Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Best of the 7x57 based cartridges for deer

I have a hard time choosing between the 7x57 and 257 Roberts for deer sized game. Have never really played around with the 6mm Remington but have always wanted to. What say you?

I don't know how big the Alabama whitetails get, but a well-placed bullet from a 6mm or 243 will do quite well on most deer.

The use of a heavier bullet/larger caliber is also nice.

The dilemma you face is of your choosing. I think practice, scouting and bullet selection would be more important than cartridge, so enjoy whatever you have, or want, and go forth to slay those deer!

I have shot deer (fallow) with the .257 Roberts (100gn) and the 7x57 (150gn) and they all fell over the same. I have also shot deer with the 6.5x55 and 6.5CM and also the .280, .308, and .303 and again I haven't really noticed any difference in killing power between any of the cartridges mentioned. The .257 100gn killed as well as the 174gn RN from my .303. So I guess it will come down to you what you prefer. Fallow deer would be the size of your whitetail deer but if you want to shoot bigger deer like elk maybe go for the 7x57. I have noticed over the last few years I have been hunting more and more with .25 and 6.5mm cartridges as well as 7mm. My .30s, 8x57, 9.3 seem to be pushed up the back of the safes.

I'd go the .257 Roberts over the 6mm Remington simply because you could play with the great bullets from 110 - 120gn (110gn Accubond, 115gn Ballistic Tip and 117gn Hornady SP). I loaded the 115gn Ballistic Tip in one of my .257 Rs at just under 2800fps and it was a real good killer on pigs, even on going away shots. I am now loading it in my .257 Rob AI at 2900+fps but haven't shot anything with it yet. I guess it will kill just as well doing an extra 120fps from the standard Roberts.

So I guess my waffling hasn't really swayed you much except that the smaller Roberts seems to kill as well as the 7x57 on deer. Maybe pick the rifle you like the best or dare I say it...……………...get one of each.

all deers in all places: 6.5-257 mauser action

My vote is the Roberts. Been killing deer with one for 25 years. Always used the Sierra 100 gr BT. That rifle holds the most on the spot kills of any of my rifles.
GreggH

If you only ever plan to hunt White Tail, flip a coin between the 6mm and 257. Load a Nosler Partition, and never look back. If you want to hold open the option for bigger game in the future, the 7x57. JMO...

Used a 6mm for several years and eventually decided it was a better varmint than big game round. I think highly of the 257 Roberts and regard the 7mm Mauser as a genuine classic.

One can never surpass the classic 7x57.

6.5x55 is a good one.

As with dozens of other cartridges, all 3 work fine if you put a properly constructed bullet into or through the heart, lungs, or CNS.

I'm rather fond of the 257 Roberts and the 110 grain AB for shooting deer with a Remington 700 CDL-SF barreled action bedded in a McM Hunter stock and topped with a Leupold VX2 4-12x40.

But I have 24 options to choose from; 6mm x2, 257 Roberts x14, and 7x57 x8.

.270 Ingwe.

.257 Roberts or 7x57 necked up or down depending on which cartridge you use. I use the Roberts necked up.

The rifle is a CZ 550 American re-barreled to .270 Ingwe.


On the left is a .257 Roberts necked up to .277",in the middle is a .257 Roberts,on the right is a .275 Rigby neck down to .277."



It's first kill,a jackrabbit. Practicing for the up coming hunting season. The load I used is 47.0 grains of RL-16,Fed 210 Match primer,130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip.

Either will work fine, but did you know that Brno made the model 21 in 6.5x57...you will get years of fun trying to locate one.

Think of the entertainment value!

Why go to the trouble and expense of building a .277x57 to get less performance than the common as dirt 270?

It's purely subjective but if recoil is a factor for you or anyone else (wife, GF, kids) the 257 gets the job done with a minimum of fuss. And factory fodder is available.

Cause it's my money and I want to.

And besides...why not?

I am a fan of the 6mm which I am shooting in AI form now. Probably from reading so much Warren Paige in my formative years. I am also a fan of all of the x57 cartridges. I have only tried the 6, .25, 7, and 8mm versions and the 6.5x55 which is a kissing cousin. You can't go wrong with any of them. I might choose the 7x57 for class and nostalgia but if I had the funds I would have one of each plus an 8.5, 9.3 and maybe even 10mm version.

