8x57 brass of choice

gotstolefrom

I deleted all the nostalgic background that brought me to this point, but ....

If you were to begin loading the 8x57 today, what commercial loads would you shoot-up for the brass, and what other brass would be your choice. BTW, I load on single stage press(s).

THANK YOU for all the invaluable tips that will flood me.

jonk

How cheap do you want to be? I trim down LC 30-06 brass, size, and am good to go, and I have a ton of it from Garand matches, etc.

If going to go the commercial route, I've really not noticed any difference, but would probably go with Wolf. They're now making it boxer primed and reloadable. Or PRVI.

wtroper

In years past I have loaded a lot of 8x57. Used all of the major U S manufacturers' brass. But primarily Remington & Winchester. Good cartridge that is generally underappreciated.

dchjch

Winchester for sure. I've had great luck. Remington a close second.

Pinhead

Much the same as jonk. I run 30/06 brass through a 8x57mm size die (remove the de-primer assembly first), put the deprime assembly back in and run the neck over the expander ball, then trim the resized brass to length(I use a Forster trimmer with the power adapter). Quick and easy and far cheaper than the going rate for new commercial 8x57mm brass of $18.00 or more for 50 cases. I normally use range pick up 30/06 brass but a local dealer has new pull down military 30/06 brass for $45.00 for 500. I just re-read your original message and I at one time bought Remington brass because that was what was available.

sandwarrior

gotstolefrom,

PRVI Partisan. It's not as expensive at Remington or Winchester. If you were to buy only the brass though I would get The Win or Rem. They are a little softer and you can get more reloadings out of them without having to anneal the brass. I've reloaded all three and have had to toss some of the PRVI at six loads. The Win and Rem are still looking good after eight.

My load isn't super hot but it's up there. I use 50 gr. of IMR4064 behind a 200 gr. Speer.

Mobuck

First choice would be Winchester but most are ok. Just stay with one brand if using foreign brass. Internal capacity is quite variable and could cause pressure problems later. I used a starting load listed for Winchester brass in some older Privi brass and it turned out to be close to the max I felt safe with. Had I not been cautious it might have been bad.

Wulfmann

Hirtenberger and Sellar&Bellot have a slightly larger rim that requires one size up on the shell holder and they have small flash holes that get a normal punch stuck; very annoying.
I drill them out but the larger rim is still a pain.
I use the reducing tool to form 8MM from 3006 cut it off with a Makita saw and use a deburring tool on a drill to finish before running it through a 8MM sizer and its fine.
Most commercial brass works well but LC-Match and Federal 3006 are softer so form best and last longest.
LC regular is very brittle and I did not get 3 firings so were the worst and I have formed many odd cases most OK
8X57 new commercial is now even more expensive than last week but then so is the ammo.
I am not big on buying loaded ammo and shooting it to get the brass because I simply do not like the loads so it seems funny to spend so much on what I do not care to shoot.
When I get a stellar deal on loaded ammo(I bought 3k FNM Boxer target) I unload it reload it to my desire and then shoot it but to each his own.
As for loads I am anti-recoil so develop loads so far off the chart people think I am nuts but as long as one does it a grain or half grain at a time and uses powders that are known safe light loads (4895 is my best) you can tame the mighty 8MM.
I actually have one load so light I set the site at 500 meters to shoot 100 yards.
Very sweet.

Wulfmann

CHEVELLE427

quick ???? stated trim 30-06 brass to size and use it for 8mm ,isn't the shoulder on 30-06 brass higher up then 8 mm brass? does this matter?

jonk

Yes, the shoulder is higher on 06 brass than on 8mm. No it is not a problem; the sizing die pushes the shoulder back. Remember, all brass begins its final stage in manufacture as a straight walled cartridge and gets sized down. So just size and trim and you're golden. You may see a little line in the 8mm neck where the old 06 shoulder was but after a shot or two it disappears. Looks like a little crimp groove almost.

CHEVELLE427

thanks i did not know that, just so happens i have some 30-06 and not very much 8mm guess it would be a bad thing to leave the shorten
30-06 laying around, someone picking it up thinking it was 30-06 brass.[8D]

Mobuck

After you do that make REAL sure you don't mix a loaded reformed case in with regular 30/06 ammo. It is possible under some conditions to load an 8mm in a 30/06 chamber and someone might see the headstamp and not notice the different length/diameter.

