I have a Mexican small ring Mauser that my dad built with a new 20" Douglas barrel, really nice wood, Timney trigger and new bolt handle. He chambered it in 7mm-08. Is it possible to re-chamber to the more classic 7x57 without needing a new barrel? I know both rounds are very close from a ballistic standpoint, and I already have a Sako 75 in 7mm-08,but it just seems that this rifle would have so much more "cool factor" in 7x57.

Thanks in advance.

I doubt it, you would be better of going to 7x64 or 280, or just leave it as it is.

You'd have to set the barrel back about 0.25" to get rid of the 7-08 shoulder area, but otherwise, you're fine. Without the setback, you'd have a double shoulder.

GL:

I'm guessing the twist on that barrel is not 8.75", which is the standard for 7x57, and a superbly useful twist at that. Is that right?

tjm - I'm not sure of the twist, need to measure it.

Mexicans are intermediate length actions and longer rounds do not fit well.

There is nothing to gain in going to the 7/08 other than headaches.If you set the barrel back to clean up the chamber you will likely have to 're-inlet the barrel channel.The small ring action is perfect for the 7x57. Leave it alone.

"my dad built"
This would be enough to make me leave as is, my dad gave me his old 303 he has had all his life, he sporterized it, shortened the barrel himself, recrowned it himself, and worked the stock down and added a higher comb, I would never think of changing it, he is 90 and still around.

??????

Both rounds are excellent.

Why waste a lot of money and screw up a good rifle just to end up with pretty much what you had when you started?

There's no "cool factor" in being foolish

Partsman - agree, but I have quite a few that he built, including ones he built for my 2 daughters on Mauser actions - 257 Roberts and a 6.5x55.

He tends to like the classic rounds, and I'm not sure why he didn't make this one a 7x57, so was just checking to see what it would take. I'll probably just leave it as is and work on it feeding - the sharper shoulder of the 7-08 creates some issues.

That is a different matter entirely, 7x57 generally feeds like silk.

just rebarrel to 7x57 if this is really what you want , but since your dad gave it to you and if it groups well then i would leave as is and build a 7x57 on another rifle or action.

Trash that barrel and get another chambered for 7x57, twisted properly.

I have some things of my Dad's that I feel sentimental about, but to be quite honest, not all of his projects were good ideas.

I find nothing special about the old 7-57.

Sure somebody shot elephants and sold their teeth long ago but otherwise the ammo is not available easily as it never was popular here in the USA.

Man, you are consistent!

A few years ago I decided to try some factory 7x57's out, to see how they compared to 7mm-08 factories, since people keep saying how 7x57's are loaded down so much. I tried one local store here in Montana and found three brands of 7x57, equally the variety of 7mm-08 ammo on hand. (Turned out the 7x57 stuff was a whole 100 fps behind the 7mm-08, on average.)

I would bet serious money that you'd find more 7x57 ammo on gun store shelves in most parts of American than ammo for the .358 Winchester, the cartridge you keep holding up as ideal.

That sounds like a vote FOR the 7x57...

DF

no chit, if i can find a box of 7x57 at Beck's in Poplar Montana than it aint that hard to find.....

I'd also lay pretty good odds on Beck's not having any .358's.

i wouldnt take that bet....

Sorry mate, you made a typo.

The 7-57 has to be far more available than the .358 W. which really never got off the ground.

In 1966 I had a 30-06 for a decade and a 243 and 222 for varmints.

That year a found the 99F .358 in Charlie Benton's gun shop used for $68.00. It seemed ideal to me for woods hunting.

Recently I wanted a Brno 22H and got one in 7-57. It's bbl. is only about 20" long and it shoots 140's best so far. I tried the 120 Nosler in it and it's not so accurate so far. While it's a neat old rifle it does not seem optimum for much except rifle fun.

Yeah, the 7x57 is a fairly useless cartridge. I've only found mine effective on pigs, elk, moose in North America, plus several kinds of deer from Old Mexico to Alberta, and maybe a dozen species of African plains game, including kudu and wildebeest.

Probably wouldn't work nearly as well on whitetails in your area.

Here is that 21H 7-57.

The mount is a one piece that requires a long scope with modest objective and small ocular so it will clear the bolt. I had a Dakota safety put on and saved the old parts.

Works pretty well on Jackrabbits also.

175 gr Rem PSP 7x57 Mauser. Range was @ 100 yds.

Entrance.



Exit.

I absolutely love my Ruger 77 in 7x57 Mauser. It's killed a lot of animals, but the one thing I haven't killed with it is a Coues deer. I hope to remedy that statistic this coming November. The 7x57 is an awesome caliber. I love hunting mule deer with mine. It's great for hunting mountain sheep, too, among other things. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to poke a mountain grizzly with it, either.

What's fun about a rifle that's not good for much?

How much do you want for it?

Elk, I've said it once, I'll say it again. You have some TOUGH jackrabbits out in New Mexico if you have to use a 7x57 to kill them. Tough!

Are you sure?

Pretty sure...about Savage99's skills!

He has skills????



