Any interest in 8x56R Austrian data?

[gmerkt]

I used to load this cartridge. Over time, I tried a lot of different experimental loads. I kept my data. If there is any interest in it, I can scan it and post the data here.

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[Lilhigbee]

Please do. I have brass, .329" bullets and dies, but haven't explored load data yet.
Thanks!

 

[gmerkt]

Okay, excuse the handwriting, these are mostly just field notes. The pages further along are the data tags I write out for batches of ammo; there may be some duplication of data shown in the earlier pages. I used several M95 short rifles for this work.

Where you see the abbreviation ECS(T) for propellant, this was my shorthand for, "European Cut Sheet (Turkish)." At that time, there was a large supply of milsurp Turkish 8mm Mauser ammo on the market. Made in the 1940's, a great deal of this ammo had cracked necks. So I wound up using some of the powder in 8x56R. Which it did well in. It was of a type that at least visually appeared much like the original powder used in the 8x56R factory military ammo.

My conclusion was that one of the better powders for reloading 8x56R was IMR 4320 (now discontinued).

At some point, I converted several of my M95 short rifles to taller front sights to bring the point of impact down to a reasonable level.



This last page was a kind of summary I worked up to remind me that 8x56R could never be made to replicate 8x57 Mauser in performance. The 8x56R was designed to take advantage of existing stocks of WW1 rifles originally chambered in 8x50R without having the need to re-barrel them. Therefore, it was a compromise cartridge that was never intended to be the "best," rather it's main virtue was a manufacturing and economy accommodation.

It's interesting to note that there was a rifle that was originally designed to use this cartridge. That was the 35M Hungarian Mannlicher. This was another accommodation, as the idea was that the 35M would be used alongside converted M95's for an indefinite period and by this time, there were large stocks of existing 8x56R ammunition. The Hungarians later converted to 8x57 Mauser with the 43M.