Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Forty Years with the Little 7mm

Jerry

Applause

35 years ago I had an original 7mm Rolling Block and 13 boxes of Privi 175 grain round nose soft point. It resembled the load pictured below with a little more core exposed, The jacket was pretty heavy and the core was dead soft- you could mark it with your thumbnail.


https://www.wholesalehunter.com/Product/Details/304

The last 2" of the Rolling Block's barrel was washed out so me and a gunsmith pal bobbed it off even with the forend metal, recrowned it and modofied a set of Williams aperture and bead sights to fit. The rifle still had nearly 27 inches of barrel left and it was plenty accurate with that load. I lived in an area rich with deer, coyotes, groundhogs etc. Aside from zeroing and shooting enough to find MPBR, practically every round from the next 6-7 boxes killed something; and for all the modern varmint and deer rifles I've used, nothing flattened stuff better than that old Roller with 175 grain RNSP bullets.

If I had to hunt the rest of my life with a good 7x57 or 7-08, I wouldn't shed a tear.

I got your back, let me know if you need help with the slap down.

I googled that and found the following quote from Seafire on archive, thus no link.

I remember reading that article years ago.

I first bought a 7x57 about 40 years ago. More recently, over perhaps the last couple of decades, I've been using the rimmed version. Either way they seem to perform well. I've killed truckloads of animals with them. They seem to have a good balance of killing power and manageability - even in a 6 lb rifle sans recoil pad.

Here's some 3031 loads in an old Hornady 3rd Edition 1980 manual.

The 7x57 was a great cartridge in its time. It is still a very capable cartridge but offers nothing for me. There is nothing the 7x57 can do that I can't get done with a 6.5CM or 7mm-08. Shorter/lighter action, many more ammo options from the factory, etc. Plus, I have a .280 Rem.

It's kinda like driving an old classic car. There are lots of new cars that are better, but then a new car is not a classic either.

I would sell my 280 way before my 275Rigby.

I would never pick the 7x57 over the 7mm08 unless I was in love with the particular platform the 7x57 came in.

So many things are chosen by emotion and not what is practical at the time.

Had that edition which I used for my M70FW,
always recall the 2900 MV with 154 grain,
(test rifle being a custom F. N. Mauser/ 22 inch.)

Is that necessarily bad?

Rev Mike, have you tried the 156.gr Norma Oryx. It is by far the most accurate round in all three of my rifles. It’s a JB load, pretty sure it’s 46 gr of H4350. Check Gun Gack one.

Emotion has totally [bleep] this country. So no, it's not bad, if you're a chick.

RM8: I agree the the country is headed in a dangerous direction.

But from a strictly practical standpoint, while Ruger American Rifle is more practical, I'd prefer to hunt with the pre64 M70 that belonged to my father.

It won't accomplish the mission any better than the RAR, But emotionally, I'd prefer to carry the M70, or a dozen other rifles that may cost much more than the RAR, but don't dispatch bambi any better.

Is this bad? You yourself just said " I would never pick the 7x57 over the 7mm08 unless I was in love with the particular platform the 7x57 came in.". Isn't "love" an emotion?

Good stuff there. I love my 7x57s, and they work exactly as advertised.

Great JOC article on the 7x57, Thanks.

I also enjoyed the Imbedded 7mm vs 30 Caliber article by JR Sundra.
30% less recoil with comparable SDs is compelling.

I wonder how 6.5s would compare with modern bullet construction

I have not, but I have a box and I'll put them in the rotation for sure. Thanks for the reminder.

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