Who knew?

As I've said before,also used a .375 H&H and a .416 Rigby on these Jackrabbits.

It was interesting as to what a .416" 410 gr Woodleigh softpoint going 2400 fps will do to a wascally wabbit.

Are we allowed to shoot animals that weigh less than the bullet we shoot?

Not serious about this. Just messing with the concept.

Don't want a firestorm of replies.

Enjoy the weekend.

Steve

Only if using the 7x57.

Makes sense to me.

Steve

I get more fun out of using cannons on rabbits than I get from shooting larger game...particularly off-hand with open sights.

Yeah,it's darn good practice with the big guns and it helps when shooting big game.

And plain fun without the work.

Even the proverbial broken clock is right twice a day, and if that knucklehead's clock ain't broke, it's damned sure bent.

7x57 is an amazing cartridge. People seriously underestimate its potential. Modern ammunition is seriously underloaded because there are rifles chambered in this cartridge going back over a hundred years now. You will find the ammunition for military small ring actions was loaded around 51,000 CUP where modern ammo MAXES out at 46,000 CUP. With proper milsurp ammunition loaded to military specs (154grn spitzer boat tail at 2,900Ft/s), 7x57 will shoot flatter than most 308 or 30-06. I personally have a Chilean small ring that I hand load 175 grn SMK's for. It will shoot 1/2 MOA all day long and has never failed to kill anything I pointed it at. Milsurp ammo is still readily available in large quantities for a decent price. I have 2,070rnds of reloadable Winchester military full pressure 7x57 for sale right now on the classifieds for .46/rnd (compared to $1/rnd+ for modern). And I have another 15,000rnds of mixed surplus in boxes in my closet. Not to mention my Chilean is considered an Antique so it isn't on paper anywhere. I would seriously consider rechambering or rebarreling in 7x57. It's ballistics are nice, accuracy is awesome, shoots soft, hits like a hammer, and ammo is cheap.

I am another one that has shot pretty much everything with a 7x57, an old Ruger with a Leupold 2-7x Euro scope. It shoots consistently .7 with several loads, never needs sighted in, and I have so much confidence with it that when it goes off, something is going to die. I would venture a guess that I've killed more game with a 7x57 than many of the internet commandos have killed period. As far as the original question, it doesn't really make any logical sense to change a 7-08 into a 7x57, they are one and the same. Of course logic would tell me I only need a .223, a .22 lr, a 7x57, a 12 ga shotgun, and a .375/.416 to kill everything on earth. I have more than five guns.

Here is Cabelas page on available cartridges. There is only one choice for the 7-57, 358 W. and 12 for the 7-08!

Ammo

While that may be true. Look at prices. Easily $1/rnd if not more. While 7mm milsurp ammo is readily available and easily as accurate as any modern non-match loads. With my 7x57 I get 1-1.5 MOA with WRA south african contract surplus and 2-2.5 MOA with DWM surplus. And I buy that ammo at .43-.46/round. That's less than half the cost per round for modern 7-08 ammo.

In all seriousness, if someone was starting out and didn't have thousands of empty brass, the 7-08 is the only way to go. The same goes for my favorite killer of coyotes, the .220 Swift. When I run out of brass, I'll do the next one in some variety of .22-.243.

Looks tho you got both lungs!!

Taking mine to Africa in 5 weeks.....175 grn Hornady SP over RL-22.
Didn`t some guy named Bell shoot some big stuff with it? Maybe JB knows.

Jim�is that you?

I been shooting deer on my property here in CT for a very long time, and a 7 x 57 works as well as any. My only 7 x 57 is a rifle that I bought almost 40 years ago. Never had a problem finding loaded ammo or components to load ammo for the most part. The only thing that is missing is that Remington stopped making the 175 gr RN load. It was one of the best shooting and deer collecting loads you could get. It didn't get the "Big Punch in a Small Case" moniker for nothing. These days it don't matter much, I would not mess with your fathers rifle, keep it as it is and how he shot it. In about 30 years you will be glad you did.

Ya ruint da sholders, butcha saved the hams and backstraps. Prolly din't havta track it, either. Good shootin' there.

Ask Ingwe,he knew Bell very well.

Have enjoyed the 7x57 a lot for a long time. Recently had some fun working on loads for a little competetive shoot that never happened in the end, but got some interesting results from 44g of 4895 with a 120g Hornady flat base bullet (labeled as a handgun bullet).

Personally, one ought to try to get a rifle in ever caliber, IMO
Since 7-08 is one of the 7mm's I don't have, I'd keep it that way.


But seriously, my dad built a 92 Winchester for me in an odd caliber that I've considered changing a long time ago. I'm glad I didn't. He passed away close to 40 years ago now.

154's at 2900....no way....not with safe pressures.

It may be possible,although I don't know if the 154's will be able to seat in the case.

I run a 140 grain Ballistic Tip, over a charge of 44 grains of IMR 4895 out of my Model 70 Featherweight in 7mm Mauser....
2800 fps MV and pretty effective on what I need it to be.....

exact same point of impact also, when I load it with 115 gr Speer HPs over 28 grains of SR 4759, and recoils like a 243 if even that much...

