I have 2 different 7x57s. My go to load in both is 50 gr. IMR 4350 with either a 140 gr. ballistic tip or partition. Chronos 2750 fps. It puts deer to sleep pretty quick.
Take your kids hunting, instead of hunting your kids.
The 7x57 is my current "go-to" rifle. Mine is a Winchester Featherweight. The load I use most often is a 140 grain Nosler Partition over 49 grains of Reloder 19 in a Remington case with a CCI 200 primer.
Am a long time fan of the 7x57 and in my current rifle I use a 160gn Woodleigh over 46gn H4350 @2700fps. Am about to try the 120gn GS Custom Bullet at 3250fps as everything I have learned about this bullet is exceptional http://www.gsgroup.co.za/02hv.html
I used a Ruger 77 and a 93 Mauser years ago as a kid. My brother has the Ruger now but I always used 140 Nosler Solid Bases in it. I just loaded some 139 Hornadys for him.
That ole 7x57 isn't loud enough to kill deer let alone elaphants!! All kidding aside great caliber in any rifle, 140gr Hornady Spire Points w/ 48 gr. of IMR 4350 has always worked well for me when it comes to whitetails.
Have a Ruger No.1 RSI in 7X57 but have yet to shoot it. Have several boxes of 154gr Interlocks that I got at an auction cheap and was wondering if anyone has experience with them. They will be used on whitetail deer.
The 139gr Hornadys and H4350 work quite well. W760 is another good powder in my rig.
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard
Have had 2 Ruger 77s in 7x57 both liked 140gr Sierra SpBts with IMR 4350, killed as well as anything I have ever shot. No fuss no muss, just worked plain and simple. I just grab other rifles first the last few years, I'll have to go back. RustyL
700 Mountain Rifle with a 4x Conquest. For my body & mindset, I don't think there's a sweeter sweet spot than this setup.
It's now accounted for 4 pigs in 4 shots, using S&B 173 SPCE factory loads. I'm just now workin' up some home brewed loads for it, but if I don't get it done by October, I'll just take the S&B's with me to the Kutenays for elk, black bear, & deer.
FC
"Every day is a holiday, and every meal is a banquet."
700 Mountain Rifle with a 4x Conquest. For my body & mindset, I don't think there's a sweeter sweet spot than this setup.
DOH! Had a 700 Mtn. rifle in 7x57 and sold it to Mule Deer...STILL having sellers remorse over that one...what a shooter! Like many others here, Im shooting an 80s vintage M70 Fwt. in 7x57, Leupy 1.5-5, and it is definitely my " Go To" rifle.... and it kills deer... Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
700 Mountain Rifle with a 4x Conquest. For my body & mindset, I don't think there's a sweeter sweet spot than this setup.
DOH! Had a 700 Mtn. rifle in 7x57 and sold it to Mule Deer...STILL having sellers remorse over that one...what a shooter! Like many others here, Im shooting an 80s vintage M70 Fwt. in 7x57, Leupy 1.5-5, and it is definitely my " Go To" rifle.... and it kills deer... Ingwe
Nobody hunts with the 7x57. It's just too old, moves bullets too slow, and isn't enough for whitetails, let alone mulies or elk. It might have enough oomph to scare a groundhog, but that's about all I can think it's good for, and it really doesn't have the trajectory to do that effectively either. In fact, those of you who are still using this outdated cartridge should really step-up to a .300 WSM, maybe even a .308 Lazzeroni Warbird. After you buy your new guns that are enough for whitetails, you need to consider at least a .338 Win Mag for elk and put that in your arsenal. The 7x57 just doesn't have it anymore. It used to, but the critters have become immune to its slow, overly long projectiles. After you buy the new rifles, send me the old, worthless 7x57s and I'll make sure that the stocks are used for proper firewood and the steel is recycled.
Selmer
"Daddy, can you sometime maybe please go shoot a water buffalo so we can have that for supper? Please? And can I come along? Does it taste like deer?" - my 3-year old daughter
I don't have one, so the 7x57 may be my next build.
Bob,
What lefty action are you going to use??
Doc
I purchased a Left Hand 700 in 270 at the Gun Show a couple of weeks back and will use this action. I have a Lilja # 3 contour SS Barrel 1&9 twist, i purchased off a campfire member and will be using it. I also have a Laminate LH 700 Stock and may use it if i don't decide to order a McMillian or HS Stock. Midway is out of stock on the 7X57 PTG Reamer with removable bushing and will have to order one from PTG .
A Doe walks out of the woods today and says, that is the last time I'm going to do that for Two Bucks.
M77 tang safety Ruger, almost 30 years old and ugly as sin. First load I worked up for it shot well enough to go hunting, and it's all I've used for deer, elk and black bear. I've owned plenty of other rifles in that time period, still do, but it's Old Ugly I reach for when it's time to get serious about hunting...
WW brass 154 gr. Hornady Spire point flatbase. 48 gr. IMR 4350 Federal 210 primer
That's a warmish load, and might be too hot for short-throated barrels.
Sporterized 98 Mauser isn't fussy at all about loads. Shoots 130-175 grain bullets with powders as fast as IMR-3031 to slowpoke MR-3100 into groups of slightly less to just over 1". Last elk was taken with said rifle and one shot of 49 grains of IMR-4350/150 Nosler partition. I was using the partitions just because a friend gave me a few but, would have been perfectly happy using 154 Hornadys, which are more accurate in my rifle.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
Like someone else mentioned...it's not my go-to rifle, but sometimes I wish it was (just too many others and not enough tags). My go-to load though is the 145gr Speer worked up with 50.0gr of H4350 Xtrme. My rifle also like 154gr Hornadys with W760, but with the temps here in AZ, that powder kinda scares me.
Like someone else mentioned...it's not my go-to rifle, but sometimes I wish it was (just too many others and not enough tags). My go-to load though is the 145gr Speer worked up with 50.0gr of H4350 Xtrme. My rifle also like 154gr Hornadys with W760, but with the temps here in AZ, that powder kinda scares me.
I've been using W-760 ever since I had my custom 7x57 built up and use it as well in my Wincheser M70 feathrweight. What I did was work up he loads during the hottest part of the summer here in Tucson. I do that with all my load work up BTW. The custom with it's tight chamber won't take what the Featherweight will handle so I have to play with that one a litle bit yet, but the M70 will do a solid 2800 FPS with 140 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips without pressure problems one a 105 degree day. I did reach 2880 FPS but the bolt was starting to get a tad sticky, very slight but noticable. I've done all my load work up that way since I moved down here 30 years ago and it's worked out quite well regarding too much pressure due to the heat. I used it about 6 years ago in area 32 north of Wilcox and dropped a nice Mule Deer with it. Didn't have any problems with it in the 70 degree heat and if velocity was affected, I sure did not notice it. I know the deer didn't. He just died. Paul B.
Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them. MOLON LABE
My two sons and I have been hunting with 7x57's for the last 30 years. "Our" load for these rifles is 46.0 to 48.0 grains of H-414, 140 grain Nosler Partitions, and Federal 210 primers. The powder charge varies according to the individual rifle's preference.
I have had a Ruger MkII in 7x57 for some time and i just purchased another from a board member. It is IMHO the best all around cartridge...period. Light in recoil, flat in trajectory, and heavy in killing power. My favorite load is 52.5 grains of reloader 19. With a 22 inch tube it hits my chrono at an average of 2950 fps with a 140 grain nosler. That same load in a 700 classic with a 24 inch tube goes over 3000fps. That load is heavily compresed but has never shown any pressure signs in any rifle ive fired it and case life has been excelent. It shoots well to boot with an average of about an inch in my ruger and an inch and half in a freinds winchester. I beleive i found the load in an old petersons hunting but could be wrong. As you can imagine, a 7mm projectile with a good bc and sd moving at that speed shoots flat and penetration is excelent. Brass is easy to come buy for the handloader as well. You can always find 7x57 brass but ive also made it with .30-06 and .270 brass by simply ramming it through a full length sizer and trimming the length with a lee guage. Great round for the "purist" in all of us. Its funny when i think about it, but that load was first recomended to me by none less than Jack O Connor...indirectly of course. When i was younger my grandfather had alot of old Outdoor life magazines around and i was always reading them. Jack was a big proponent of the little 7 as he called it, and it just stuck in my mind as the round to have. Funny but i think old Jack would aprove of my walnut stocked 7x57 with a whelen sling. More importantly, this combo has never let me down.
Your load seems a little warm to me. it is 1 grain over Nosler's # 6 max and 3 1/2 grains over Alliant's max. YMMV
Everything you now do is something you have chosen to do. Some people don't want to believe that. But if you're over age twenty-one, your life is what you're making of it. To change your life, you need to change your priorities.
My 7X57, or 275 Rigby as I call it, is one of my most favorite rifles.
The load I like best is a goodly dose of RL-22 behind either a Nosler 150 grain Partition or Solid Base depending on the game hunted. Either will break 2850 fps from the 22 inch barrel any day of the week.
Larry *********** "Speed is fine but accuracy is final" - Bill Jordan "We do not exaggerate when we state positively that the remodelled Springfield is the best and most suitable "all 'round" rifle".......Seymour Griffin, GRIFFIN & HOWE, Inc.
I think I know a little myrtle-stocked mauser going on a boat ride in the AM just hoping it gets pointed at a moose by a certain 15-year-old with a hot tag with a start date of yesterday...
Same 7x57 got pointed at a black bear last fall and the bear died... Thinking a moose might have very similar odds.
As to options considered prior to the selection of the 7x57: 243 (several), 6mm, 25-06 (several), 7-08, 30-06 (a half dozen), 308Norma, 300H&H, 300WM (several), 8x57JR, 35WhelenAI, 375AI and more...
The 7x57 will do just fine I am certain... art
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
Sd; I hope the 7x57 gets a moose! That would be a thrill! JB shot a moose with his a couple years back, and made me eat a bunch of it. Ive killed all manner of NA and African PG with mine, and am a big fan....it is easily my favorite cartridge..... Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
I think I know a little myrtle-stocked mauser going on a boat ride in the AM just hoping it gets pointed at a moose by a certain 15-year-old with a hot tag with a start date of yesterday...
Same 7x57 got pointed at a black bear last fall and the bear died... Thinking a moose might have very similar odds.
As to options considered prior to the selection of the 7x57: 243 (several), 6mm, 25-06 (several), 7-08, 30-06 (a half dozen), 308Norma, 300H&H, 300WM (several), 8x57JR, 35WhelenAI, 375AI and more...
The 7x57 will do just fine I am certain... art
Have said 15 year old post some pix of Moose, and rifle after said rifle kills Moose...
My go to rifle is a Husqvarna fullstock in 7x57 (I have about a half a dozen total Husqvarna's in 7x57). I use the factory Norma 150 gr bullit load. It's a sub-MOA gun with that load for a 3 shot group.
kuduBull I am sure you will be as pleased as I have become with mine. It did take some tweaking to get it shooting tight and repeatable, but now shoots well. Had to remove wood from back of forearm, relieve wood at front of forearm and add a little bedding, and I put a semi hard plastic shim between the hanger and the barrel. Now holds poi from session to session and shoots sub minute groups. Currently using some 150 gr Solid Bases that I had laying around. JMHO Tim
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein
At Khe Sanh a sign read "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never knew".
Michiganroadkill, Thank you for the information. I have some brass coming next week, so I'll see how it shoots. I can't wait to rip off a few rounds with it. If it behaves, I have a few antelope tags to fill.
Mi roadkill is right...you might have to monkey with the hanger etc, doesnt seem like you have to so often on later models, you mighta seen this cause I posted the pic before...but I enjoyed my 1a in 7x57.. Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
My load of 52.5 gr. of reloader 19 is certinly a hot load and is to be built up to. I cannot fit any more of that powder in the case. I shoot it out of a ruger 77mkII, but i have shot it out of a winchester 70FW, Remington classic, and a mexican mauser. Extraction is fine, the primers arnt flat, and there is no excessive case streach of primer pocket deformation. Results may vary, but it has proven very acurate and hard hitting for myself and those i have loaded it for.
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” ― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear
RL 19 has less pressure per volume compared to other powders of comparable burning rates.Look in your Hornady manual 25 or 26 and you will see.I shoot 56.5gr in my improved version w/Fed 210M and have never had a problem. powdr
My go to rifle is a Husqvarna fullstock in 7x57 (I have about a half a dozen total Husqvarna's in 7x57). I use the factory Norma 150 gr bullit load. It's a sub-MOA gun with that load for a 3 shot group.
Those are great looking rifles and if you ever get too many, contact me! Mine is also very accurate with the Norma 150 load but, I've never shot any game with them so can't comment on that aspect. I have only taken game with Speer 130, Hornady 154, and Nosler 150 Part. Yesterday, at the range, I was using up some various loads and only one group was over 1", even cheap Privi Partizan factory loads grouping about 1.5". Did I mention, I really like my little 7x57?
Last edited by Joe; 08/23/09.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
My go-to rifle this fall will be my custom M70 in 7X57. You guys are probably tired of this pic, but, until I get a pic of it next to a dead animal.......
I wanted a Ruger 1A when they came out. Back then I was good on getting my buck(s) and I figured that a SS was all I needed. I favored falling block SS's for varmints.
I got one of the first ones. It has a four digit sn with no prefix's or anything. I ordered it in 30-06 from my FFL buddy and when it came it was a 7mm RM. Yes a 7mm RM in a 1A!
He said to take it or leave it, that they were on back order and nearly impossible to get. I kept it and blasted some deer.
