I've oly shot two deer with a 7x57 and sad to say lost both of them.
Part of the problem was poor bullet choice on my part. Many years ago, right around 1973 I had a very nice 93 Mauser spotrer than some small British gunsmith put together. It was light, accurate and nice copy of the Rigby guns of the day. I hadn't bought dies to reload the ammo yet and the only ammo I could find in that small Nevada town I was living in was Federal's 175 gr. round nose. It wa sopening day and I got a got at a small eating sized buck so took the shot. The buck took off at a run and I found some blood and a very small amount of lung tissue on the ground. I took up the blood trai which petered out rather quickly and after about an hour, drove home to pick up my wife to help me find the deer. We looked for that deer until the sun went down. We never did find it. I went back to the area the next morning and located by the birds what was left after the coyotes got done. I blamed the gun and sold it shortly thereafter. I should have blamed the idiot shooting that load. Years later when I had my custom FN Mauser 7x57 made up, I took what was left of that box of 175 gr. bullets and ran the load over a chronograph. They were doing almost 200 FPS LESS that advertised. I'm thinking that if that bullet had been closer to advertised speed, the deer would most likely not have been lost.
The second deer was a comination of possibly poor bullet coice once more, and an accident that has kept me in off and on again pain for the last 7 or 8 years. The shot was easy, less than 100 yards. I hard a very good solid rest and I called the shot as being right on the money. The deer left the herd and headed down into a steep gully. I gave it a few minutes and went up toward where the deer went down. On the way up the hill to the spot, my foot rolled on some loose rock, pain ran through my right knee and walking either up or down was totally out of the question. I called out to my two hunting partners and they literally carried me off the hill. I told them where the deer took of to but they were more concerned about getting me to a doctor. Turns out I tore up almost all the cartilage in my right knee. about every couple of year I get to go get another cortisone shot when the damned thing starts to hurt once more. As a matter of fact, I got another shot just this morning.
As I said, I do think that if I'd used a better, or different bullet, the deer might have dropped on the spot or sooner and My knee would still be good and I'd have been eating steaks instead of tag soup. The rifle was my Winchester Featherweight in 7x57, the load a stiff charge of W760 with the 140 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip at 2800 FPS. The bullets were the early ballistic Tips and they came in the 100 count boxes. Found them at a good price at a gun show. I bought all 4 boxes. IIRC, those early bullets were considered a bit flimsy and came apart fairly quickly on bone. I did hear a sharp crack when the bullet struck the deer so I know I probably hit a bone.
I do believe that if my knee hadn't crapped out on me when I twisted it, I most likely would have found the deer.
Just poor coice on the first deer and possible poor bullet choice plus a lot of bad luck on the second deer.
I won't give up on the 7x57 though. I just did a load work up using the 160 gr. Speer Grand Slams. Now if the wind don't blow too bad tomorrow, maybe I can get out and see how they do.
I still have to work up a load with the 150 gr. Nosler Partitons I have, plus the 120 and 140 gr. TSX bullets.
Probably be an exercise in frustration if I don't draw a tag again this year. As bad as I feel about losing those two deer, I guess two deer in almost 55 years of hunting isn't too bad. All the others were recovered. Still, the loss of them still bothers me.
Paul B.
Paul B.
