Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 8mm for Deer Hunting?

Just looking for opinions on 8mm for deer hunting. I saw a Remington Classic 8mm that looked good. I've got a 8mm that I inherited from my father-in law-it's sportierized with a claw mount scope that I think is near 6x single post Henzlet-Wenzle(sp)-it's more of a collector item now.

Pretty good cartridge that's hampered by pitiful factory ammo. Best bet is to reload the 8x57, then it'll be damn near the same as the 30-06 in the performance department.

I have several M98s in 8x57, all shoot well and have killed deer with little fuss, using my own loads. Did kill a big doe once with my dad's VZ-24 and one round from his last box of Rem. Core-Lokts, but that don't count. Was a sentimental thing that needed done.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Last I noticed, most dealers were unloading M700 Classics in 8x57 at decent prices. If I didn't already have a few rifles in that flavor, might spring for a new M700.

Even the mild factory ammo will put them down to about 200 yds. My first hunting rifle was an old Spanish 98 Mauser in 8x57. I killed several deer before I found out the factory ammo was too weak to do the job.

An old friend of mine hunted with nothing but shot some 200 gr loads from Europe, killed a lot of game with that old rifle.

I've got a Rem 700 Classic in 8x57 that I really like. With the 24" barrel it balances and handles very nicely. I've never taken Deer with it but I took some similar sized game in South Africa back in August 2005. (The Rem 700 in 8x57 was my backup/secondary rifle on that trip. I did most of my hunting with my CZ 550 in 9.3x62.)




Warthog as we found him after my shot. He went about 15 yards below falling and going feet up.

I used a handload consisting of a 220 gr Woodleigh RN at approx 2400 fps. (Load was chronographed.) It worked just fine on the Impala and it knocked the snot out of the Warthog.

Of course, a bullet that heavy isn't needed for Deer. I haven't worked up any handloads yet using a lighter bullet. I did try the Sellier & Bellot 196 gr SPCE bullet factory load. (I haven't hunted with it.) This load has a factory spec of 2592 fps. In my Rem 700, this ammo averaged 2,647 fps (instrumental) for 3,050 ft lb of energy. Extreme Spread was 31 fps with a Standard Deviation of 10 fps. It seemed to be very decent ammo. This ammo is available at Midsouth Shooters Supply (link below).

With European spec factory ammo or handloads loaded to its true potential, the 8x57JS is a fine cartridge. IMHO, it will basically do anything the .30-06 Springfield and .308 Winchester can do. The 8x57 doesn't get much press nowadays, but it's a dandy. I really like mine.

-Bob F.

http://www.sb-usa.com/
http://www.sb-usa.com/rifle_pages/sba85703_spec.htm
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00217SBA85703


Meters x 3.28088 = Feet
Grams x 15.4324 = Grains

Blaser http://www.blaser.de/
Lapua http://www.lapua.com/
Norma http://www.norma.cc/
RWS http://www.rws-munition.de/
Sako http://www.sako.fi/
Sellier & Bellot http://www.sellier-bellot.cz/

I've used it very successfully on a 260 lb. boar, so suppose it would handle a deer very easily. I used the Sellier & Bellot ammo that Bob referenced above. The SPCE ("soft point cutted edge") should not be confused with a bonded bullet, but it did a nice job; it has a sharp shoulder on the bullet that punches a nice hole.

Domestic commercial offerings are relatively tame in case someone inadvertently uses the ammo in the older, smaller diameter bores. This stuff is loaded down to approximately 30-30 category IIRC. Still not bad, but not anywhere near the true potential of the cartridge.

I've used it very successfully on a 260 lb. boar, so suppose it would handle a deer very easily. I used the Sellier & Bellot ammo that Bob referenced above. The SPCE ("soft point cutted edge") should not be confused with a bonded bullet, but it did a nice job; it has a sharp shoulder on the bullet that punches a nice hole.

Domestic commercial offerings are relatively tame in case someone inadvertently uses the ammo in the older, smaller diameter bores. This stuff is loaded down to approximately 30-30 category IIRC. Still not bad, but not anywhere near the true potential of the cartridge.

I got a new Rem 700 classic in 8mm Mauser and I have been shooting the snot out of it getting ready for my TX wild boar hunt coming up soon.

I also have a Yugo M48a that has been "sporterized" but not permanently.

I have developed many good loads for them for deer and for Hogs.

I have also tested the Wold Gold soft point ammo and it is loaded to european standards. Meaning it is loaded to it's full potential with the 196 gr bullet. It shoots wonderfully out of BOTH of my rifles.

I'd say it is a FINE deer cartridge! And I ain't kilt a thang wit it yet!