8mm Mauser, Surplus or Reload?

[TheAquaSpaceCow]

I have not reloaded before, but with me buying my first Mauser (wz.29) it seems ammo is expensive.

I can get 360 rounds of Romanian surplus ammo for $212 total.

Or I can drop $500 on a new full reloading kit, bullets, powder, primers, and brass. The $500 would be a lot to drop at once for a student who is currently unemployed, but it would produce 1,000 rounds at about $0.50 a bullet.

The steel case (or brass cased) surplus ammo that is berdan primed comes around $0.60 a bullet, but is a lot cheaper to drop at once and comes with stripper clips =)

I typically go through about 100-150 .38 special/.357 mag with my carbine every time I go shooting (once or twice a month) if that puts things into perspective.

What do calguns? Buy bulk for both .38 special and 8mm mauser? Or drop the money on reloading and start saving my brass?

[cleonard]

You really have to break the costs into fixed costs for the tools and the consumables. An inexpensive single stage kit is not all that much.

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['ol shooter]

Where did you score the WZ-29? I have one, unfortunately it was sporterized back in the 1940's by Grandpa. Show us a pic. Anyway, I started with Prvi ammo, good value for the money, bought dies and now load my own. I did buy some surplus before I bought the dies, but don't really like having to clean up right after shooting, so they sit in the ammo cabinet. You're not going to save much by reloading, but you do have the choice of loading what you want, when you want.

[foesgth]

I just went and looked over on the Grafs website. You can get a Lee Challenger kit and 8mm dies for $162. They have 8mm with boxer brass cases for $.85 a round. You don't need to drop $500 to get started. Start buying your ammo in boxer/brass and start saving your brass. Don't look down your nose at Lee gear. I started reloading with a Lee 30-30 whack-a-mole kit. Watch the reloading sales here and on Craigslist. I bought all of my presses used. I have let several folks use my gear to get started. Check with local shooters and see if you can get some time on their press.

Just keep in mind that every round of non-reloadable surplus you shoot is money gone. Every round of of reloadable brass you shoot is an empty case to use later.

[kcheung2]

It was a Mauser (along with ammo shortages after sandy hook) that prompted me to start reloading. Most people plan to load 9mm or 223 when they first start out, but it makes a lot more sense to load less common calibers. The savings from making your own 9mm is just pennies for the typical beginner, but it can be up to half the cost for 8mm.

Most people rarely shoot more than 50 rounds from their Mauser each range session so a 100-round batch will go a long way.

Yes a reloading kit is a lot of money upfront, but it will last a lifetime & it can also be used for any other caliber. You don't need a super expensive one, a basic single stage will be fine for 8mm. With reloading presses, increased $ = increased speed, but in your situation you don't need to load a bunch real quickly.

For components, the greatest savings are buying in bulk, but in your financial situation, if you can find a local shop that sells powder then you can squirrel away a few pounds & a few hundred primers here & there.

The milsurp ammo is corrosive, handloaded ammo isn't. It's not a difficult problem to work around, but why bother. Stripper clips are cheap & reusable, buy a dozen on ebay & that will last you for life.

And look down the road both logistically and politically. Milsurp will run out, politicians will make it progressively harder or more expensive to buy ammo, but so far reloading is staying below the radar.

[davek8s]

I can't add much to what the others said, but the thing I like best about reloading is that you always have ammo to shoot and never have to deal with ammo shortages.

[Tovarish]

I can sell you as many or as few surplus rounds as you need for a little under the bulk price per round and I travel to SD. PM me if interested.

[opos]

I shoot 8mm quite often...I buy S/B brass case reloadable ammo that is boxer primed and not corrosive..get it from SG ammo in Oklahoma for a reasonable price (also get PRVI when I can in 8mm and other calibers)...I've shot it for a year or so and accumulated a good supply of brass...since I only have one 8mm I only neck size with Lee Collet dies (other ways to do it with other dies) and my brass lasts forever....simple single stage press with low volume accessories (scale, trickler, etc) and you can do it all pretty reasonable...I doubt you will want to shoot more than 20 or 30 rounds at one session unless you love punishment....I shoot at Project 2K at the 100 yard indoor rifle range...great "climate" and seldom crowded on the rifle side. Watch the ads and you might get surprised...I bought 500 180 grain SP bullets for a song a while back (another board classifieds)...lots of folks sell of "surplus" all the time.

http://www.sgammo.com/catalog/rifle-ammo-sale/8mm-mauser-ammo

[TheAquaSpaceCow]

Where did you score the WZ-29? I have one, unfortunately it was sporterized back in the 1940's by Grandpa. Show us a pic. Anyway, I started with Prvi ammo, good value for the money, bought dies and now load my own. I did buy some surplus before I bought the dies, but don't really like having to clean up right after shooting, so they sit in the ammo cabinet. You're not going to save much by reloading, but you do have the choice of loading what you want, when you want.

AO Sword and Firearms in El Cajon. It was a consignment gun so I don't get it until the 25th. I'll post pics on the Manual Rifle's Gallery section of Calguns.

[TheAquaSpaceCow]

Thanks everyone. I've decided to start reloading. Starting off with 40 rounds of Privi 8mm Mauser, then will reload on a simple single step Lee. Spent about $230 on a press kit, lube, bullets, and dies. Another $41 on Privi 8mm mauser at $15 a box plus shipping to SD.

[davek8s]

Thanks everyone. I've decided to start reloading. Starting off with 40 rounds of Privi 8mm Mauser, then will reload on a simple single step Lee. Spent about $230 on a press kit, lube, bullets, and dies. Another $41 on Privi 8mm mauser at $15 a box plus shipping to SD.

You might want to look for a digital scale. That was the only thing I upgraded from my Lee Anniversary kit. I wasn't a big fan on the beam scale.

[bigbossman]

OP - if you can prove that you went ahead bought a reloading kit, I'll send you some seed brass and bullets for the cost of postage (about $6).

My way of welcoming a new reloader into the fold.

Everything you need, right here for about $130..... except dies, powder, primers, and bullets:

https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-50th-Anniversary-Reloading/dp/B00162RM3E

[Enfield47]

You won't regret reloading for your rifle. Its fun making and shooting your own ammo and you don't have to worry about cleaning up right away like you do with corrosive ammo.

Be sure to pick up a good reloading manual and read it.

[Timbob55]

A 8x57 Yugo M48 is what got me into reloading and I haven't looked back.

A lot of surplus 8mm that is available nowadays is crappy and corrosive and non-reloadable. Most American 8x57 is anemic (except Hornady) but foreign loads are stout.

I would recommend a single stage to start with. You may become addicted so proceed with caution!

[TheAquaSpaceCow]

OP - if you can prove that you went ahead bought a reloading kit, I'll send you some seed brass and bullets for the cost of postage (about $6).

My way of welcoming a new reloader into the fold.

Everything you need, right here for about $130..... except dies, powder, primers, and bullets:
https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision.../dp/B00162RM3E

How exactly would that work out?