I recently got a M-48 Bo Yugo Mauser for free when my buddy's Dad Died.It's a Mitchells Mauser,It is in Beautiful unused condition.I re-load everything I have a have a set of Dies for it.I can't hunt because I'm disabled.What I want to know is what kind of range and accuracy you guy's think I'll Be able to get out of it?I know it,s no Big Magnum,I have a few of them but I would like to use this gun to target shoot only.If anybody has had any experience with the 8x57 Cartridge reloading it would be greatly appriceated.I just Brought 200 gr Nosler Competion Plus Bullet's.Looking more or less for "Pet Loads". Thanks,Beak50
8x57 yugo mauser
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benchracer
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The 8mm mauser can be loaded to give performance that is roughly equivalent to the 30-06. A few years ago, two good friends of mine bought yugo mausers from Mitchell's and we experimented with different powders and bullet weights in our hand loads.
For purposes of target shooting, I think that you have made a very good choice of bullet. We got our best results with bullets in the 200g range. Where powders are concerned, we had very good results with H4895, H4350, and RE-15. I don't remember the powder charges for the loads we used and I no longer have the data in my possession.
One thing to keep in mind when loading for the 8mm mauser is that most loading data you will find for it is very conservative (That seems to be true for all of the old military mauser cartridges). That, combined with the generous chambers and throats that you will encounter in the milsurp rifles, tends to result in actual max loads being found at powder charges that are above the listed max. You will have to decide for yourself where your comfort zone lies on that issue. Regardless of what you decide to do, work your loads up very carefully.
Among the things we learned while loading for and shooting our milsurp mausers was that the primary accuracy limitation with them was the standard issue sights. The rifles themselves were capable of quite a bit more precision than the sights that were fitted to them.
One of my buddies installed some Mojo aperature sights on his otherwise unmodified M48 and was shooting sub 2" groups @ 200 yards with his chosen 220g hand load.
One final thing to consider is having the standard issue metal butt plate replaced with a good recoil pad. The 8mm mauser is no ***** cat and, especially with the metal butt plate, will beat you up pretty good if you put a lot of rounds through it from the bench or from the prone position.
Good luck with your hand loads. I hope you enjoy shooting your milsurp mauser as much my friends and I enjoyed shooting our mausers!
For purposes of target shooting, I think that you have made a very good choice of bullet. We got our best results with bullets in the 200g range. Where powders are concerned, we had very good results with H4895, H4350, and RE-15. I don't remember the powder charges for the loads we used and I no longer have the data in my possession.
One thing to keep in mind when loading for the 8mm mauser is that most loading data you will find for it is very conservative (That seems to be true for all of the old military mauser cartridges). That, combined with the generous chambers and throats that you will encounter in the milsurp rifles, tends to result in actual max loads being found at powder charges that are above the listed max. You will have to decide for yourself where your comfort zone lies on that issue. Regardless of what you decide to do, work your loads up very carefully.
Among the things we learned while loading for and shooting our milsurp mausers was that the primary accuracy limitation with them was the standard issue sights. The rifles themselves were capable of quite a bit more precision than the sights that were fitted to them.
One of my buddies installed some Mojo aperature sights on his otherwise unmodified M48 and was shooting sub 2" groups @ 200 yards with his chosen 220g hand load.
One final thing to consider is having the standard issue metal butt plate replaced with a good recoil pad. The 8mm mauser is no ***** cat and, especially with the metal butt plate, will beat you up pretty good if you put a lot of rounds through it from the bench or from the prone position.
Good luck with your hand loads. I hope you enjoy shooting your milsurp mauser as much my friends and I enjoyed shooting our mausers!
westcliffe01
Well-Known Member
You can also shoot 150gr bullets. There are 125gr bullets available too, but so far I have not tracked any down. If you shoot 196-220gr bullets, the recoil is significant, particularly in a military stocked rifle with possibly a steel butt plate.
My rifle is a modern one (Remington 700) and needed quite a lot of work to work acceptably. So far I can get it to shoot 2" at best (reliably). I just fitted a new stock (have not had time to bed it yet) and I will see how that improves results. The new stock has the barrel free floated and reach to the trigger is longer, on the standard stock it was too short and my finger would cramp. It also has a decelerator style pad, not the cheesy Remington one.
If you intend to shoot it a fair amount, try the lighter bullets, it is a lot less punishment. I have found brass difficult to find. If you can find PMC ammo, buy that. The brass is higher quality than privy partisan (which is the only low priced current ammo). The difference between PMC and privy cases in weight is several grains. I typically buy ammo at Aimsurplus Our Catalog
It is cheaper than buying brass. Certainly some Lapua brass would be nice, if you can find it and unless the chamber is really good, you may wear it out just as fast as the privy partisan stuff.
My reloads are straight out of the Hogdgon website data page. I usually start with a load in the middle and then work up.
