Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Thinking About Shooting This

A Styer 1895 Mannlicher in 8x50 R, which I got from my Grandfather.

It appears that this is no ammunition available (that is affordable) for it….but the cases can easily be formed from 8x58 R brass. Dies are available from RCBS, bullets are the standard .323” bullets.

It may not happen…..but, it’s in the thought stage! memtb

You can form cases from PPU 8x56R. They also sell correct .330" diameter bullets.

It was my understanding that I needed .323” bullets…. I need to do some homework !

Though, it appears this Craigster may have given me the answers that I needed!

Thanks guys, memtb

Guess my answers were what, wrong?

This cartridge offers a bit of confusion. I’ve found info that says use .323” bullets, in the link provided by Craigster, a gentleman (MECHTECH87) says that the bore is larger, but the original bullets were hollow-base bullets which expanded to fill the bore!

If I pursue this……now, my first step will be to “slug” the bore and determine the actual bore diameter. Then we’ll go from there! However, I’ve never even looked down the bore…..it may not be salvageable!


Thanks to all offering help! memtb

I thought it shot a .329” diameter bullet? A store I go to every 3 months has a big bag of .328” diameter bullets, for cheap. I’m sure they would work just fine. To answer memtb’s question, shoot it!!!

Thanks bsa, man…..you’re subject to show up most anywhere! 😁 memtb

out of coincidence. I didn’t know what took a .328” diameter bullet, so I researched it. My dad and nephew have 8x57 rifles, but they take .323” bullets. .328 seemed odd. If I were going to buy those bullets, I’d take a mic in to check to be sure they are correct about what size they are. There’s probably 300 bullets in the bag for $30, if I remember right. They have had them for about 9 months. Your idea about slugging the barrel is a good one.

If I can “self motivate”, I’ll drag that thing out today, do a bore scrub (if I can get a rod through the bore 😁), determine how badly pitted it is, and maybe, just maybe “slug” it.

If I understood you correctly, you would “mic” those bullets for me! If this things checks out OK, I may take advantage of your kindness! Thanks memtb

Ha ha.. Next time I'm in Reno is going to be the 13th. I can drag a mic with me and let you know. The bullets look like hornady interlocks. They are not in a box, but in a bag marked with a sharpie. "unknown quantity" and the diameter of .328" and the price. I can get more info for you on the 13th, depending on what you find out as well..

Thanks a bunch…..you’re helping a lot with my motivation! It appears that I have a project for today. Thanks again for the kind gesture! memtb

No problem buddy. If the store was closer, I'd go sooner for you. I'm sure they will still be there on the 13th, since they have had them for so long. Let me know what you find out with your bore diameter. Thanks.

Howdy bsa, reporting from the “winter hinterlands”! Preliminary inspection indicates…..a “rat tail” file may clean the bore 😂! It’s very ugly….we’re in the “soak” mode presently! memtb

Lots of guys shoot cast in them because of the strange size bullet. Mold is cheaper. I made cases out of Nagant brass. A little short but functional. I have a pristine long rifle and a carbine they used for police work. Do a chamber cast to make sure it is the 8X50. After the first war they lengthened it out a couple mms. Usually if an S is stamped oon the reciever ring it has been changed.

You got smoke now but some brass and turn it into a flame. I love bringing 100+ year old rifles back to life and taking them hunting. Gives me chills just thinking about it.

Have been following this just because the bullet diameter thing is interesting. Based on the information provided on the other forum about using .323 bullets and employing the hollow base to expand and catch the rifling of a .329-ish bore, it sounds like Mannlicher was using throwback technology, re: Minie balls and proprietary Enfield rounds were often manufactured slightly under bore size with the idea that the "wings" at the base would fan out and catch the rifling (and partly because Civil War barrels were filthy and hard to load even with lubricated lead).

So my question is... why were they even fooling with a bullet/bore situation like this so late in the 19th century?

They weren't. They used the larger bullet from the start. This was a time of new to them tech. There were no hard and fast rules. Each country with a power trip felt superior to others. They did what they wanted.

If they were using the larger bullet from the start where is all the information about the .323 coming from?

You know what I say: Shoot it, shoot it, shoot it. All this 8mm talk is going to make me run off to the fun store and buy one. I saw a beautiful one the other day for $349.99!! It was in a synthetic/plastic stock, but was beautifully blued and has irons on it.

You do realize the Germans started their 8s at .318?