Now I have the feeling that I am not that hot of a hunter and I have not carried the 1A for a while. I did wear out the barrel on the 7mm and I got Ruger to rebarrel it. When they discovered, after agreeing to rebarrel it, that they no longer made a 7mm RM 1A barrel I got it done in 30-06!
my favorite cal. 7x57. my rifles 98mauser customs #1 is a full stocked mannlicher in presentation walnut 20 in. barrel engraved and gold enlaid by john adams sr. #2 is a custom also aaa walnut 22 in.half round half octogon matted rib barrel engraved in germany both are tack drivers. there was a prof.african hunter that killed in excess of 500 elephants with the 7x57 using a solid bullet his name escapes me
"In fact, Walter Bell killed 1011 elephants with a 7x57 in the course of his career. He shot exactly 1,011 elephants with a series of six Rigby-made 7x57mm (.275 Rigby) rifles with 173 grain military ammo"
i will be glad to post pictures but dont know how. i will ask my daughter if she stops by today. i should add i also have a 6.5x57mm eng. by j. adams sr. 98 mauser action boler half round half oct.matted rib barrel iron sights with claw detachable scope mts. i had it built for my grand daughter much like a .257 roberts europeaned stocked with a bavarian check piece. and model 70 safety
65BR; Dats pretty cool...Ive never seen a 1A Stainless on walnut before...I likey! I think you are right to "downsize" the scope, though I always shoot smaller scopes than any of my buddies reccomend, so I may not be a good source for an opinion on that! Cool rig...is that the 6.5 you mentioned earlier? If so...Don't change it!!! 6.5x55s are uber cool too... Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
My 7x57 is the first rifle I ever stocked, on a Brazilian '08 mauser action with a 6x Leupold. Shot the biggest buck of my life with it. It likes the 139gr Hornady and RL19.
I am off to the Blue Mountains in about three hours for a weeks hunting Fallow with my 08 DWM 7x57. Am using the GS Custom 120gn HV bullet over 51gn BL-C2 at 3235fps on this trip. Usually have the 160gn Woodleigh over 46gn H4350 for 2700 but wanted to try the GS bullet. Hope to see something as this is a heavily hunted area. This is what I will be hunting with,( some of you will have seen it before)
Nice VonGruff. Looks set up with mounts, but are you using it with the peep on the cocking piece? With your loads I'd figure you have since put glass on it for taking advantage of it's capabilities. Just curious but do you have a preference on brand of brass?
Ingwe, I figure being off .5 x 2mm is close
That 6x42, though light, just is larger than I like on some rifles aeshetically, etc. Even as E calls the eyebox on the 42 very large-and it is, the 36 is fine and has likely more exit pupil than my eyes will dilate. Current coatings are all the better on the latest FX-II.
I do like SS/Walnut, just one man's flavor (yes a looney by admission). Often Walnut, checkered, feels really good in hand. I do make sure any wood stock is shooting consistent and hitting to POA. My SS/walnut Dakota Predator 6mmBR shoots as good shooting as it looks, 5/8" groups at 200yds, the 55 above shot 1.1" so I was ok with that....
Nice VonGruff. Looks set up with mounts, but are you using it with the peep on the cocking piece? With your loads I'd figure you have since put glass on it for taking advantage of it's capabilities. Just curious but do you have a preference on brand of brass?
65BR. Yes set up to use glass as well. Have a 4.5-14 Monarch on it for use with the GS bullet. I got a batch of GRAFF brass that is very good. Have some RWS coming otherwise I like Norma usually. Von Gruff.
I think you are right to "downsize" the scope, though I always shoot smaller scopes than any of my buddies reccomend, so I may not be a good source for an opinion.
Ingwe: We share the same defective gene.......with Adair
I think you are right to "downsize" the scope, though I always shoot smaller scopes than any of my buddies reccomend, so I may not be a good source for an opinion.
Ingwe: We share the same defective gene.......with Adair
Didnt know Danny liked little scopes...thought he was a 2x7 man.... Anyway, that being what it may...you guys will never get me to drink single malt.. Single barrel bourbon....dats a different matter.... Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
I've often see the "W.D.M. Bell" legend mentioned when the discussion is about the 7x57 (aka "7mm Mauser" & ".275 Rigby"). While the legend is very probably true, that doesn't make the sweet 7x57mm an "elephant cartridge".
Ya see, Bell knew a little "secret" about African elephants... that being that there's a small "channel" between and just above the eyes of an African elephant that is an open channel to the elephant's brain.
Bell put a 7mm bullet into their "channel" and, due to his knowledge and excellent marksmanship, the elephants died instantly.
This doesn't take anything away from Bell, but it does explain how a fine, medium-powered rifle cartridge can instantly kill the largest land animal on earth.
One of my most favorite rifles is my Ruger #1 International (aka "RSI") in 7x57. With a full Mannlacher-style stock, after-market Kepplinger Single Set Trigger and my handloads (50.0 grains of H4350, standard Win. primer & 140 grain Sierra, flat-based ProHunter bullet in "accurized" Remington cartridge cases), it has given me 3-shots groups of .404 inches at 50 yards without any further modification other than allowing the short, relatively thin 20" barrel to cool down to "just warm" between shots.
For extreme accuracy, I've mounted a 4-12x40mm scope on the rifle with an adjustable objective turret to eliminate parallax at all ranges.
Even with this MAXIMUM LOAD intended for MODERN RIFLES ONLY, recoil is not objectionable, but is noticably greater than loads slightly lighter in nature.
What's interesting is that the 7x57 cartridge is one of the (if not "THE") oldest smokeless powder cartridges (along with the 9x19 Parabellum) still being manufactured... dating back to the late 1800's... and it still MORE than holds its own compared to so-called "modern" cartridges like the 7mm-08 which almost (but not quite) duplicates modern loads in the 7x57... and the 7x57 does it at 50,000 CUP ("Copper Units of Pressure") as opposed to almost 54,000 CUP for the 7mm-08.
Every time I take the little Ruger to the rifle range, I "smile" as a shoot it because I realize I've shooting the oldest, still-"modern" rifle cartridges in existance and it still slightly "out-steps" one of the most popular "new" cartridges (the 7mm-08).
To me, it's kinda like a 50 year old fella out-running a 20 year old guy in a sprint or a marathon.
With the right bullets & good handloads (the factory loads are weak), the 7x57 will take any game animal in the new world and most of 'em in Africa (as Bell proved). Of course, with the great bears & any dangerous game (lion, tiger, cape buffalo, etc.), I'd want my guide standing behind me with a .338 Win. Mag. or a .375 H&H Magnum (new world) or at least a .458 Lott (Africa).
Like the .30/06 Springfield, the 7x57mm Mauser cartridge is one that is in the running for the title, "Best all-around medium power cartridge".
Jus' my 2�...
Strength & Honor...
Ron T.
It's smart to hang around old guys 'cause they know lotsa stuff...
It is a great cartridge, but it was developed in 1892. There are other cartridges that were developed before it that are still being manufactured. It is not "THE" oldest. The 7.92x57 Mauser (1888), the 7.65x53 Belgian Mauser (1889), the 7.5x55 Schmidt Reuben (1889), 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser (1891), 7.62x54R Russian (1891) and the 303 British (1889). They are all great cartridges. I do agree with you that the 7x57 Mauser and the 30-06 are two of th best all round cartridges.