If I were to build only one it might be the 6.5 x 57 which is as good as it gets as deer cartridges go.

That has been my justification for building wildcats when common commercial cartridges would have done the same thing more easily and for less money.

"Digger" the undertakers says that he's never seen an armored car in a funeral procession, so spend it while you can enjoy it.

Thats not a 7x57 based cartridge...but I didn't expect any more from you....

Exactamundo

Hair splitting?

And he wanted to put a burr under my saddle by taking the Ultimate Consummate cartridge and " Gaying it up"....

Yup!!

Finding dead deer can be a bit more challenging in AL than NM. This point is often lost on those from less densely vegetated locales.

Might by why my buddy has three I can borrow anytime

Does anyone else think recoil-wise the 7x57 is like the 45 acp in handgun?its mild but not sharp ,more like a long push.and you know if you hit the target, its done for.

To tell the truth, I have rifles chambered to all three cartridges mentioned. I usually take the 7x57 when I hunt deer and am considering using it on my next elk hunt.
Paul B.

7-30 Waters in my nephew's Winchester levergun has toppled several deer without any problems.

Sherwood

Hay neck that baby to .284 and go kill chit....

But seriously the 257 Roberts is fantastic on deer and coyotes...

I didn’t say it was.

But that's what the OP asked for, and put in the thread title...

try to keep up...

I know its hard for you...

I was quite aware of what he asked.

A 25-06 is your huckleberry for DRTs followed by the 243 and 6mm Rem.

There you go--7x57 is a great moose or elk rifle.

Assuming the OP is chambering in a mauser with all this 57mm talk...

The 7x57 is just too powerful for deer. Disintegrates large bucks and then they are really hard to find. I dialed way down to a 6.5x257 to keep them in one piece. It is an easy case to make and handload. More neck and more shoulder angle than the 6.5x57 (.321/.291 & 20/16 degrees). Equivalent case capacity. Too, the 6.5x57 brass is pricey. Had a 6.5x57 Brno licker, but didn't care for the nasty feeling bolt handle, weirdo safety or the nigh unto sheet metal trigger guard--barrel twist was good though, about 1-8. Plenty of throat, xtra in fact....

I use the 6mm Remington for doe hunting. Good squirrel rifle.

Personal preferences...:)

For my deer hunting I select a cartridge not for ideal conditions where near any bullet will work, but for the worst case with enough bullet weight and energy to reach the vitals from any angle. I bought a .257 Roberts for my son and it is a very pleasant round to shoot. Factory ammo was a little harder to find locally than the more common 7x57 or my shorter case 7mm-08 equivalent. The Roberts punches above its weight though to my way of thinking it is getting into the size better suited for those ideal conditions. The .25's are intended for deer and antelope size animals and their bullets are sized accordingly. If you ever intend to hunt something larger than a deer or aren't disciplined enough to wait for a perfect shot angle, I'd sure be shooting a heavier bullet out of that 7x57. Look at it this way. Say that you saw two exactly the same rifles on the used rack at your local sport shop. One is a Roberts and one is a 7x57. Which one would most guys you know buy? Get that one.

On the 6mm question. I hear a lot of deer hunting stories here and our deer run big. Over the years I have heard more of the one that got away or tiny blood trail and long tracking stories involving the .243 than any other cartridge. Nothing scientific, just for what its worth. I had a 6mm M700 and again a pleasant shooting round, just not one that I ever took deer hunting after I'd seen them hit them with bigger bullets.

7-08

Here in the North, deer hunting is often up close, personal, and fast. Bigger cartridges seem to have their place. I have long thought a 45-70 in a double would be cool but a 9.3x74 might be the ticket. But then I'm building a 7x57. Go figure...

id go 7x57 personally. .284 bullets are easier to get in my area. I wouldn't hesitate to grab a nice gun in .257 though if it were available.

Well I have had so much success with the 7x57 that I pick it. I have only shot one deer with the Roberts and all went well but I need another 20 or so kills to make sure.

LOL ....... That's mean!

Simple. The 257 Roberts.

Yes they can!

Unless you use 7x57 Ackley improved version of it,. 28 or 40 degree shoulder.



Then there is the 8x57...

I wanted a 9X57MM Mauser at one time, but got over it. Ammunition way to difficult to find.

