Thread: Interested in people's thoughts on the 8mm mauser

It's a good cal, a lot like 30-06. Most of the main WW2 battle rifle calibers were good - nothing inherently wrong with them in design of the cartridge, so it comes down to the gun. With some variability in strength of guns chambered in 8mm mauser (some small ring mausers, especially spanish guns in 8x57) and the fact that the early 8mm mausers had a bore diameter of .318 rather than .323, a lot of commercial companies download their 8mm out of fear of someone shooting a hot load out of a junk gun and blowing it up. Leads to kind of meh performance where they would otherwise shoot better with handloads at normal pressures.

I do prefer the gun to be heavier with the 8x57 - full wood k98's don't kick terribly. Don't know if I would want it in a pencil barrel lightweight sporter. The FN49 or Hakim in 8mm mauser was a great gun, but sadly those guns have been "taken off the streets" so no kiwi's will have an opportunity to hold history in their hands anymore.