Top 8mm Remington Mag Loads
Jan 28, 2011, 4:53 PM
Fifteen top performing loads for the "Big 8" plus a low-recoil load for deer!
Remington has a habit of bringing out neat cartridges just a bit off the bubble, and the 8mm Remington Magnum is certainly one of them. It was introduced in 1977 in the Model 700 BDL, but was not generally available until the following year. The chambering never sold well, however, and it was discontinued as a standard catalog item in 1999. In fact, only 20,470 8mm RMs were made, and the majority (15,295) were BDLs. Its last gasp was a limited run of 2,133 M700 Classics made in 1998 and a smattering of Custom Shop versions made between 1986 and 1996.
But the Big Green's belted Big 8 is a terrific big-game round, on par with the .300 and .340 Weatherbys, .300 and .338 Winchester Magnums, and Remington's current beltless .30- and .338-caliber Ultra Magnums.
Our test rifle this month is an original M700 made in 1978. Its previous owner has passed away, but his daughter graciously loaned it to us. She informed me that her father had taken this rifle to Africa and used it with great success. Its 24-inch barrel has a 1:10-inch twist, standard for the cartridge. The scope is a Burris Fullfield II 3-9x40 in vintage Redfield mounts.
The 8mm RM was derived from the full-length (2.850 inch) belted magnum case, with minimal body taper and a sharp, 25-degree shoulder. That provides plenty of room for propellant, and consequently, the round delivers impressive ballistics. Remington factory ammo previously offered 185- and 220-grain PSP Core-Lokt bullets. The current 8mm Rem. Mag. factory load consists of a 200-grain Swift A-Frame, cataloged at 2,900 fps (it registered 2,846 fps from our test rifle). These ballistics are easily duplicated with handloads.
We used a set of RCBS dies in a Redding T-7 Turret press for loading chores. Preparing ammunition for the 8mm RM presents no particular problem, but, as with any other belted case, one must pay attention to the sizing die setting with respect to headspace. Since factory ammo has to work in every properly chambered rifle, it headspaces on the belt. Firing moves the shoulder forward--sometimes a lot. Thus, when sizing the fired case, if the shoulder is set back too far, case-head separations often result after only a few loadings.
We highly recommend the use of a Wilson Adjustable Case Gauge to set the sizing die. Handloads will then have a crush fit on the shoulder and will not headspace on the belt. This prolongs case life considerably. Also, stick with loads that approach 100 percent load density for uniform ballistics.
Remington ads at the time of its introduction extolled the virtues of the 8mm RM, stating that the round had "high energy without developing excessively uncomfortable recoil." Those ad guys were obviously a lot tougher than I am. The M700 weighed almost nine pounds with scope, but recoil with full loads is over 30 ft-lbs, so I tested from a Caldwell Lead Sled with two 25-pound bags of shot as ballast. That made firing hundreds of test loads a breeze. All groups were fired at 100 yards, and accuracy with all bullets tested was eminently suitable for any big game. The barrel was scrubbed squeaky clean, dried and a fouling shot fired prior to testing each load combination.
Only the slowest powders, such as Reloder 25, Magnum, Retumbo, MagPro, H-1000 and similar numbers, are suitable for the 8mm RM. Bullet selection for the 8mm is surprisingly good, considering the few cartridges available in the caliber. From 180-grain spitzers to 220-grain bruisers, there is a perfect bullet for any game appropriate to the 8mm RM. All of the spitzer-type bullets have very high ballistic coefficients--they fly flat and hit hard.
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Comments (2) | Post a New Comment
Steve Gash
I loved your artical on the 8mm RM , I was a probably in grade 10 when I first read about it in Outdoor Life and when the main production started I was a senior (78). I remmender a article about it in the Outdoor Life around that time by Jim Carmichel. Does anyone have a clue where I could find it? I would love to read it again..
One pic I have allway wanted to see again is with the 6mm, 7mm, and 8mm, the Rem mm family. I have collect all except the 6mm. The case was derived from the 375 H&H case and the 7mm Shooting Times Western is just a 8mm necked down.
My 8 RM Rem 700 BDL has a Serial no. A6577946 could you tell me when it was produced?
Thanks
Kevin
Kevin,
I'm assuming you never received a reply on your question regarding dating your 700 BDL. I recently purchased a 700 BDL in 8mm Remington Mag. I did a little searching around and found a useful resource online.
There is a code on the left side of the barrel, just in front of the receiver that should start with two letters. Use the website resource I provided above to date your firearm. Alternatively, you can contact Remington and they will assist you if the aforementioned doesn't work. The actual serial number isn't used to date the rifle using the online resource.
The 8mm Mag is a terrific cartridge. I've only had mine a short time but already I am impressed. I also have a 7mm Remington Mag. Which 6mm were you referencing? I assumed the 6mm Remington, which is essentially a 7mmX57 Mauser (or 257 Roberts - 1/2 dozen in one hand, six in the other) necked down to 6mm. This is a great cartridge but doesn't really fit in the same category as the big belted mags. Remington did make a 6.5 Mag way back when. This was one of the two original "short mags", the other being the 350 Rem Mag.
At any rate, hope that helps. Have a good one!