Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What's Your Choice

Been reading on the boards about the 7X57 and 6.5X55 along with the 8MM Mauser. If you had your choise which would you pick to build a rifle around? Which would be the best all around caliber? Which has the best cheapest available ammo? The surplus Turk 8MM, mild corrosive, in a sealed tin is $89 for 1400 rounds. Have you seen any surplus for the others?
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<br>Back in the 50s I bought a Carl Gustaff? custom surplus rifle in 6,5X55, all we could get for ammo was surplus military, long bullet silver in color with a lead round tip. Loved that pretty little rifle till I shot a deer with it, about 30 yards, then had to make it look like a shower head before I got it on the ground. Traded it off pronto. I am sure it was the ammo and there have been many advances since that time.
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<br>What's your pick??

I would go with the 6.5X55 it will do most anything you need.

I like the 7x57. It has a great history as a hunting rifle. A gentleman, I believe his name was Karamojo Bell, killed about everything that walked with one.

Out of the 3, I take the 7mm. It has more bullets available than the 8mm and 6.5, and will do just about anything a person would expect of a general purpose gun.

Need,
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<br>I have rifles in both 7x57 and 8x57 calibers. I tend to prefer the 7x57 myself, simply because it has less recoil, and the long thin bullet gives ample penetration into just about anything.
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<br>Back in the Dark Ages, I once nailed an eland bull (almost head-on) with a 7x57, much to the consternation of my guide (who had been making snide comments about the 7 ever since I'd arrived). He needn't have worried--the bullet went through the front shoulder, caused all sorts of havoc in the vitals, broke the back hipbone and lodged inside the skin. Called a "One-step Fall- over", where I come from.
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<br>I've never shot anything with the 8x57, but it's an okay round.
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<br>The 6.5x55 is next on my mil-surp list.
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I would choos ethe 7mm. Probably the most effecient round there is and it will pretty much do anything you need to do in the lower. That being saud, I don't have one. I ahve a 6.5 like the one NO bought. Sportorized with a Richards Stock and a Timney trigger, 6x Leupold, but with original barrel. I shoot a 140 gr bullet at about 2650 fps.Mostly this is my antelope gun. Not to speedy, but it had taken a goat for every year for about the last 10, with ne shot. I would not sell it for a 7 , but if starting over would chose the 7mm . Figure the 8mm is to close to an 06 and already have one.

No checkout
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<br>www.samcoglobal.com
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<br>Mike

To answer your question, I want at least one of each!! I bought a VZ-24 8X57 and took the barrel off and have the action setting on the closet shelf waiting on the money to go to John Ricks to become a .35 Whelen(spent that money on the .338 Mtn Rifle).
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<br>Then the other day while at the same store I bought the VZ-24 at I found a 6.5X55 Carl Gustaf in too good of shape to let someone who wouldn't appreciate it to have. Zero on throat erosion and the sights are regulated, also a zero.(I'm new to all of the stamped disc stuff) It is also drilled for the target site! Needless to say he got $40 in cash and I'll take him the rest next time I'm down that way!!
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<br>I also want to get another VZ-24 to leave in original configuration after getting some other projects completed.
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<br>I think 8X57 with the new 200gr Partitions would be about ideal medicine for the lower 48 for 90% of hunters out their!!
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<br>Something about those Mauser actions that can be addicting....i need a pill!!!!!
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<br>Hey TEX....
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<br>Mike

Mike, I have a VZ-98 custom in 7MM Mag, started to take it to the show and sell it BUT the last time I shot it with 175 grain Win ammo it cut bullet holes,(clover leaf), for three rounds, hard to sell one like that. It has a medium heavy BBL and I can't carry it so guess I will just trade it one of these days. I think you will like the 35 Whelen. -- no

That sounds like a keeper!! Too bad it isn't in .27 cal
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<br>Mike

Sonnie I love them all. Will you for cripes sake forget the mil surp ammo! It isn't fit for anything but just shootemup. If you ever find anything that the Turk ammo will shoot to minute of news print please tell me what it is. Maybe those 30 inch M38's I haven't tried one.
<br>If anyone is going to shoot these old boys for serious it is a handloading deal or buy European ammo. European ammo companies don't figure that the people who use their stuff are complete idiots and so load ammo to its full potential.
<br>US ammo is particularly bad in reguard to 8m/m and 7m/m. There are still too many Gew88s hanging around for them to risk loading the 8m/m round as it should be.
<br>Same with the M93 mauser and 7m/m. I have a M02 Remington RB and I'll bet I could fire factory 7m/m rounds in it and not blow it up. I'm not going to though.
<br>Just a little while ago you could get some sweet M98 action 7m/ms coming out of Colombia and Venzeula. I have a Venze calvary carbine in 7m/m that I turned into a nice scout style rifle. These old rounds will do anything and I do mean anything that the latest whizzenboomer will do. You might just have to get a little closer. While we are on it another very good and underappreciated round is the 7.63 X 53 Argentine. The M09 is a variant of the M98 and you don't have to futz with the manclicher magazine that the M91s have. Find a cavalry carbine or better yet an engineers model and you are set.
<br>Matter of fact there is absolutely nothing wrong with the 7.7 Jap. Nobody but Norma loads it and it costs the family jewels to shoot but there is no stronger action than the Arisaka.
<br>Pound for pound I will bet you that given the size of The Empire the old 303 Brit has killed more game than any thing.
<br>Nothing wrong with any of those old rounds and I like them better that some jumped up ear blaster burning half a peck of powder and requiring platinum bullets.
<br>BCR

BCR, even those old .30-30s? I wouldn't bet against it though, the .303 having killed more.

