Seems I have a love hate relationship with the 7x57. So far it's been a bad luck cartridge for me for one reason or another..
First one I had was a neat sporter made up in some little gun shop in England. Looked like a close copy of a Rigby and was stamped .275 Rigby-7x57 Mauser. Nice lightweight rifle, quite accurate as well. I lived in a small western town at he time and the only ammo available was that federal 175 gr. round nose. Well, that was the load it made it's reputation on so what the hell, I used it. Got a shot at a nice Mule deer at about 50 yards and planted the bullet right behind the shoulder. Deer took off at a dead run. I shot it about eight in the morning and was still looking for it when it became too dark to look any longer. I found it the next day,well at least what the coyotes had left over two hundred yards away from where I'd shot it. I was so damn mad I sold the rifle off. Still kicking myself to that dumb move.
Many years later I got into a smoking deal on one of the Winchester M70 Featherweight XTR's in 7x57 and took it on a deer hunt. I was using a handload using the 140 gr. Ballistic Tips and W760 in Winchester brass. The load was decently fast and very accurate. Got a shot at a nice deer which ran into a gully. I had to climb a ridge to reach the gully and my right foot slid one way and the rest of me the other way. Sat down hard with my right knee hurting like hell. My hunting partners carried me off the hill, I could not walk unsupported and they refused to go look for my deer.
They wanted to take me into town to the hospital.
This year I played with some handloads using Re17 and the 150 gr. Partitions and got a decent load doing 2700 FPS with good accuracy. Took a while before I had the time to even get started due to caring for my wife who had a stroke last year. Before I could load up a supply of ammo for an elk hunt, I only had five rounds left over from the range test, it was time to leave for the hunt. So I did the hunt with another rifle to take my elk.
I guess the 7x57 jinx is still with me. Maybe next year.
I do so want to hunt with that FWT.
Paul B.