If were going longer, 280 rem. Staying oem, yep, original 7x57. Shorter, the 7-08 gets the nod. 6.5 CM is the choice when I'm pressing the easy button. The 8x57 isn't possibly in the running here. The kids in the room paying attention know why.

Perfection cannot be improved upon....

I beg to differ.

My kinda guy ...

I've had no problem with the 257 Roberts, near and far.



386 yards.


About 45-50 yards

I didn’t take the time to read through all of the replies, but I’ll toss my hat in the ring.
If I was going to run an offspring of the parent 7x57 case, it would be the 6.5x57.
You can cover a LOT of bases with that one and keep recoil down, while having a world of bullet weight options......

Just saw your question,and I have hunted with all three. The 7x57 with it's larger bullets will generally make bigger wound channels and be more likely to exit. This can make bigger blood trails which can be very important in game recovery in our neck of the woods.

In the 257 Roberts,I like the 120 grain Partition,because it will generally exit,and seems to be more gun than any 6mm.

In the 6mm,I figure that I might as well use speed to my advantage,and use 100 grain bullets pushed fast. The Hornady Superformance load with the 100 grain SST bullet is a very good one,I've seen it exit on big hogs shot broadside.

My pick of them all would be the 7x57 with good 140 grain bullets in full power handloads. This gives you plenty of performance for anything we need to do here.

Re: 9x57 I've been hunting with one the last couple of years. Ammo is not that hard to find and easy to form from 8x57 if need be. I'm shooting Remington 200 gr RNCL at about 2500 which is more than plenty for deer and pigs in GA. I could load up some premiums at near Whelen speeds for bigger game, or shoot 150gr remington PSP to make coyotes or armadillos come unglued.



I also love the .257 roberts, but I think my favorite is 8x57 mainly because my favorite rifle is a Brno 22F chambered in 8x57.

6mm

7x57 as is.

Make mine the 257.

Another for the .257 but mine is an AI. Not necessarily in love with the AI but would probably do it again.

i may own plenty center fire rifles including some Weatherby`s but my family will all be getting 257 Robert rifles from me. i wish more rifle manufactures still chambered the old reliable killer 257 Roberts,sure glad i own 5 - 257 Roberts. > and always lookin for more ,family is gettin bigger !

.257 Roberts or 7x57 -- either will work.



My .257 Roberts has killed multiple antelope at ranges greater than 440 yards (half the diameter of a crop circle with center-pivot irrigation). The longest was close to 500, maybe more.

If not a handloader, I'd just go with the 6.5CM or 7mm-08..

Tough to beat a 7x57 but the Bob ain't far behind....

Not that you will see a noticeable difference on deer, performancewise, except on the very largest ones, between any of them in th 257R-7x57R, but my favourite would be the 6,5x57(R).

Very seldom available in the US but quite common in Europe, you have its almost clone the 6.5 Sweedish mauser, aka 6.5x55, readily available in America, and elsewhere.

Alvaro

7x57 AI is an awfully good choice. Zippy, accurate, effective.

I don't have a 7X57, but I do have a Model 70 FWT in 257 Roberts that I really love. I hunted with a 270/7 mag/7RSAUM for spot and stalk west Texas muleys for close to 30 years before moving to another lease that was all whitetails and started back using my old 257 again. After I bought that rifle back in the early 90's I pretty much put the 270 in the safe for good when it came to hunting whitetails. Then I started hunting muleys and saved the 257 for hunting around home.

It kills everything very reliably. My favorite load is the 90 gr. Barnes X-bullet with 46.0 grains of IMR4350 and the CCI 200.

Go with the original, 7x57.

280 Remington......

Why mess with a 270 of any kind at all?

I prefer the Mauser-length action over the short action. Loading short-action cartridges using long bullets seated out into the neck is what gave us the 6.5 CM. Same can be done with a short-action cartridge in the Mauser for even more better. Might make it worth owning a 260 or a 7mm-08, or some variety of WSM.

If I had to pick one of the x57's, at this point, I'd go 7x57 and handload it to "modern" specs. I hunted a lot with the Roberts as a youth, and it killed about like a 243, which killed about like a 6mm. Seems like the way out of that is lots more bullet weight.

