8x57

laogai

a friend in another state got a model 98 8x57, says no brand name or anything else on it. has shot remington factory loads thru it with no problem and now wants me to reload for it.
can i safely assume it takes 323 bullets?
what bullet weight is recommended for whitetails at ranges under 150 yards?
recommended powders?
is privi partizan brass OK?

Ambrose

Sorry to seem flip but:
#1 No
#2 150 to 175 gr.
#3 medium to slow burning, ie., 4895 to 4350
#4 yes
I make it a policy to have the rifle in hand before I load for it. Then I can check things like seating depth, headspace, bore diameter, and, above all, condition of the gun. Also, there are a lot of rifles out there that people think are 98's but actually are not. (I acquired a rifle today that has a tag marked "98 Mauser". It is actually a Smith Corona 1903-A3!) Likewise, there are a lot of rifles out there that people think are 8x57 but actually are not.
Short answer: Don't do it!

jonk

Pre 1905 98s used a .318" bullet and had a bore made for the same.

More info is needed to evaluate your request. Pics would be best.

laogai

thanks for the responses so far. my friend just confirmed it does say "8x57 JS"

jonk

quote:Originally posted by laogai
thanks for the responses so far. my friend just confirmed it does say "8x57 JS"
While I have seen a lot of ammo marked JS (actually IS, the J is an 'I' in German Fraktur script, a mistake Americans have made since WW1, which ironically has spread to European usage), off the top of my head I have yet to see a GUN marked JS. I've seen some pre-Mauser designs such as the 88 stamped 'S'... but never 'JS.'. I'd be most interested to know more about this gun.

The bottom line is, if it is stamped Mod.98, and not Gew.98 as the early 98s were stamped, there's a 99.999% chance you have a standard .323" bore, but I'd still want to know exactly what it is before committing to that. Having no brand name or other marks makes me wonder a bit. It is most likely a scrubbed Russian capture or Yugo rework I'd think...

jaegermister

Think twice...no three or more times about reloading for anyone. All my "friends" I encouraged to reload on their own.Help the economy, I think all rcbs stuff is made in USA.There are some real good deals here on GB on reloading kits.
Trust all my friends completely but I do not want to be dealing legally with their surviving family members.
Even after you determine the correct bore and inspect the rifle you should start with incremental loads watching for pressure and optimum accuracy. These are areas the owner/reloader/shooter should enjoy.

Mobuck

European 8x57 brass may be significantly different capacity than domestic brass. I loaded some "Hotshot" brass last year with starting loads and got velocities at the upper end of the manual's loadings and pressure indications on the primers from a rifle with correct headspace and good barrel. Loaded in Winchester brass, I got normal start load velocities and round edged primers. From that point, I intend to treat offshore brass like thick military type and reduce loads accordingly.

grandman

On th extreame have the friend send you the gun and you can load for it that way but I would NOT load for it without the gun in hand as posted earlier here. As jonk said I have not seen any Mausers marked JS. I have had a lot of and do alot of trading for them but still have not seen the js markings. If you are unsure of the markings look the Mauser variations up in The Mauser Bolt Action shop manual page 12, from Jerry Kuhnhausen.This is a good book as anyone who works on and sells Mausers will tell you. Good luck and don`t reload for others, help him get into the sport.