I've been out a few days. I got my #1A for $550. I guess I got a good deal. It was made in 1979. The guy I bought it from has a #1AB in 7X57 he wants to sell also. Michiganroadkill, I'll try some RL-17 if I can find it. It's hard to get powder in Denver. Now I want to kill a big bear like Ingwe with it. Probably have to settle for an antelope next month.
Of all the old cartridges it is by far the most widley used and highly reguarded. The 8x57 is probaly second due to the ten million mausers out there and the 6.5x55 third though it has been produced in some sporing rifles.
Mi roadkill is right...you might have to monkey with the hanger etc, doesnt seem like you have to so often on later models, you mighta seen this cause I posted the pic before...but I enjoyed my 1a in 7x57.. Ingwe
Randy, I think he was reffering to this that I posted earlier... Not a big bear at 6'1" but a Blonde one....and he had big feet! Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
I am off to the Blue Mountains in about three hours for a weeks hunting Fallow with my 08 DWM 7x57. Am using the GS Custom 120gn HV bullet over 51gn BL-C2 at 3235fps on this trip. Usually have the 160gn Woodleigh over 46gn H4350 for 2700 but wanted to try the GS bullet. Hope to see something as this is a heavily hunted area. This is what I will be hunting with,( some of you will have seen it before)
Von Gruff.
That's a beauty. No scope? Let's see a close up of the rear peep.
Shot another, bigger bear with the 7x57..chocolate, that squared 6.5 feet....he had big feet, claws, and a big face full of big teeth! He got P.O.ed when I shot him and was chewing the hell out of anything he could reach...looked like a claymore went off in his AO... What fun! Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
Dober...that just goes to show you the type bears I shoot...so monstrous and fierce even the 7x57 doesn't put lights out instantly... I'd hate to take one on with a measly .270...I'd be skeered!!! Fishing in MT next week...taking Ingwedog II with....#I dog is getting too old for an extended trip... Ingwedog II on "X" Creek with a bud.. Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
The 7x57 is not the first smokeless military round. It came out in 1892 and was used with deadly effect by Spanish troops in Cuba, and by Boer Commandos in South Africa in models 1893 and 1895 Mausers.
I do believe that the 7x57 and the 1895 .30WCF, aka the 30-30, are the worlds first widespread smokeless sporting cartridges. The 7x57 caught on quickly in Europe, Africa, and throughout the British Empire.
Not surprisingly, I shoot 7x57s a lot. Will be taking a 7x57 Serengeti to Wyoming this Fall to hunt antelope and mule deer. Am using a 140 VLD. Probably will not shoot too many prairie fish with it.
Thanks for the good luck wishes. I'll be hunting near the Powder River where there is a lot of gas drilling going on. It has spooked the buck mule deer away from the area. The antelope don't seem to care. I'll be taking my 13 year old grandson antelope hunting for the first time. That really has me excited.
I just bought a digital camera, and don't know how to use it yet. I mention this as an example of a serious deficiency in my electronic skills. There probably will not be any pics. Even if I get the camera working, I have no idea how to post the pictures here.
Husqvarna 7X57 with 47 grs. of w760 and a Nosler 150 gr. Bal Tip.deadly accurate and gets em on their knees prayin to the almighty PDQ.....................
broken bones broken heart stripped down an torn apart a lil rust but Im still runnin countin miles countin tears twisted roads and shiftin gears year after year its all or nothin Im not home and Im not lost just holdin on 2 what I got...God and Guns
i have a custom rem. 700 in 6.5x55. it shoots 130 accubond @ a sizzling 2700+. this is my main rifle for deer and antelope. im hoping to use this rifle and load for elk and black bear in a year or two.
my question is, would the 7x57 be a better choice or are the two fairly equal in killing with 130-140 grain bullets placed in the proper area?
Well, a certain kid just proved the 7x57 is inadequate on moose. Sunday at sunset we found his moose and he was forced to shoot offhand at an alarmed moose at about 70 yards. She went 6' at the shot.
Straight down!
I think the bullet stayed in her, but it has not been found. The moose died in a lake... The choice was take the shot presented or go without for now.... And the pack was non-existant... She wheeled to face him and Riley whacked the big old girl right between the headlights.
Then the situation unfolded such that we were forced to call for help at about 11:30. CWH2 and his wife showed up ready to work and they got after all manner of unkind obstacles.
We tossed the last piece of meat in the boat at 4AM and arrived home at 5... M was at work 2 hours later...
Maybe see abuot posting some pics later, or maybe we can get them to make a regular post elsewhere. art
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
Well, a certain kid just proved the 7x57 is inadequate on moose. Sunday at sunset we found his moose and he was forced to shoot offhand at an alarmed moose at about 70 yards. She went 6' at the shot.
Straight down!
I think the bullet stayed in her, but it has not been found. The moose died in a lake... The choice was take the shot presented or go without for now.... And the pack was non-existant... She wheeled to face him and Riley whacked the big old girl right between the headlights.
Then the situation unfolded such that we were forced to call for help at about 11:30. CWH2 and his wife showed up ready to work and they got after all manner of unkind obstacles.
We tossed the last piece of meat in the boat at 4AM and arrived home at 5... M was at work 2 hours later...
Maybe see abuot posting some pics later, or maybe we can get them to make a regular post elsewhere. art
Sitka deer, Send Riley my congratulations! Gives a feller a feeling of accomplishment to stick a fork in a steak he's brought to bag.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
I've shot lots of deer with 7x57 and a caribou once. Just got my old 7mm back yesterday, a friend bought it from me until I grew out of wanting to sell it, and says I'm mature enough to have it back. Wouldn't take his $400 for it...
My mother, the late Eleanor O'Connor, shot elk, dall sheep, stone sheep, mule deer, kudu, sable and dozens of other big-game animals with the 7x57, her favorite caliber. A typical load was 52 grains of the old 4831, often with a 160gr bullet.
My mother, the late Eleanor O'Connor, shot elk, dall sheep, stone sheep, mule deer, kudu, sable and dozens of other big-game animals with the 7x57, her favorite caliber. A typical load was 52 grains of the old 4831, often with a 160gr bullet.
And you would be Bradford?
I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum.
Originally Posted by safariman
I do tend to fit in well wherever I go in person.
Originally Posted by Fireball2
The campfire is the most outside exposure I get. No TV, no newspaper.
olgeezer You got some boots to fill. My Dad used to tell me, " Don't worry son, one day you'll be as good a man as your Mother" Welcome to the campfire. Pull up a stump and chat away. Randy
Praise the Lord for full Salvation Christ Still lives upon the throne And I know the blood still cleansess Deeper than the sin has gone Lester Roloff
No words of mine can hope to convey to you the ringing joy and hope embodied in that spontaneous yell: �The Americans are coming; at last they are coming!�
A little more about my mother's 7x57. It was (still, because it is on display at the Jack O'Connor Center in Lewiston, ID) on a M98 action,22-inch barrel, stocked by Russ Leonard and wearing a 3x Leupold scope. Mother took dozens of big-game animals, including her 44 1/2-inch Dall ram, usually with one shot each.
