Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7-08 v 7x57 A Great Mystery

To expand on Brad's short and (as usual) precise comment, the 7x57 is one of the rounds left behind by the decision of most "modern" rifle manufacturers that all cartridges should fit in magazines of about 2.8", 3.35" or 3.6". And there aren't all that many modern actions between 2.8" and 3.6".

The 7x57 is designed for an overall length of about 3" or a little longer. This makes it a dispossessed orphan.

My own 7x57 (my last and perfect 7x57 after owning at least a dozen) is made on the "short" Montana 1999 action, which has a magazine about 3.1" long. It weighs exactly 8 pounds with a 4x33 Leupold in Talley lightweight mounts, and was built by Serengeti Rifles (now Kilimanjaro Rifles) with one of their 3-layer laminated stocks that can hardly be told from straight wood. It has been dinged somewhat from use, as I've taken a pile of animals from springbok to moose with it over the past half-dozen years, but is completly reliable and still very accurate.

Of course, the same thing could be done with a bunch of other cartridges, but this rifle has been there and done that.

Same reason a 308 fires a 150 grain slug faster than a 30-'06 will in most reloading manuals.... I just figured I would throw that turd in the punch bowl.

The .284 deserves a resurgence in available, factory rifles.

Some of these threads remind me of flushing an Adirondack Partridge.
Lots of noise. You don,t know where it's going, and have no idea where it'll land, but it sure is fun to be one of the shooters.

Jim

Well said!

When the 7mm-08 was announced, I bought a reamer for it before we had any rifles in the store; just because I thought it was a neat, practical cartridge. At the time I was shooting a 7x57 target rifle and it was a neat, practical (and quite accurate) cartridge as well. What with having a perfectly good 7x57, I didn't get around to chambering myself a 7mm-08 until the mid-80's. Strangely enough, I put that barrel on a Mauser action; an action made for the 7x57. It worked well, shot well, recoiled little; just like the 7x57.
I still like the 7mm-08 just fine but try as it might, it just won't ever have the classic appeal of the 7x57. The existence of short actions will keep the 7mm-08 alive. 110 years of history will keep the 7x57 alive. GD

That's a great analogy, I'm gonna use that.

Oooops! Good catch.

What? You're not using H4250 in all your loads?

As MD says, the 8x57, 7x57, and 6.5x55 are shorter than a full length action, and longer than a short action. My favorite vehicle for them is the M48 Yugo Mauser. It's an intermediate length action, and just right for them.

If you do go with a full length action, at least they don't look quite as funny as a 308 cartridge does, and they work fine.

and the .284Win

Nope but a 284 would...grin

Dober

The real appeal of the 7x57 is the slick feeding.
This was designed into the Mauser rifles and the cartridge as a package.

So what?

Modern short actioned rifles were designed to feed .308 based rounds.

Anyone who tells me across the spectrum of factory bolt action designs that the 7x57 will feed better than a 7mm-08 has been reading WAY too many comic books.

There is Marty....how'd you know?

It can, just work up.. I own both calibers..

Finn Aagaard liked the 7x57 alot. I have an old article however, where he said he flatly preferred the 308. Finn said the 308 was a much better cartridge, I reckon he would know.

That said everyone except Ingwe knows the 6.5x55 is way better than the 7x57...

That was tongue in cheek. I just enjoyed denton's little summery. I have shot deer with about everything known to man including the .416 Rigby. Nothing wrong with a .270 but I will grab a 7x57 (we have 4 of them) every time over a .270. Personal preference. reflex264

reflex: Fair enough what it is really all about.

I liked Finn too and although the .308 may be "better" it's not as romantic!
And don't disrespect Ingwe 'cause he's my new web hero as we like the same caliber!!

Look familiar?