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German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

BasraBoy

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 29, 2008
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Dark Side of the Moon
Does anybody know where I can find ballistics or load data for the original German 8mmJS 198gr round - trying to get as close to the original to put through my 98k.

Better still if anyone has reverse engineered an original surplus round and has that info.....

Thanks in advance.
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

Thanks Steve

I've been using factory S&B 196gr up to now but my dealer is finding it hard to get more.

I've got some figures on 1934 spec ammo that says 198gr at 760 m/s with ME of 3697J

The S&B is 789m/s and 3953J at the Muzzle.

With a steel buttplate I'm pretty much done for the day after 40 rounds of that........
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

I bought some of that S&B ammo a couple years ago. After shooting various bullet weights in my relaods, I was amazed to find the S&B ammo shot close to the sights (elevation) on my M48 Yugo Mauser. Surprisingly accurate too, given the stepped ogive of the bullets they load.

Did you get yours as a surplus buy or did granddad take it from a "Gerry"?

That steel buttplate is comfy...
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

Sadly no, he threw his (plus a Luger)over the side on the boat back from Europe in 1945 after all the guys were told trophies would be taken off them at disembarkation in the UK. He never stopped regreting it....especially the Luger!

I got mine from Ed at Miltech - all matching numbers byf41 refurbed to as issued condition after someone in the past had put some tart's handbag replacement stock on it.

It is exactly because of the rear sight elevations and, as it has a SSR scope mount, Ed has found me a mil spec Zielvier with metre graduations on the azimuth ring...that I'm looking to get as close as possible to the original.

Have you ever tried the PriviPartvan/PPU? It'd be good to know how you found that....

PRS98K.jpg

 
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Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

Here's another grim calculation i favour for the 198gr Ss bullet:

A 198gr Ss had the capability to on average penetrate 8 Soviet soldiers. In a MG34 running at app 850rpm it could not stop Soviet frontal charges on the Eastern front. A new MG had to be developed with higher sustained rpm capability. Starting with the 198Ss it was calculated that the new MG should at least have the capability to run at +1300rpm. The result: MG42.

Today it is possible to duplicate this performance using British 7.62 NATO ammo loaded with Lapua 170gr LockBase fired in a MG3 with the "run in" nozzle.

Should anyone be facing large frontal asaults again it is out with all the "modern stuff"/800rpm MG and back to the old killing machine.

I used to own a 8mm MG42 that was tuned to run at 1500rpm with 198gr Ss.
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

I have not tried the PRVI Partisan ammo nor have I really done much experimenting with my rifle beyond the few handloads I worked up and the couple of factory loads and Mil Surp. stuff I bought on stripper clips! I haven't tried any of the latter as yet.

I did replace the rear sight with a peep type sight by a maker who's name escapes me at the moment.

Still not as nice as a rear bridge mounted aperture sight would be but better than the rear open sight it had.

There is someone here who has mounted a scope on his and it looks very authentic. It has also provided him with a better guage on the accuracy potential of this otherwise service grade rifle.
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

Thanks queegueg.

The PPU ammo seems easy to get over here so I may give it a go.

I have an SSR scope mount on mine (just waiting for a refurbed Zielvier with the correct elevation increments on the aziumth ring from Ed).

That's why I want to get as close as possible to the original....pointless having the Germans go to all that trouble to set up the elevations on the rear sight and scope if I can't get ammo that performs accordingly.....

Privi website shows 198gr FMJ BT at 740m/s and ME of 3520J
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TorF</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I used to own a 8mm MG42 that was tuned to run at 1500rpm with 198gr Ss. </div></div>

That must have been a lot of fun! Did you use surplus ammo?
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BasraBoy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TorF</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I used to own a 8mm MG42 that was tuned to run at 1500rpm with 198gr Ss. </div></div>

That must have been a lot of fun! Did you use surplus ammo?</div></div>

The MG42 is awesome and great fun. It's my favourite weapon.

A friend of mine colleced German MG's. His most impressive guns were MG81 and MG81Z. The MG81(single) was clocked at 1600 rpm in a package just a little larger than the new S&W 500 revolver :) The Z rpm was 3200rpm with an extreme muzzle flash..

Original German steel cased ammo. This was in the late 70'ies, early 80'ies when there were a lot of surplus German ammo around. We had a lot of special ammo as well. Tracer that lit on 200m, explosive, etc.
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

I've only ever seen an MG42 fired with live ammo on a program on the History Channel about Omaha Beach....British Army guy set up an MG42 and fired controlled bursts into 10 gallon plastic water cans. Very accurate and "neat grouping" - terrible exit wounds.
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

Thanks TorF - the guys at HPS Targetmaster in the UK recommended the same bullet over the PPU 198gr FMJ BT (B348).
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

I had very good result at 100 yards with 200 grain Speer soft points and AA-3100. The Mauser I had shoot this bullet very well.

Good luck

Jerry
 
Re: German WW2 8mmJS 198gr

Thanks Jerry. Unfortunately the law in the UK won't allow expanding ammo for target shooting. I want to use this rifle out to 600yds.