Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why No Love For The 7 Mauser?

Over the years several writers have expressed some love for the 7x57. Let's see what they said:

"In many ways the smallest of the 7mms, the 7x57 is the most fascinating and impressive because its performance is out of proportion to its case size." Jon R. Sundra

"Some cartridges capture the imagination of shooters and remain popular for a great many decades- despite any shortcomings they may exhibit. One such cartridge is the 7x57 Mauser."
"As a result of its flexibility, the 7x57 Mauser may well be with us for another 100 years." Edward A. Matunas

As reported in the November, 2004 issue of American Rifleman:
"Gail Selby- daughter of legendary professional hunter Harry Selby- used the Bell/Ruark/Selby (rifle, in 275 Rigby, 7x57) to take (a) Botswana elephant in 1973 with 175-gr. solids."

Also from the November, 2004 American Rifleman:
"The late American Rifleman Field Editor Finn Aagaard, a former Kenyan professional hunter, gained much respect for the 7mm while growing up in Kenya. During this time he watched his father, using a 7x57mm Waffenfabrik Mauser sporter with a 28" barrel (acquired in 1927), take all manner of large and small game, including eland, hartebeest, zebra, a couple of lions (with just one shot apiece) and even a buffalo.

(Aagaard reported that "How much game he killed with it, I do not know, but it was a considerable amount. All through the Depression and the war he was expected to provide meat to help feed the numerous workers on the coffee and sisal plantation he managed. He had shot out the rifle's barrel by 1942- on game, not on targets." American Rifleman, Nov. 1986)

Aagaard commented in one of his articles, "not only is the 7mm Mauser a superb deer cartridge-the world is full of good deer cartridges- but it is in my opinion the least that can fully qualify as a general purpose big game cartridge."

"Instead of thinking about the 7mm Mauser as a classic cartridge, as many hunters do, I consider it one of the unrecognized greats available to modern hunters. Its attributes include mild recoil, more than adequate accuracy, and the ability to be loaded with bullets of great sectional density."
Mike Venturino

In the book, The Hunting Rifle, Jack O'Connor devotes a whole chapter to the 7x57. Both he and his wife had great success in the US and in Africa with the 7x57 cartridge. Jack reported that the 7x57 was his wife's favorite cartridge and as proof offers that Eleanor collected 17 head of game with 19 shots on one of their safaris.

While praise has been almost universal for the 7x57, there is one dissenting voice from the past. Elmer Keith, to no one's surprise, thought the cartridge was too light and underpowered for him. While he admitted that he had never used it, he said in one of his books that he "never had any faith in the 7x57 cartridge" and thought that sportsmen needed a more powerful rifle.

"Almost without exception, writers discussing the 7x57 remark on its light recoil and effectiveness on medium sized game in handy light rifles, stressing its pleasantness to shoot. Its record, even on larger animals such as moose, is surprisingly good. Seemingly, it is a cartridge that in actuality outperforms its paper ballistic ratings, earning hunter respect the hard way."
Ken Waters


It seems to me that there are very few cartridges that can document the amount of "love" that has been bestowed on the 7x57 Mauser over the decades. With today's components and improved bullets, it is better than it's ever been. Long live the Queen.