I have two M77's - I have used various handloads, but for hunting I really like Sellier and Belliot's factory loads. About the most affordable commercial ammo on the market today, and for some reason they bargain price the 7X57.
A little more about my mother's 7x57. It was (still, because it is on display at the Jack O'Connor Center in Lewiston, ID) on a M98 action,22-inch barrel, stocked by Russ Leonard and wearing a 3x Leupold scope. Mother took dozens of big-game animals, including her 44 1/2-inch Dall ram, usually with one shot each.
Thank you for posting about your Mother. That is great information for all of us here. She had the wisdom to use both a 7x57, and a Leupold 3x scope. Many of us here appreciate, and use that same scope, and truly wish Leupold would re-introduce a new 3x scope in that same long tube configuration, only with the latest glass and coatings. My sons and I all have used 7x57's for the last 30 years, since they were in their early teens. I just checked zero on two of my 7x57's yesterday, preparing for our Deer season.
I think theres more than a little influence there for alot of us...One of our in-house writers Mule Deer, likewise is a 7x57 fan, big time, and I happen to know he REALLY likes those old straight 3x Leupolds... Like many here, reading your father's articles, amongst other things...got me into the 7x57.. And as you can guess we can have some spirited discussions and good natured ribbing here about this stuff...I am a big 7x57 proponent, while another frequent 24HRC poster, Mark Dobrenski, likes the .270.... But we are trying to bring him around..... Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
I have shot and hunted with the 7x57 for 50 years or more..I have shot deer, antelope, elk, african plainsgame and even about 3 Cape Buffalo..I witnessed an elephant kill with one with a heart shot and that big boy went about 75 or so yards and expired.
All my 7x57s over the last number of years have been Brno M-21 or Mod 22s (Manlicher version) and a few G33-40 Mausers I built..I learned a lot from the Brnos, they have a 30-06 length box, and a real long throat, and in effect are 7x57s IMP. I can get 2913 FPS or a bit better depending on the gun with a 160 gr. Nosler and they will beat the 7 mag with factory ammo in the mag. I only use H414 and go considerably over book max with those long throated guns...All my G33-40 were set up the same way..
I believe the 7x57 with proper handloading is the lightest recoiling rifle that I would hunt any animal on this planet with, it is not be ideal for the big bad stuff, but it WILL get the job done, if you do your part. That long as a pencil 175 gr. RN bullet will penetrate with the best of calibers and more than most.
I have a pre-warning Ruger No. 1A in 7x57. It has been engraved and has some really pretty wood. My favorite deer load is: Federal Brass, Federal 210M Primer, 43gr IMR 4064, 140gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. I'm not sure what kind of velocity I'm getting, but it groups well.
Mr. O'Connor, reading your fathers writings in the school library every chance I got was probably responsible for two things. My lower than expected grades and the .270 I've used for over 35 years now. Wish I could find all those articles again. The old 7x57 is surely a classic, but I've got all this time in learning the ways of the .270. Think I'll just stay the course.
I have shot and hunted with the 7x57 for 50 years or more..I have shot deer, antelope, elk, african plainsgame and even about 3 Cape Buffalo..I witnessed an elephant kill with one with a heart shot and that big boy went about 75 or so yards and expired.
All my 7x57s over the last number of years have been Brno M-21 or Mod 22s (Manlicher version) and a few G33-40 Mausers I built..I learned a lot from the Brnos, they have a 30-06 length box, and a real long throat, and in effect are 7x57s IMP. I can get 2913 FPS or a bit better depending on the gun with a 160 gr. Nosler and they will beat the 7 mag with factory ammo in the mag. I only use H414 and go considerably over book max with those long throated guns...All my G33-40 were set up the same way..
I believe the 7x57 with proper handloading is the lightest recoiling rifle that I would hunt any animal on this planet with, it is not be ideal for the big bad stuff, but it WILL get the job done, if you do your part. That long as a pencil 175 gr. RN bullet will penetrate with the best of calibers and more than most.
i have a ruger #1A in 7x57 that loves 45.5gr of IMR4350 under a 160gr TSX. will lay two quick shots sub moa at 200yds. unfortunately because of the thin barrel the third shot may end up just about anywhere.
great gun, great round with a lot of history to back it up
_______________________ Proud deep sea diver for over 25 years, fairly paid and never once needed a union to do it for me. "if you can't do it-you can't stay"
Thank you Mr. O'Connor for shedding some personal insight. I too, became a fan of the 7x57 after reading your Dad's books and articals and it was the caliber I selected, even before the .30'06. I've never had a .270 because I never had the opportunity for long range hunting and the 7x57 fills my needs just about perfectly.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
I have only comissioned 2 custom rifle to be built for my own use as i usually built my own. The first of the 2 was a 7x57 that was built by my friend and classmate Clayton Nelson. I picked the 7x57 because in over 55years of building rifles I had never owned a 7x57. After completion I took it to Africa as my plains game rifle. It was built to use 175 Gr Noslers Partitions and that is what it shoots best. 3 shot groups average well under 1" but due to rather light barrel start to climb as the barrel heats up. The rifle weighs 7 lbs even and is a pleasure to both carry and shoot. I took several Kudu and Impala on that safari with ease and would consider it to be adequate for any plains game in Africa as well as some dangerous game. With it and my 416 Rigby I feel perfectly armed to take anything offered. The 7x57 has easily become one of if not my most favored rifle.
Just now, while catching up on this thread, a big 8 pt. buck ran through my back yard! This is suburban Milwaukee Wisoconsin, not out in the country or a heavily wooded area. I will take this as a good omen.
It must be time to get the Husqvarna 7x57 out of the safe and get it ready for the season.
I have hunted for the last 2 years with a CZ 550 FS in 7x57 and before that with a (commercial)Santa Barbara Mauser in 7x57. The CZ strongly favors 48 gr. of IMR 4350 behind a Hornady 139. It's devastating on deer and will consistently shoot sub MOA 3 shot groups at 100 yds.
For me, the 7x57 round is a case of, "I wish I knew then what I know now." Thirty years ago I would have bought one for myself. As it is I have bought 2 Rugers; a model 77 for my younger daughter, and a #1 RSI for my younger son. They are both great rifles and fun to shoot.
Both rifles seem to like what we have fed them so far: Hornady 154 gr Interbond, 160 gr Nosler Partitions, 140 gr Barnes TSX, and 120 gr Nosler Ballistic tips.
The model 77 is very accurate with Hornady 156 grain Interbond bullets. I don't recall the powder I used for the load.
The #1 also shoots well, although when the barrel gets hot, the shots begin to creep to the right. We have also found the the #1 will take heavy loads with no signs of over pressure.
