Has anyone heard about how this round performs? It would be interesting to neck down .338 win mag to 8mm. I heard dies are made so I'd imagine chamber reamers are too.

Necking the 338 down to 323 will give you performance on par with the 8mm Rem Magnum, which has more case capacity since it is full 375 H&H length.

Realistically this is a great long range option using 220 grainers, but the lack of bullets heavier than 220 grains makes this magnum of little use over the 338 Win Mag (which can launch a 300 grain projectile faster then the 375 H&H).

All told, if you want a wildcat go for it, but if you just want an 8mm Magnum, buy an 8mm Rem Mag or 325 WSM. If you want to increase the potency of an old mauser, just handload the 8x57, it'll launch a 220 grain bullet faster than a 30-06 will. If the throat is worn out on an old mauser barrel, the 8mm-06 is a great old wildcat that Col Haskins loved, for good reason.

Jimro

How do you suppose 8x57 would perform in a 26" heavy barrel if it were loaded hot? 1000 yard possibilities?

Should do about the same as a 308. These ballistics are from a milsurp 29 inch barrel, but you can probably duplicate them from a 26 incher without too much difficulty.

http://www.realguns.com/loads/8x57mmjs.htm

Sierra 200 grain matchkings around 2600 fps is pretty close to the original 196 grain German military load, but with a higher BC.

If you go with a wildcat like the 3200 Hawk you can get an extra 250 fps at the muzzle, and a 325 WSM a 100 fps beyond that.

But for a classic action in a classic caliber, the m98 and 8x57 is a great combination. The modern alternative is the 325 WSM in a Savage 10 action (or Win or Rem....).

Jimro