World War II was a war of trial and error. Both sides were testing and fielding new weapons and technology. But both sides also stuck to some tried and true methods of warfare, like metallic cartridges. Our boys were using the .30-06 Springfield, and that’s one that’s still strong with us today. The Germans’ cartridge, though … that’s a different story. The 8X57 Mauser (AKA 8mm Mauser) cartridge is essentially obsolete, which is why this Ammo Awareness article features the “OG” Mauser cartridge.
History of History
Ironically, despite the 8mm Mauser being a cartridge that’s essentially been relegated to the history books, it does have its own intriguing story, and some of its technical specs are still alive and well in modern firearms. The cartridge was made in 1888 by Peter Paul Mauser, and saw use in both World Wars with the German military. So how did all that come about?
In 1888, the German Rifle Testing Commission fielded what’s now called the 8mm Mauser. (America’s modern SAAMI designates the cartridge as 8mm Mauser or the 8x57mm.) But that wasn’t always its name; in the late 1800s, the cartridge was designated as Cartridge 88, Patrone 88, or M/88. The original rifles that fired the cartridge used a .318-caliber (which is why it was deemed a 7.92mm cartridge originally), 226-gr. bullet pushed to 2,000 feet per second (fps).
By April 1903, the Germans had tweaked the 8mm Mauser quite a bit. In 1894, they changed the original .318” diameter to .323” diameter, giving it the 8mm designation. They also lightened the bullet to flatten trajectory. Norma, one of the more prominent European ammo manufacturers, made a statement regarding this change, saying, “The ‘J’ in the name stands for ‘Infanterie.’”
Okay, that doesn’t seem to make sense, does it? Turns out it was essentially a font problem: The ‘J’ is due to a mistake resulting from the previous use of gothic letters in Germany, and has no significance regarding bullet size.
To make things more confusing (or fun, depending on your point of view), the German army switched from a round-nosed, 226-grain bullet to a 154-gr., pointed boattail bullet in 1905. At the same time, the diameter of the bullet was altered from .318 inch to the present standard of .323 inch. Accordingly, the ‘S’ (for ‘Spitzer’) means that the barrel is made for .323” bullets.
There are several 8mm/.323 cartridges today, like the 8mm Rem. Mag. and the .325 Winchester Short Mag. A number of other Mauser-named cartridges exist today. Many still see use for big-game hunting in Africa, as they’re still classic cartridges that hold a lot of nostalgia, such as the 7X57 Mauser (7mm Mauser) or the 9.3X62 Mauser.
Is Bigger Better?
Of course, most Americans are relatively familiar with the .30-06, so we’ll use that as our comparison cartridge. The 8mm/.323-diameter bullets are few and far between; the lightest I’ve seen is a 160-gr. Barnes bullet, up to a few 220-gr. varieties.
Compare that to the .308-cal. bullets used in the .30-06, which start at about 100 or 110 grains, and go all the way up to 220 (some niche bullets go higher). That said, just because there’s more variety on the .308 doesn’t mean it’s better by default. Let’s use the 200-grain weights for our example for an apples-to-apples comparison. The lone 200-gr. load of .30-06 ammo on Midway USA’s site lists a velocity of just over 2,500 fps. The Nosler Accubond load is going about 2,475 fps. That’s close enough difference that they’re essentially ballistically equals. Most other 8mm factory loads that are just under 200 grains, like Hornady’s 196-gr. load, which won’t make much difference at all, though it may put you right up there with the .30-06.
So … is bigger better? That depends on the intended use. Most bullets that are smaller in diameter yet of equal weight tend to have a higher ballistic coefficient (B.C.) value, meaning they’re more aerodynamic because of their smaller profile and better distributed weight. So yes, while the .30-06 200-gr. bullet will have a higher B.C., neither of these cartridges would really suit match shooting, as we have much better cartridges available.
Smaller bullets of equal weight also have higher sectional density, which determines penetration, and that’s what you want on game. So, it might seem that the .30-06 “wins” again… but it really doesn’t. Why? Technically, sure, based on numbers alone, it would, but the difference is negligible in real life application. A bigger diameter bullet, though, can make a difference on how energy is transferred, and can result in a bigger hole, meaning more tissue damage.
My point is, when doing a true pound-for-pound comparison of the .30-06 and the 8mm Mauser, the 8mm holds its own incredibly well. So, does it really shine anywhere?
Reloading Resurgence
If you reload, I have some news for you: This is where the 8mm Mauser stands out. While Nosler shows case capacity of the .30-06 case with a 200-grain bullet allows for 59.4 grains of water, the 8mm Mauser’s case capacity runs that same bullet at 51.5 grains of water capacity, or roughly 8 grains less (water is used as a standard since all powder granules are slightly different, so water gives a general capacity metric). In other words, the Mauser does equal – or more – with less. That lesser load gives you 134 rounds of 8mm ammo, versus 120 for the .30-06. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but assuming the average person shoots 10 rounds of ammo a year between zeroing and hunting, that’s an extra year of hunting every dozen years or so.
Bang for German Buck
So, is the 8mm Mauser worth getting? If you already have a .30-06, especially if it’s an accurate one, I’d say no. But if you’re a reloading rat, history aficionado, or just like bragging to your friends about novel, nostalgic things, it’s a pretty cool round, and they’ll be impressed… as long as they’re a history nerd or a gun buff too. And you can probably humble them if they’re in the .30-06 camp.
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