One other side note: I read years ago in a Field & Stream magazine a side bar article on custom made rifles and the most popular calibers people ask for. The 1st choice was the 7x57 Mauser. Followed in order by the .30-06, .270 Win., and the 375 H&H.
Peu�en und stolz! My insurance company? Why Holland and Holland of course!
My cousin uses a 7x57 with 160 gr. Speer Grand Slams. It is a older M70 Winchester, the push feed variety. Shoots great. No real recoil and very effective on game. He used it on a S.A. safari for everything up through kudu and gemsbok, no problems.
The 7x57 can often be a cartrige you come back to. I tried it in eh early 80's for a few years and missed it when I let it go simply because I recalled the high percentage of DRT's with deer sized game, compared to he miriad of other cartridges I was also using atthe time.
Whe the next one came along, it was a keeper.
JW
When truth is ignored, it does not change an untruth from remaining a lie.
The 7X57 is my all time favorite hunting cartridge. It's built to feed, easy on the shoulder and kills far better than it looks like it would. I own 3 for some reason, hadn't figured that part out yet. :^)
The 7x57 is one of my favorite cartridges. Period. The only other that might tie for first place with me is 6.5x55. The 7 is fun to load for, shoots sub-moa for me consistently and easily and has been a stone killer with all 1-shot kills. The farthest I've tracked a deer shot with it is 20 feet over a shoulder into a greenbrier patch. The blood trail was huge. It's easy to shoot and effective. A little more pop to it than the 6.5. I am hunting exclusively with Hornady 139's. Very adequate for my needs but I wouldn't hesitate to go to 150's or heavier bullets if I needed to for larger game.
I don't use IMR powders any more, but I use H4350 for all bullet weights in my 7x57s. You can squeeze a few more fips out of 160 and 175 grainers with something that burns a bit slower, like 4831, but 4350 does well enough for me. No complaints from all the dead animals either.
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Our God reigns. Harrumph!!! I often use quick reply. My posts are not directed toward any specific person unless I mention them by name.
My first BG Rifle was a 7x57, an Original DWM Sporting Rifle, made on a 1893 Action. I still have it in its original rust bluing and stock. A delightful rifle from my Great Grand Father still capable of 1,5" at 100 m specially with IMR or AA 4350 in spite of a rather eroded throat. It is now semi-retired. My actual and "new" 7x57 is a Mauser 98 (1935 Argentine model) in its original military stock, reformed a la Sporting Mauser or Rigby. Beautiful walnut ! And the barrel is also an unused military Chilean Steyr 1912. A true 1" rifle with full power 160 and 175 bullets at 2800 and 2650 f/s. With R 22 in Winchester cases. My favorite cartridge and rifle. Along a .375 H&H Winchester 70 Pre-64 (1954) it covers all my hunting rifle needs.
Thanks for the replies. Big Redhead, any particular reason for not using the IMR's? My CZ shoots the IMR 4350 behind a Hornady 139 very well - touching cloverleafs at 100 yds. The velocity data I've picked up over the last several years is all over the place for a given weight powder charge, like 100 to almost 200 f/s deviations with the 4350. I don't have a chrony so can't clock my own load. 48gr. seems to be a fairly stout load but no pressure signs. (My CZ 6.5 shooting 140's at a certain 2700+ are not as hefty a load.) It is a lightly compressed load. Going to 49 I'm spilling powder out of the case and it would be a more seriously compressed load. I've tried 3 types of brass looking for any noticeable difference in capacity. Can't figure out how some guys are stuffing in the loads they're writing about w/ IMR 4350. Also not sure that much compression is a good thing. I'm looking for some viable options to the IMR 4350 that seem to be consistently good with 140's and 154's and perhaps more predictable with a given charge weight and bullet. rooster
I will add one for those that are interested..The most overlooked bullet in the 7x57 for deer is the 130 gr. Speer, either the flat base or the boattail..It is the best deer bullet that I have used in the 7x57, it leaves a 50 cent size exit hole in everyone of them....I have used most of the bullets out there in the 7x57 I like the 130 speer for deer size game and the 160 gr. premium bullet for elk size game..I like the 175 gr. Nosler for the tough stuff or for shooting in thick stuff..
Ray - I may well look at the Speers. I bought a good sized bunch of Speer bullets - I want to say Grand Slam but that may be wrong - several years back for my '06's. They did not like to shoot those bullets. Just went to Hornady and Sierra and had very good results. Got lazy and haven't explored much farther than that.
Grew up shooting lots of Speers... Little thing called a Juenke explained why so many rifles shot so poorly for so many years. It has been surprising how few Noslers and especially Speers performed well on the comparator...
Riley just spun a box of Nosler BTs and two out of a box were worth shooting. A box of 250... art
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
Sitka - I was thinking about my experience with Nosler BT's when I wrote about the Speers. Tried them for two different calibers with mediocre results. And I've seen the BT's my friends use (mostly .30 caliber) cause a lot of meat loss/damage with what would appear to be some predictability. Again went back to Hornady and Sierra, etc., etc., in 7mm, 6.5, .30 and .257.
One other thought....is anyone using IMR 4350 for their 7x57? Recipes?
Not yet. I've been using W-760 which has worked well but I can't seem to find any 4350, either IMR or H around here. Last time I went to a gun shop and asked, the guy just laughed hysterically. I quit useing extruded powders a long time ago as they were a total PITA in my powder measure. Now that I have an RCBS Chargemaster 1500, I'm slowing going back to the 4350s and 4831s and their ilk when I can find some. Paul B.
Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them. MOLON LABE
OldRooster, I have a M.98 sporter with a military barrel that shoots really well with just about anything. Last elk I killed was with 49 grains IMR-4350/150 NP in Norma cases sparked with WLR primers. This load produces slightly over 2700 fps and I can subsitute 154 Hornady for groups of 1 MOA and no pressure problems.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
Joe and Paul- Thanks for your posts. I've been thinking of picking up a can of W760 (H414)to try with the 7x57. A lot of guys have had good luck with it. (Besides, my '06 loves it.) How compressed is the 49 grain IMR 4350 load? You guys are giving me some good load data and I will enjoy working up new recipes. Rooster
Rooster Vern Juenke makes a machine that spins bullets and measures the bullets inductivity along the circumferance as it rolls. The idea is to measure the concentricity of the core. an uneven core generally relates to a bullet that does not spin true in flight.
Seperating bullets this way has proven the worth of the Juenke repeatedly. Monometals are not testable, obviously.
In general: Older Speer bullets have been better than newer. Old style screw machine Noslers are extremely consistent. New ones, not so much... nor even close. Sierras do not test as well as I had thought they would... but not bad. Sierra Pro-Hunters in .308 and .284 have been really good. Hornady has been good in general...
