Is it overkill?

Xscout577

Guest
Does hunting Whitetail with an old German Kar98 8mm (7.95 x57) Mauser seem to be a bit overkill?
I have either a Ruger Mini-14 (with scope) or a Kar98 to hunt with so I'm kind of curious as to what some opinions are. I thought about breaking out the Kar98 this year, but it seems like shooting a mouse with a Howitzer round. :D
 
FishHunt

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
Shooting deer with an 8x57 has been done for a long time. It is not overkill. The 8x57 is an underated round by American taste. With modern bullets and powders it compares well with the 30/06.

<>< Fish
 
Eric Revo

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
That's a common round for big game over in Europe and other countries. As long as the Mauser has a good bore a K98 is a great gun that is probably one of the most used and copied acyions out there.
Lots of reloading options for that round, and typically that action will handle anything loaded per specs and do fine as a mid range rifle. There are mounts available for scopes, that may be your best option.
 
woodmoose

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
they only time "overkill" is a factor is if it destroys the animal to the extent it is no longer edible,,,,as others stated the 8x57 is not that,,,in fact it is an excellent deer round for moderate ranges,

now a 106 (actually 105) recoilless is overkill,,,,,a 50bmg might be depending on the load and bullet choice,,,,,
 
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Blackwater

Blackwater

Twelve Pointer
Back when I was in the service a surplus K-98 was all I could afford ($25.00), so it became my first centerfire rifle, accounting for several antelope and mulies out West, then in the late 70's I had Frank Pierce in Charlotte wildcat it to 8mm-06 and I have killed a truckload of deer with it since. The 150 or 170 grain softnoses work well for whitetail and the lower velocity of the 8x57 won't damage too much meat. A whitetail will hardly know the difference between 2700 or 3000 fps with the right bullet selection. Now with a safe containing several calibers I still like to take the old girl out once in a while to sit in a blind and remember the good old days.
 
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Banjo

Banjo

Old Mossy Horns
Rather you have more gun than needed than not enough.


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woodmoose

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
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Blackwater said:
Back when I was in the service a surplus K-98 was all I could afford ($25.00), so it became my first centerfire rifle, accounting for several antelope and mulies out West, then in the late 70's I had Frank Pierce in Charlotte wildcat it to 8mm-06 and I have killed a truckload of deer with it since. .
Click to expand...

classic conversion,,,,,nice round but then I have a liking for the over 30 cal rounds,,,,,(from a guy who totes a 7mm all the dang time!)
 
Blackwater

Blackwater

Twelve Pointer
woodmoose said:
classic conversion,,,,,nice round but then I have a liking for the over 30 cal rounds,,,,,(from a guy who totes a 7mm all the dang time!)
Click to expand...

The conversion was a bit outdated by the time I chose to do it, but my purpose was to have a rifle to carry in the black timber in Colorado while elk hunting. Shots in that timber rarely are over 100 yds. and often light is too low to use a scope so I relied on open sights, only recently having drilled it for a scope. I had a Lyman receiver sight on it with a homemade ghost ring aperture and shot 220 grain Sierra's which will take the steam out of the biggest elk out to 100 yds.. With a rest or a good stance I could hit the palm of your hand at that distance, at least when I had the vision of a younger man, so it served it's purpose. I haven't elk hunted in a number of years so I decided to load lighter and use it out in the open, for from a bench it still will shoot MOA.
 
stiab

stiab

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
The 98 was my first deer rifle, an artic mauser (big trigger guard for gloved hands), and it is not overkill for whitetail. Back then you could buy them from ads in any outdoor magazine for less than $20, shipped to your door by the US postal service, without regard to your age.
 
pcbuckhunter

pcbuckhunter

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
There is no such thing as "overkill". One of the guys in my Dad's hunting club in Ga hunted with a .50BMG for years. Most 7 mm Mag and .30/06 loads do more damage than that .50 did

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