Hello,
I have two 7x57. The first one a so-called Plezier Mauser (mine is not exactly like the ones went to South Africa in the Boer times). It is one of the very few Original Sporting M93 Mausers made by DWM. I have it since 1972 when my Grand Father gave it tome. He had received it from his father.... The other is a M1935 Argentine Mauser made as sporter at our Government Arsenal around 1970. It was from its start a 7,65x53 Mauser. I change the original barrel and put an original mint military one made by S.I.G. (marked S.J.G) for the 1912 Chilean Mauser.
Both has a rifling twist of one turn in 222,5 milimeters. Around one turn in 8,76". The standard original Mauser designed.
It has been, and still is my main hunting rifle/cartridge. For European Red Deer, Fallow Deer, Axis Deer and Wild Boar.
I ended using mostly 154 Hornady Spire Point, 160 Speer Mag Tip, 160 Nosler Partition, 173 H-Mantel, 175 Speer Mag Tip and the 175 Nosler Partition.
I use the 154 grs Hornady for the Axis and Fallow Deer. The rest 160 to 175 grs for the big Red Deer (almost an Elk by size ) and the Wild Boar.
I load the 154 Hornady near 2800 f/s, the 160 grs around 2750 f/s and the 175 grs at 2650 f/s.
The Original M98 Mauser barrel has around .350" of freebore. This, plus the lenght of the magazine, allows to load the cartridge to an OAL of 3,25" and a .4" of free bullet travel (Nosler 175 grs). With my former not-anymore-mine Mannlicher-Schoenauer GK 7x64 and 60 cm barrel I could never reach more than 2700 f/s with that 175 grs Nosler Partition bullet. The actual case capacity with the OAL the magazine permited (being the freebore a long, long one, almost double the 7x57 one) was no more than 5 grs greater than the 7x57 as I load it. Period.
Those velocities are with Winchester cases, Std. primers and 4350, R19 and the GREAT R22 powders. The cases last 10 loads without any problem. But I use cases with no more than three reloads for hunting.
In my experience the 175 grs Nosler with that load is perhaps the best for those big game animals. And I would not have any problem to use it as an all around load in the 7x57. For our Blackbuck (India) antelope, I use specially the 139 grs Hornady at 2900 f/s, but any of the other would be perfectly apt too.
Best Regards
PH