Hey, Need one
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<br>I have 2 Swedes in 6.5x55 both 91/30's 24 in.barrels.They are one sweet rifle.Not much recoil.very accurate.Best bet is to reload for them.You can get brass from midway,there are a lot of good bullets.
<br>In swden they say half the moose are killed with them.
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<br>I have a 7x57 that is a Ruger,light barrel.outstanding rifle.
<br>7x57 has been there and done that,after about a 100 years it is still here.
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<br>Have a VZ 24 in 8 mm.Bout like a 06.But most waring countrys have used it
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<br>Have a M.N 91/30 too.
<br>They are fun to shoot,For the old ones I would go for the Swede.You can take anything in the US with it.
<br>Well a big brown bear you may want something a bet bigger.
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<br>mdiver
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Big Hunter speaking of a cartridge that never was a military round you are most probably right about the "thuty-thuty" being the champ. There are just so many rifles out there chambered for it.
<br>BCR

Bog Man, you nailed it on the head, those old cartridges are around today for one reason...they get the job done. The old 30-06 and 45-70 are fine rounds they and others like them have taken all north America can give in the way of both man and beast, the 270 the same. Magnum rounds have a place for those who use them...not me. My favorite and most accurate rifle for hunting is a Mex Mauser stocked in a semi fancy walnut stock from Fajan with a Olympic barrel in 6.5x55 triggered by Timney and topped with an old Redfield 4x.
<br>Due to the limited range allowed by the timber and brush here in western Washington state I have zeroed this fine rifle in at 100 yards. From the bench it makes very small cloverleafs out of three shots in the center of the bullseye. The 6.5 is a mule deer killing machine when I used it in Eastern Wa. I see no need for me to pack a magnum I have killed wild pigs with a 357 and a moose with a 243, shot placement is more important than bullet speed provided you know your limitations on range. Sames goes with the Loudboomineargsplittin mags.
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<br>Bullwnkl.

Winky, where you been? I thought you had done run off and the hogs had et you.
<br>Those Mex mausers are good rifles. Was yours the M1936 (small ring) or the M1954?

I bought a custom Mauser awhile back with turned down Military barrel in 8MM. I have this love, hate, thing going. Love the little rifle and have a truck load of 8MM surplus ammo but it kicks hard and not very accurate, factory loads cost as much as other calibers but not loaded hot enough. Norma ammo is hard to find and costs too much. Been thinking about a rebarrel because I like the rifle, just a knock around go anywhere do anything. Wanted to stay with a caliber with accurate surplus ammo, got 223s and 308s that leaves foriegn stuff I'm not familar with. Saw a round at the last show that was smaller than a 223 and shot in the AK, don't remember what it was but looked good, anyone know anything about it? -- no

Boggy, -- you are probably right about the surplus ammo except for the 223 and 308 stuff. Guess I need ot keep what I have and practice jump shots with the 8MM stuff I have to get used to the rifle. Don't want to start reloading again, too much time, heck this computer takes way, way, too much time!! Every time I come through the house got to check mail, then the Campfire. Living in the sticks it's better than watching the boob tube and all that junk. Heck, that Long Range thread was better than a soap box. Bet everyone enjoyed it, pro or con. -- no

Hello NEED ONE . . . it seems like when I see a custom rifle in a magazine, about half the time it is a 7x57mm. That popularity tells a story. Ammo is available, although reloading seems to be the best way to go. Then again, the 6.5x55mm SE is very well liked. I think it depends on what you want to shoot.

Sonnie,
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<br>I'm a huge 6.5X55 fan, so thats the one I'd choose. I got one for my wife, but have sort of re-claimed it, after she grabbed my .308. For some reason, I seem to have an aversion to 7mm's, don't know why, must be something repressed from my childhood ;-) I did have several turk 8X57's, and it's an alright round, but there just isn't much selection of component bullets in 8mm.
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<br>As far as the mil surp ammo goes, 6.5X55 is pricey if you can find it, 7X57 I believe is pretty much dried up, and the 8X57 is cheap and goes bang.
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<br>One plus of the swede is it can be used as a dual purpose varmint / big game round. The 85 gr bullets can be launched over 3000 fps for varmints, 120-140 gr for white tails, and 160 gr for big critters.
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<br>If you're into svelte rifles and no recoil, here's a project you might consider, getting a 7.62X39 mini mauser, and having it re-barreled to a 6.5 PPC. The expected performance is 100 gr @ 2900 fps, 120 gr @ 2700 fps, if a 243 is a deer round, then this one is too, and in a nice compact package. Down side is the custom dies, but I'm giving the project serious consideration for next year.