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M95 MANNLICHER: MAKING 8X50R FROM 7.62X54R RUSSIAN

2 thoughts on “M95 MANNLICHER: MAKING 8X50R FROM 7.62X54R RUSSIAN”

  1. If pressed — and if you’re a glutton for punishment — you can also make 8x50R Austrian from 45-70 brass. I did a couple dozen as a way to use up some donated brass back in the 1990s and the work just fine. Of course, you need to neck the brass down, anneal, and reduce the rim and base diameter …

    1. Alternative that I’ve used while making ammo for my 1888/90.
      – Start with new Prvi 7.62x54r brass
      – Expand the neck using an RCBS .325 WSM neck sizer or full size with 8x50r die set. The difference in diameter of the neck is negligeable so I don’t bother with annealing since I find it causes more case damage than it prevents most of the time
      – Light pistol powder load (10 grains or so, reduced load basically)
      – Use either a cast bullet or basic Prvi FMJ .330
      – No filler needed
      – Preferably a primer generating a stronger flame than average (Winchester LR for example)
      – Fireform in the rifle (you can even get decent accuracy with that ammo). Burns clean, no recoil and case perfectly formed to 8x50r
      – I don’t bother trimming to the correct length as rifles firing 8x50r tend to have enormous freebore
      –> At this point you would need the 8x50r die set if you rifle is a straight pull. It’s been 23 weeks since I have ordered mine form CH4D…

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