Just put a Hakim on layaway...

[Cattus Borealis]

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday I found a Hakim in 8x57mm and put it on layaway. It has a beautiful bore on it and looks like it was carried a lot in the field but not shot a lot. I suspect that it can be very accurate. I have a good assortment of 195+ grain .323 bullets.

I would like to hand load for it...

What are some good recipes for 8x57mm for the Hakim?

Any powders to avoid?


Do you have to use "hard" primers for this one?

What type of sling would go best with this rifle?

Thank You!

CB

[checkmate19]

I do not reload , but have recently purchased one also . They look to be a nice rifle and I look forward to shooting mine. I have not even started looking for ammo though. Good luck with your rifle and keep us posted.

[Cattus Borealis]

Thank You!

[Coyote Tracker]

One word of warning. Do not use Turkish 8 mm suprlus ammo in the Hakim or any other semiautomatic rifle. The rounds contain a slow burning powder that will put too much pressure on the gas system and damage or wreck it.

If you are going to reload you will need a shell buffer to keep the action from dinging the brass. They can be made from rubber tubing etc..

[Calfed]

I've got several Hakims. Mine like IMR 4064 in the 44 gr range.

IMO, avoid slow burning powders and stick with the medium burning ones. I highly recommend the #34 hard primers...the Hakim has a floating firing pin.

The Hakim has a gas adjustment valve on the upper side of the barrel. That is what the small pie-shaped thing poking through the handguard is. You can use it to regulate the amount of gas entering the gas system.

Here are a few useful links...

http://shooting.forsandiego.com/hakim/

http://archmagev.com/Firearms/Hakim%20Rifle.pdf

[Cattus Borealis]

Thanks for the great advice...I cannot wait until I pay off the Hakim! 8x57 is probably my favorite caliber. I will post pictures when I pick it up.

[joe7170]

Hakim is a fun and interesting rifle. you find the right load, and it will shoot great!

[samsplacci]

Hey CB, cool pick up. I will be paying attention to your load development. This is one rifle I know nothing about other than its Swede heritage.

[Cattus Borealis]

Perhaps I will start a post on my Hakim Handloading experiments...I cannot wait to pick her up!

[retread12345678]

NO EXPERT I have enjoyed mine and found them to be accurate and reliable I found the ejected brass to be excessively
mutilated but ammo was so cheap , who cared ??? HOPEFULLY you gun will be better behaved than mine were

[Calfed]

NO EXPERT I have enjoyed mine and found them to be accurate and reliable I found the ejected brass to be excessively
mutilated but ammo was so cheap , who cared ??? HOPEFULLY you gun will be better behaved than mine were

Did you try adjusting the gas valve

[retread12345678]

► Show Spoiler

As I recall I did, but it seemed the case mouth was more chewed up than was worth the work On the plus side
the guns would digest brass and steel, civilian or military

[Cattus Borealis]

I just picked up my Hakim! I test shot 15 rounds of M-75 Yugo Ball. Very Accurate. I will post pictures tomorrow.

[Cattus Borealis]

Here are some pictures of the Hakim. Made in 1965.

The first target was 10 shots of 1953 Yugoslavian. 6 O'clock hold at 50 yards
The second target was 5 shots with 42 Grains of IMR 4895 and 196 FMJ bullets. Center hold at 50 yards. It shot high.


The Yugoslavian Ammo had very hard primers. I also found that the firing pin was not clean and occasionally stuck in the forward position. I cleaned it out at home with Balistol , pipe cleaners and cotton swabs. The firing pin channel was clogged with gunk and some rust. I can't wait to shoot it again.