Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Tell me about your 7X57 mauser.

I know the old .275 Rigby has lots of followers here, and I am one. I Know Mule deer loves the round, and I have read of his using it on moose and other big big critters.
What knd of rifle is your 7X57.
I currantly have a ruger #1A so chamberd and it is a great rifle.
And am collecting parts to build a bolt gun chamberd chamberd in mrs oconners favorite.
So far I have a VZ-24 mauser action that is ready to go, and I have an FN commercial mauser hinged floor plate on the way.
I orderd a 22 inch tube from ER shaw. It will be about .60 at the muzzle.
I found a beautifull turned stock today for 200.00. Pumped as hell about that. My smith has a neerly identicle project going and has already fit a VZ-24 in just such a stock
It, is an orbendorf style with oval cheek piece schnaublel forend, steel grip cap and checkerd steel but plate a slightly raised section on ether side of the action.
And the wood looks like the blank wood have cost 600.00 easy.
I will end up with negc sights, a barrel band slig swivel
a resessd stud in the but.
And so far I am getting away with murder on the prices of the parts I am colecting !
Tell me about yours ?
...tj3006

It's my favorite big game rifle, shootable now, but still a work in progress... not yet satisfied with the finish on the stock. (Hint: Accidentally applying a layer of satin finish urethane varnish makes it really hard to get high gloss later!). And the action could still use some smoothing.

Found a Zastava Mauser action brand new at Numrich for $200. Started searching for a barrel, and found a new 24" Zastava 7x57 barrel on eBay for $70 (figure the odds). Sprang for semi-fancy walnut for the stock, $200 and paid $125 for an inletting job much better than I can do. Added a Timney trigger.

So it's my almost indistinguishable from stock, custom Mauser, not too expensive, and exactly what I wanted.

Topped it off with a Nikon Primos scope.

Like you, I love the 7mm Mauser, and bought a Savage 110 XLE in 7x57 a while back. Though used, it's like new. Not sure the original owner ever shot it. I've not had opportunity to take it huntin' yet, but look foward to doing so. Mine's a damned good looking rifle for a 110: upgraded blueing, nice stick of wood. Savage apparently made a limited run of XLE's sometime in 90's, so there's not too many of them around. Although it was produced before the introduction of the accu-trigger, it's still a fine rifle.

Mine is also a Ruger No.1A, at present topped with an El Paso Weaver K6 with post reticle. I haven't had it long and it has only made meat twice - but then it's only had 2 rounds fired at game so I guess that is OK for the time being. I expect it will be my preferred rifle for anything bigger than rats for the rest of my life and I sure hope one of the grand kids are worthy of inheriting it - if not it and a couple of others will go to my great nephews.

Oh, yeah, not a gunwriter, just an old fat guy who likes the old Mauser, but I thought I'd respond anyway.

Not writer either.
I love my#1 but I want to have a repeater in a more or less traditional rifle.
I don't think I would want to take a single shot after game like black bear.
I had a CZ full stock a few years ago, and it is a good rifle, I just never cared for the stock , and thought it was a little heavy. I am a little suprised to hear ofd a savage 110 in the 7X57. The custom Zastava sounds real nice....tj3006

Model 70 pre '64 action made in 1956 , Douglas no 2 brl 24" long, McMillan Griffin and Howe stock, black with a 2.5-8 leupold in buelher mounts, shoots 140 and 150 partitions to the same poi at 2700 fps

I don't have a 7x57 yet, but really want one in a bad way! I just wanted to take a moment to remind you guys that PHOTOGRAPHS really add to a post. Especially for us less fortunate.

Mine's a 93 Spanish Mauser born in 1923. It cost me $50 sans scope & mounts & camo paint & homemade sling. It's a MOA shooter even with the 2x scope.

Ask and ye shall receive...
Its my favorite cartridge and a few have gone through my hands....
My current and all time favorite.a Win M70 XTR with a "makeover"...

A #1 like Son of the Gael's...