My rifle is a modern one (Remington 700) and needed quite a lot of work to work acceptably. So far I can get it to shoot 2" at best (reliably). I just fitted a new stock (have not had time to bed it yet) and I will see how that improves results. The new stock has the barrel free floated and reach to the trigger is longer, on the standard stock it was too short and my finger would cramp. It also has a decelerator style pad, not the cheesy Remington one.
If you intend to shoot it a fair amount, try the lighter bullets, it is a lot less punishment. I have found brass difficult to find. If you can find PMC ammo, buy that. The brass is higher quality than privy partisan (which is the only low priced current ammo). The difference between PMC and privy cases in weight is several grains. I typically buy ammo at Aimsurplus Our Catalog
It is cheaper than buying brass. Certainly some Lapua brass would be nice, if you can find it and unless the chamber is really good, you may wear it out just as fast as the privy partisan stuff.
My reloads are straight out of the Hogdgon website data page. I usually start with a load in the middle and then work up.
I have fooled with many 8X57JS (8mm) Mausers for a long time. They all have shot best with 180 to 220 gr bullets for me. I have found acceptable hunting accuracy for woods hunting with 150 gr Sierra's around 2800 fps with IMR 4064 and they hammer deer. Your Yugo 48 should shoot very well with your 200 gr bullets pushed between 2200 and 2400 fps with IMR 4064 or Varget at least the ones I have do. One thing I have noticed with the military stocks is in recoil the way the wrist of the stock it shaped it allows the trigger guard to come back and smack your knuckles on your shooting hand. I started wearing a weight lifting glove that is finger tip open but the knuckle area is padded. A past recoil shield does wonders for the recoil. Another tip I have found with generous chambers and long throats of these military rifles is to use a Lee Factory Crimp Die on your loads. You do not need a crimping groove on the bullet to use this die. It's use will hold the bullet for that moment it takes to get a good burn on the powder going to get proper pressure up and has made for better accuracy for me in the old war horses. You can make cases out of 30-06 cases by running them into your 8mm size die and trimming them to length. Winchester cases work really well for me because they are thinner and you don't have to turn the necks because of thickness. Good luck and good shooting.
westcliffe01
Well-Known Member
I have watched the youtube videos on resizing 3006 brass, the only problem is that I have not located any reasonably priced supplies. It seems even more expensive to obtain 30-06 ammo than 8mm ammo and I don't have anything to shoot the 30-06 rounds in....
I this weekend fitted a new stock to my Remington 700 and it really made a huge improvement to my group sizes, even before I did a bedding job to it. It was a stock from https://www.stockysstocks.com/servlet/StoreFront There is a version of the stock for mausers too.
The one that I wanted was this one:
The one I was after is the bottom one (laminated black grey) with aluminum bedding block. Turned out they didn't have the color I wanted so I looked around and found another stock I thought was identical (and it is externally) but it turned out it didn't have the aluminum bedding block. The vendor is relocating their manufacturing and are recommending to buy only what they ave in stock until they get production re-started at the new location.
But for $156 + shipping, it is the biggest single improvement I made to the rifle. I went shooting today and the rifle is shooting less than 1moa for the first time ever. This is with the 150gr Hornady spire point bullets. I would imagine that adding the hart bedding block will make the rifle more consistent over time, and one could also swap any 700 action into the stock in 2 minutes with no bedding needed.
The stock positions the right hand wrist in a more optimal position relative to the trigger, so my trigger finger was not cramping. It also comes fitted with a thick decelerator style pad, something else I was not looking forward to fitting to my standard stock. Lastly, the barrel is fully free floated and the fore end is wider to provide a better support for prone or rest shooting.
I this weekend fitted a new stock to my Remington 700 and it really made a huge improvement to my group sizes, even before I did a bedding job to it. It was a stock from https://www.stockysstocks.com/servlet/StoreFront There is a version of the stock for mausers too.
The one that I wanted was this one:
The one I was after is the bottom one (laminated black grey) with aluminum bedding block. Turned out they didn't have the color I wanted so I looked around and found another stock I thought was identical (and it is externally) but it turned out it didn't have the aluminum bedding block. The vendor is relocating their manufacturing and are recommending to buy only what they ave in stock until they get production re-started at the new location.
But for $156 + shipping, it is the biggest single improvement I made to the rifle. I went shooting today and the rifle is shooting less than 1moa for the first time ever. This is with the 150gr Hornady spire point bullets. I would imagine that adding the hart bedding block will make the rifle more consistent over time, and one could also swap any 700 action into the stock in 2 minutes with no bedding needed.
The stock positions the right hand wrist in a more optimal position relative to the trigger, so my trigger finger was not cramping. It also comes fitted with a thick decelerator style pad, something else I was not looking forward to fitting to my standard stock. Lastly, the barrel is fully free floated and the fore end is wider to provide a better support for prone or rest shooting.
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benchracer
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I don't understand going to all of the trouble to form 8x57 brass from 30-06 brass. Brass for the 8x57 is not difficult or expensive to obtain. New brass can be had from Midway made by both Remington and Winchester.
