8mm Remington Magnum
 

I recently acquired a 8mm Rem mag in a model 700. It’s not very popular cartridge at all but I’m keen working up some loads for it. Anyone have any pet loads or experience with this round?

That's a thumper for sure, classic cartridge that didn't catch on....if it's a lefty PM and I can flip some bills your way:)

Got nothing on reloading it....good luck with that beauty.

IMR4831 behind the 200gr Partition worked well in my rifle.

8mm rem
 

The 200gr pt. For me as well. It’s a hammer

I found rl22 worked well in my 358sta. Almost same case so should work well

I use R25 behind 225 Sierra SBTs. I'm getting 3020 fps. It's a pretty cool gun but bullet selection is very limited if you want to shoot long range.

Check out articles by Craig Boddington. The 8mm is a favourite of his. If I recall corectly he had load data in some articles

I recall him recently including it in an article of under-appreciated cartridges and noting his own affinity for it.

I find that when one guy in a group of his friends finds a particular sweet piece of kit, invariably one or more of his buddies will want that same item as well.

If you have someone looking, I have a buddy selling a full meal deal....see Guns and Ammo for sale....
Thanks,

Sorry it’s a RH model , but I’ll keep my eyes open for one .

I worked with a fellow who had an 8mm. He said that it was a great cartridge that packed plenty of punch for Elk and Moose.

Have owned two of them. Still have one. Under loaded at factory specs. Try 180 Barnes TSX with IMR 7828SSC. Should be able to get over 3300fps safely.
Also 200gr Nosler AB or Partition or Swift A-Frame with IMR 7828 at close to 3200fps. And lastly 220gr Swift A-Frame with IMR 7828 or Retumbo at 3000fps.

Basically a 7mmSTW on steroids as all Lane Simpson ever did was neck down the 8mm.

Enough gun for any thing on this Continent. Shoots heavier bullets than 300WM but nearly as flat and faster than 338WM. It's really a shame it never caught on. Possibly one of the best elk cartridges ever, or at least until the latest super zappers started showing up in the late 90's.

Better bullets available now that the 325WSM showed up.

I picked one up a couple months ago. Got a bunch of loaded rounds with the 220 grain hornadys that are no longer available. After I use them up I will be on the search for a new load also.

Recoil isn't near as bad as the last one I had. This is a wood stocked BDL. The first one I had was a light plastic stock ADL almost seemed like SPS finish. Still may look at putting on a pachmayer pad.

Glad a few more people are still shooting the big 8!

Yup, if you're going to load it up to it's potential (safely of course) you'll be looking for a good pad!

8mm
 

Basically it’s close to a 340wby, with less selection of bullets .

Thank you, dream rifle BDL lefty....Big8.

Oh, there's enough of a bullet selection. Between Barnes, Swift, Nosler, Hornady and Sierra (and a couple others), and if you can't get it done with those, you're doing something wrong

I'm a fan as well. Just shot factory 200 A-frame so far. I did pick up some old 220 Core lokt and grabbed a box of the Nosler 200AB factory to try but they are pricey.

I sized some brass last fall and picked up some sierra 220's to try if I get enough guts to load some up, as it sure gets your attention when you pull the trigger!

Yes, if the 200 Swifts were in Remington's Safari ammo it can be expensive as is Nosler's loaded rounds.

I don't have a lot of experience with the 220gr Sierra Game King but some say it doesn't hold together well when you load the 8 to it's potential. If you get a chance, chrono the factory 200 A-Frames and then develop some handloads with the same bullet. If you're careful in your load development and do it safely, you'll see a fairly large difference.

This doesn't hold true with most cartridges, but for some reason, it does for the 8.

Yeah just checked the stash, them 220 sierras we designed for the 8mag I think? Lots of the 8mm bullets blew apart as they were mostly for the 8 Mauser from what I've been reading.
I have some 195 interlocks and 180 ballistic tips as they were cheap and I can see how fast they go and get some practice! But would hunt with 200gr plus to lay em out.
I would be happy hunting with 220 aframes, woodleigh makes some heavy ones too.

Yes, I've read the same about the 220 Sierra's. They may be designed for the 8mm mag but from what you read on some of the other forums, they leave a little bit to be desired in actual performance. Of course they were talking about Alaska hunting. Big moose, big coastal bears, etc.

I've only shot game (elk) with the 200gr Accubonds (3200fps) and don't have any complaints, but again they were pass through so I've never recovered one. The animals dropped in their tracks so it's not a big reach to assume they performed well.

I've used Woodleigh's in my 45-70 but not in the great 8. They make a good bullet, so it may be another option.

I tink if you loaded up the 180 Ballistic Tips and shot a deer or elk, etc. you'd have a giant hematoma (bruise) with a little bit of usable meat around it!:)

220gr Sierra over RL25 was my best load.

Just a sweet cartridge! I want one for a moose rifle, in maybe a Ruger No.1 open sights!


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I have a custom in 8mag, run accubonds in it, does really well. Tried the 180gr BT but did not shoot as well in my rifle.

I am thinking I would like to have a custom left hand rifle built in 8mm Remington Magnum chambering. I have aftermarket stocks (HS Precision, Manners & Bell & Carlson) already. I also have a BNIB Remington Model 700 SS long action magnum bolt face and a Stiller TAC 300 black coated SS long action magnum bolt face that I could use. I also have new Remington long action magazine boxes, followers and springs as well as trigger guards. I have a Benchmark blank (8mm SS 10T #3 that finishes at 24"). I also have a new Manson reamer for this chambering.

I bought the blank with the intentions of building a .325WSM so thought the 24" finished length would be suitable.

So for you fine members that have owned a 8mm Remington Magnum what are your thoughts on a 24" finished length for a 8mm Remington Magnum? From what I have read it appears the the Remington Model 700 BDL rifles in 8mm Remington Magnum were manufactured with 24" barrels.

The 220 Sierra GKs are excellent in the Big 8 at a touch under 3000. Very effective on... well, pretty much everything you can shoot in NA.

That sounds like a great setup. Yes factory was all 24” barrels if I recall correctly. I swapped mine into an early RS stock, and it’s heavy but very manageable. Recoil with the hard factory pad is just fine. I am contemplating downsizing some, but the Big 8 will stay.... at least until I’m too old to handle the recoil.

I havent shot mine in a while, but I believe my load was 78.5 grains of IMR4831 and 220 gr. Hornadys. Shot well in my 8mag. Have had mine since they first come out. I really like mine.

As always work up your loads and never start with what someone has suggested.

Eighty grains of powder performs a lot better in a 26" barrel rifle. The 8MM is a great cartridge, really too bad it never took off. I think it was just that next level higher recoil and the metric designation/odd ball bullet size and availability that did it in. When you consider how many 300 WM and 338 WMs got sold and used there is no reason the 8 MM should not have been a winner.