Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 8x57 vs .308

Had a Ruger tang 308 for years back when I owned just two rifles. Shot great and I killed a load of deer with it using the 165 gr Hornady. I turned it into a 250 AI for one of my then young son's. I own two 8x57's, both Mauser open sighted pieces. One went along to Africa a few years ago using the 180 gr BT. Worked fine out of the little carbine. The one on the right.

My take is the 8x57 is the better hunting cartridge (bore size, greater capacity, handles heavier bullets) but the 308 is the better target/defense/utility cartridge due to bullet selection, and available rifles (hey I would love to have an STG-58 in 8x57 but...!).

I've found that the 8x57 is VERY slightly more effective on game due to the larger bore size and a tiny bit more velosity.....but the difference is really small. The main advantage of the .308 is the rifles it can be chambered in......for instance the Savage 99.

How did you 'measure' that tiny bit of effectiveness?

When you get down to it there is not a wit difference between time, in hand loaded ammo and may be a hair or two with the factory loaded stuff. Given the choice I would take the 308 just because its more available in rifles here in the States. I had and shot an sporterized 8 x 57 for some years. I could live with one if I had to but I don't, I could even get an 8 x 57 barrel for my blaser if I was so inclined. No I don't think I would have a smith put a 8 x 57 together for me, but I don't see why it would not be something to do for general purpose big game hunting for those so inclined.

hope. feelings. "gut instinct." knockdown power.

Unicorn milk?

The 8x57 is a more 'exclusive' club.

There is not much difference across fairly broad ranges of calibers, I would say from around 26 to 35 given velocities within about 250 fps of each other game won't know what killed it and the hunter won't see a difference either.

Oh, the 8x57 is leaps and bounds ahead of the 308! Remember, the area of the bullet increases with the square of the radius. Same goes for knockdown power. And there's something special about 8mm bullets too, but nobody can explain it. There's even more magic in 8mm bullets than 7mm bullets, or even 6.5mm bullets! My 8x57 Konigschlossengrossen shoots flat to 652 yards and is only down 2 inches at 847 yards. Back in '79, I shot a left-wing extremist in the gall bladder in Lower Backstabistan from 1487 yards. He was DRT.

Really!

There was an intense 8x57 vs .30-06 debate going on, June 6, 1944.

Seventy years ago today.

Seems both were effective.

...another "metric-hater"...

In a short action the only choice here is a 308. In a long action, there seems about no reason on earth not to choose the 30-06 instead of the 8x57.

But if you happen to luck into one of those cool "intermediate" actions, the 8x57 is the perfect big game cartridge for big pigs and big deer. Loaded to potential ie equal pressures its going to outstrip the 308 in equal bullet weights easily.

A 195g Hornady Interlock at a lazy 2600fps will have most big game snoozing quickly.

The 308 has an advantage when using factory loads but when using reloads the 8mm Mauser JS will do anything the 308 will for hunting Purposes.
The 8mm is not a short action cartridge but Nice relativly lightweight bolt rifles can be found.
I have 2 ,both with double set triggers Model 98's,one a cigarette or Guild rifle and the other a club rifle(target sights modified)
History and fine craftsmanship in both rifles.

The advantages to me are being able to use the Mauser rifles(98's which I like so much)with its 8mm JS cartridge that will do anything I need it to do(whitetails)
I use a 47 Grain load of H4895 with a 150 grain Sierra,low recoil and kills fine .About a 2750 FPS load.

Brass is not that hard to find ,nor bullets nor an appropiate powder.
I bought some PRVI with 196 Grain softpoints that I used for deer hunting(kills okay on short range shots(less than a hundred yards)but not as well as the above mentioned handload.I then used the brass for my reloads.Cheaper buying the ammo for the brass than buying just the brass !I have 3 reloads on 40 rounds with no problems.

No flies on the 308 But I just like the old 8mm Mauser !

Like I said I have both and like both but belong in the ain't much difference camp. For those that get their backs up about the superiority of the 8x57 I am sort of curious is it the hairs width of bullet diameter, the massive weight difference of a piece of lead the size of a BB or the slight velocity difference that probably isn't much more than you will see in variation from one barrel to another in either caliber, that gives it the edge you feel it has.

When I say I don't see any difference it isn't a dishing of the 8x57 as I think the 308 is a da-n fine cartridge nor vice versa .i just don't see any edge that should provide consistent terminal difference in the field that couldn't be just a slight variable in shot placement or the individual tenacity of one deer elk, whatever over another. Certainly not enough to get bothered about.

So what wuold you have if you chambered a barrel for 7.62 x 57?. No other changes except to neck it down to 30 cal. A slightly shorter 30 06?

I knew a guy who built a custom Mauser and necked the 8MM down
to 30 and called it the 30 Roberts if I remember correctly. There is a 8MM magnum for sale in my area, another sleeper.

Just do a search on 8x57 necked down and you will find info on the cartridge you asked about.

The 308 Win will steal the show at long range. Bullets with BC's in the 6's.

In the 308 Win, I've driven the 208 AMax, 210 Berger, and 215 Berger to 2600+ fps.

The 8mm has nothing in that league.

Do your research a little better.


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