[NotQuiteSane]

I'm contempulating buying a turkish mauser and rechambering it for 8mm-06 improved. I cannot find any data for this cartridge online that gives velocity/energy numbers, however, looking at the .300 win mag (http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/300wm.html) vs. the 30-06 improved, (http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/w3006imp.html) and the .338 win mag (http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/338wm.html) vs the .338-06 improved, (http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/w33806.html) I expect to see similar numbers for an 8mm=06 improved.

this would be intended for elk and larger sized north american game.

anyone got the numbers?

[Clark]

I have shot 50 gr IMR4895 and 200 gr in a Turkish Mauser and got a slightly sticky bolt, 52 gr and very sticky.

Why I metion this is that at the same time I was struck with recoil and noise that were beyond what I expect from the 30-06 class of rifle.

And there are even BETTER powders. Just rev up the loads and use heavy bullets and you may fiind the 8x57 plenty.

[Clark]

"Accurate Arm load guide Number Two" 2000 has loads for the 8mm-06, it shows 2614 fps for 200 gr from a 24" barrel at 55,300 psi.

[Mannlicher]

PO Ackley, in his book "Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders"said the following:

This cartridge is simply the Ackley Improved 06 necked up to 8mm, and is even better than the very fine standard 8mm/06. It is especially good for the heavier bullets from170 grains up. Since the 8mm/06 is a handloading proposition anyway, it would seem that the Imporved version would be the better choice. It should be as effective on all species of big game as the standard .300 magnums.
Use loading data for the standard 8mm/06, increase 5%.

Ackley does not list any loads for the Improved cartridge.

I shoot a lot of 8 X 57 Mauser out of my old Mannlicher-Schoenauer, and I am very happy with that cartridge as it is.

[Gewehr98]

You may want to consider loading 8x57 Mauser to European specifications, as opposed to the watered-down stuff sold here in the U.S. Take a look at the Accurate Arms load book, they have two separate listings, U.S. and European. I've run 200gr Nosler Partitions at the Euro velocities and pressures, they worked just fine on my Wyoming elk. ;)

[NotQuiteSane]

Ackley does not list any loads for the Improved cartridge.

Oh, thats nice of him.

You may want to consider loading 8x57 Mauser to European specifications, as opposed to the watered-down stuff sold here in the U.S. Take a look at the Accurate Arms load book, they have two separate listings, U.S. and European. I've run 200gr Nosler Partitions at the Euro velocities and pressures, they worked just fine on my Wyoming elk.

I'll agree the 8x57 will do the job, my 30-06 did just fine on elk when I lived back in WY. But I want something a bit "different", so, i figured this would be an easy thing

NQS

[Gewehr98]

From the Accurate Arms loadbook, max loads: Typical US-spec 8x57 Mauser runs a 170gr RN bullet at 2262fps. Yawn.

European-spec 8x57 Mauser runs that same 170gr RN bullet at 2752fps. Just a slight difference, no?

Next page over, 8mm-06 runs that same 170gr bullet at 2870fps. 118fps gain.

The 220gr load data for European-spec 8x57 shows 2442fps.

That same bullet in the 8mm-06 shows 2543fps. A gain of 101fps, and I doubt the elk would know the difference.

Wildcats are cool, and fun to work with. I've got several, including a 6.5-06, and 6.5-300 Weatherby Mag. I had designs on my own 8mm-06, but for some reason the extra 6mm of case length doesn't add that much extra velocity, compared to the 8mm Mauser as originally intended by the Germans.

Granted, you could use the Accurate Arms 8mm-06 max loads as a jumping-off point for your own velocity attempts, maybe trying some of the slower Reloder or VihtaVuori numbers, but you're not gonna hear me advocate that approach.

BTW, Turkish Mausers are odd among the 98 Mauser family. They're a large-ring action, with a small-ring barrel shank. If you just rechamber the existing barrel, you'll be ok, but if you buy a repacement barrel, the threads on the receiver end will have to be turned down to small-ring dimensions.

[Clark]

I will second what Gewehr98 says.
Unitl you have shot the 8x57mm Mauser loaded to it's potential, you don't know if you need a re chamber.

I have put enough gr of IMR4895 and 200 gr FMJ to make the bolt sticky of a 1903 Turkish Mauser, and I don't want any more noise and recoil than that.

[Cosmoline]

The .30'06 conversion only made sense when there was no way to get good 8x57 ammo. It's since become a lot easier, and more of it is showing up all the time. S&B has some great non-corrosive stuff out in proper loadings, and of course there's the dirt-cheap Turkish, though it's very corrosive.

I found that the 8x57 works very well with big 200 and 220 grain bullets. On the heavy bullet end of the spectrum, it has the edge on the .30'06. My Mausers seem to like IMR 4064.