8mm Mauser

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I would never claim mine to be sub-moa it's a service rifle, not a sniper rifle, however,
I was both surprised and happy at the results I got with handloading vs. factory ammo (new or surplus)
Once I found a sweet spot.

100yds, 196gr PPU SP w/BLC(2) powder.
View attachment 1090656
That's a powder I've never tried in 8mm. Hmm, i KNOW I've got a pound somewhere around here that's beggin' to be used.... :)
 
I would never claim mine to be sub-moa it's a service rifle, not a sniper rifle, however,
I was both surprised and happy at the results I got with handloading vs. factory ammo (new or surplus)
Once I found a sweet spot.

100yds, 196gr PPU SP w/BLC(2) powder.
View attachment 1090656
Looks like you need to drift the front sight a little right... :rofl:

JK, of course
 
Booood-row!

Dandy one inch group with in one inch of center! what more could anyone want out of a service rifle?

(Dang that pony still ain’t made It across that road!)

-kBob
Exactly.
For an 80y/o barrel that has gone though God knows what.... I was/am impressed.
 
Good caliber, but a good quality surplus Mauser isn’t cheap anymore. Not compared to a new production bolt action.
Even the Turkish Mauser which were usually the cheapest way to buy one have jumped in price.
I used to have a ‘44 K98 Mauser, a great shooter (never fired, only dropped once) that had was a great shooter. Guess it really depends if you want a military collectible to shoot. Selling the 8mm and buying a modern optic ready .308 bolt action makes more sense, but I’ve also made quite a few purchases where sense wasn’t driving at the time.
Just be aware that there’s no more ‘cheap’ 8mm out there.
 
I killed my first deer with an 8mm Mauser. I personally would recommend the Sellier and Bellot ammo. If you study about the different manufactures. You will find that 8mm is very popular in Europe. I have personally shot a bunch of different brands of 8mm ammo. By far i have had the best success with Sellier and Bellot.
 
I killed my first deer with an 8mm Mauser. I personally would recommend the Sellier and Bellot ammo. If you study about the different manufactures. You will find that 8mm is very popular in Europe. I have personally shot a bunch of different brands of 8mm ammo. By far i have had the best success with Sellier and Bellot.
Howdy and welcome.
 
I have been buying my 8mm Mauser Ammunition from a company called Plinkers Ammo. They always have it in stock, I personally don't trust anything but Sellier and Bellot when it comes to 8mm ammo. I've tried a bunch of different brands, but i have had the most luck with Sellier and Bellot.
 
I grabbed this Yugo M-48 about 15 years ago. I selected it from a rack full of rifles at a Gander Mountain in Peoria. It is matching, all milled parts and complete with front sight hood and cleaning rod. The bore is pristine. It was the only rifle in the rack with a blued bolt which is why it caught my eye. The machining on the rifle is exquisite...fully up to commercial standards. It's a shooter, for sure. It seems to really like that weak Remington 170 gr. Ammo. I've gotten groups around two inches at a hundred. I don't hunt, but I think that load would be a great Whitetail round. At least for the little deer we have in Illinois.
 

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I think he paid around $20 apiece for them, though that was in far more valuable US currency. I'd guess those prices would translate to something like $400 each in current dollars, but feel free to disagree; I can state that dad had proportionally less disposable income at that time than I have today.

$20 in 1960 would equal $200.19 today.
 
Exactly.
For an 80y/o barrel that has gone though God knows what.... I was/am impressed.

I also am fond of PPU ammo and purchased some commercial stuff ,if for nothing else the Brass for reloading My 8 mm 's .
Surplus stuff is just fine provided it's decent ammo to begin with . Main problem with surplus I ended up with is Steel core and most certainly Berdan primed . So those are crush-able brass . Decades ago I did buy a few hundred 8mm boxer brass for reloading and found 180-196 gr. bullets ( pulled ) worked best out of MY K98's and also M48 using IMR 4064 . I think 45.5-46.5 Gr. with 180 Gr. bullet . I'd have to look at My book for the 196's but usually drop 2-3 Gr. powder to start . Never used BL C2 in anything but 5.56x45mm with Excellent results ,some of MY BEST groups came from BL C2 powder . I'll make a note of revisiting the 8mm with BLC2 ,as I've been meaning to for 7.62x51 also .
One gets complacent and comfortable using Known loads with the standards 4064 4895's .
Someone informed ME a while back ,it's the 21 Century Get with it ,so I'm coming around :)
 
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