Redid a small ring Mauser in 7 x 57 to make a decent deer hunting rifle. New barrel, trigger, stock, etc. a retired guy project instigated by a guy who challenged me to do it. To use here in E central Minn.
Have run some 300 shots thru that barrel. Works wel nowl with different reloads. All my loads are moderate to mild.
Shoots MOA+ groups with 140 grain Sierra ProHunter stuff.
Shoots bout the same groups with factory Winchester 150 grain pointeds.
Shoots bout 2 inch groups with those ugly Remington 165 grain Round Nose things.
Shoots MOA with 150 grain Partitions. The lighter bullets I push with IMR 4320.
Except for the Winchester bullets, it shoots better with a slightly dirty barrel.
I seat the bullets out about to magazine limits.
Only problem is that the 165 gr stuff doesn't feed well because of the wide blunt tip.
7 x57 works well on deer. Its your rifle, do what you want.
