Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Europe 8x60 Magnum

I've just acquired a Fegyvergyar Budapest on a Mannlicher action in 8x60 Magnum. It is a difficult caliber to find loaded ammunition for here. I know that empty cases are easy to find and that they can be made from 30-06.
My question is can 8x60S cartridges be fired safely in my rifle? Is the 8x60 Magnum just a higher pressure, faster version of the 8x60S ?
It seems to be a well made rifle with some nice features. I hope to be able to use it on a Mule Deer this fall.

I did read on a French Shooting Forum (Tir Mailly Forum) it is just a (about 15 %) higher pressure cartridge. Both the cartridges are supposed to be the same in shape.

To be careful, couln't you just find one from each kind and test the various dimensions with a caliper ?

I would particularly check the bore size to be sure it's a 7,89/8,20 mm (AKA 8mm S) and not a 7,80 / 8,07 mm.

The 8x60s Cases you can reshape from 7x64.

After the 1st World War german were forbidden to use 8x57IS as a civilian caliber by the Allies. So they had the great idea to ream the chamber 3mm more and if was done. They had one hunting caliber who need only a pass of tool in the chamber to be legal. Be careful because of two bore diameters that exist: the 8x60 is .318 while 8x60S is .323. It seems that two loading existed for that cartridge one standard and one magnum. The magnum was around 15% higher pressure than the std. Both can be fired in any good Mauser chambered in 8x60S. You can make cases with any 30-06 based case. RCBS has the dies in catalog and for sure Huntington has some in stock. So first mesure your bore diameter or control that 8x60S is written on the barrel. Mannlicher action are a bit less resistant than 98 so load to standard pressure. The 8x60S is as powerful as the 30-06 and good for the same game.
You can use powder in the range of 3031 to 4350 to load it. Not difficult at all. Take max euroload for 8x57S as starting load, increase by half grain till max. Look at the Vitahvuory manual or Norma for max 8x57S load, VN powders are available in the US as the Norma one, RL 15, 22, 25 are Bofors powders: RL22 close to MRP and MR25 close to MRP2 for exemple. The new RL17 (Swiss made Nitrochemie) could be a good one with 185 to 200grs bullets.
Note that Ramshot sell ball powders that are french (made in belgium at Clermont by PCL)

We use their equivalent in the 8x60S:SP7 about the Big game: 47,6 to 54grs with 196grs RWS TMR for 3,11 overall cartridge lenght
You can work load with Hunter also.
In my 8x57S and 8x60s the SP7 (about the big game) are very good accuracy and velocity wise.
Good loadind.
Enjoy
Dom

PS: RWS is making cases and look for Partisan cartridges think they load the 8x60S too.
In France we use the 8x60S to "civilize" former military Mauser 98 and they are used to hunt or for shooting competitions where only military style rifles are used (in they original calibers or "civilized")We call this TAR (Tir aux armes r�glementaires) or standard military firearm shooting in english.

Thanks for the information. The barrel does measure .323 and I have found one box of loaded 8x60s ammunition on the Inter-net for $65.00 that seems a little expensive compared to 30-06 or 270 Win but it's not like I can find it at every gun store.
At the same auction I bought a 8x57S Mauser action rifle it is stamped Manufacture D'Armes Del'Etat is that a Belgian company? The rifle looks very "German" it has a half octagon half round barrel with a solid rib. The stock has a schnabel forend and side panels and an egg style cheek piece. The trigger seems to be a single set style, lots of slack then it clicks and sets and has a very clean let off. It also has what appear to be Austrian or German proof makers, they are definitely not Belgian or French. Would the rifle have been made by an Austrian maker and then sold by a Belgian company? It's is a lower grade gun than the FEG but very nice and will be fun to shoot. I have RWS Partisan and Remington ammo for it.

The MAE (manufacture d'arme de l'�tat) must not be confused with the FN Herstal. It was implanted at Rocourt in Belgium and produced lots of military firearms. It was equiped to produce Mauser rifle and did so before the 1stWW (10000) and during the war it was a great repair center. Between the two WW it was in charge of a part of Mauser 89 and 98 transformation to use the spitzer bullet (98-30)for belgian and foreign armies. The armourers were highly skilled people. The MAE closed defintively around 1950.
Your rifle is a classic sporter old german style with side panels. Could have been transformed in Luxembourg, Belgium or even France or Germany. Think it arrived in the US as a war souvenir. For me it's a keeper. Real steel rifle with lots of hand work involved in and part of Europe firearm and war/military history. Not a CNC plastic rifle and good to hunt too. You can use Norma or Vitahvuori manuals to load the 8x57IS to it's real power. Not far from 06. Rifle must be in good shape.Best bullets around 180 to 200grs.

I believe I saw a Weatherby Mark V in 8x60 once, or maybe
it was 8x68.

Is the American 8mm-06 30-06 case necked up to 8mm just 3mm longer? Is the base and rim the same?

No the 8-06 (me and brother have one) is closer to the 8x64S but Brenneke created that cartridge in 1912, the 8-06 came after 2ndWW. The 8x60S is really the 8x57IS with 3mm more lenght. The 30-06 use the same case head as the 7mm mauser an 8mm mauser (8x87IS)but the 8x64S head is a little smaller. note that the originam 9,3x62 case head is a bit larger than that of the 30-06/8x57IS...You can use all the 30-06 based cartridges to reform in 8x60S.
To jericho:
Think the Weatherby was one made by Sauer in Germany and was in 8x68S (power and velocity Weatherby motto's)

I really hope this thread continues for a while. I enjoy getting some of the history of European hunting cartridges and the guns. Our European contingent certainly is a huge asset for this. More enjoyable "hearing" it from one of our guys than reading it from most books.Thanks Dom,GV et,al. !!!

Interesting, I saw an early Sako in 8x60 yesterday, built on a Mauser action, but did not look at the barrel markings. I had heard of the 8x60 before, but never have worked with one. I was on a mission to buy a new Colt pistol yesterday, so I did not look at the Sako very much. I will have to look at it again.

Hello Marseille,

I must said the 7x57 originally was designed with a subtle but entirely different head, rim and canelure dimentions than the 8x57s.
Really, the first trully Mauser designed smokeless round was the 7,65x53 (or 54) for the Belgian 1889 Mauser Rifle. The 7x57 was de second Mauser designed round and share those dimentions with the parent 7,65.
With CIP (or original dimentions) 7x57 or 7,65x53, the shell holder for the 8x57/.30-06 does not fit in them. Another one must be used. As RCBS recomends: N� 3 for the .30-06/8x57, and N� 11 for the 7x57.
Anyway, USA made, and NORMA as well, 7x57s, have .30-06 head dimentions.
Prvi Partizan, do offer 7x57 with both dimentions standards to chose.

Regards

PH

8x60 is Rear caliber to find ammo. 8x57 is nearly ever ammo producer list but 8x60 find only from RWS.
You can find reloading data for 8x57 JS from Norma homepage: http://www.norma.cc/sortimentladd.asp?Kaliber=8x57%20JS&Lang=2
It's suits for 8x60S as marseille said. There is several good loads for Hornady and Swift bullets
Good hunt.