198 gr FMJBT load recipes for 8 mm Mauser

[Littlewolf]

I was following the recent thread on hand loads for the 8 mm Mauser but noted most of the responses were for 150 and 170 gr bullets. The Mauser has tremendous potential for higher velocities and I understand why American factory loads are so wimpy (due to the number of .318 bores). My question is what primer /powder combinations will get closest to the original 198 grain bullet loads used by the German army in WW2? I would like to know if magnum rifle primers would be preferred as well as loads using several different powders (WC852, WC846, Varget, IMR 4064, IMR 4350, WW748, and any others).

Littlewolf

 

[Dave Collins]

8mm Mauser reload

With your 198 grain FMJBT load , what was the safe starting grain load and the highest, what grain suited your Mauser. Ta

 

[WYOMan]

I've had really good luck with Vihtavouri N-150. I can get an avg. of 2503 fps. with 200 grain Nosler Accubonds and Sierra MatchKings with single digit ES numbers over the chrony with their MAX listed charge of 49.2 grains. Accuracy is very good. My rifle still has the original military barrel with the normal long throat. IMR 4064 works and is accurate as well but I was never able to get the velocity where it is supposed to be due to the long throats in the military barrels. I have read others say that they can. Mauser documents say that the 198 FMJBT should have a velocity of 2575 from the 29 inch barrels and 2475 from the 24 in barrels.

 

[rcmodel]

(due to the number of .318 bores).

The only .318" bores are on WWI army rifles brought home before the Germans got done converting them all to .323".
And a few pre-WWII sporting rifles brought home after WWII.

Every other Mauser 98 is .323".

rc

 

[Littlewolf]

I have found several good working loads with lighter bullets but wanted to try bullets in the original weight range that the cartridge was used for in WW2. I'm working up some loads and hope to test them in a few days after July 4th. It will be interesting to see how they perform. I am not necessarily looking for the fireball performance of the recent Turkish surplus military rounds but I am aware that much of the German WW2 ammo was fairly stout and very accurate. For me, accuracy is the higher goal.

 

[Trent]

I shoot 200gr sierras out of my Yugo M76 (yes I realize this isn't a mauser, it's a klashnikov, but shoots the same round).

They do REALLY well, accuracy wise. I was able to tune the round to match the original ballistic curve of the original Yugo 198 grain load, so my drop compensation on the ZRAK scope works as it's supposed to.

 

[Toml]

I chronographed Prvi Partisan (PPU) 198 Gr. SP factory loads this week that patterned well in the K98k. Spec velocity 2460 fps. My average 2141, ES 58, and SD 19. I intend to duplicate this load.