An exquisite 1909 Argentine..( Borrowed Rifle! Arrrghhhh!)

and lastly a Rem m700 Mountain rifle, which eventually found a home with a real gunwriter(JB)

Ingwe

Mine's a Brno 21H with 4X Leupold in Lynx mounts,uses 140 NP for everything.

Ingwe: Had one of those MR's in 7x57. It was a sweety,and stupid-accurate to boot with 51-R19 and 140 Partitions.....another great one gone!

Good shootin! That's a nice 'borrowed' rifle, and what is the one with the goat, a 700 Classic? Did you have a back up shooting that bruin with a one shooter?

Ingwe does well with Micro-Scopes (straight tubes) or irons

Junior, Wally World can't beat your price!

Bob, I had 3 7x57s at the time, so I sold that one to JB...the only true case of seller's remorse I've ever had..Stoopid, Stoopid, Stoopid!! It shot like...well, you know...
Ingwe

65BR...the one with the goat is a Mountain rifle....and FWIW to the post, I've always been a heavy boolit guy...I like the 160s on up...
Ingwe

Mine is a genuine John Rigby .275 made at he Pall Mall address in London some 40 years ago. It is factory fitted with 1 ramp and 2 folding express sights and topped off with a 2-7 Khales scope in QA mounts.

I am the second owner, the original was an old university professor I met in Australia, who worked for many years as a mining engineer in 22 countries around the world, but mostly in Africa.

Being English and with the mutton chops (very long side burns)he looked like a cast member of the Zulu Movie with Michael Caine.

On this occasion, he walked into the Pall Mall John Rigby store and proceded to order a custom .30/06. They had just received a cancellation for an order on a .275 Rigby they were building and offered to build the stock to his stature at considerable discount if he changed the caliber to .275 and took the partially completed rifle at this time, still in the white.

He agreed and returned to London 6 months or so later to take possession and conclude the sale. The rifle was taken to Africa where it was carried more than it was shot so has a little honest wear on the bluing and stock finish with a bore that is close to pristine.

I have only put perhaps 2-300 rounds through it in load development and the big treat for me is a rifle that often drills the same holes no matter what the load or buller configuration.

It likes 140gn Barmes X's whether traditional X, TSX, TTSX or MRX, 140gn and 175gn Woodleigh Weldcores, and recently Hornady 154grainers and what ever else I tried in it, all to the same point and under MOA.

The rifle has the tradional black (buffalo horn?)forend tip, Monte-Carlo stock design with red solid rubber recoil pad, fine line spaced checkering of the day and traditional barrel band for the front sling swivel.

I actualy bought a second Rigby in the sale, that being a double 400/350 Number 2 which was designed for the lighter 225gn bullet in lieu of the 310gn original bullet weight for the cartridge when first released. The double was build in 1912 and was still in tge original case with accessories intact.

Several years later, I was offered a sum greater that the total purchase price just for the double and I very stupidly, and very regretably, accepted the pittance.

My .275 Rigby has essentially cost me nothing but still carries the crown in my gun safe. The rifle has taken pigs, goats and deer up to red stag in size as well as wild horses up to 1,000 pounds or so and is very capable of taking any animal I would select this rifle to hunt. It is an absolute sweatheart to shoot.

Some of my load development work follows:

7mm Mauser, .275 Rigby

Bullet Load Powder O. A. L. Velocity Energy Comments
139gn Hornady SP 46gn IMR 4320 2740

140gn Comb Tech 46gn IMR 4320 2814

140gn Nosler SB 46gn AR 2209 2620 Winchester Featherweight Model 70
47gn AR 2209 2670
50gn IMR 4350 2780
51gn IMR 4350 2843 Best Load
51gn AR 2213 2685
52gn AR 2213 2762
42gn IMR 4064 2563
44gn IMR 4064 2696

140gn Barnes XBT 52.5gn WIN 760 2944 2696 Top Hunting load in Rigby - Win Cases

140gn Barnes TSX 52.5gn WIN 760 2914 2640 Shoots into above load - Win Cases

140gn Sierra SP 44gn IMR 4320 2602 .5 MOA in Rigby
46gn IMR 4320 2722 2569 .9 MOA in Rigby
47gn IMR 4320 2802
50gn AR 2209 2733
51gn WIN 760 2790 2420