CHEVELLE427

YES I WILL HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH THIS CUT DOWN ROUND, I DID TRIM 5 DOWN TONIGHT TO TRY IT .LOOKS LIKE THEY WILL WORK FINE, I HAVE HAD THIS OLD LOG OF A GUN FOR YEARS AND JUST NOW GOT THE ITCH TO TRY IT OUT. MUST BE OUT OF NEW TOYS TO PLAY WITH.(MUST GET MORE TOYS).[:D]

Wulfmann

I assume I can screw up so I assign certain head stamps to be converted. It is preferable to use 30-06 that do not say 30-06 on the brass, IMO
I just did 300 Lake City Match and have also used Korean 30-06 (KA) which works well.
If you shoot 30-06 and 8MM try assigning say all Remington to 8MM conversion and leave all Winchester for the oddsix.

Point is, don't think you can't make a mistake and implement something that prevents it.

Wulfmann

CHEVELLE427

THINKING OF MARKING THE HEAD WITH SOMETHING THAT WOULD CATCH THE EYE OR MAKING THE 3 LOOK LIKE AN 8 (80-06)quote:Originally posted by Wulfmann
I assume I can screw up so I assign certain head stamps to be converted. It is preferable to use 30-06 that do not say 30-06 on the brass, IMO
I just did 300 Lake City Match and have also used Korean 30-06 (KA) which works well.
If you shoot 30-06 and 8MM try assigning say all Remington to 8MM conversion and leave all Winchester for the oddsix.

Point is, don't think you can't make a mistake and implement something that prevents it.

Wulfmann

Pinhead

Although I have not used it for this purpose, the Brass Black by Birchwood Case could probably be used to blacken the base of or the whole case if you are worried about mis-identification of the 30/06 & 8x57mm brass. I have for years marked my "plinking only" brass with an X on the base of the case with a permanent magic marker. It works. You might have to remark it when you tumble clean it after use but that is no problem either. My experience anyway.

CHEVELLE427

THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD WORK FOR ME. (AS LONG AS CAN KEEP THIS BRAIN FADE IN CHECK) quote:Originally posted by Pinhead
Although I have not used it for this purpose, the Brass Black by Birchwood Case could probably be used to blacken the base of or the whole case if you are worried about mis-identification of the 30/06 & 8x57mm brass. I have for years marked my "plinking only" brass with an X on the base of the case with a permanent magic marker. It works. You might have to remark it when you tumble clean it after use but that is no problem either. My experience anyway.

Wulfmann

The fact both wear off in tumbling is the problem. When cleaned that is where I will separate the brass.

Once loaded I don't need to know the difference as it is obvious and as I load it it goes in the right box.

I save up my spent cases and clean them all at once so after cleaning is when they need to be easiest to identify.

IMO

Wulfmann

jonk

It really isn't that big of an issue. I mean, you load a batch of 8mm, label it, put it in a box or bag, and close it off. It's not like you are mixing a bag of loaded 8mm and 06 rounds together, you do load 1 at a time. Even if you DO get them mixed together, the length differences are quite readily apparent with the naked eye. If you accidentally dumped, say, 7.7 jap and 8mm together, that could be tricker.

CHEVELLE427

i think the biggest deal is to keep up with spent rounds so nobody else comes along and pick them up thinking there 30-06 , i have all the rounds i reload in there own cans or some zipper leather bags i picked up at a great price, all rounds have loading info in bag or cans.when im loading i try to load all 1 cal and then switch to another . main ones are 45 acp 44mag 50ae 270 and now the 8mm
may start 223/5.56quote:Originally posted by Wulfmann
The fact both wear off in tumbling is the problem. When cleaned that is where I will separate the brass.

Once loaded I don't need to know the difference as it is obvious and as I load it it goes in the right box.

I save up my spent cases and clean them all at once so after cleaning is when they need to be easiest to identify.

IMO

Wulfmann

jonk

Well, even if someone did pick them up thinking them to be 06, he'd quickly figure out that wasn't the case when he resized them and saw almost no neck. And even if he were stupid enough not to notice this, an 8mm case sized in an 06 die with just a ring of a neck probably wouldn't hold a bullet anyhow, so he'd figure it out then.