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Sometimes rifles left in the back of the safe become neglected and forgotten. I recently discovered that Indiana's new hunting regulations may have presented the perfect opportunity for this old Remington to become useful again. The 30 Remington is basically a rimless version of the classic 30-30. However the 5 round box magazine enables spitzer bullet selection. Anyone here reload for this cartridge? Bullet and powder favorite combinations? I need to buy brass, dies, bullets, powder. Starting from scratch....
Another of Saint Brownings designs.
The cool factor is through the roof with the mod 8.
Just use same load data as .30/30 Win. I don't reload for .30 Rem., but appreciate the obsolete cartridges. Try finding brass for .33 Winchester.(:
Here's some info:
http://www.remingtonsociety.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3187
Cheapest brass I've seen:
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/742
I remember shooting the last 20 rounds of factory ammo with my dad back in the late 80's. I am still fascinated with the design. It was cool to shoot back then. My kids need to see it work.
Very cool. Must have pictures.
I second the 30-30 data and powder selection. Most any standard 150 grain soft point should work well, but I would start with Hornady's interlock first based on my past experiences.
I have a bottle of h322 for the 6br. Good enough or buy something like imr 3031?
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle
Hope you get it back in action.
gunnerblue
11-04-17, 18:15
About a year ago, I saw a Model 8 in .35 Rem marked LA County Sheriffs Office. Immaculate condition with letters of provenance and a 30-round magazine marked “For Law Enforcement Use Only.” Further research revealed the these magazines were available for agency purchase in that day. This has little to do with the OP’s question, I just thought I’d share as it’s one the neatest firearms I’ve ever seen.
Use starting data for .30/30 Winchester and work up from there. I believe Redding makes dies and I’ve heard of folks making brass from 6.8 SPC cases as it is derived from the .30 Remington. As such, 6.8 shell holders will work as well.
Didn't Bonnie and Clyde experience justice at the receiving end of a model 8 equipped with those same special order 30 round magazines?
Pretty sure Frank Hammer carried one in .35 Remington in the ambush.
Has the 35 Remington slid away into obsolescence like the 30 Remington?
Not like the .30.
I think Marlin still makes their small levergun (336?) in .35.
Ammo is still produced to my knowledge.
48433.
Got the order off to Graf's. Brass and dies coming soon!
https://www.forgottenweapons.com/remington-model-81-special-police/
Thanks for the interesting article!
Mr. Goodtimes
11-06-17, 10:22
I️ had the opportunity to buy one of these a few years ago and really wish I️ would have. A very cool piece of history.
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Took a while to get everything lined up and loaded. Settled on H322 as I already have some for my 6br. Went with Hornady 150gr round nose for their effectiveness at close distances. Had some WLR primers on hand. I produced 6 test runs of 10 rounds each for initial testing. Began at 28.5 gr and worked up to Sierra max of 30.5. Depending on how things looked also made a ten round 31.0gr Speer max suggested load.
Finally got out to do some shooting today. All testing done at 100y sandbagged front and back. PACT chronograph used to find averages and simple statistical data.
28.5 gr = avg 2164
29.0 gr = avg 2223
29.5 gr = avg 2258
30.0 gr = avg 2259
30.5 gr = no data
31.0 gr = 2319
Best group of ten was 29.5 with 5 1/2" and round. This group also had a good SD of 23.8. Interesting to note that Sierra's accuracy load is 29.7.
General observations:
1. Trigger was surprisingly good. Just a little creep and light release.
2. Recoil was stronger than expected. After 60 rounds I am bruised.
3. Brass ejects almost straight up and slightly forward. Not vigorous by any means.
4. Had 5 failures to feed with the bolt failing to strip a new round from the magazine. Maybe the bullet nose was impacting the ramp too low?
5. Had some primers back out of case slightly regardless of powder charge. Happened 15 percent of the time. Also noticed that ejector leaves occasional mark on primer. See attachment....
6. Shooting is good. Even 4 weeks post op with rotator cuff and left arm in sling. Shooting g27 with unsupported strong hand is humbling. Stupid sling...
49036
49037
Thorough job, great report.
Any plans to hunt with the old girl?
I have every intention to go hunting with it. Next year...
Need to rehab my shoulder some more.
Do you have any idea what sort of precision I should expect with this rifle?
Thanks!
