Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7x57 Woodleighs/A Frames/etc?

Does the 7x57 in a 22" barrel have the oomph to push the 160-175 Woodleigh's/ Swift A Frames/ comparable bullets fast enough to open them up, say, on Mule Deer and elk? If I try the Hawks, say a round nose in 160-175, which jacket thickness is better? ( I'm assuming it would be the .030 jacket instead of the .035, but don't know) Also, would the Nosler 168 ABLR be a good 'all around" bullet to use on deer and elk? Thanks for any opinions guys...

Yes

I don't have personal experience with Woodleighs and A-Frames in the 7x57, but have shot a bunch of 156-160-grain bullets into various big game animals with the 7x57, including the Barnes TSX, North Fork, Norma Oryx, Nosler Partition and North Fork. They all opened up at ranges out to 250 yards, though the TSX opened the least. If I decided to use a TSX again in the 7x57 it would be a Tipped TSX, and they're all lighter than 160 grains--which in my experience is a good thing, since lighter and faster works better with monolithics.

My favorite in that weight-range is the 156 Norma Oryx, because they open up easily and widely at moderate velocities. My experience in other cartridges with the Woodleighs and A-Frames is they open up easily and widely even at moderate velocities.

The Nosler ABLR's also open easily at moderate velocities, and I suspect the 168 7mm would work well in the 7x57. I'm in the process of trying some new bullets in the 160-grain range in my 7x57, including the 162 Hornady ELD-X and 168 ABLR, and will know more in a few months.

You bet, and these fine premium bullets will be even more so at these mild velocities, that said, I've only fired 175 gr Partitions and old style Grand Slams in my 7X57, at 2700 fps, they are extremely fine killers.

I shot a lot of 160 partitions in mine, but lately settled on the tipped TSX 140s at 2900 or so. I don't know how many head I've killed with the 140 TSX and TTSX, but quite a few, and a total of one got shot twice.

I use 140 partitions in my 7mm's. They do not fail.

I just bought a small boatload (dingy-load?) of pulled 160-gr. Partitions without a pull mark on them. I'm going to load them to a modest velocity, somewhere around 2500 or 2600 fps, and try them on a few pigs. I know they'll work; I just wonder if there'll be an appreciable difference between them and 140-gr. Interlocks inside of 150 yards. I know a pig isn't a mule deer or elk, but some of them can get pretty big and pretty tough.

My observation is if a bullet will shoot through a big hog from any angle it will handle elk just fine!

I doubt you'll see much difference. I've killed several truck loads of hogs with 139 Interlocks from 7-08's. A critter would have to be quite a bit bigger than an elk or big hog before I'd be apprehensive about shooting it with an 139 Interlock.

7x57 and lead cores? What Jorge said.

RevMike,

I'm not much for policing spelling on the Campfire, partly because I'd never have time for anything else, but you mean a "dinghy." Dingy means "gloomy, dark, dull", or something that dings, like the brains of some people.

I had to go back and see what I wrote. You're right! How embarrassing coming from someone who has spent almost his entire life within spittin' distance of the Atlantic Ocean!

That's pretty much what I'm thinking. Most of my shots are head or neck shots and I haven't recovered a single Interlock yet. Even on very big pigs I get a complete pass-through with a neck shot, whether I directly hit the spine or not. I can't imagine a Partition not doing the same. About the only difference I can imagine would be with a shoulder shot on a big boar. I might be able to recover an Interlock, but probably not a Partition.

I once had to put down a large domestic cow. I had both 140gn and 175gn Woodleigh's loaded up for my .275 Rigby but because of the size of the beast, chose the 175 grainer.

All Woodleigh bullets are tested on game before being released to the market. There will be no concern whatsoever.
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Wouldn't think twice about using it on elk or anything else I'd hunt using the 7x57.
John

Interesting about the lack of heavy bullets used on game.

The bullet on the right is a 160 A-frame recovered from a nilgai cow. It was fired from a Brno ZKK 7x57. I shot her in the brisket at a distance of about 100 yards. Bullet was recovered in the stomach contents. Bullet on the left is a 140 Trophy Bonded recovered from a nilgai bull, but fired from a 280 Rem. I would not hesitate to take an elk using a 140 A-frame or a 140 Partition for that matter using a 7x57!

What impact velocity is required for a Woodleigh or A-Frame to reliably expand? I believe Nosler says that a Partition will expand down to 1800 fps.

Rev,at the ranges you shot at,would not worry about impact velocity for the bullet to expand.

Oh heavens no, not for me. I thought maybe it would help shed light on the OP's question. About the only thing that won't open a my ranges are solids.

Gotcha.