an 8mm Rem Mag. My Sierra Manual lists 87.0 gr of RL25 as max in the 3000 fps range. And the 84 grs you shot they suggested should be in 2900 range like you were. Reason I mentioned that is because none of the other manuals suggest that the 8mm will push a 220 into the 3,000 fps range. Maybe they were all just being too conservative, but everything I've looked at has pretty similar ballistics to the .325 WSM, while not shabby at all, wasn't quite the hot stepper that Sierra suggested it could be.
So how did the recoil treat you?

The recoil should be better since I had a gunsmith put on a Limbsaver recoil pad,I will take it out this weekend and see what it does.

I will load up some more with RL-25 up to 87 grains,I also have loaded up some 200 grain NP's.

Thank you exbiologist for the info.

i found an issue of handloader or ? and there's an article on the 8 mag. i'll post his loads. my old 8 mag, like 78 grains of h4831 behind a 220 sierra.
i found the data for it.. it's hot so be careful..

I shot my 8mm mag and with the same 84 grains of RL-25,and I got 2984fps with a 220 Sierra,instead of 2893fps that was shot earlier. Accuracy at 50 yds was 2 in the same hole and the third about 3/4 inch higher. The possible difference in fps was the first time I shot the rifle,it was the low 50's and the second time it was the upper 70's.

I have been loading 8mmREm Mag for 25 years and only use one load. 200 Grain Nosler partitions and 78 gr h4831. That will kill anything that walks in Elk country.And if you cant handle the recoil, have a good gunsmith install a muzzle break.
This probably the best, most under appreciated cartridge,that was ever designed.

Well if your to lazy to call them your problem just another example of your libtard attitude I imagine.

81 grs H4831sc with 200gr TSX will be my elk load. Averages right at 3000 fps in my 24" barrel 700. I could probably push it for more speed but it shoots good and I suspect it will perform quite well this fall if I get the chance

my other load is a 250 gr woodleigh over 80 grs RL25 for 2750 fps. Might be slipping one of those in the chamber when hunting in the timber

Has anyone run any tests with the 8mm Mag and Varget powder? I can find data with 150 gr bullets, but I wonder if this powder can work with 220 gr Sierras.

My first reaction is that Varget may be a bit on the quick side for good results in the 8 Rem Mag,unless there is some reduced load I don't know anything about.....it would not make my short list,even with 150's.

With 220's I'd forget about it....there is likely a very good reason you don't see data for a 220 with Varget;not really suitable I think.

Just finished a little load work for my 8mag BDL in a Mcmillan Mtn. Rifle stock. 200gr TSX with just about any amount of RAmshot Magnum from 84gr on up to 88gr was subMOA. No chronie so no speed. RL22 at 74Gr. was one hole and an extremely soft shooting load that a fellow member ran through quickload I believe. Should be around 2800 fps and a nice whitetail load.

Well, so much for that idea. I was hoping to find a load using some of the powders I have on hand. My local gun shop, in this time of high demand, is charging DOUBLE list on powders. Looks like I am going to have to bite the bullet and buy a few pounds of RL25 or 4831 to handle the 220 grain bullets in the resurrection of my 8mm Remington Mag.