D'Addario makes some serious claims about the performance, life, and resistance to breaking of the NYXL series strings. While we haven't scientifically tested these claims, our playing experience seems to support all of these claims. The high carbon steel resists breaking like nothing else. Our customer experience seems to line up with out personal experience on this point, very few reported strings breaking over many years of selling them. Tuning stability is unsurpassed. I put them on my Teisco Del Rey, didn't play them for six months and it was still in tune. D'Addario also claims higher output, and again, our experience lines up. They're fantastic on high performance metal guitars, and great in high gain situations. 

NYXL strings are high carbon steel alloy, nickel plated, and are not coated or treated. 

The 10-74 gauge set would be a good standard gauge for 8 string guitars.