The 7x57 (aka "7mm Mauser" and ".275 Rigby") is one of the... if not "THE"... oldest, center-fire smokeless powder cartridge still available and is still a popular hunting cartridge for a good reason.
It gets the job done with little fuss 'n muss... and does so with
relatively light recoil.
The 7x57 has a slight edge in powder capacity over the 7mm-08 and if loaded to modern standards, will "out run & out-gun" the 7mm-08, but is far under-loaded by most USA ammo manufacturers due to the continuing use of the weaker 1893 and 1895 7mm Mauser rifles in many poorer, 3rd world countries.
While SAAMI has held their suggested chamber pressure recommendations down to a mere 46,000 CUP due to these older, weaker 7mm Mauser actions, many recent reloading manuals are now recommending considerably higher pressure loads up to and including loads that generate up to 50,000 Copper Units of Pressure ("CUP")... the same as the modern .30/06 loads.
However, when offering such loads, most reloading manuals print a "caution" saying that their 7x57 maximum loads should only be used in "modern rifles in good condition". In such rifles, a load generating 50,000 C.U.P. is an acceptable, reasonable load.
While Karamojo Bell killed over 1100 African elephants with his 7x57 rifle, that doesn't make the 7x57 an "elephant rifle"... but the fact that Bell did it shows the killing power of the cartridge in expert hands.
The 7x57 is an excellent caliber for anything that walks in the New World except possibly the "big bears". Certainly, deer, elk, caribou and moose are well within it's capabilities with good bullets and proper bullet placement... and it's relatively light recoil makes shooting it accurate an easy and happy task.
Jus' my 2�...
Strength & Honor...
Ron T.
