Heavy cast in K98

[Pb4me]

While checking Midsouth shooter's supply, I saw a heavy Lee mold (225 grain) for the 8mm. I called them to ask about it and they told me to call Lee. Lee said they didn't have any info on it. The molds are labeled "reproduction". Anyway, it's item number 006-8MMMAX and the 215 grain is item number 006-8MMKAR. Does anyone here have any experience with either of these? I would really like to try them but wanted to get some opinions first. Thanks for the help.

[6.5 mike]

I have the 8m/m Karibiner, mine drops at 0.326 & weighs 235 grs with 50/50 alloy.

[swheeler]

The 8mm Maximum casts a bullet of .326/.327 diameter and weighs +- 250 grs depending on alloy. I used this bullet 4-5 years ago at about 1900 fps to take an 1100 pound bison, 1 shot DRT.

[Char-Gar]

Both of those bullets were designed we did on the old Shooter.com board years ago. Instead of ordering directly from Lee as usual, the order was placed through MidSouth for some reason that escapes me now. MidSouth glommed onto the designs and continue to offer them. It always kind of irritated me they continue to profit from the work of others on this board, but that is just the way of it.

The long and short of it is , there are many of us that have those molds and plenty of experience with them. Do a search and you will find more information that you can digest.

[Bret4207]

I have the Karibiner and in my current alloy they drop around 230 grs IIRC. Shoots great in my 48 Yugo.

[PAT303]

I find I have to seat the LEE max very deep in my mauser,mine is a Turk with a K98K barrel and there is 1/4 of boolit below the shoulder. Pat

[45 2.1]

Both of those bullets were designed by 45 2.1 and marketed by Oldfeller on the old Shooter.com board years ago. Instead of ordering directly from Lee as usual, the order was placed through MidSouth for some reason that escapes me now. Oldfeller set it up that way. MidSouth glommed onto the designs and continue to offer them. Part of the deal Kelly offered them so everyone could get one instead of a series of GBs. It always kind of irritated me they continue to profit from the work of others on this board, but that is just the way of it. Yep, credit never comes back to the guys that start something.

[Char-Gar]

Thanks for the additional info. Details had become a little fuzzy in my memory.

[Pb4me]

Thank y'all for this info. No doubt we will try these molds considering who designed them. My 17 year old is itching to cast for our K98. We appreciate it.

Pb4me

[legend]

45 2.1,

I bought a karabiner mold.
I plan to use it in my k98 when the different bbl gets on it,i never knew who did the leg work untill now.

so i thank you,now if it will just shoot....

[leadman]

If the throat of your barrel is like new you may have to seat this boolit very deep in the case. From what I have read this was designed to compensate for the worn throats in many of the 8mm Mil-surp rifles.

[45 2.1]

45 2.1, I bought a karabiner mold.
I plan to use it in my k98 when the different bbl gets on it,i never knew who did the leg work untill now. so i thank you,now if it will just shoot....

Thanks............ It fits many of the 8mms out there, but some are quite tight. All depends on how much wear it has.

If the throat of your barrel is like new you may have to seat this boolit very deep in the case. From what I have read this was designed to compensate for the worn throats in many of the 8mm Mil-surp rifles.

Yes, it was......from several rifles in quite good shape and that had wear in the throats.

[Char-Gar]

If the throat of your barrel is like new you may have to seat this boolit very deep in the case. From what I have read this was designed to compensate for the worn throats in many of the 8mm Mil-surp rifles.

Yep...My Persian 98/29 has a pristine barrel and I have to seat the bullet deep.

[budman46]

my first 8mm mould was lee's 8x65r design for the m95 steyr. lubed with liquid alox, checked and sized to .325". propelled by 17 gr of 2400, it will shoot 3-3 1/2" groups at 100 yds in my peep-sighted 8x57 turk.

budman

ignorance if fixable...

[UBER7MM]

Both of those bullets were designed by 45 2.1 and marketed by Oldfeller on the old Shooter.com board years ago. Instead of ordering directly from Lee as usual, the order was placed through MidSouth for some reason that escapes me now. Oldfeller set it up that way. MidSouth glommed onto the designs and continue to offer them. Part of the deal Kelly offered them so everyone could get one instead of a series of GBs. It always kind of irritated me they continue to profit from the work of others on this board, but that is just the way of it. Yep, credit never comes back to the guys that start something.
__________________
45 2.1

45 2.1,

You designed a winner! What's your favorite load for the Karabiner?

Thank you,

[303Guy]

If I may ask, with those boolits seated deep, how hard does the alloy need to be and what velocity can be attained and still get accuracy?

[leadman]

303Guy, I'm using it in my Rolling Block in 8X58R Danish. I don't have to seat it deep and my alloy is around 12BHN. I have used SR4759 to push it to 1,800 fps with excellent accuracy.

I am going to work up some loads in my 48a Yugo Mauser soon so will let you know how it does in it.

[bart55]

I also have one from the old group buy and it shoots great out of a Gew mauser ,using 4198 I get about 2 to 3 in groups at 100 depending on how fuzzy my eyes are at the time

[45 2.1]

45 2.1,

You designed a winner! What's your favorite load for the Karabiner?

Thank you,

Actually, I shoot it very little. I also designed an improved Lee 8mm that shoots in everything i've tried it in, but my favorite is the 8mm Silouette thats in the group buy discussion forum now. A top end load of Unique is excellent with any of them.

[Pb4me]

My son shot the first cast out of the 8mm, a 1944 (dot) rifle with a like new bore. Load was once fired Federal brass, Remington 2.5 primer per the suggestion in the cookbook loads section from the CBA, 16 grains of 2400 and the 8mmKAR bullet checked and lubed with homemade lube. Alloy was mostly WW's. I say mostly because we shoot whenever we can into a large bullet trap filled with cut up pieces of tires. We recover our bullets about once a year so these bullets were once .45-70, .444, .35Rem, .44 mag, you get the idea.

Bullet was seated deep enough to just enclose the top lube band. I know this is deep and the bottom lube grooves are exposed to the fire, but obviously it worked well. We have only shot these at 50 yards so far and we will chronograph them and extend the distance in the very near future. These three shots were in 5/8's of an inch. Aiming point was at 6 on the bullseye and the rear sight set at 250 meters. Different seating depths may be tried in the future also but if this depth works with other loads we may leave it.

SR4759 was tried, (14 grains), again per the suggestion in the cookbook loads section from CBA and this load consistently put two shots into one hole and another about 1 inch away every time. We even tried positioning the powder and it continued this grouping. The strange thing is, the two shots touching or in the same hole were in the same spot every time and the loner was also in the same spot. We will probably stay with 2400 under this bullet and slowly increase the charge very little. Thanks for the info on this forum.