French Guns Lebel Home

The 8x50R Lebel Home     [IMR 3031] [IMR 3031-2] [IMR 4350] [IMR 4895] [IMR 4895-2] [Kynoch] [Machine Gun] Bullet model D manufacturing phases Case manufacturing phases Various 8mm Lebel cartridges : cut-away, 1886M (rounded bullet), 1886 D (sharpened bullet), blank, "tir réduit", training "feuillette" 8x50R Lebel Cartridge - IMR 3031   Bullet Type Hornady 220gr Spire Point (.323) Case - .348 WIN Formed Brass - 1.985 Trim Primer CCI Cartridge Overall Length 3.020 Inches Powder Charge (gr) MV (ft/s) Std Dev (ft/s) ME (ft-lbs) Comments 44.0 2218 14.5 2404 None General Comments: Reasonably accurate and pleasant to shoot. 8x50R Lebel Cartridge - IMR 3031 Bullet Type Sierra 175gr Spitzer (.323) Case - .348 WIN Formed Brass - 1.985 Trim Primer CCI Cartridge Overall Length 2.800 Inches Powder Charge (gr) MV (ft/s) Std Dev (ft/s) ME (ft-lbs) Comments 44.0 2364 25.0 2172 None 46.5 2466 12.0 2364 None General Comments: Pretty good. Might make decent hunting loads. Lighter recoil than 220gr. rounds.   8x50R Lebel Cartridge - IMR 4350 Bullet Type Sierra 220gr BTSP (.323) Case - .348 WIN Formed Brass - 1.985 Trim Primer CCI Cartridge Overall Length 2.950 Inches Powder Charge (gr) MV (ft/s) Std Dev (ft/s) ME (ft-lbs) Comments 48.0 2098 13.0 2151 None 50.0 2194 10.0 2352 None 52.0 2269 16.9 2516 None General Comments: Not bad. The 52gr load is a bit hot, though. Sweet spot probably in area of 50gr.   8x50R Lebel Cartridge - IMR 4895 Bullet Type Hornady 220gr Spire Point (.323) Case - .348 WIN Formed Brass - 1.985 Trim Primer CCI Cartridge Overall Length 3.020 Inches Powder Charge (gr) MV (ft/s) Std Dev (ft/s) ME (ft-lbs) Comments 44.0 0000 0000 0000 None 45.0 2263 16.0 2502 None General Comments: Probably as good as I have any right to expect from an 80 year-old rifle. Reasonably accurate and pleasant to shoot. 8x50R Lebel Cartridge - IMR 4895 Bullet Type Sierra 220gr BTSP (.323) Case - .348 WIN Formed Brass - 1.980 Trim Primer CCI Cartridge Overall Length 2.950 Inches Powder Charge (gr) MV (ft/s) Std Dev (ft/s) ME (ft-lbs) Comments 45.0 2253 8.0 2480 None General Comments: Couldn't ask for much more out of a first try. Very accurate and pleasant to shoot. Taken from Handloader article by Stransky and Stockwell except did not seat bullet nearly as deeply as listed in the article. 8x50R Lebel Cartridge - Kynoch Bullet Type 232gr FMJ FN (Nickel jacket) (.321) Case - K * * 8mm Headstamp Brass - 1.990 Trim Primer Berdan Cartridge Overall Length 2.940 Inches Powder Charge (gr) MV (ft/s) Std Dev (ft/s) ME (ft-lbs) Comments 39.1gr Flake 2008 46.5 2078 None General Comments: Not wanting to waste any full packages, I was only able to test 7 rounds. While probably mainly a collector cartridge now, this can still be had in while paper packets marked "10 Lebel Standard Cartridges / Kynoch Ltd. Birmingham England". Though you must disassemble a round to see it, there is a "K" on the base of the bullet. Not real important, but a cute bit of trivia. 8x50R Lebel Cartridge - Rem-UMC Bullet Type 169gr SPT (.322) Case - REM-UMC 8mm Lebel Headstamp Brass - 1.975 Trim Primer Boxer Cartridge Overall Length 2.702 Inches Powder Charge (gr) MV (ft/s) Std Dev (ft/s) ME (ft-lbs) Comments 41.8gr Extruded 2531 23.3 2405 None General Comments: Excellent quality, very accurate. Kind of funny-looking due to the short bullet. 8x50R Lebel Cartridge - Hotchkiss MG Ammo Bullet Type 234gr FMJ BT (Nickel jacket) (.326) Case - CP 2 F 48 Headstamp Brass - 1.983 Trim Primer Berdan Cartridge Overall Length 2.949 Inches Powder Charge (gr) MV (ft/s) Std Dev (ft/s) ME (ft-lbs) Comments 44.4gr Flake 2343 12.6 2853 None General Comments: Pretty hot. Do not fire this in your rifle unless it has been proofed for Balle-N rounds. Usually found still on the Hotchkiss belt segments. Most of the available 8mm Lebel is of this vintage. Headstamp translates as follows: "CP" is Cartoucherie Leon Paulet, Marseilles, France. (Cartridge) "F" is Trefileries et Laminoires de la Mediterranee, St. Louis, France. (Case) "2 48" is second quarter, 1948.