8x68S owner's opinions

[Gert Odendaal]

Good day members

I am currently contemplating building a 8x68S hunting rifle. I really would like it very much if you who owns a 8x68S rifle will give me feedback regarding this caliber. Good points and not so good points will be more than welcome ...if you can have a second 8x68S what would you like to change on this rifle? I want to use this rifle to hunt plains game at longer distances than with my 8x57 JS and my .308 Win...

Gert

 

[PaulT]

Gert, you might want to p.m Karl Stumpfe.

I'm reasonably sure he has one, and if he has it's a pretty sure bet he's done a bit of hunting with it.

 

[Mannlicher]

I use a Steyr ProHunter in 8x68S. With a 220 gr Swift A-Frame a buff is no Problem.

Pictures from last week - all game taken with my 8x68 S...

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Thank you very much Mannlicher , it is what I expected from a 8x68S...I pm Karl and will get an answer from him. What distances are you shooting at ...longer distances?? I will use my 8x57JS for busgveld distances but want to feel secure when shooting at an animal at longer than 300 meter distances....What scope on your rifle?

Regards

Gert

 

[Mannlicher]

The scope is a Schmidt&Bender 3-12 x50 Zenith with an illuminated reticle. The 8x68S is good for long shots, the ballistics similar to the 300 Magnums. In Europe I shot red stag up to 300 m . In your bushveld you need no longe range catridge like the 8x68 S, but it´s fine to know, that there are 30% more energy inside compared with the 8mm Mauser.....

Mannlicher

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Is there meat damage when shooting at shorter distances at plains game?

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Very good caliber. I used to use a rifle in 8 x 68S. Cartridges produces only RWS.
I am currently using a rifle in 9,3 x 62.
Witold

 

[Bindie]

I have a Mauser 2000 in 8X68S, a great calibre in my opinion as it works well. It has the capability to shoot the long distances but also capable of using the heavier projectiles if needed. Mine is currently unscoped and will happily shoot out to 150 meters when hunting. Depending on the load, there is meat damage, possibly compared to a 30-06. Currently reloading with South African made Rhino bullets which are 235grains, but have used Sierras, Barnes and Nosler in this particular firearm.
Have take a number of plains game large and small.

 

[Mannlicher]

Cartridges produces only RWS.

Norma loads the 200 gr Swift A-Frame in their factory load.

Mannlicher

 

[Mannlicher]

Is there meat damage when shooting at shorter distances at plains game?

You have to take a tough bullet - it is the same Thing like with the 300 Magnums. Standard bullets like the Sierra are too soft for the velocity. With such bullets the damage can be great.

Mannlicher

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I agree with Mannlicher. Norma also produces cartridges 8 x 68S. Sorry.
Witold

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Thank you for the replies , it really is nice to get input from hunters who has the 8x68S rifle and hunt with it. I shot the 8x68S today with 180gn TSX Barnes bullets today using a starting load and noticed the low recoil...but I am sure if I load maximum loads I will notice the recoil, although this rifle has a heavy stock and a heavy thick barrel..so it will eliminate the recoil, this is not a rifle you want to walk long distances in the veld with, since it is a heavy rifle. Although I loaded minimum loads I noticed pressure on the primer...it is something I need to look at...

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Bindie, excellent photos of your hunt with the 8x68S hunting rifle. Thank you for sharing . Mannlicher/Witold thank you for your input.

 

[tarbe]

Although I loaded minimum loads I noticed pressure on the primer...it is something I need to look at...

Reading primers can be very tricky and unreliable. Best to measure case expansion just above the web.

I have been fooled by primers a time or two!

 

[8x68]

I have a BRNO ZKK 602 8x68. It's topped with a Leupold VXIII 3.5-10x40. It's a great calibre. PaulT is right Karl would be someone talk pm. I'm going to pm you with a link to an article that Karl wrote about the 8x68.
The 200gr Nosler Partition is the most accurate using H4895 in my rifle. Best velocity was around 2900fps.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

I read up about the Obendorf Mauser action M98 , according to a very knowledgeable source it seems this action like the VZ24 is one of the best actions to build a custom rifle on. I will really enjoy preparing the action for a very accurate 8x68S medium/long hunting distance rifle...I think using a barrrel with a rifling twist of 1: 9.45 (8x57JS) will indeed afford me the opportunity to shoot a 220 gn bullet quite accurate out to longer hunting distances. As I pointed out previously a large cartridge capacity with a tight rifling twist will ensure a very accurate hunting rifle....

 

[8x68]

Good luck with your build. Always exciting to see how they turn out. I'm having a 404 Jeffery built on a Win Model 70 Stainless 375 H&H barreled action. I'm excited about that!

 

[Nyati]

I have a Mauser 2000 in 8X68S, a great calibre in my opinion as it works well. It has the capability to shoot the long distances but also capable of using the heavier projectiles if needed. Mine is currently unscoped and will happily shoot out to 150 meters when hunting. Depending on the load, there is meat damage, possibly compared to a 30-06. Currently reloading with South African made Rhino bullets which are 235grains, but have used Sierras, Barnes and Nosler in this particular firearm.
Have take a number of plains game large and small.

View attachment 39690 View attachment 39691 View attachment 39692

Nice pics, Bindie, I see you´ve been hunting with my old friend Hannes !

 

[drew416]

If

Good day members

I am currently contemplating building a 8x68S hunting rifle. I really would like it very much if you who owns a 8x68S rifle will give me feedback regarding this caliber. Good points and not so good points will be more than welcome ...if you can have a second 8x68S what would you like to change on this rifle? I want to use this rifle to hunt plains game at longer distances than with my 8x57 JS and my .308 Win...

Gert

If you really want to turn your 8x68S up a notch, try and obtain the 250gn Woodleigh Cat 64D bullets and load them. They work very well in my 8mm Rem Mag which is very close ballistically to your 8X68S.

 

[Thor Kirchner]

I have a original Mannlicher in 8x68S that I inherited from my old man. He shot hundreds of buffalo with this gun. I have also had good experiences with the Norma Swift A frame on both buffalo and small PG (impala) at short and long range.