Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 7x57 Mauser vs. 7x57 Akley Improved

One of the best reasons for the existance of AI cartridges is as gap fillers. I have a .25-06 AI and I just love it. I would challenge anyone to identify another cartridge that so nicely fills the gap between the standard .25-06 and the .257 Roy.

Cra1948: I was unaware there was any gap there

...The true 'improved' 7X57 is the 284 Winchester. Improved in the sense that it does indeed add a step of velocity while at the same time fitting a short action receiver, for a lighter handier hunting rig..AS has been said though, the old Mauser round is mighty fine as is. Just my personal preferences for the 284 showing through here. I have rifles of both chamberings and have affection for both.

'Ducks...

I wouldn't AI it just because the rifle is a #1, were it a bolt gun I'd consider it....but I like messin' with that sort of stuff anyway.

Too many stuffy types around here to get good pro/con advice anyway....hell, before long this site will be full up on Savage Queens lauding the nuances of barrel nuts and accu-triggers.

Like I told you on the phone that tang safety 77 7 mauser I had was a tack driver, and likely we can make this #1 shoot too, it's a good chambering.

If you're coming home next weekend I'll have that 300 Roy ready for ya. Some of that brass though, is junk......

My X-wife got a VERY nice Saturn custom rifle, built in the 1950's on an FN supreme action and in good
French walnut. These Juenke guns were a lot like the early Wbys in that they had long throats, and these had slow twist rates. It was chambered in 25-270 I.C.L and loved 115 Noslers out the end REAL FAST!!! The 115's were the heaviest/longest bullets it would shoot, and accuracy fell off terribly with anything bigger/slower. My X, a great rifle shot, could keep all shots in one hole all day long with this rifle. The 45 degree shoulder seemed to help keep the brass form stretching all to hll, too.

I see nothing wrong with re-chambering to AI; it doesn't hurt anything if you don't mind reloading all your ammo. With many new and somewhat "improved" cartridges out these days, they aren't much of an advantage over what is available over the counter. I was well acquainted with Bob Dunlap and Vern Juenke (if you want to throw names around ), and both love the 257 AI...think it is one of the very best .25's. I have no arguments with them. Nothing wrong with a 25-270/25-06, either.

Nothin' wrong at all with anything that spits a bullet out of the muzzle, hits what your aiming, and kills stuff....

I can like AI's for the better case life and few extra fps to boot.

Once a case is fire formed it doesn't have to be done again, and fireforming isn't dick if you just load and shoot bullets.

Two weekends ago I killed a chuck at 320 yards and another at 475 yards with fire forming ammo...

Wacked steel all this last weekend with Pards in VA with fireforming loads, and had a ball doin' it........

I'm an old 7x57 shooter, 38+ years as of 08/08, and think that a cost vs. benefits analysis is called for:

Costs:

1. Rechamber job
2. Dies
3. More difficult to sell wildcats than "standards"

Benefits:

1. Less case trimming
2. More velocity
3. Cool factor

For me, doing a 7x57 AI would not be worth the cost/effort, but as with many things, YMMV.

Ruger #1s can be a royal PITA to get to shoot good groups with some that will never shoot good groups, so I think that I'd want to see what its potential in factory stock form would be before I'd do anything to personalize it.

Jeff