Two very historically significant cartridges are the 8mm Mauser and the 7.62x54R. Both of these rounds have seen their fair share of use in both World War 1 and World War 2, and are still sometimes used today. However, these two rounds are seldom compared. So in this article, we will compare these two cartridges to see which is better and why.
Here is the short answer:
The 8mm Mauser is a less powerful cartridge but is more versatile and can effectively take deer sized game. On the other hand, the 7.62x54R is a heavy hitting cartridge that can be used for big game hunting as well as long range shooting.
With the short answer out of the way, we can look in-depth at each caliber, compare the two calibers in-depth, and look at the best applications of each caliber.
In-depth look at the 8mm Mauser
The 8mm Mauser was developed in 1903 by the German Empire. It quickly became popular in Europe and was used extensively in both World Wars. The 8mm Mauser has a long and narrow case which was the popular design for the time but leads to less effective powder burn compared to the shorter fatter cartridges of today. It has a wide range of bullet options, from 154 grains to 198 grains.
Here is a ballistic chart of the 8mm Mauser with a 170-grain soft point bullet:
| range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 2250 | 1911 |
| 50 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 2136 | 1722 |
| 100 | 0 | 1.3 | 2025 | 1548 |
| 150 | -2.3 | 2.8 | 1917 | 1388 |
| 200 | -6.9 | 5.3 | 1814 | 1242 |
| 250 | -14.4 | 8.6 | 1715 | 1110 |
| 300 | -24.8 | 12.8 | 1620 | 991 |
| 350 | -38.3 | 17.8 | 1529 | 883 |
| 400 | -55.5 | 23.7 | 1444 | 786 |
| 450 | -77.1 | 30.9 | 1365 | 703 |
| 500 | -103.5 | 39.1 | 1292 | 630 |
In-depth look at the 7.62x54R
The 7.62x54R is a cartridge that was developed by the Russian Empire in 1891. It has been used extensively in military applications from world war 1 to modern day. The 7.62x54R has a rimmed case similar to the size of a 308 Winchester with a more relaxed shoulder angle. The 762x54R, while a powerful cartridge by most standards, is far outperformed by other cartridges in its class such as the 30-06 Springfield.
Here is a ballistic chart of the 7.62x54R with a 150-grain spitzer bullet:
| range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 2840 | 2686 |
| 50 | -0.2 | 0.2 | 2724 | 2471 |
| 100 | 0 | 0.9 | 2611 | 2270 |
| 150 | -1.1 | 1.8 | 2500 | 2082 |
| 200 | -3.6 | 3.3 | 2392 | 1906 |
| 250 | -7.6 | 5.3 | 2287 | 1742 |
| 300 | -13.3 | 7.9 | 2185 | 1590 |
| 350 | -20.8 | 11 | 2085 | 1448 |
| 400 | -30.3 | 14.7 | 1988 | 1316 |
| 450 | -41.8 | 18.8 | 1892 | 1193 |
| 500 | -56 | 23.8 | 1801 | 1081 |
In-depth answer
When it comes to ballistics, the 8mm Mauser and the 7.62x54R have some very notable differences. The 7.62x54R is far superior to the 8mm Mauser in all ways.
In terms of availability and cost, the 7.62x54R is far more available than the 8mm Mauser and much less costly. The 7.62x54R is also more common in military surplus rifles when compared to the 8mm Mauser.
recoil: Wise of recoil, both these cartridges are virtually identical. they both have around the 13-15 foot-pounds of energy depending on rifle and bullet weight.
Conclusion
Overall, the 7.62x54R is the better cartridge in almost all ways, it has better ballistics, about the same recoil, and is more available. However, the 7.62x54R does not have as wide of an array of bullet weights.