What have you killed with the 8x57?

[mauser98]

The what have you killed with the 7x57 thread got me thinking of starting one for the 8x57. I looked around this site and there doesn't seem to be much love for this old grand cartridge. I haven't hunted Africa yet (something I dream of for the future) but I have hunted in Canada with the 8mm's I've owned. I'm a big fan and believer in the 8x57 being an all around cartridge just like the 30-06 if loaded properly or European ammunition is used(American made ammunition is very underloaded for the older .318" bore), and am confident in dispatching anything this continent has to offer.

I've used many bullet types From Hornady, Speer, Nosler, Sierra, and Barnes. A few bullets that stood out to me in performance has been the 180gr Nosler Ballistic tip loaded to 2700 fps and the 195gr Hornady interlock/196gr Norma plastic point going 2550-2600 fps. Great penetration and knock down power. Furthest shot I've had to take was 300 yards on a Mule deer and closest on a treed Black bear at approx. 10 yards. The 8x57 has never failed me. As long as i do my part the cartridge will do its part with authority.

Now back to the original question, what have you killed with the 8x57? How did your specific bullet hold up and preform?

I'll post some pictures of my personal kills using the 8x57 to begin with!

 

[C.W. Richter]

LOL personally I killed the need to have one by converting into 257 AI and 757 AI. Fantastic case (one that Browning simply improved upon in the 06 a few yrs later.)

 

[mauser98]

Some pictures of some of the rifle's used.

 

[mauser98]

LOL personally I killed the need to have one by converting into 257 AI and 757 AI. Fantastic case (one that Browning simply improved upon in the 06 a few yrs later.)

That's understandable. I to have a couple 7x57's, 7x64's and a 6.5x55 but that's for another thread. Great cartridges that have proven track records.

 

[grand veneur]

What have you killed with the cartridge 8x57IS ?

Quite a lot, extremely difficult question to answer for an older hunter of german tradition from east France and Germany.

However, the cartridge 8x57IS is not longer used that often here either and has lost its place in favor of cartridges like the 30-06 in a first time and then the 308 Winchester or different cartridges caliber 6,5mm.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Rabbits, fox, raccoon, wild boar, white tails, mule deer, elk, wild goats, wild sheep, javalina, mountain lion. Bison, axis deer, I’m sure I’m forgetting some here and there.

 

[grand veneur]

At this time I still own an old Stutzen Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1905 that got a barrel caliber 8x57IS in the thirties.

 

[John Telford]

At this time I still own an old Stutzen Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1905 that got a barrel caliber 8x57IS in the thirties.

Interesting- I have one in African model configuration that was a special order for Chas Meyer Nairobi.

 

[grand veneur]

My Stutzen has the normal Austrian proof marks, but then the barrel was changed in the thirties, due to the Belgian proof marks probably also in Belgium, but I don't think it saw Africa.

 

[leslie hetrick]

i started my hunting career(1953-1954 on the farm) with several shotguns for every thing, small game and large game. the large game with slugs in the shotgun, to me the slugs were piss poor out of my single shot shotgun for large game past 25 yards with only the front bead for a sight. when the flood of surplus arms stared in the late 50,s, i quickly bought several rifles with my hard earned farm dollars. a 7x57 was the first, the second was a 303 british and the third was 8x57, i think i spent a grand total of 80.00 for all three. if you grew up and worked on a farm in the 50,s that 80 dollars did not come easy, i think i pulled over a million cow teats for most of it. alas i sold them to buy a decent sporterized 03a3 with a el-cheapo 4x scope. now back to the 8x57, my dad ground the tips off the fmj 8x57 war ammo and i killed quite a few deer with that rifle. fast forward i have bought five swedish model 8x57,s built with FN commersial actions, i,m going to keep two, one with factory open sights and one with a scope and get to know the 8x57 cartige of my youth.

 

[steve white]

Quite a few Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1908's were rechambered from 8x56 MS to 8x57 mauser, a simple task. I had one. Most of my deer were shot with drillings utilizing the 8x57 JR, 40 to 250 yds. None ran over twenty steps, most drt.

 

[KJE81]

I had a Chapuis X4 double rifle in 8x57IRS (if I understand it correctly its the same as 8x57IS but rimmed) and with that I have shot one rather big moose and a couple of smaller ones aswell as a wild boar and a roe deer and all fell on the first shot.

 

[Louis Toadvine]

Nothing yet, as I just barely picked up my first rifle chambered in 8x57 a few months ago. It's been very accurate on range sessions thus far shooting factory loads with heavier bullets (196 and 198 gr SP). I'm very much looking forward to going after whitetail and maybe a black bear next fall with it:

 

[Jon Glajchen]

Great caliber! I have shot plenty of game with it . My latest loads have Woodleigh 196gr RNSP bullets going at 2550 fps. Performs fantastically in the bushveld. I only have about 60 rounds left and will probably start using Norma Oryx 200 gr points which I have bought if I can’t get Woodleigh’s.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Louis & Jon, those are two pretty rifles!

 

[mauser98]

Beautiful rifles! That Sako and custom Mauser really get me wanting to get another in the stable of such beauty! I'd like to get a custom built rifle in 8mm in the near future!

This one doesn't compare with the ones above but its the prettiest 8x57 I have at the moment. CZ 550 Lux that I recently bought and has yet to be fired by me.

 

[C.W. Richter]

LOL personally I killed the need to have one by converting into 257 AI and 757 AI. Fantastic case (one that Browning simply improved upon in the 06 a few yrs later.)

Maybe it should be reintroduced as the 325 Rigby??

 

[John Wasmuth]

Maybe it should be reintroduced as the 325 Rigby??

.323 Rigby Express!

 

[C.W. Richter]

I don't know what the other bore dimension is but maybe call it the 320 E No. 2 as they call the 284 the 275!

 

[John Wasmuth]

.318 I believe.