Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters The Big Book of Gun Gack III - 7x57MM

I traded off my 7x57. It's a CZ with butter knife handle, different type finish. Probably European, as I've not seen another one and don't remember it cataloged. I've asked for info, but no one seems to know what it is. It does seem fully factory, not custom.

DF

There is no difference between them, they are the same thing. Originally Rigby imported the actions from Mauser and didn't thing an English rifle with a German designation would be a good idea at the time. They (Rigby) measured the bore differently using either the lands or groves I don't remember which and hence came up with the 275 Rigby.

I think I read somewhere that the throat on the Rigby was different from the Mauser in order to accommodate the 140 vs 175-grain bullet. I can't imagine that being the case, since Mauser made everything on the Rigby except the stock, but that's what I've read. Has anyone else heard or read that?

There was a Rigby #1 and #2 and IIRC everything was the same except the sights for the different weight bullets.

Frankly, I've often thought that since MD has such extensive experience with the 7x57, he should write a definitive book on the cartridge - sort of a cartridge biography. Include lots of pictures, his great stories, some favorite load recipes, and we're off to the races. He could even do what Safari Press does and publish it in a signed limited edition. That might sweeten the pot a bit.

Just sayin'.

The 7x57 has a few attributes that get lost in the ballistic chatter.

1. The recoil is low enough so as not to intimidate the user which allows greater emphasis on shot placement because of that "unintimidated" concentration.
2. The caliber and bullets available are largely designed for game hunting so are not only reliable performers, that reliability is enhanced by the velocity window generated by that Mauser case.
3. The 140-160gn bullet weights kill beyond expectation because most hunters have relied on higher velocity for so long, so are less familiar with standard case design and velocity ranges. This is however changing, because of the increasing use of the 7/08 and smaller 6.5 cartridges which are educating the hunter on velocity capabilities and by default, more emphasis on bullet selection.
4. Most of all, the 7x57 is an easy rifle to shoot and master so the current deep penetrating bullets and commonly available (usually) components make it an easy choice while it teaches you the meaning of the word "competence".

I have sold 7x57 and a John Rigby .275 Rigby rifle, but always regretted the gap created so filled it again soon after. My current Model 70 Super Grade is the only perfect rifle I have seen where I fitted Leupold dual dovetails and a Zeiss Conquest and it was already sighted in without adjustment and best loads teased me with true cloverleaf groups with all touching using Barnes 145gn TTSX's at 2850fps.. I know what I can do with that, but struggle to imagine what I cannot do with it.

IIRC, "Karaojo" Bell used the .275 Rigby sighted for the 140 gr. bullets but shot the 173 FMJ bullets. He had an extra sight leaf sighted for the heavier bullet. Based on that, I'm positive either rifle, the #1 or #2 had a throat long enough to accommodate the 175 gr. bullet.

On the idea of a book dedicated strictly to the 7x57, I'm definitely in favor of such a book. Count me as one standing in line for a copy.
Paul B.

My Rigby was the # 2 version which I bought from the original owner, a retired college teacher who as a Mining Engineer spent most of his working life in Africa. He went to London and had the rifle completed to his spec's which included sighting for the 140gn bullet at 2900fps. I took a lot of animals with that Rigby and it taught me a lot about hunting and rifle fit. It also handled 175 grain bullets very well. By comparison, an Original XTR Model 70 I bought new in 1981 only really shot the 175gn well and the 140's I mostly used shot just over the inch though I never noticed the lesser accuracy while hunting.

My son and I both carry 7x57s. Mine is a 1949 mfrd. BRNO 22f. His is a M70 Featherweight. Easy to carry, kill well, can't go wrong.

Great idea!

Put me down for one.

I would buy one also. My favorite big game cartridge.
There are so many stories, legend and otherwise, and loading info over the years that a book with it all in one place would be a good read and a pretty good seller.

7X57 Mauser References

2019 - Handloader #320, June, The Modern 7x57, John Barsness

2017 - American Rifleman, October, A Tale of Two Sevens, Craig Boddington

2015 - Guns Magazine, May, The Magnificent 7x57 Mauser, John Barsness

2015 - Sporting Shooter Magazine, Handloading the 7x57 Mauser, Nick Harvey

2014 - Rifle Magazine #273, March, Ruger 7x57mm Mauser, Dave Scovill

2014 - Handloader #289, April, 7x57 Mauser Part II, Gil Sengel

2012 - African Expedition, Mauser's 7mm, Koos Barnard

2012 - Guns and Hunting - Two Decades of Thoughts on Guns and Calibers, A Tale of Two Sevens (Chapter 1). The 7x57 mm Mauser (Chapter 17). Finn Aagaard

2012 - Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, 7X57mm Mauser, Dave Scovill

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, Contemporaries of the 7x57, Mike Venturino

