8mm Magnum(s)

mgood

Beginner
May 6, 2015
27
2
Hi. First post here.

I recently bought a used Remington 700 BDL in 8mm Rem Mag.
I also bought 60 rds Nosler Custom ammo loaded with 200 gr AccuBonds (at a claimed 3000 fps). As high as that stuff is, buying just the Nosler brass is almost as high, so I got the factory ammo to shoot up. 19 have gone down range so far. It does wallop the ol' shoulder a bit. Also have 50 200 gr AB bullets and want to get some others to try. 1000 Federal 215M sit on my shelf along with a pound of H4831SC and a pound of Reloader 22. I don't have any dies yet.

IMG_0867a_zpscc0bfoai.jpg

Pictured here wearing a Leupold VX-3 6.5-20x40mm that I robbed off my 22-250 just to play with. It will eventually have a lower-power scope to catch that charging grizzly.

Bullets I want to try include:
Barnes 200 gr TSX
Hawk 220 gr (maybe the 250 gr too)
Nosler 200 gr AccuBond (wish they'd make a 220-230)
Nosler 200 gr Partition
Sierra 220 gr GameKing
Swift 220 gr A-Frame

If I wanted to shoot sub-200 gr bullets, I'd have gotten a 300 mag of some sort and done it with better BC and SD. I think 200+ grain bullets are needed to make the Big 8 shine.

I hunt mostly smaller critters for which an 8 mag would be overkill.
I wanted to go on an aoudad hunt and wanted something a little more powerful than my 25-06. I was trying to decide what I wanted. I don't have the money to do a lot of big-game hunting, but I'd like to do some. A good aoudad rifle should also be a good elk rifle. And why not try to find something that'll be a decent choice for anything in North America bigger/tougher than deer? That gets me thinking about really big bears, which I'd like to hunt at least once some day. I looked at everything from 30-06 Sprg to 375 H&H, even briefly looked at some calibers that start with 4. 338 Win Mag seemed like a great choice, but I couldn't decide between that and the 300 Win Mag. Wanted something in between.

I thought a 325 WSM might be just what I needed. But I started worrying that it wouldn't launch the heavier bullets at the velocities I wanted. And with lighter bullets the 300 WSM would out-perform the 325.
I may eventually build a rifle for a 325 WSM with the bullets seated a little longer than SAAMI spec, out to maybe 3.06" COAL, so that the longer bullets are not jammed down in the case body occupying space which could otherwise be filled with powder. I think it could match 8mm RM performance, or at least 8x68S performance, which is nearly the same thing. The WSM is so close already that I think it wouldn't take much to make it a near-perfect 8mm. And I could do it on a shorter action. (Defiance Machine makes an "XM" size action which will feed cartridges up to 3.20" COAL.) That project has been put on the back burner since I got the Big 8.

Another thought was building a wildcat by necking the 375 Ruger down to .323". That may happen someday, but it too has become a low priority since I have the 8RM.

I've even contacted Nosler to plead for a 32 Nosler, promising to buy one of their Nosler rifles so chambered if they make it.

I don't dig the belted mag. The belt is just so out of date and serves no purpose today. And a shorter, fatter powder column would be more efficient. I got the 8mmRM because it was something I could get now, but it will not be my last 8mm mag. I do LOVE it's performance (though I need a better recoil pad :oops: ).

The 8x68mm Schuler gets near equal performance with a lot less powder. Unfortunately they seem un-gettable on this side of the pond.

I've been reading some old posts here concerning the 8mm Rem Mag from back in 2010 and 2012, so I know there are (or were) some people here interested in and reloading for this cartridge.

Mike
 
Welcome to the forum Mike.

My only work with an 8mm Round is with the 325 WSM so can't help with the great 8mm RM but there are a bunch of different people here that have worked with it. In the 325 WSM I worked with the 200 gr Partition and 195 gr Hornady, these days I would look at the 200 gr AccuBond too. I think two other great bullets to consider would be the 160 gr TTSX and 180 gr E Tip, your big 8 will be able to move both of those quite fast and be very effective.

ps, belts are cool :lol:
 
With modern powders and bullets, the Big 8 can really be something special. With that case capacity, 200-220s can really scream.

Boddington did a lot of writing about a 28" barreled one he has. Impressive.
 
Thanks.

gerry":2mfm4zb6 said:
My only work with an 8mm Round is with the 325 WSM. . . .
I'll probably get a WSM eventually, either a 300 or 325. I really do like that case.

gerry":2mfm4zb6 said:
ps, belts are cool :lol:
:p A gun store owner where I used to work agrees with you. He likes belted mags, the longer the better. He is the one who originally suggested the 8RM when I told him I wanted something between 300WM and 338WM. Thinks short mags are an abomination. While I value his expertise on most things gun-related, I don't necessarily agree with everything he says.

hodgeman":2mfm4zb6 said:
Boddington did a lot of writing about a 28" barreled one he has. Impressive.
Yeah, he is one of my influences in this 8mm quest.
I wish my barrel was a little more than the factory 24", but the action is already about a foot long (maybe not quiet a foot, but it's big). I'm a short guy (5'7") and long rifles slung on my shoulder stick up so far above my head they tend to snag on every tree branch in the county when carried in the field.
 