140gn Barnes TTSX 52gn H 414 2864 2551 3 shots touching - 1 hole - Rem cases
52gn H 4350 2708 Mild- Powder fills case and neck

140gn Barnes MRX 52gn H 414 2857 2538 5 shots - .5 shoots to same sighting
52gn H 4350 2688 Mild - Powder fills case and neck

140gn Woodleigh 52.5gn WIN 760 2927 2664 Warm Load

150gn Nosler SB 51gn WIN 760 2777 2569

150gn Nosler Part 51gn WIN 760 2800 2612 Very good hunting load

154gn Hornady SST 50gn H 414 2808 2697 .5 Loads Warm @ 80 degrees OK.
44gn VARGET 2711 .5 Loads Warm @ 80 degrees OK.
51gn H 4350 2799 2680 .5 Loads Warm @ 80 degrees OK.

160gn Failsafe 44gn Rel 15 2702
46gn Rel 15 2739 2666
48gn IMR 4350 2536

160gn Part Gold 44gn Rel15 2668
46gn Rel15 2756 2699 Top hunting load
48gn IMR 4350 2592


7mm Mauser, .275 Rigby Page 2.

Bullet Load Powder O. A. L. Velocity Energy Comments

175gn Barnes X 45gn WIN 760 2389 2218 Same P.O.I. as 140gn load
46gn WIN 760 2463 2358 Warm load
45gn IMR 4350 3.017" 2317
47gn IMR 4831 2341

175gn Woodleigh 45gn WIN 760 2471 2373 Great Elk load

175gn Sierra BT 49gn AR 2213 2434
50gn AR 2213 2472
48gn IMR 4831 2385
50gn IMR 4831 2439 2312 Most accuracte load in Mod 70 - MOA


enjoy,

JW

Ingwe, you have brethren in stupid moves.I am truly KING!

The MR I had was hell on NH whitetails.I remember at the time JB's articles about the 7x57 being hard to get to shoot. Not that one!Those lttle MR's are really good despite the pencil barrels.

I have a 270 that stays on my buddies ranch in Wyoming;and I know where there's a clean 280 that I am trying to keep my grubby paws off of.....don't know if I can hold out.....

I am a pre64 guy...but I come "outta the closet" for a nice MR!

IMO the nicest little rifle Rem ever made....

AGW, we had a real Rigby magazine rifle, much as you described it, go through the shop last year, one of four rifles I have seen in my entire life that I would call "exquisite" and it was a utility grade rifle...
Ingwe

Ditto..but I can top that, I also had a Mountain Rifle in 7mm-08....John got that too...
Ingwe

I currently have 1. Stock M700 classic barreled action in a Pacific Research Rimrock stock with a 4x nikon scope and 2. a Sako/FN action with a 22' fwt Douglas barrel in a Brown Precision Stock, Leupold VX3 2.5x8 scope. I have had a 1a in 7x57, a M700 mountain rifle and 2 other classics.

I plan to use the Sako/FN as my main rifle this year.

Geez I love this place and the people here. Where else can we have a discussion this fine?
I have two 7x57s,one is a classic style custom bulit on a VZ24 and is marked Flaig's Supreme,it looks to be based upom the pattern of Eleanor's O'Connor's 7x57.

The other is a full stock Brno 22F.

I have yet to fire the Brno but the Vz24 shoots groups of less than an inch with Hornady 139 grain Light Mags and Norma 150 grain factory loads all at the same point of impact to boot. I have not handloaded for it yet.

Years ago I built my first custom rifle in 7x57 and shot nothing but handloads in it to good effect.

In a fit of madness and poverty while in school,I sold it to Gov. George Wallace's daughter. She traveled the world taking everything up to and including Cape Buff and Rhino with various rifles in 7x57.


Also I agree with BobinNH and Ingwe about Remington Mountain Rifles. I don't own one in 7x57 but I have my bases covered with a 7mm-08 and a 280.