8x57 Mauser conundrum

[Southeastern Son]

So I was gifted a Remington 700 chambered in 8x57 Mauser by an uncle years ago when I was in highschool. Years went by and I never even fired it (mostly due to moving away and it staying at my parents house). Eventually I picked it up from my parents, found some ammo for it and started shooting it. I honestly have fallen in love with it and would love to use and abuse it but.
1. The ammo is expensive and criminally hard to find
2. I’ve recently become aware that this is a decently sought after rifle/caliber combo and it is in great shape and don’t want to diminish its value
Any advise and any other 8x57 Mauser users on here?

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

So I was gifted a Remington 700 chambered in 8x57 Mauser by an uncle years ago when I was in highschool. Years went by and I never even fired it (mostly due to moving away and it staying at my parents house). Eventually I picked it up from my parents, found some ammo for it and started shooting it. I honestly have fallen in love with it and would love to use and abuse it but.
1. The ammo is expensive and criminally hard to find
2. I’ve recently become aware that this is a decently sought after rifle/caliber combo and it is in great shape and don’t want to diminish its value
Any advise and any other 8x57 Mauser users on here?

They aren't that expensive to reload for, and while there is a vast field of science behind reloading, just doing basic reloading for a single cartridge using a well known recipe is very easy to do.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

$0.10 per primer, $0.30 or so for a basic soft point bullet, $0.30 ish for powder, and you can reuse the brass quite a few times, so even if you paid $1 each for them, say $0.10 per load, and you are comfortably under a buck a round.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

The Sellier & Bellot 196-grain loads are relatively cheap and effective. That can be had for around $0.88-1.05 per round.

Avoid the American 170-grain loads. They neuter the cartridge.

I used to use it a lot more than I do now. I got very good results with Speer 200-grain bullets in all my Mausers.

I have a very light old Mauser hunting rifle that is an eventual project rifle. Maybe next year I will have the time to work up a load for it.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[06 SB]

I am no longer an 8mm Mauser user but was impressed with the cartridge. I used plain old Remington Corelocks and they downed every deer I shot at. I sold it mainly because my grandfather was wounded twice in WWII by that cartridge and it made me think of someone aiming at him. I know...weird but it is the way my brain works.

If you reload, I have Lee dies and some brass I would sell for basically shipping if you are interested.

 

[Southeastern Son]

The Sellier & Bellot 196-grain loads are relatively cheap and effective. That can be had for around $0.88-1.05 per round.

Avoid the American 170-grain loads. They neuter the cartridge.

I used to use it a lot more than I do now. I got very good results with Speer 200-grain bullets in all my Mausers.

I have a very light old Mauser hunting rifle that is an eventual project rifle. Maybe next year I will have the time to work up a load for it.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

Yeah I’ve found best results with the 196gr Sellier & Bellot I actually just got some 170gr Hornady rounds so that’s great to know thanks

 

[doc holiday13]

you can get 200g Accubonds or 200g partitians.. probably the best bullets available Or get some 220 sierra game kings.

 

[Southeastern Son]

Yeah I’ll admit I know virtually nothing about reloading but this has definitely lead to me thinking harder about getting into it. I will say it seems like a hobby that once you start down that road it sucks you into the hole

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Yeah I’ll admit I know virtually nothing about reloading but this has definitely lead to me thinking harder about getting into it. I will say it seems like a hobby that once you start down that road it sucks you into the hole

It is a rabbit hole. If you can avoid going down it by using the S&B or Norma loads, then do so.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[Eleven]

The reason that I started reloading 35 years ago was because I bought an 8x57. The American factory ammo was horrible, manufacturers were worried about being sued and loaded it down in power. The S&B stuff was great, but hard to find back then. There were a few European variations of the 8x57 (the J, JS, etc) before WWII and the influx of rifles coming to America. So American ammo makers were cautious.

Treat the 8x57 like you would a 30-06 (different brass, bullet and load, obviously) and you’ll be on your way to a a great round. I was using Hornady bullets and IMR4064 and had some great results.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

The reason that I started reloading 35 years ago was because I bought an 8x57. The American factory ammo was horrible, manufacturers were worried about being sued and loaded it down in power. The S&B stuff was great, but hard to find back then. There were a few European variations of the 8x57 (the J, JS, etc) before WWII and the influx of rifles coming to America. So American ammo makers were cautious.

Treat the 8x57 like you would a 30-06 (different brass, bullet and load, obviously) and you’ll be on your way to a a great round. I was using Hornady bullets and IMR4064 and had some great results.

Yes, we always used IMR4064 in it too. I just haven’t bothered to reload for it since S&B ammo became readily available (same for 8x57JR and 7x57R).


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[TaperPin]

. I honestly have fallen in love with it and would love to use and abuse it but.

That combination was only offered in 2004? That’s cool - I have a classic stock from about the same period on my old rifle. The stock fits me and is fun to shoot. A lot of old rifles get used every season and not abused. The glorifying throwing rifles onto rocks, dragging them across the dirt, and whatnot is very much limited to the kids who had beat up bicycles as kids and don’t wash their trucks.

1. The ammo is expensive and criminally hard to find

8x57 JRS Ammo

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You may have to order it, but many cartridges are rare on the shelves nowadays.

2. I’ve recently become aware that this is a decently sought after rifle/caliber combo and it is in great shape and don’t want to diminish its value

I have a “rare” Remington and get much more value out of it as a shooter with replacement stocks, trigger, magazines and even swapping barrels back and forth, compared to stuffed back in a closet where it’s rarely seen until the estate sale.