Good luck on your trip to Africa Paul....
I am sure you are talking the Africa south of Europe.... not Oakland...

The 140 Ballistic Tip is a great bullet in the 7x57--kills quickly, shoots flat and accurately. But then almost any bullet works great in the 7x57, one of the cartridge's several virtues.

Yes it can happen at safe pressures. That was the standard military load for quite a while. I should mention that was with a 29" barrel.

Hmmm...am I seeing an article coming up?

Already published it some years ago--but that doesn't mean it's not time for another!

Which?

And yes, great idea, especially if there are new components, loads, etc. that weren't included in the other one.

The 7x57 lives on because sons have seen their Dad's success w/the round and their sons...you get the picture. Not just on deer but sheep,big Mule deer, elk, moose and all north American game. It's ability will never die. A round that kills all out of proportion to it's size. It's never just enough but like more than adequate. My Dad's favorite, my favorite, and if my son gave a darn about hunting it would definitely be one that I would endorse to him. 7x57, 257, and 250-3000...three rounds that will never die. powdr

Amen, brother!

So, what do you like, John? 140s or 150s? Ingwe loaded up some 150s at 2500fps to lay siege to Texas. What would you consider a good all-around loading?

I guess it is. Do I know you from somewhere?

Ingwe's twelve step program?

[/quote]

Well, that 'splains it!

Ingwe should be stumbling on here pretty soon.

Mike,

They all work. If somebody believes in high velocity, 120-130 grain bullets will do the job. If they prefer tradition, 175's will also do the job.

Went through a period of using 156-160 grain bullets of various makes, mostly because in my present 7x57 they all land in the same place at 100 yards, when using the same powder charge. It was a handy way to compare bullet performance, especially when shooting lots of animals, as I was for a while on cull hunts in Africa. They all worked.

Right now I'm using 140 Sierra ProHunters at 2850 and 150 Partitions at 2750 from the same rifle. They shoot to the same place, so I just use the bullet that seems right for the job at hand.

What's the popular drink on the other side of the Mississippi? Around our camp it's a good Tennessee whiskey.

For me it's regular ol' tea.

Thanks John. Jim Kobe has my Zastava to tweak a bit. With its 1:866 twist I'm sure it'll do what the heavies generally do. Ironically, all I plan to shoot with it is feral hogs, and probably no farther than 100 yards. But at least when it comes back, I can be shooting a South African warthog with it ... in my mind.

Me too; although you have to be a true Son of the South to admit that you don't really like sweet tea...or grits without cheese.

Well,like my tea with sweet-n-low and never had grits.

JB, you should do an updated article on the 7x57 with modern powders Like you did for the .264, Include Reloder17 and Ramshot Big game as they seem to be in the right burn rate to be real useful. All the data out and about seems to contain H414 and various 4350s but not AA4350 also....
P.S. any updated 7x57 article should also include extensive details about throat dimensions.....
In case you are wondering . I am still looking for a good setup for a rebarrel project

How is that even possible?

^^^^This^^^^

Right now it's a glass of Cote du Rhone with dinner, after that maybe some Laphroaig single malt or Buffalo Trace Bourbon. I like grits as well as sweet tea. I only drink water, milk, tea, coffee, all the rest of my drinks must have alcohol to be interesting.

Easy,never ate grits.

You ever get around here, I can promise you three things: cheese grits, deep fried okra, and either catfish, frog legs, or turtle...maybe with a bit of swamp cabbage on the side. Uh huh!!

sounds more like a threat than a promise

Rev,love deep fried okra,frog legs,catfish and well turtle,tried it but don't remember whether it was good or not. Have no clue what "swamp cabbage" is but,heck,I'll try it.


As long as I get to kill some piggies large & small!

How about some muskrat?

Threat of a clogged artery, that's for sure.


edited for spelling

Swamp cabbage is the heart of a cabbage palm, chopped up and cooked with salt and pepper. It ain't bad. Goes pretty good with the ham from a 50 pound shoat too.

Ok,sounds edible.

Rattler,yes,but what a way to go.

Jstevens,ummm no on muskrat.

I know on the eastern shore of Maryland , muskrat is a delicacy to the country folks. But ever once in a while someone slips so Nutria in the supply and it ain't as good. The Nutria eat roots and a lot other things. Muskrats wash all the diirt off the grasses they eat.......

Thanks Seafire.....yes, Africa. Rourk didn`t take one along, so I hope it`s going to be "Enough Gun".
I think he took a Swift instead..

It's the idea of eating a muskrat.

Well,they aren't bad! Hell of a lot better than bear, they only eat vegetation, like cattle.

Ok,I'll take your word for it,but still,eating a muskrat.

Yep, they eat nutria on Eastern Shore but only in Dorchester County around Cambridge, Md. The other eastern shore county folk rather eat crabs and rock fish supplemened by a few stolen
Purdue chickens.

Doc

I caught a bunch of them in traps as a kid, but was never hungry enough to eat one.