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, The 7mm Comes Full Circle, John Haviland

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, Seven Deadly Millimeters, Ron Spomer

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, The Legacy of the 7x57, John Barsness

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, The Commercial Sevens, Mike Venturino

2010 – New Zealand Guns and Hunting, #119, July/August, The 7X57 Stalking Rifle, Garry Keown

2010 – New Zealand Guns and Hunting, #118, May/June, The 7X57 – the 7mm Mauser and the 275 Rigby,
Garry Keown

2009 – American Rifleman, November, A Perfectly Delightful Cartridge – 7x57 mm Mauser, Jim Wilson

2008 – Handloader, #252, April/May, 7x57 Mauser - The “First” 7mm, John Haviland

2007 – Handloader, #246, April/May, 7x57mm Mauser – The Original 7mm, John Barsness

2004 – Handloader, #231, October/November, 7x57mm Mauser – Accolades from an admirer, Steve Gash

2001 – Handloader, #211, June/July, 7x57mm Mauser – The grand, old 7mm, Stan Trzonec

2000 – Handloader, #206, August/September, 7mm’s – The all-American standard, John Barsness

1999 – American Rifleman, February, 7x57mm Mauser in Modern Rifles, Edward A. Matunas

1995 – Handloader, February 1995, Modern Powders in the 7x57, Ken Waters

1992 – Game Loads And Practical Ballistics For the American Hunter, (see index), Bob Hagel

1991-Guns and Ammo, 1991, 7mm Mauser…Smallbore Blockbuster!, Ross Seyfried

1991 – Rifle, #137, September/October, The 7mm Mauser, Ludwig Olson

1990-American Rifleman, April, 1990, John Rigby & Co., Finn Aagaard

1989 – Nosler Reloading Manual, The 7x57 Mauser, Finn Aagaard

1986-American Rifleman, Nov. 1986, The 7x57 Mauser, Finn Aagaard

1986-Guns, July, 1986, Know Your Hunting Cartridges: The 7mm Mauser, Ed Matunas

1984 – Outdoor Life, March, The 7x57 Mauser, Jim Carmichael

1983 – Handloader, #102, March/April, light hunting bullets in the 7x57mm, Mike Venturino

1982 – Rifle, #83, September/October, Model 70 Featherweight – 7x57mm, Bob Hagel

1982 – Handloader #95, January/February, still popular…7mm Mauser, Ken Waters

1977 – Handloader, #66, March/ April, Super velocities in ONE 7x57, Dennis Hall

1974 – Gun Digest, #28, Forty Years with the Little 7mm, Jack O’Connor

1973 - Gun Digest, 27th Anniversary Edition, The Beautiful Blazers all but Forgotten ! Bob Bell

1976 – Guns & Ammo, November 1976, 7x57 Mauser, Les Bowman

1973 – Sports Afield, August, The Welterweight Rifle With The Heavyweight Punch, John Jobson

1973 – Rifle, #27, May/June, Ruger 77 7x57---, Bob Hagel

1970 – The Hunting Rifle, Big Punch in Little Case, Jack O’Connor

1968 – Handloader, # 16, November/December, Cartridge of the Month, 7mm Mauser, (Staff)

1968 -1969 Yours Truly, (Handloader Magazine column) Loading for the 7x57, pgs.107-110, 178-179, 184-185, Harvey Donaldson

1968 – Handloader, September, The 7x57 Mauser, Ken Waters

1967- Gun Digest 1967, The Mysterious Seven, Robert Sherwood

1964 – The Rifle Book, The All-Around Rifle (7x57), Jack O’Connor

1948 – Outdoor Life, October, Arms and Ammunition – The 7mm is great stuff for most big game. Jack O’Connor

I have a SC FN mod 70 Featherweight that has not been the best shooter but still tinkering with it along. Also an older Savage 111 7x57 that seems to shoot the 140-145 gr bullets really well. I would love to get both shooting a 145 gr LRX very well. I had an MRI on my neck and upper back last night for various issues, so the big magnums might go away sooner than expected. Happy Thanksgiving, All!

I only have one, it's a 700 Classic. To me the 700 classic 7x57 is perfect. I had a couple military 98 7x57's but they were quite picky on loads, extremely long throats. I suspect that at my age all my big game hunting could be done with that classic, unless I put enough coin together to go to Africa for cape or to Alaska for bear.
I'm one of those guys that didn't see a reason for the 7mm-08 - however I bought one for my wife - she's a lefty and a left handed bolt action in 7-08 appeared in a used gun rack and she liked it.

But wouldn’t it be nice to have all that information in one epic tome, Roundoak. 😄

You bet!

MD...are you listening???

Roundoak's list sent me on a quest and I've been able to track down most of these, as well as added some more recent ones not on the list. Good stuff!

Maybe you should add those others you found to the master list.

DF