8 x 57 Mauser

[Quaticman]

I just bought an older Husqvarna FN Mauser chambered in 8 x 57 JS.
What can you tell me about this rifle/cartridge.

 

[PaulT]

Quanti, first congrats on an excellent purchase.
Great solid rifle in what appears to be in great condition.

Your post rips a fresh scare from my heart as it was only last week when my offer to purchase a Brno 21H in this very cartridge was rejected by the current owner.
I really wanted that rifle and now it is gone.

I have not yet owned or used the 8x57 but certainly did a lot of ground work on it and my impression gained was that it can be best described as the European 30/06.
196 - 200gn projectiles at up to 2700fps in modern rifles will give you a powerful load for medium to large soft skinned game up to 250 - 300yds.

Excellent addition to your cabinet and i'm picking it will quickly become one of your favorites.

Good hunting.

 

[ZG47]

Nice and accurate. Big hole down the barrel makes it easy to see any rubbish whilst cleaning. Hdy 130gr HP for light stuff. Prvi Partisan (Highland) 139gr OR Hdy 170gr RN (or equivalent) for close range lower recoil loads. 150-200gr spitzers/semi-spitzers from Hdy, Speer and others for anything else. AR2206H (H4895), AR2208 (Varget), RL15, etc. and plenty of equivalent choices for propellant. Shoots well and no issues with component sourcing. Good buy, have fun.

P.S. Check Gert Odendaal's posts for loads using components local to you.

P.P.S. Maximum case length and trim length in Yank books = 56.8 mm and 56.6 mm respectively. Use the C.I.P. specs, i.e. maximum case length of 57.0 mm and trim length of 56.8 mm.

 

[Just4fun63]

I just added this 1940 K98 sporterized Mauser to my collection.
I’d be interested in hearing some opinions on taking this on my first Africa plains game hunt along with my .375 H&H

Favorite loads ? Bullets?
8x57 JS isn’t super popular over on this side of the pond.

 

[Fritz2611]

Nice rifle,
it is the old German Military cardridge so as any other military invented cardridge it is very accurate, in my place it had a revival over the past 15 years and in these days it is a very popular round for hunting wild boar. With heavy bullets where it was constructed for it is definetly not a long range cardridge and would not be my first choice for plains game in Africa in open landscape, if you like metric calibers a 8x68S would be better, but this one is definetly a level higher in regards of recoil.

 

[Dr Ray]

Nice and accurate. Big hole down the barrel makes it easy to see any rubbish whilst cleaning. Hdy 130gr HP for light stuff. Prvi Partisan (Highland) 139gr OR Hdy 170gr RN (or equivalent) for close range lower recoil loads. 150-200gr spitzers/semi-spitzers from Hdy, Speer and others for anything else. AR2206H (H4895), AR2208 (Varget), RL15, etc. and plenty of equivalent choices for propellant. Shoots well and no issues with component sourcing. Good buy, have fun.

P.S. Check Gert Odendaal's posts for loads using components local to you.

P.P.S. Maximum case length and trim length in Yank books = 56.8 mm and 56.6 mm respectively. Use the C.I.P. specs, i.e. maximum case length of 57.0 mm and trim length of 56.8 mm.

Very good advice.

 

[dchamp]

Congratulations to the two of you purchasing 8x57's. The 8x57 is my all time favorite cartridge. My son has used it twice in Namibia shooting everything from Springbok to Kudu and Mtn. Zebra with it using 160gr Barnes TTSX. He shot a Leopard with it using 180gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. I have several rifles chambered in it with barrel lengths ranging from 20"-24"s. The load we use for the 160gr TTSX uses IMR3031 and we are getting 2800-2850fps. As far as factory loads go Norma, Lapua and Hornady all shoot well in my rifles. Again congrats and enjoy.

 

[cpr0312]

Nice looking rifle, congrats on the newest addition!

 

[Just4fun63]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

dchamp I was looking at the Barnes TTSX also. I’ve just finished installing a Timmeny trigger set at 3.5 lbs (original was 7.9!), Timmeny safety, hinged bottom metal from a FM and a Leupold 3x9 scope.
Next step is a Boyd’s lamanated stock, polish and reblue as needed and develop a good load. It shoots great with cheap ammo (PP).
I love old Mausers. This rifle was made in 1940 and still works great.

 

[Quaticman]

Have any of you tried the 250 grain Woodleigh bullet in the 8x57? That bullet should take it up to the next performance level I would think.

 

[Patrik D]

Rifles like this one is pretty common here in Sweden.

I took a barrel in 8x57js from a husqvarna 640 and put it on a husqvarna 1900. (My gunsmith did the job)

Those barrels like long and heavy bullets from 196 grains and up.

