I just bot. a Remington Classic in 8mm Mauser for deer hunting in east texas where few shots are over 75 yards. Was this a good choice if so what is a good choice in ammo. I understand their are two loads for the 8mm. One for old military rifles and one for new rifles.

Not sure what a Remington Classic is, but the 8mm Mauser is a fine caliber for deer -- up to any range you can hit one.

Did you mean Remington 700 Classic? Fine rifle!

yep 700 classic.

the classic is a fine rifle, but i've wondered why the offered it in 8mm mauser? imo, they would have been better served with a bit flatter shooting caliber

the caliber is fine for east texas deer, it shoots a 175 grain bullet around 2575 fps if memory serves correct.

Wasn't the whole idea of the 700 Classic that they offered a special caliber each year? 2004 was the 8x57mm Mauser year.

Anyway, you want as light a bullet, down to 150 grains, as you can find for deer. Federal makes 170 grain.

If you are using factory loads, there are some things you need to know about the 8mm Mauser. Winchester, Federal and Remington all load it, but all of their loads are very mild. They load lighter bullets at moderate velocities. All of the European ammo companies like Norma as well as I believe Hornady, load the cartridge to close to its full capabilities with 196 grain bullets. I'm sure you can get hotter loads if you handload, but the full house Sellier and Bellot and Norma loads pack a wallop. Loaded to full power, it is basically the ballistic equivalent to the .30-06.

From 1981 to 2005 Remington made limited runs of the Classic with a different caliber chosen for each year.
I have the 1989 in 300 WBY and 1994 in 6.5x55. I don't remember the year it was offered in 8mm, but it was one of the later years. Factory 8mm loads tend to be on the safe side for liability reasons due to all the older military surplus rifles out there, but for your intended purpose, those factory loads and using a heavy bullet may actually be perfect for your needs. You got a fine rifle.

The Federal 170 has a MV of 2250 fps. This load is very close to the old .33 WCF which was a fine deer/black bear cartridge, by all accounts.

I'd be afraid the 196 grain bullets were designed for African plains game and would pencil on thru one of our whitetails.

ETA: Actually, I was wrong about the comparison to the .33WCF. As it is loaded by Federal, it compares closely to the old .32 Winchester Special, or the .30-30.

The S&B ammo is probably designed for shooting boar and red deer. I'll bet it's fine on whitetail.