8x57 for longrange

[jose wales]

Need some help or advice on using an 8x57 for longrange hunting. Does anyone use one???? My rifle has a 24 inch barrel, do I need to get a longer barrel???? The BC and SD are on par with some so called cartriges but not sure of how it will work for longrange deer hunting. I've found only 160gr. bullets for reloadind and 170 factory loads. Help??

 

[lonegunman762x51]

Seirra makes four different bullets including a matchking and gameking.

While a Mauser action is strong and tough, the quality of older military actions and mismatched bolts is questionable.

What gun are you shooting? What type of barrel? a heavy varmit/tactical barrel and a light hunting contour are not the same thing at 700 yds, even if they are the same length.

This topic may be covered in another area, try a search.


8mm does not have a huge following, but there are guys shooting it.

 

[sean1]

I've got one but don't use it for long-range, more short range woods rifle. I get acceptable accuracy from mine being about 1.5" @ 100 yards. As mentioned they are tough rifles but not very precise. I would first check your close range accuracy to see if it's a canidate for long range.

Nosler does make 200gr ballistic tip and I believe an accubond. I use them and they work fine. I will probably rebarell mine in the future to a more versatile round like the old 30-06 for an all around hunting rifle

 

[MooseChaos]

8x57 is a classic round that can equal 30-06 performance. The only problem it has is a more limited bullet selection. I have bullets @ 125, 139, 150, 170, 175, 185, 196, 200 & 225 grains. Did I say limited selection?

Maybe we can say it is the equal of rhe 30-06 & leave out the rest. I have 7 of these rifles - all with great bores - and the iron sight ones shoot 1.5" or less from the bench while the scoped ones cut that in half or less.

I have one with peep sights and with good handloads from the bench, it shoots .35-.50" 5-shot groups consistently and it doesn't beat me like my 30-06 does.

As far as metallurgical characteristics are concerned, short magnum cartridges have been chambered in these actions for the past 85+ years and if loads are within sammi specs, the actions hold up very well.

 

[MooseChaos]

Btw I'm 74 & have shot these for the past 53 years. Half of the equation is the rifleman rather than the equipment. If you control your trigger and breathing correctly you can shoot a two-stage military trigger nearly as well as a jewell at 2# or less - sometimes better.

 

[Calvin45]

The factory loaded ammo is dismal (as has been said, with handloads it does anything a .30-06 does in the real world). My dad likes to tell a story about his great uncle, and his oddball humour, who owned a milsurp 8x57, nobody around here handloaded back then. This uncle was an exceptionally good shot, known to have made a number of kills over 400 yards back when anything over 200 was a long shot. Anyways, they asked him for details on one of these long shots of his and the story he told was "well, got it all lined up, pulled the trigger...put down the gun, lit up a cigarette, took a few good drags, then picked the gun back up and saw the impact through the scope". Exaggeration of course but the factory ammo for any of those European calibers is truly anemic haha.

 

[Dean2]

The 8x57 was a very proficient sniper round during the second world war. It will make a perfectly serviceable longer range hunting rifle with good reloads. Stick to 160 or 170 grain, anything heavier, the extra B.C. is more than offset by the lower velcoity. I shoot my 7x57 and 7x64 to 800 yards wtih no problems at all. Loaded with Hornady 154 BT or 162 BT, cup and core bullets. The cup and core perform perfectly from 50 yards to 800 on game. Never shot anything further than that with one..

 

[Deleted member 118572]

Great cartridge.

"During the Second World War (1939-1945) the German military changed the 7,9Smm load back in order to utilize a heavy projectile. The new 197 grain pointed projectile featured a streamlined boattail having a BC of .547 over the previous 154 grain projectile's BC of .321. Chamber pressure was around 45,500psi over the previous loading's pressure of 42,700psi with the 197 grain bullet giving a muzzle velocity of 2500fps in the K98k. The new load was re-designated 7,9mmsS, sS standing for schweres Spitzgeschoss meaning heavy pointed bullet. This load produced more desirable extended range performance while producing deeper penetration through light armor in comparison to the 154 grain loading."

I would rechamber to 8mm-06 IMP and run pressures up to modern levels with heavy VLD bullets..

It would be a "long range wonder".

 

[westcliffe01]

I built a custom 8x57 after finding how poor the condition of most surplus rifles turned out to be. When you then add the cost of gunsmithing to turn down the bolt handle, add scope mounts and potentially fit a new barrel, I concluded that re-working surplus rifles was just throwing money down a well.....

So I bought a suitable Savage long action rifle with a plastic stock for about $285 (cheaper than a dubious surplus rifle today). I then unscrewed the factory barrel and ordered a lapped match barrel from Shilen. It costs the same price as any other barrel, its just the wait time....

This was the end result https://www.longrangehunting.com/th...lect-match-8x57-rifle-750.214986/post-1566981

Due to reloading component shortages I have reduced my range time substantially so I have not yet completed load development.

 

[MooseChaos]

I shoot 257 Roberts AI in a 1909 Argentine with an original P. O. Ackley barrel, I'm building a m98 small ring in 6.5-55AI that should weigh @6.5# when I'm finished, I have and shoot two other 6.5-55 standards along with a 7-57, a 7mag, an -06 and my beavy of 8-57s. When I reach and grab at the start of deer season i usually grab my 8-57 with the peep sights unless I'm going to my overlook stand where I can have 300+ yard shots. Them I'll pick oneof the 6.5s or the 257... often the 6.5 Tikka.

A lot of people look down on the old military cartridges from WW1-2, but they rurn around and praise rhe 5.56 & 300 blackout. I can't quite figure that out. Is it because they don't know how to handle recoil? Do they just not like old cartridges? These are extremely versitile rounds that will handle any game on this continent if the nut behind the gun does his/her work and will do so economically. I shoot 170-175 grain Spitzers OVER loads in the high 40's of 4320 or similar medium burn rate powder and plop those into hairy critters and single ragged holes qith boring regularity. Just sayin...

 

[MooseChaos]

Oh, and my 7-57 ... 139 Hornady bt at 2800fps is devastating on deer. 6.5x55 - 120 noslers the same. 8-57 150 Hornady sp at 2900 or 170 Spitzers at @2750 are equals of the first two.