I have killed several truck fulls of deer with a 6 Remington loaded with 95g Nosler partitions, they die quick near and far. 260 lb Large Kansas bucks shot to 400 yards and 200 lbs + Nebraska corn fed deer to 325 yards. For some reason, the 95g partition is a very accurate bullet, easily getting 1/2" groups at 3150fps. Today, R#26 pushes that number to 3300 fps.

Between Ga and SC we had very liberal limits. ONe year, I killed 19 out of 20 using a box of Winchester 80g soft points, with the 20th bullet used to verify zero mid season and two of the bucks were 200 lbs plus. Deer numbers in these areas are only 30% of what they used to be due to coyotes.

I like the 7x57, it amazes me these days that the 7mm/08 has gained such a following when the 7x57 is a better round. Those silly marketing people.
I don't care for short necked chamberings
I just don't need any short/ fats.

7x57 large bullet select, you can shoot the heavies or go light. Next best thing, would be the .257 Roberts.

1- 7x57
2- 275 rigby
3- 7mm Mauser

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


THIS


I've had them all and liked them all!

I understand where your coming from as the 7x57 is one of my favs. To say it’s better than the 7-08 is a bit much. The 7-08 has lots of advantages. For one it fits in a short action, another advantage is it can easily be made from NATO brass. It’s also a much more accurate cartridge in my experience.

Same bullet at the same velocity...I guess I don’t see the down side other than nostalgia.

If I were building a rifle it would be a 7x57...but it’s because I’m nostalgic...nothing else

It’s hard to beat the original, the 7x57. It is one of the greatest all-around cartridges we have, and it has only been overshadowed by American gun manufacturers’ propensity to stuff everything into short (.308) or long (.30-‘06) actions. The .280/.280 AI obviously outperform it when it shares their long action, and the 7-08 is good enough in the short action, which it will not fit in.

In a Mauser-length action, it’s still the cat’s meow, shooting longer, heavier bullets better than the 7-08 and recoiling less than the .280s. Loaded to modern standards with modern bullets, the 7x57 is about as good as it gets.

And the truth has been brought forth, thus sayeth me.
Paul B.

My first deer rifle was s 6mm in a BDL. I've killed many deer with it and it worked great but truth be told the 57 case is less than ideal. It's kind of too long to work well in a short action and if going long you might as well do something longer. My 6mm barely fits in a short action and leaves no room to seat them out. The 257 suffers the same and the 7 doesn't fit in a short action.

As much nostalgia as I have with the 6mm when it came time to do a custom long range rig I had to go 243 8 twist just because it fit the action better. The creedmoor case is even better.

Bb

While the 7x57 is a classic and has a great history, it isn’t one I would choose for multiple reasons.

The 7x57 is a mid-length cartridge – it won’t fit in a short (.308) action and doesn’t take full advantage of a long (.30-06) action. Not a huge deal if you like the available mid-length actions or don’t want to take full advantage of a long action’s potential. I’ll take a 7mm-08 or .280 Rem instead.

The SAAMI MAP spec for 7x57 bullets 51,000PSI. For the .280 Rem it is 60,000PSI, 61,000PSI for the 7mm-08 and 65,000PSI the .280 AI. Again, not a big deal if maximizing performance is not an issue.

The argument that the 7x57 handles heavy bullets better than the 7mm-08 is somewhat specious. Up to 160g the 7mm -08 can provide higher velocities if staying within SAAMI specs. European ammo tends to run hotter than US made ammo and while you can purchase 175g 7x57 loads, I’m not aware of any made by US manufacturers. Not that I care, because a 175g isn’t what I would choose for any of my hunting needs, even if handloading.

Factory ammo availability isn’t very important to me because I handload for my rifles. For those that don’t, there are many more choices for the 7mm-08 than for the 7x57.

As to recoil, downloading the 7mm-08 or .2800 Rem to 7x57 performance levels will result in similar levels of recoil. When I first got my .300WM, the first handloads were intentionally .308 Win velocity levels, then .30-06 level, and finally .300WM full power loads. The reason was I did not have either a 308 Win or .30-06 at the time. The reduced velocity loads significantly reduced recoil and accuracy was more than acceptable. Win/win.

When it came time for me to choose a 7mm non-magnum, I went with the .280 Rem. Twice. No regrets.