Unless you stumble across a screaming good deal on ammo and buy in bulk, obtaining your brass by purchasing loaded ammo is about the most inefficient way possible to go about obtaining your components. Buy 100 cases, a pound of powder, 100 bullets, and a box of primers and you will come out way ahead.
Unless you stumble across a screaming good deal on ammo and buy in bulk, obtaining your brass by purchasing loaded ammo is about the most inefficient way possible to go about obtaining your components. Buy 100 cases, a pound of powder, 100 bullets, and a box of primers and you will come out way ahead.
westcliffe01
Well-Known Member
I think there was a time that surplus 30-06 was readily available, as was once fired brass, but those days are gone. About the only source that may work now is the CMP Related Sales
Not being a US citizen (green card holder) I don't qualify. If you follow the link above and scroll down, one can still get new Hornady ammo in bulk for just over 80c/round. This is less than the price of most brass alone and if you have a 30-06 rifle and an 8mm you can "recycle" some of the cases for use in the 8mm.
I recently bought some Winchester brass for my 222 and the quality of the brass leaves a lot to be desired. Basically one has to length trim all the cases (after establishing the min length), then full length size (which also takes care of the dented case mouths), then neck size in a collet die. Then wash all the lube off and one is ready to prime.
Even for this tiny round, the brass was 36c/case. For an 8mm it is frequently over 80c/shell and Lapua brass is well over $1. When Privy partisan loaded ammo (soft point hunting bullet) costs 60c/round it is better to buy these bullets first then recycle the brass later.
Not being a US citizen (green card holder) I don't qualify. If you follow the link above and scroll down, one can still get new Hornady ammo in bulk for just over 80c/round. This is less than the price of most brass alone and if you have a 30-06 rifle and an 8mm you can "recycle" some of the cases for use in the 8mm.
I recently bought some Winchester brass for my 222 and the quality of the brass leaves a lot to be desired. Basically one has to length trim all the cases (after establishing the min length), then full length size (which also takes care of the dented case mouths), then neck size in a collet die. Then wash all the lube off and one is ready to prime.
Even for this tiny round, the brass was 36c/case. For an 8mm it is frequently over 80c/shell and Lapua brass is well over $1. When Privy partisan loaded ammo (soft point hunting bullet) costs 60c/round it is better to buy these bullets first then recycle the brass later.
The reason that I mention that you can make 8X57JS cases out of 30-06 is I took it for granted that most people that are reloaders have a bunch of 30-06 cases laying around their loading room already. If you go to most any public range around where I live just before big game season you can usually pick up a bunch of 30-06 cases people leave laying around. I just guess I am getting old. Most self-respecting people I know own at least one 30-06 
.
.cannonballmount
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You chose the right bullet. My old 8X57 is very fussy and does not shoot most bullets and loads well at all. But that 200 grain Nosler shoots very sweet, pushed ny IMR 4350, I got a 3 shot 200 yard group of 1.5 inches. Most groups have been around 4 to 6 inches at that range.
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My Dad has a like new M-48 Yugo that he purchased back when they were first imported and he paid like $90 for it in the cosmoline! He also bought a couple others for plinkers but saved one to become a "sniper". My Dad always liked the German K98s with the high claw mounts but he didn't feel like butchering his mint BYF 44 K98 bring back souvenir rifle, so he converted his Yugo into the scoped Mauser. He opted for a solid cheek weld and traditional rings and mount so went with Redfield rings and a one piece Redfield base. For a scope, he had luck with Nikons at the time before he discovered Vortex, and topped it with a Prostaff 3-9x40 with Nikoplex reticle. He had the bolt professionally bent and used a Buhler safety.
The rifle shoots as good as it looks and keeps them under an inch without bedding or any kind of accurizing work. Don't know the charge off hand, but he shoots a good load of IMR 4064 behind a Speer 170gr Spitzer but soon will be trying the 170gr Hornady SST. This isn't a long range rifle and he uses it just for thick and hilly woods where long shots are not possible. So far he has taken a couple bucks with it, a nice eight point and another busted up fighter that was also an eight. One dropped in its tracks at 90yds and the other one ran 25yd or so if I remember correctly and don't recall the range but was under 50yds. Not long range, but it makes for an excellent deer rifle for your average close shots in the woods around here.
The rifle shoots as good as it looks and keeps them under an inch without bedding or any kind of accurizing work. Don't know the charge off hand, but he shoots a good load of IMR 4064 behind a Speer 170gr Spitzer but soon will be trying the 170gr Hornady SST. This isn't a long range rifle and he uses it just for thick and hilly woods where long shots are not possible. So far he has taken a couple bucks with it, a nice eight point and another busted up fighter that was also an eight. One dropped in its tracks at 90yds and the other one ran 25yd or so if I remember correctly and don't recall the range but was under 50yds. Not long range, but it makes for an excellent deer rifle for your average close shots in the woods around here.