Welcome aboard, mgood. Always glad to see more people posting and sharing in the fun. The Colonel is certainly a fan of the big 8. He has promoted it as well as anyone can. I hunted with a gentleman who toted an 8RM at one point. I don't recall that he ever took anything with that particular rifle, but it wasn't because of any deficiency in the cartridge or in the rifle. I've done a little work with the big 8, but I opted for the 325 WSM. I'm launching 200 grain Partitions from that cartridge, for the most part. However, I have good loads that utilize 220 grain Sierras and other loads using 200 grain and 220 grain A-Frames. All work well. In my Model 70, I'm able to load these long enough to avoid seating the bullets into the powder column. I have an 8X68S that should be home with me shortly. I consider it to be a ballistic twin to the 325 WSM.
 
Welcome to the forum. I have burned many pounds of powders is the big 8. 2 Factory rifles and 3 customs.

80 gr of H4831 and 83 gr or RL25 with the 220 Sierra....... Biggest BC of any 8mm Caliber bullet in the 1990's. The use of fed 215 Match caps was pertinent and paramount!
 
When I had my Remington classic 8mm mag I used Fed 215 primers, RL-22 with both the 200 TSX and the old discontinued 220 Hornady with great results. I also sanded out the bump in the fore end of the stock to free float the barrel.
 
Sounds like I'm in the right place. So many people have never heard of it. Here on this forum there are several who've actually owned them. (y)

OU812":322zlr42 said:
I also sanded out the bump in the fore end of the stock to free float the barrel.
I'm thinking about that. But I need a cushier recoil pad. I need to bed the stock. I'd like to take some of the gloss off of it (could use a refinish anyway). I'm thinking that instead of doing all that I may just get a McMillan stock for it. There's a guy on another forum who's already asking to buy this stock if I ever change it out, so that might offset the cost of the new one by a little bit.

I can shoot, so it embarrasses me to admit what I did the first time at the range. See, this is the hardest kicking rifle I've ever shot. I was a bit scared of it. Trying to avoid the scope bite above the eye. I had a death grip on the forend and was pulling down hard on the front rest. I was disappointed in the groups :roll: But I realized later that I was putting pressure on the barrel that way :oops:
I'm sure when I go back out and shoot it correctly, it'll do just fine.
 
Welcome aboard, I might have a set of dies for you. I had mine for about 15 years before I re barreled it to a 338 Jarrett. It was and remains an effective elk killer. My rifle liked h4831. I'll check for the dies in a day or two. I agree with your thoughts on heavy bullets from my experience. If I find the dies you can have them.
 
salmonchaser":cx62gpli said:
Welcome aboard, I might have a set of dies for you. I had mine for about 15 years before I re barreled it to a 338 Jarrett. It was and remains an effective elk killer. My rifle liked h4831. I'll check for the dies in a day or two. I agree with your thoughts on heavy bullets from my experience. If I find the dies you can have them.
Much appreciated. Let me know how much.
 
I think I have some 200 TSX and 200 grain partitions if your interested.
 
Mike,

Welcome to the forum. Congratulations on the big 8. Fantastic round for sure.
All we need is to get Nosler to make some 220 gr AB's and PT's.

JD338
 
OU812":1e2oarqe said:
I think I have some 200 TSX and 250 grain partitions if your interested.
Interested, yes, fascinated. 250 gr Partitions? Never heard of 'em.

JD338":1e2oarqe said:
All we need is to get Nosler to make some 220 gr AB's and PT's.
Yeah, I've been bugging them about making a 220 AB :) I think it would be just about perfect.
 
mgood":2kp5fr3x said:
OU812":2kp5fr3x said:
I have some 200 TSX and 250 grain partitions if your interested.
Interested, yes, fascinated. 250 gr Partitions? Never heard of 'em.

JD338":2kp5fr3x said:
All we need is to get Nosler to make some 220 gr AB's and PT's.
Yeah, I've been bugging them about making a 220 AB :) I think it would be just about perfect.

250 gr Partitions? Never heard of 'em.

Me either, I realized just a few minutes ago it was a typo, meant 200 grain partitions.
 
I was all excited, myself, at the thought of 250 grain Partitions for the 8mm. I do have some 225 grain Speer bullets. I can't find the 225 grain Norma bullets that I had for a long time. I may have sold them at a gun show last year.
 
...well, if Scotty would just buy a .325 WSM we could have some heavy, high BC 8mm Nosler bullets... :cry: :roll: :lol: :mrgreen:
 
Mike
I knew several guys here in Oregon who owned 8 mm mags. We all liked them and as I recall we all used 220 grain bullets. My rifle had a distinct preference for the hornady 220 grain. About a year before the 325 was unveiled Hornady had quit producing the 220, didn't like the Sierra, didn't want to shoot 200 grain so had it re barreled to 338 Jarrett. Had the current crop of bullets been available I may not have done it. I would recommend pillerbedding while your at it.
 
Back
Top