Mine shoots half inch groups with norma oryx, nosler partition and swift a-frame

 

[browningbbr]

Congratulations to the two of you purchasing 8x57's. The 8x57 is my all time favorite cartridge. My son has used it twice in Namibia shooting everything from Springbok to Kudu and Mtn. Zebra with it using 160gr Barnes TTSX. He shot a Leopard with it using 180gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. I have several rifles chambered in it with barrel lengths ranging from 20"-24"s. The load we use for the 160gr TTSX uses IMR3031 and we are getting 2800-2850fps. As far as factory loads go Norma, Lapua and Hornady all shoot well in my rifles. Again congrats and enjoy.

Thanks for the tip on IMR3031. So far, I've not had great success with 160gn TTSX's in my 8x57, but am not done testing. How far off of the lands are you seating the bullet? Thanks.

 

[Red Leg]

Good news is that your rifle is the JS in .323 rather than the .318 diameter bullet found in many of the pre-war German sporters (scads of .323 bullets and loaded ammo out there). I have also found the heavier bullets (starting around 165gr) are much more consistently accurate in these rifles than lighter and faster - and with their great SD that is a good thing.

 

[dchamp]

Thanks for the tip on IMR3031. So far, I've not had great success with 160gn TTSX's in my 8x57, but am not done testing. How far off of the lands are you seating the bullet? Thanks.

My C.O.A.L with this bullet (160gr TTSX) is 3.160". I shoot it out of 3 different barrels, 1 Blaser, 1 Sako and 1 Remington 700. The Blaser R8 barrel is 3.306"- .146" jump. The Sako 85 Grizzly is 3.360"- .200" jump. And the Remington 700 is 3.270"- .110" jump. All shoot it well.

For a heavier bullet I would suggest trying the 220gr. Sierra Game King in front of some CFE223 powder. I've only shot it in my Blaser, C.O.A.L. 3.205", to the lands 3.260"- .o55" jump. I am getting around 243o+/- fps and it is accurate and has good precision.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Thanks for the tip on IMR3031. So far, I've not had great success with 160gn TTSX's in my 8x57, but am not done testing. How far off of the lands are you seating the bullet? Thanks.

Browningbbr, it is great to hear that your want to get a light load for your 8x57 JS l.I will definitely try it in my 8x57 JS Mauser if you succeed . In South Africa the 8x57 JS Mauser is not a well known rifle...the South African hunters tend to use /know/prefer the American calibers , the 300H&H Magnum and the .30-06 caliber .
It is only a few hunters who know about the German calibers who hunt and use them extensively.
My 8x57JS is a devastating caliber /round in walk and stalk hunts. I use 220 gn bullets at 2100f/s which gives an incredible hard hitting hunting bullet as well as an accurate load. The rifling twist is 1:9.54 , suitable for long heavy bullets ranges from 196gn to 225gn bullet weight .
I previously tried to get a good grouping with 150gn bullet but I did not succeeded . This is why I am curious to see if a 160 gn bullet will work in my rifle...

At what muzzle velocity do you shoot the 160gn bullets?

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Congratulations to the two of you purchasing 8x57's. The 8x57 is my all time favorite cartridge. My son has used it twice in Namibia shooting everything from Springbok to Kudu and Mtn. Zebra with it using 160gr Barnes TTSX. He shot a Leopard with it using 180gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. I have several rifles chambered in it with barrel lengths ranging from 20"-24"s. The load we use for the 160gr TTSX uses IMR3031 and we are getting 2800-2850fps. As far as factory loads go Norma, Lapua and Hornady all shoot well in my rifles. Again congrats and enjoy.

dcchamp, with the use of the 160 TTX grain bullet, what was the accuracy /groupings he got ? The reason I am asking is that I really need a light bullet like a 160gn to shoot accurate from my 8x57 JS rifle?????

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Thanks for the tip on IMR3031. So far, I've not had great success with 160gn TTSX's in my 8x57, but am not done testing. How far off of the lands are you seating the bullet? Thanks.

Here is a recommendation:
The Barnes Tipped TSX features a 100-percent copper body with rings cut into the shank. A polymer tip boosts the ballistic coefficient, improves long-range ballistics and provides fast expansion. The four razor sharp cutting petals double the bullet diameter making delivering "dead right there" performance.

These revolutionary bullets from Barnes are made of 100% copper and contain no lead. Barnes recommends initially seating bullets 0.050" off the lands. Best accuracy will be found from 0.030" to 0.070" depending on the rifle. This is not loaded ammunition.

 

[dchamp]

dcchamp, with the use of the 160 TTX grain bullet, what was the accuracy /groupings he got ? The reason I am asking is that I really need a light bullet like a 160gn to shoot accurate from my 8x57 JS rifle?????

These are pretty much the average.

Recently I have switched to H4895 because I ran out of IMR3031 and had the H4895. I have found it to also be a good powder for this combination.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Excellent, I will order myself some Barnes TTX 160gn bullets and see how they will group in my 8x57 JS rifle, thank you very much for this info , it really is much appreciated...

 

[dchamp]

Here are a couple of the 220gr Sierra GK's.