8MM Mauser Reloading Question

[GunnerGunz]

I see 8mm loaded ammo is about $0.50 per cartridge. My question is can anyone load this ammo for about $0.35 per cartridge? The best I can find is $0.42 per cartridge (assuming 6 uses from the brass) and at that price I would go with fully loaded ammo.

Thanks for any reply's

 

[j8064]

Prob'ly not a lot of help, but I load 8x57 rounds for about a quarter using scrounged wheel weight lead turned into CB's with gas checks. My mausers like the rounds and it's every bit as accurate as factory loads...

 

[BeoBill]

And there's nothing that says you can't reload once-fired factory brass.

 

[ken792]

Shooter Pro Shop has blem bullets for cheap. I don't know how they are on 0.323" bullets, but it's worth watching. You can also try to find a batch of cheap military surplus 8mm gone bad to salvage the bullets from (if you don't mind your reloading effort going to military grade bullets which may not be accurate)

You can form brass out of .30/06 (easy to pick up, cheap to buy). I think you can still buy once fired military .30/06 brass on forums for around $0.15 apiece.

You can do more than six reloads. I've loaded commercial .30/06 brass to 9 firings and military brass to 16, and I know a lot of match shooters who have pushed further. Commercial brass can start to be a little sketchy (loose primer pocket, cracks at neck) at around six reloads, but the military brass seems to be much tougher. By the 15th loading, I only had two pieces out of 30 display small cracks in the neck (10th firing). The brass didn't show any signs of getting thin at the case head. There are certain things you can do to reduce wear on your brass, like only full length sizing enough for the cartridge to chamber easily (no need to bottom out the die on the shell holder).

 

[byf43]

In all the years I've been shooting 8mm Mauser(s), I've never loaded a round.

I've read that you can use .30-'06 brass and neck it up, and use that.


Again, I've never tried it.

 

[jimbobborg]

In all the years I've been shooting 8mm Mauser(s), I've never loaded a round.

I've read that you can use .30-'06 brass and neck it up, and use that.


Again, I've never tried it.

It's more like creating 300 BLK from .223 brass. 8mm Mauser brass is shorter than 30-06 brass.

 

[GunnerGunz]

great ideas from all. I will check them out. Since it will most likely be a beater gun I am ok with whatever goes bang (safely of course).