Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7x57 for Elk?

I am sure this has been batted around ad nauseam, but how many of you are currently using a 7x57 as your primary rifle for elk and mule deer? I know it’s capable, just curious about bullets used, load velocity, etc.

A guy I know only uses his 7x57 for everything. Has a pretty good track record on deer and elk. Can't tell what load he uses though.

Four different rifles.

1)1924 VZ 24, 24 " McGowen bbl, 1-10" ROT 154 gr Hornady InterLock, 52 grs Win 760, 2810 fps.

2) Win. M70 pre-64 24" Buhmiller bbl, 1-9" ROT 160 gr Nosler Partition 48 grs H4350, 2660 fps (new batch 2700 fps)

3) Ruger M 77 22" bbl, 1-9.5" ROT 154 gr Hornady InterLock 49 grs H 4350, 2800 fps.

4) Ruger M 77 22" bbl, 1-8 3/4" ROT 154 gr Hornady InterLock 48 grs 2750 fps

All four have killed Elk and Mule Deer.

I’ve known a few who used the 7/08 fwiw. Never heard of a failing. As an occasional elk hunter I’d have no hesitation

Heck yes, a 7X57 for elk, deer, bear, moose and just about anything else I'll ever hunt in Utah or Idaho. I shoot 160 grain Partitions in my push feed Model 70 Featherweight with H4350, R-P cases and WLR primers. My load gets over 2700 fps and kills stuff DEAD!! It's my primary hunting rifle and I've since retired my 25-06, 270 Win and 30-06. They're all being gifted to grandsons for their 12th birthdays. I've shot 140 grain Partitions and get 2825fps, but now have settled on one load with the 160s.

Hell yes! Used to have a Ruger African that I used 160 Partitions in @ around 2600fps w/H4831 and elk died regularly!
Had a #1 that I used to take my largest ever mule deer with, same bullet, Reloader 23 at 2700fps.
Both were stamped 275 Rigby!

the famous elephant hunter Bell killed plenty Elephants with his 7x57,so elk hunting with a 7x57 should work just fine. good luck,Pete53

Irrelephant.

Right. I know all the writers and hunters of olde and our own JB who used the cartridge. Just wondering how many current ‘Fire dwellers are using it these days. Happy Trails

150 and over AB Partition or 145 LXR will do nicely within any sane distance and proper placement.


If the 270 and 130-150's can do it........................

I am not curranty using a 7X57, but I have several times in m past and I have killed deer AND elk with it. It works perfectly well. My brother-in-law beat me out of my 7X57 and I never made one to replace it, but I didn't sell if for any reason related to how well it shot or how well it kills game. I sold it because he kept laying down $100 bills until I caved in.
160 and 175 grain bullets were what I used for elk. I used Nosler Partitions in 160 and 175, and also 175 grain Hornady RN bullets. (no longer made)
One bullet that I had very good luck with for deer was the 154 grain Hornady, but I also used several others and as with every cartridge, if you use a bullet that expands and hold enough weight to exit you get good kills. Used with bullets that broke up completely, the kills were erratic with some being quick and others giving long runs and tedious tracking jobs.

That has nothing at all to do with the cartridge case. I saw the exact same pros and cons from a 7MM Rem mag, a 7MM Weahterby mag, and several 300 mags, a 338 mag, a 9.3X74R, as well as from a 308, 30-06s a 270, 25-06s 257 Weatherby and 6.5 Swede.

But using a 7X57 for elk is NOT a problem at all. It's just fine.

I shot a cow elk in western WY with a 7x57 using a 175 grain factory load. I can't remember if it was FED, REM, or WIN ammo. Broke the near side shoulder with the first shot and killed it with a second shot through the neck. I have very limited elk hunting experience, but for me the most important part of punching an elk tag has been to anchor it by breaking one or both shoulders so that you can put a follow up shot into its vital organs. I've watched more than one elk shot through the lungs go a couple hundred yards before it died of blood loss and they always seem to run into less accessible places and make the recovery that much more challenging.

Based on one event that required two bullets, I'd opine that the 7x57 is an adequate elk cartridge if the shooter is competent and the bullet is properly constructed. I couldn't have asked for a better outcome from a common cup and core bullet.

Through the late 70's and early 80's when I had no idea what I was doing, I killed 6 elk with a 7x57 with 140g sierras. They all died real quick but shots were within 150 yards. Then I learned that I did not have an elk rifle. I went to a 7 Mag with the brand new on the market 140g Ballistic tips(red and Green box) and killed two big bulls with them and numerous deer. Then I found out that the 140g nosler ballistic tip is not an elk bullet.

These Elk today are MUCH tougher and resilient than they were back in the late 70's and early 80's. 175g Sierra BTSP would get the job done in spades in a current 7x57 and I would be packing her up with R#23 and R#26

One year, 7 of us all got our elk with 7 mags with the 154g Hornady flat base, longest shot was 550 yards. A good friend in Flagstaff hunts deer, elk, black bear, all with a 7 mag with 120g TSX...mule man and lion hunter.

.

Another Hell yes!

I've not only taken bull elk with the 7x57, but a Canadian bull moose. No problems with them, or similar-sized African game like kudu and wildebeest.

Generally I've used well-constructed bullets in the 160-grain class for such game, including the 156 Norma Oryx, 160 Nosler Partition, the late lamented 160 North Fork, and 160 TSX. But would be perfectly happy to somewhat lighter bullets as well, especially monolithics.

Im envisioning a New Mexico elk hunter during the great depression sneaking through the hills with a Remington rolling block in 7X57MM .....

I’ve killed numerous nilgai with a 7x57. Used 140 Swift
A-frames, Sierra 170 round nose Pro-hunters, 140 Partitions. Caught the A-frame as I tried to drive it length-wise.

Not surprised about the A-Frame, but need to ask: From the front or rear end? Cow or bull?

Kinda personal, don't ya think??
;o)
Rex

Good point!