Seeing as how much I’ve been longing for a 257 Roberts, that’s the one I’ll go with. Especially if we’re just talking for deer. Even if you consider the 243 too small for deer, I’ve never heard anyone say that about a .25 cartridge. It’s got some reach if you need it for beanfield bucks or mulies, but seeing as how most white tails are shot under (or well under ) 200 yards, I can’t imagine anything preforming better.

My daughter has a 257 Roberts I made for her when she was very young and she has killed deer, black bear and elk with it. In fact my 2 grandsons have used "mom's rifle" too, and both have killed deer with it, and one has killed an elk with it too. I loaded them 120 grain Partitions and later her husband loaded some Barnes 110 grain ammo. All have worked well.

I have owned two 7X57s in the past and I have killed deer and elk both with one of them. I have used 150 160 and 175 grain bullets and never had much to gripe about.

As a dedicated deer rifle I have to say I really can't see any difference between the 2 cartridges. The 7X57 is more powerful, but that power is not anything that I can see any quicker effect from for killing deer when I compare the kills to those from the 257 Roberts. I see the same effect from good 117 or 120 grain 25 cal bullets.

I live in elk country and so if I were to choose between the 2, I'd go with the 7MM Mauser just because the extra bullet weight is nice when you go from 250 pound game to 800 pound game.

But for deer I doubt there is any real-world difference at all. The diameter of the bullet wounds is not all that different, and with the good bullets, both go clear through even big western mule deer and leave impressive exits.
It's the bullet HOLE that does the killing, not the bullet per se. Once you have a good diameter hole that goes clear through, all the damage you can do is already done, and instant kills (or even 1-2 seconds before a deer falls) is pretty hard to improve on.

In my life I have killed deer with 6MM Remington, 6.5X55 (close to the standard X57 case, but not identical) 7X57, 8x57 and 9.3X57. I have seen kills made with the 257 Roberts and the 9X57 on deer. The 8X57 and the 9X57 can make noticeably larger diameter holes so if the speed of the "drops' from a 257 or a 7X57 was even in question (to me, it's not) just step up to the 8x57 and call it good. Or if you don't care about the more curved trajectory, try a 9.3X57 with Norma 232 grain bullets or even the Speer 270 grain bullets. Loaded to standard Europeian pressured of the 1920s the 9.3X57 only throws it's bullets (from 232 to 286 grains) at 2100 to 2450, but it REALLY makes a big hole through a deer's chest.

"...for deer"

While Ive killed deer with 175 and 180g bullets, I've never felt they were needed - they just happened to be what I had in my hands during elk season.

My .257 Roberts with +P brass and loads is hot on the heels of a 6.5CM when pushing a 110g AB to 3163fps, at least out to 600 yards. A 100g TTSX hits 3233fps and a 120 A-Frame goes 2947fps. The TTSX and AB are what I use for antelope and the A-Frame gets used when carrying the Roberts during combined deer and elk season.

Besides deer, I've taken uncounted (but lots) of prairie dogs and coyotes with my Roberts using 75g V-MAX, the longest being right around 500 yards. As a 600-yard clay-pigeon-on-the-berm shooter it does pretty well. Daughters and nephews have taken their first big game animals with it and all like the gentle recoil.

My sentiments exactly! I've killed a truckload or two of coyotes with mine, and still use it for deer frequently. It works very well on deer.

Please elaborate.

All the x57 cased cartridges are great and certainly the 6 mm Rem, 257 Rob and 7x57 Mauser have accounted for many deer sized game. The use of any really depends on your field needs. The 7x57 would be my choice if I wanted an all around big game cartridge. However all show a nice benefit when they become AI and run on the heels of 240 Wby, 25-06 and 280 Rem. A good enhancement if you like to play with AI cartridges and reload.

Yes, please.

"Best" is a qualitative term that requires specific criteria. The 7x57 is a fine round but has a lot of drawbacks. These include a severely limited selection of rifles and ammo when compared to the 7mm-08. This, for many, is a deal breaker.

Along with widely variable throating.

I stumbled across an interesting comment the other day on the Africa Hunting site. Whoever it was that posted mentioned that in his opinion the biggest downside to the 7-08 is that the throats are too short. I assume that his comment centered around shooting 175-grain bullets seated out long.

I am getting a custom 7x57 and had to buy a match reamer to avoid the std long throats common on the old military chambers.