What's the Consensus About Running Oversized Bullets?

[Josh Smith]

[6mmintl]

just buy some .323 cast, 16 grains of AA2400, set the sights to 400-600 and your good to 200 meters

[gunboat]

I agree with 6mm, cast is your friend.
If you do not want to cast for yourself it should not be problem buying cast bullets. There are a lot of different cast shapes out there.
lyman 323470 about 165gr and 323366 @185gr are just two commonly available.
You say you want to engage the rifling sooner -- 32/20 bullets will be too short for that and at best .313 dia.
Why not try a box and see how they do?
311316 at about 112gr sized .312-313 is one of the standard cast 32/20 bullets.
You can size cast bullets to almost any diameter you want.
You can also squeeze jacketed bullets down a mite as well.
If I recall correctly, in the early days of 8x57 when the 88 and 98 were both in service the krauts used a tapered bullet so there was a bit less strain on the 88 --
my tuppence

[Josh Smith]

Thanks folks.

Due to the "S" chambering, I tried a Nosler Ballistic tip in it exactly once with a starting load when the rifle was first bought.

I didn't like the way the recoil felt and so I have the remaining 49 sitting here pending a trade.

I know cast bullets. I do cast my own in .452" and round balls for two muzzleloaders.

Just seems wrong to me, like putting a Minie Ball down a Kentucky Rifle would be wrong.

Not saying I'll never fire cast, but I do like to keep close to the original loads as possible. That means I fire round nosed 200 grain at about 2200fps (a starting load) and 150grn spitzer at about 2500fps (just a hair over starting), both jacketed. The S-Patrone would be a nice load to replicate too with the original bullet size, if safe.

As I understand it, the domestically-produced "8mm Mauser" is downloaded and with a 0.321" bullet so as to keep liability down for these old girls.

This is what lead me to believe that this load might be safe. Definitely not looking to be too hard on the rifle or anything else!

Thanks!

Josh

P.S. A typo was pointed out to me. In the original post, I said .32-20 when I meant .32 Special. Sorry about that! J.S.

[kendog4570]

6mmIntl's suggested load is THE standard for all 7mm to 8mm, 30-06 length rounds, with just about any lead bullet over 150 grains. Give it a try, you will be pleased with how well it shoots. 2400 is the only powder that is not position sensitive in the big case either. My sons Czech 98/22 8mm shoots 5 shots to 1-1/4" @ 100 yards with it.


The same powder charge behind a Lyman 311284 (210grns +-) in my Rock Island 03 Springfield will consistently get into the winners circle at 200 yard matches on the SR target. Kinda fun to do that against guys shooting Sierra Matchkings.

[Springfield45]

Josh, I have several Gew 88's that I have restored and fired. Mine all came from Ecquador. I cast a 175 gr. round nosed bullet with a gas check sized to .321. All my rifles sluged to .318. I decreased the powder in these by 20% to shoot at about 2000 fps. I all so tried some of the .321 FMJ spitzer bullets to the same loading. I feel like this is a very mild load for these old war horses and is not going to damage anything.

From my research on these rifles I believe you can safely shoot .321 Spitzer bullets or the longer .321 round nose bullets if the are cast lead with a gas check.

I would not shoot any long jacketed round-nose bullets in these rifles. The Germans never got it to work, to much friction. I would not ever shoot modern or surplus (post WWII) 8mm ammo. If it dose Kaboom there is know were for it to go but in your face.

A really good source of information I recommend is:
A Collectors Guide to the German Gew 88 Commission Rifle.