8x57 J vs JS

vtmarmot

vtmarmot

P Magoon, Livin' Free NH
I'm considering several rifles marked 8x57 J. I am aware that this is the earlier version of the 8mm Mauser with the .318 bore. The JS is the "modern" version with the .323 bore. I can find no company that sells to the U.S. market that sells ammo for the 8x57 J, so this will be a handloading proposition. All ammo sold in the U.S. is loaded to anemic levels per SAAMI recommendations in case it's fired in an older spec rifle. It appears to me that I can use the same case and dies for either. I would either have to remove the expander plug or sand it down a little depending on the thickness of the necks. I also imagine that a die company might sell me a custom expander plug. Some shooters of the 8x57 J use .321 bullets designed for the .32 special. I have found 3 different sources for the .318 bullets but they ain't cheap. I realize I'll have to slug the bore to know what I've really got before I get started.

Why do this? I want a nice engraved German or Austrian mauser with a scope having a German number 1 or number 4 reticle. Most of the good ones are '06 or 8x57 JS and they go for $2500 and up. Nice examples in 8x57 J generally sell for a good bit less.

Anything wrong with my thinking here? Anyone know where I can get correct-sized lead slugs short of hoping to find some in my tackle box?
 
.318 Mauser

Buffalo Arms has .318 bullets for a shade less than 50cents a pop in lots of 100. not cheap but how often do you plan on shooting the rifle? I Will keep snooping.....meanwhile good luck on your quest.


Mort
 
Are any of the rifles

sporterized Gew 88's? If so may were converted to .323. If they are there is an S stamped on the receiver in front of the crown on top. Good luck. You can always shoot cast bullets.
 
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Well, I may be going in a different direction here. I looked at one of the rifles in question that is up for auction. The scope reticle is canted to the right and seems odd to me when brought to the shoulder. In conventional rings, it of course is no problem to loosen the ring screws and turn the scope a little. However, this is a German mount with rings that only go about 5/8 of the way around the scope. The scope is only held by tension, and I can't figure out how they got it into the rings in the first place without taking the scope apart. There is no discernable way to loosen the rings without heating them, and of course I don't want to heat the scope and loosen the elements. It is also likely a 26mm tube rather than a 1 inch. That is the scope that is likely going to be on the rifle as long as it lives. If the scope goes south, so does the rifle. The scope is detachable via a side mount that is also unique and different but the iron sights are not so great. There is also a Beuler wing safety on this rifle and it seems not to be working properly. At minimum, it is backwards.

The other 8x57 rifle I'm considering is a jewel, and has conventional scope mounts, but it is much more expensive and is available for direct sale. At the auction I previewed today, other things caught my eye, so who knows what, if anything, I'll be buying, but it may not be an 8x57 J.
 
I'm always interested

in how little interest there is in the 8x57 JS cartridge. It is extremely capable and can shoot heavy bullets that boast a wider frontal area. I guess its just the metric aversion in this country and most importantly the lack of hunting firearms available in the chambering.
 
I think both the J and JS are fine, versatile cartridges.

Truth be told, I may never need to take a shot longer than 100 yards on deer ever again, judging from where I hunt. I would be just fine with a 30-30, so there's no need to be snobbish about other capable cartridges.
 
There is a lot of appeal

for the light and handy Winchester 94s and Marlin lever guns. Light and handy and effective. I have a early 50s vintage 94 in .32 Special but don't hunt with it any more. My eyesight is ok but with our bucks only and the fact that the best time of day is when the light is fading as sunset approaches, a scope to ID whether a buck or doe is a big help I find.
 
I also have just such a 94 .32 Special. Mine was made in 1946, I think. It wears a pristine cut-rifled barrel and a receiver sight.

I agree about the advantage of a scope for older eyes, but for sneaking around in the middle part of the day, I want something light and handy with a big open arpeture sight.

I have my eye on a older Mauser "stalking rifle" that fills the bill exactly.
 
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