Different boxes may be radically different from one another... art
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
Art - Thank you. Darn, there's probably a small book there to be written. As re: the Noslers, are any of their current bullets being mfgd. on the older type machinery, like the partitions? Dave
OldRooster, the 49 grain/IMR-4350 load just comes to the beginning of the neck, so there is no compression as I can hear the powder when shaken. Keep in mind that my load is for a military barrel and action with lots of freebore and spacious magazine so I have lots of room to play but, my model handles the same load with shorter OAL fine. Another load I use is 51 grains of MR-3100/139 Hornady SP. Powder is halfway in neck and is compressed but, accuracy is about 1 MOA and velocity runs 2526 fps. Plenty good for the deer I shoot at 100 yards or less.
Last edited by Joe; 10/19/09.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
Rooster No, the Partitions are no longer made on the screw machines... That may explain why folks are willing to pay a lot more for them than say big TSX bullets... art
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
Joe - do you know what kind of velocities you are getting with the 49 gr. load? Right now I'm shooting a 48 gr. load behind a Hornday 139. It's been lethal on deer and seems a snappier load than the 140 gr. 2700+ fps I'm shooting in my 6.5. I'm using a CZ 550 mannlicher in 7x57. The 48 gr. load will shoot cloverleafs at 100 yds. I don't have a chrony (I have got to quite buying guns and get one of those things.) Dave
Big Redhead, any particular reason for not using the IMR's?
Because I have bought into the Hodgdon "Extreme" hype lock, stock, and barrel. It just sounds so danged appealing that it almost doesn't matter if it's true. That they even understand the concept is good enough for me. I killed a lot of deer with IMR and Winchester powders long before Hodgdon ever printed the word "Extreme" on a powder can. But with a claim like that, why would anyone shoot anything else, especially here in Michigan where it gets cold during hunting season. They got my business, that's for sure.
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Our God reigns. Harrumph!!! I often use quick reply. My posts are not directed toward any specific person unless I mention them by name.
Joe - do you know what kind of velocities you are getting with the 49 gr. load? Right now I'm shooting a 48 gr. load behind a Hornday 139. It's been lethal on deer and seems a snappier load than the 140 gr. 2700+ fps I'm shooting in my 6.5. I'm using a CZ 550 mannlicher in 7x57. The 48 gr. load will shoot cloverleafs at 100 yds. I don't have a chrony (I have got to quite buying guns and get one of those things.) Dave
The 150 NP clocked 2717 fps and the 154 Hornady 2712. I would estimate your load is 2650 give or take 25. Hornady says 2700 fps so we're close. I see no reason to either worry or wonder as your load seems to be doing quite fine.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
Picked up this one on the 'fire' a while ago (sans glass). Taking it to Africa for PG late summer.
Thinking about a 1.75-5 or straight 3x.
Bought some Norma Oryx boolit tips (as they like to say in California) 156 gr. to load.
Anyone have experience with these? Norma's website has data for their 204 powder of which I have none...but think H414/H4350/IMR4350 are suitable equivalents.
They also list MRP...seem to recall the RL22 would suffice. Time to renew my sub. to loaddata.com
Picked up this one on the 'fire' a while ago (sans glass). Taking it to Africa for PG late summer.
Thinking about a 1.75-5 or straight 3x.
Bought some Norma Oryx boolit tips (as they like to say in California) 156 gr. to load.
Anyone have experience with these? Norma's website has data for their 204 powder of which I have none...but think H414/H4350/IMR4350 are suitable equivalents.
They also list MRP...seem to recall the RL22 would suffice. Time to renew my sub. to loaddata.com
Gorgeous rifle.
If nothing else, you could always peruse data.hodgdon.com and compare notes (if you will) between their 150 and 160 loads; find a starting point that's between the two and play with figures a bit.
My wife's going to be using a 7x57 in Africa in 5 years....although she doesn't exactly know it yet.
My first BG rifle (1985) was a 7 X 57 that I bought from a friend for $250, including a huge 4 X 12 Redfield scope, the same price he'd paid at a West Palm Beach pawn shop. I didn't know anything about it. I was planning to give deer hunting a try, and $250 was as cheap an outfit as I could get. What I really wanted was a Ruger M77 in .270, which I later purchased and used for years. One day I noticed the 7 X 57 sitting in the corner. By this time the internet had come along, so just for the heck of it I typed in the name stamped on the barrel: "W. H. Sukalle", and got the shock of the year to learn that for $250 I had purchased a custom rifle built on a 1949 FN action. I immediately re-scoped the rifle with a Leupold VX II, and now use it as my main rifle. I killed my biggest-ever whitetail with it a couple of years ago and absolutely love it. I may re-stock it with a McMillan, but it shoots great as is. Lightweight, low recoil, and plenty of power. I don't handload, but a good friend does. I run 140 grain Nosler Ballistic tips at 2,900 FPS. Sorry I don't know the rest of the details, but the gun is absolute poison on Georgia whitetails. Nobody around here has ever heard of the caliber, so I just say I'm using a 7MM and leave it at that. It gets old trying to explain what a 7 X 57 is, so I don't try anymore.
i have hunted with the 7x57 all my life have a custom goens rifle that i shoot i think for elk i would use a 50 grains of imr 4350 behind a 140 grain nosler partition its worked good for me on everything up to elk if you hit then right have shot sone x bullets but the rifle dot like them as well as the nosler it not the barns it just the rifle the 160 works real well in my 280 remington that darwin hensley built it wont shoot 140 as good as it should but play around with the 4350 and 160 and 140 45 to 50 grains and you will find something that will shoot if not trade rifles
I still haven't had any luck finding a jug of IMR-4350. I did however find an 8 pounder of H-4350. I know they're a bit diferent so has anybody used it and have loads to share. I'm not sure I want to use IMR data as they appearto be diferent in burning rate. Paul B.
Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them. MOLON LABE
I still haven't had any luck finding a jug of IMR-4350. I did however find an 8 pounder of H-4350. I know they're a bit diferent so has anybody used it and have loads to share. I'm not sure I want to use IMR data as they appearto be diferent in burning rate. Paul B.
A few years ago, I found the IMR 4350 was a bit hotter than the Hogdon, IMR loads in my Ruger, gave faster than Hogden, not any where top of spectrum loads so no pressure signs on either load. rANDY
Praise the Lord for full Salvation Christ Still lives upon the throne And I know the blood still cleansess Deeper than the sin has gone Lester Roloff
The latest versions of IMR4350 and H4350 are very close in burn rate. This is probably because Hodgdon owns both lines now, and doesn't want people getting into trouble with data that varies between the two 4350's. In my own rifles they act very similarly, with the same powder charge resulting in similar velocity and accuracy.
The 156 Oryx is probably my favorite 7x57 bullet in the 160-grain range. It is VERY accurate in my rifle, and while it penetrates pretty deeply, it tends to kill quicker than either the 160 Nosler Partition or 160 TSX, probably because it opens up wider than either of those.
In general, though, I have come to the conclusion that for deer-sized game, bullets in the 140-grain range kill more quickly than heavier bullets, due to the extra velocity. Favorites are are 140 Partition and Ballistic Tip, and the 139 Hornady, either flat-base or boattail.
