Thread: The 8x60 S

Since I parked up my .256Newton loading due to the rifle having a cracked stock, I haven’t had an obscure caliber to play with until I picked up a Brno Model 21 in 8x60S. The great thing about 8x60
Is that it doesn’t require difficult to obtain brass, dies or bullets.

I was gifted 30 pieces of gold, I mean Norma brass, from forum member aimless, and with a borrowed set of 8x57 dies and the worlds crappiest brass trimmer, I knocked out 10 test cases.

Load data for the 8x60 is a bit thin, limited to only a couple of older powders and mostly heavier projectiles, I erred on the side of light and used an 8x57 starting load of 45gr of Win760, and a handful of pulled old 150gr Interlocks I found.



Off to the range I went to today. After setting the dual triggers I attempted to fire the first round, and got nothing more than an audible click... aghast, I thought I had a firing pin fault, with no struck primer. After some head scratching I realised that the safety was on! The Brno model 21 allows you to set and fire the triggers, but seems to internally block the firing pin from moving far enough to hit the primer, rather than block the movement of the trigger itself. Anyway, firsts rounds round and I was pleasant lit surprised by the light recoil. I was quite please and thought to myself either I’m getting tougher or these big 8mm’s aren’t that bad after all. But my pleasure was short lived when the crony told me why the recoil was so light... only just over 2000fps! I had definitely erred on the light sight. I guess when they are nudged closer to something more like 2500 that it’s going to get a bit stouter on the shoulder.

I was pretty happy though with the first group, only at 50m, but without really trying too hard. There is a lot of potential here for a nice accurate shooting stick. I just don’t know what box of bullets to go for. I could play it safe and just get more Interlocks but I’m also tempted by 150gr Sierras or 170gr Hot Cor. Roll of the dice I suppose.

I used to have a Sako 8x60 (on a FN mauser action, before Sako made their own). mine loved 196 gn.
look at American 8mm-06 loading data and compare it to European 8x57 data to get in the ballpark on powders and projectile weights.

Originally Posted by Basenjiboy

I used to have a Sako 8x60 (on a FN mauser action, before Sako made their own). mine loved 196 gn.
look at American 8mm-06 loading data and compare it to European 8x57 data to get in the ballpark on powders and projectile weights.

I had a look at Hornadys 8mm-06 data; starting load is 51.6gr of Win760 giving 2500fps with a 150gr interlock. I figured that would probably be about my max load. Actually max load will likely be decided by how much recoil I can be bothered with! If I get to around 2500fps that will be fine.

Recoil would be light. My light 98 8x57 was getting a bit snappy with the 180gr geco loads. Meant to be up over 2500fps with 24" barrel (packet info)
No recoil pad at the time.
Put a about a dozen down range and was starting to feel it
Saw it on the other post. Nice rifle

Gidday - if you weight a case that has been fired in the rifle, then fill it to the case mouth with water (make sure its exactly flush) that'll give you the case volume in grains of water. Send me that and youf barrel length and I'll run load data for you in Quickload and or GRT.

Oh - Hornady 170s are great, I can spare you a few to test if you like.

@Tentman read before that you rate those SSTs in the 8mm
Not as explodey as most SST's then?
Whilst the geco 184gr roundnose certainly did the job the other day, it isn't the most aerodynamic of projectiles.

Ive only shot two deer and maybe a couple of Tahr, but everything dropped like it should, maybe a bit of size makes SSTs ok.

Originally Posted by Tentman

Gidday - if you weight a case that has been fired in the rifle, then fill it to the case mouth with water (make sure its exactly flush) that'll give you the case volume in grains of water. Send me that and youf barrel length and I'll run load data for you in Quickload and or GRT.

Cheers mate I'd love to take you up on that offer but I don't have any suitable scales to weigh a case filled with water. Tried it on the pams kitchen scales but they only weigh to the nearest gram, no decimal point, and they are probably not accurate anyway. Next time I go visit someone with reloading scales I will find out.

Use your loading scales eh?

I haven't yet devised a method of balancing a water filled case on the scales without it falling over. I will consume some more beer tonight and see what I can finagle.

Edit : Ok I just needed more beer to steady my hand. I got it to balance eventually.

Case weight : 176.5gr
Case with water : 243.7gr
Water : 67.2

That approach has always worked pretty good for me . . . . But thinking about it, since I hardly ever have a beer these days maybe thats why nothing much gets achieved!

I have a 8 x 60 that I have not shot yet , need to slug the bore though as i think it’s a .318 bore which really sucks

Originally Posted by Lucky

I have a 8 x 60 that I have not shot yet , need to slug the bore though as i think it’s a .318 bore which really sucks

What type of rifle? I did some 'research' (beer and internet) before I fired mine, as the calibre marking is hidden underneath the base for the claw mount. The side of the barrel is stamped '7.9' but research suggest that all Brno's were made with .323 bores and both the 8x57 and 8x60 Brno's were all stamped with '7.9'.
I did read somewhere that german law prohibited the manufacture of new firearms with a .318 bore instead of .323 after a certain date (sometime before ww2) but now I cannot find the page I read it on.
If its a Brno I'm confident its a .323, but if its pre-WW1, then anyone's guess.

Oberndorf Mauser , post WW1 , I think late twenties , yes supposedly after WW1 they went to .323 but they must of had some smaller barrels still that slipped through , I have only used a micrometer on end of barrel and it’s definitely smaller than .323