My expectation would be 2.5" @ 100 yds- about half of what you're getting.
I have a few old Winchester lever guns from that era that shoot 2.5" or under.
Check muzzle/crown for dings/concentricity, re-crown is fairly easy if needed. Obviously load tweaking; bullet type/weight, powder, primer, etc. can likely better group size.
Follow the docs recommendations on the shoulder.
I've had mine (right/dominant) done twice, because I DIDN'T follow the game plan.
The only upside of extended periods of no right arm; I got pretty good shooting "weak"/support hand only with handguns.
The crown looks normal. I just wonder, with so many moving parts, what is the potential of the model 8? I can't find any information on-line other than "they shoot great." Granted this is my first test. Kind of wished I would have gone with 170 gr bullets. I believe that 170 was the intended bullet.
Agree with the 170's Kk.
I always loaded 170's in my .30/30's.
Anytime you have a relatively low pressure cartridge (from a bygone era), a "heavy for caliber" bullet is going to work best on game, not to mention the barrels twist rate was most likely designed around a 170.
This is weird, but all of a sudden there are several of these at my local pawn shop (which never has much of a selection).
Anglin Second Hand, in Eureka... I'm not affiliated, except they do my FFL transfers (and my 12-year-old is getting a new .22 for Christmas).
What are they chambered in?
You mean the ones I saw here? I dunno. I only saw them there, with labels on them. I didn't look closely enough to notice the price or the chambering.
Anglin is a friendly bunch, though, so you could give them a call and ask.
If you see these again you might check for LE markings as well as chambering.
Found some information. Remington specifications called for 10 shot group with factory 170gr ammunition at 100 yards 4.5". Seems like the consensus on a website devoted to the rifle is that good handloads may approach 3.5". Regardless, I have some more testing to do.
Interesting.
Guess your comment of finding online info stating "they shoot great" is pretty subjective.
Still, 3.5" is gonna be adequate for a 150 yd. gun for deer or bad guys.
I'll be interested in what you come up with, in the way of accuracy improvement, with load development
Not an 8, but an 81, so close enough. This one in .300 Savage. Gone now, but it was an interesting rifle.
https://s5.postimg.org/uxltr804n/img20180108_18321953_731x1024.jpg
magimerlin01
01-09-18, 23:49
I love my old 1940's era model 81... was my grandfathers... we went out shooting alot with that rifle. Only issue with it now, what it's chambered in... if you think it's hard to find .35 brass or ammo try finding it for a
.32 remington(no .32 Winchester will not work) I have the last two boxes I could find from a guy, after talking to him for a bit, said here yah go there yours.....
For those looking for info and markings and numbers... check this site out..
http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com/?page_id=36
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
I love my old 1940's era model 81... was my grandfathers... we went out shooting alot with that rifle. Only issue with it now, what it's chambered in... if you think it's hard to find .35 brass or ammo try finding it for a
.32 remington(no .32 Winchester will not work) I have the last two boxes I could find from a guy, after talking to him for a bit, said here yah go there yours.....
For those looking for info and markings and numbers... check this site out..
http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com/?page_id=36
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
I wonder if those old rifles could be rebarreled to the 6.8 Remington or the same case necked up to say .30 cal for added bullet weight to increase the recoil a bit to improve functioning. Same case head diameter. Shorter case, might feed thru the fixed magazine. Might have to play with the recoil spring and maybe lighten the barrel a bit.
It's an idea, I guess....
Can .30 Remington brass be necked up to work for .32 Remington? My understanding is they are the same case.
Can .30 Remington brass be necked up to work for .32 Remington? My understanding is they are the same case.
Yes.
And they both have the same basic case head size as the 6.8 Rem...'cept the latter isn't long enough to form which to form .30/.32 Rem cases.
Why not just buy brass that is made for your chamber with correct head stamp?
https://www.grafs.com/catalog/category/categoryId/779
Why not just buy brass that is made for your chamber with correct head stamp?
https://www.grafs.com/catalog/category/categoryId/779
Well, that's the better idea!!
I suppose it's a good idea to keep as many options open as one can, but a few hundred rounds of that stuff should last a long time.
Mine was a .300 Savage so brass and even homemade brass wasn't a problem for my recoil-operated AK.
{...which the Rem 8/81 sort of is, or better put, the AK is something of a gas-operated Model 8}.
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