I had a Juenke machine for a while and finally gave it up, because I was spending too much time spinning bulelts for relatively little gain. There's some correlation between the Juenke machine and accuracy, but evenually I decided not enough to worry over in hunting bullets. If I want extreme accuracy for longer-range shooting I just use Sierras, Ballistic Tips or Bergers.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Though not yet hunted I did bring two back last year after finishing my time living in Canada, a BRNO and a Walther (the left one, the right one is an 8x57). Been looking for the "right" one for years. Maybe one gets out this year.
I still haven't had any luck finding a jug of IMR-4350. I did however find an 8 pounder of H-4350. I know they're a bit diferent so has anybody used it and have loads to share. I'm not sure I want to use IMR data as they appearto be diferent in burning rate. Paul B.
A few years ago, I found the IMR 4350 was a bit hotter than the Hogdon, IMR loads in my Ruger, gave faster than Hogden, not any where top of spectrum loads so no pressure signs on either load. rANDY
When AR 2209 (H 4350) was released it was a little faster than IMR 4350. After Hodgdon started using it as a replacement, it was tweaked a little slower than IMR 4350. No need to advertise this sort of ajustment as it won't cause handloading issues (because the pressure is lowered) and the serious reloaders always test new batches of powder and alter the loads to suit.
JW
When truth is ignored, it does not change an untruth from remaining a lie.
The latest versions of IMR4350 and H4350 are very close in burn rate. This is probably because Hodgdon owns both lines now, and doesn't want people getting into trouble with data that varies between the two 4350's. In my own rifles they act very similarly, with the same powder charge resulting in similar velocity and accuracy.
The 156 Oryx is probably my favorite 7x57 bullet in the 160-grain range. It is VERY accurate in my rifle, and while it penetrates pretty deeply, it tends to kill quicker than either the 160 Nosler Partition or 160 TSX, probably because it opens up wider than either of those.
In general, though, I have come to the conclusion that for deer-sized game, bullets in the 140-grain range kill more quickly than heavier bullets, due to the extra velocity. Favorites are are 140 Partition and Ballistic Tip, and the 139 Hornady, either flat-base or boattail.
I had a Juenke machine for a while and finally gave it up, because I was spending too much time spinning bulelts for relatively little gain. There's some correlation between the Juenke machine and accuracy, but evenually I decided not enough to worry over in hunting bullets. If I want extreme accuracy for longer-range shooting I just use Sierras, Ballistic Tips or Bergers.
Thanks again John for the reply here (and over in the reloading forum). The 156 gr Oryx has been of interest for a while--although I'm sure the 160 partitions would've sufficed for my intentions. I guess that's part of the adventure...learning about and field testing a 'new' (to me) hunting caliber.
If it was just for deer-sized game I probably would've stuck with the faster 140 grain bullets but I'm going to RSA and will have opportunity for some larger antelope and wildebeest.
Friend also had a Juenkie--but became a bullet 'junkie', spending a LOT of time fussing with spinning bullets. After a while we agreed that hunting accuracy can be realized with a methodical load and test regimen and factory premium bullets are 'good enough'.
Thanks again for the insight. Great to learn from the experienced 'campers'.
The 7x57 is my current "go-to" rifle. Mine is a Winchester Featherweight. The load I use most often is a 140 grain Nosler Partition over 49 grains of Reloder 19 in a Remington case with a CCI 200 primer.
Same rifle used...
I load a 140 ballistic tip instead, and with a load of 44 grains of 4064 or IMR 4895... MV is 2800 on the nose..
If I need a heavier bullet, I go with the 175 grain RN Hornady, with a 40 grain charge of 3031 ( out of an older Hodgdon manual) with an MV of 2650 fps...
the same charge of 3031 with a 154 grain Hornady RN also is a favorite load...MV at 2700 fps..
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
I have two 7x57's- one Ruger 77 and a Ruger #1. Though I have several rifles in many other calibers, I have always come back to the 7x57. It's my favorite for all the same reasons mentioned by others. Plus, I hate showing up to deer camp with something that everyone else is carrying!I belive I could hunt the rest of my days with this round and not find myself wanting anything else. I have used the 139 SP by Hornady with great success, as well as the 154 RN by Hornady.
The 7x57 was the second rifle that I built for myself,the first was a 35whelen,both on 98 mauser actions. I had used a rem700 in 270 for a while till I built it,the 7x57 now goes in the case for all hunts.
I will be this for this years WI gun hunt. I assembled this rifle over this past summer. VZ24 receiver, A&B 21" bbl., Timney. Doing the swing safety was more work than the typical wing safety, I like it. Don't have a clue who makes the stock. I was gifted a bunch of Mauser parts, reamers, barrels (all A&B) triggers, stocks, g,ng gauges, hinged trigger guards, etc. First frankenrifle was a '96 swede 6.5x55, nice walnut wood finished w/ spar varnish for my son. Chose doing a 7x57 frankenrifle for me. Parkerized all the metal, epoxy bed steel to wood. Shoots aok, 140 Hornady interlock @ 2650fps using imr4064. Bunch of nice rifles in this thread, thought I'd brag up my frankenrifle
It's hard to beat the Hornady 175gr Interlock for on-game performance. They simply hammer deer leaving a gaping exit. I use those in my old Ruger M77R tang. My other two 7x57s, Flaig's FN Mauser and Ruger M77R MkII, get the Hornady 154gr Interlock.
I almost hate to post load info. The old Ruger handles about 10% more powder than the other two rifles. The chamber is larger and the throat is longer. Not sure about the groove diameter but the difference between these rifles is drastic. For instance, the old Ruger likes 45gr H4350 with the 175gr slug, but the other two only want 41gr before troubles appear.
IIRC, I load the 154gr slug with 44gr of H4350 in the tighter rifles. I shot a deer with the Mauser last year from 300 yards with a stiff crosswind. I gave it 5 inches Kentuky windage and held at the top of the back. The bullet destroyed both shoulder bones and exited. Somehow the deer dragged itself about 20 yards before quitting for good.
I used to hunt regularly with many different 30-06s that have passed through my hands, and still do on occasion, but the 7x57s are easier on my diseased shoulders and kill just as well. The '06 shoots flatter with handloads in modern rifles, but the 7x57 shoots plenty flat enough.
Our God reigns. Harrumph!!! I often use quick reply. My posts are not directed toward any specific person unless I mention them by name.
I was intrigued with the Spanish American War history of the 7x57. It was so effective in the hands of the Spanish marksmen against Roosevelt's troops.
Here are a few pics of my finest 7x57 in a K98.
"All that the South has ever desired was that the Union, as established by our forefathers, should be preserved, and that the government, as originally organized, should be administered in purity and truth." – Robert E. Lee
Had a 700 Mtn. rifle in 7x57 and sold it to Mule Deer...STILL having sellers remorse over that one...what a shooter!![[Linked Image]](http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss45/thmsbrownlee/044_44.jpg)
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