Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 7x57 and elk

John, now where did you learn that? That is about the simplest, slickest little trick I ever heard. I'm gonna use that one. Thanks a lot!

I bet he learned it by.......shooting!

I stopped by my dealer on the way home today and they have a box of these in stock. Didn't have any money but I may need to go back...

Big Redhead,

Bob is right--I learned it by shooting.

I started using the bottom post of a plex-type reticle as a long-range aiming point sometime in the 1980's, when shooting ground squirrels with a .22 rimfire. I found out an accurate .22 Long Rifle round could kill squirrels a LOT further away than the typical 75-yard advice found in most books and magazines back then.

Pretty soon I started doing the same thing with centerfires, and have kept at it over the years, despite all sorts of wonderful new ballistic reticles (which I prefer for rimfires now!) and turret twisting (which I prefer for really long-range shooting, whether of targets or varmints).

It's basically the same thing Zeiss started providing a few years ago with their on-line program for matching the Z-Plex reticles with the trajectory of various bullets, and can be done with any second focal-plane variable scope with a little figuring and range-work.

So would a 7X57 bull be considered non-typical?

Have not read most of the posts on this thread but am certain there must be some good ones. With the 7X57, the replies to your very good question are fairly predictable. Here's mine.

Started shooting and hunting in 1962 in AZ and my only rifle was a 7X57 Mauser. The Win factory loads for 7X57 at that time were 175 grain round nose, and not loaded very hot. With those, the first three elk fell about right where hit - one shot. In 1965, learned to handload so went to a lighter better BC bullet - it was Sierra, maybe 140 grain - not much of a variety of bullets in those days. Same results on elk with that bullet. Then, fancier bullets of more weight/construction variety started to arrive, tried most of them - they all work just fine.

Elk are just big deer. Bullet placement is about 95% of the deal. If you can shoot it well and hit the vital zone, your 7X57 will do the job every time - with just about any decent bullet.

Enjoy it !!

CCCC, Those Winchester 17 gr. gr. RN's may not have been all that hot but they were a lot hotter than Federal's 175 gr. load. I only have two boxes of those Winchester loads left and I'm kind of sitting on them as AFAIK "Big W" doesn't load them any more. Whenever I find a box at a gun show, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll buy it. I did chronograph some and got a solid 2400 FPS from them but when I ran the Federals over the chronograph, the average was 2010 FPS. I think that was the eason I lost a deer back in the mid 70's that I shot with one of those Federal loads. I have a couple of boxes of those as well. I think that bullet just penciled on though the deer and allowed it to run a lot farther than most lung shot deer travel. That animal was shot about 8 in the morning and the wife and I looked for it until it was too dark to see anymore. I went out the next day and found what the coyotes and birds left by the few birds that were still around. I was living in a small Nevada rural town at the time and only two hardware stores sold ammo and only one had any 7x57 ammo, the 175 gr. Federals. They had two boxes one used to sight in and hunt with as it turned out. When I chronographed the Federal ammo a few years ago, I used the left over box plus a new fresh box of that load. Both loads shot the same.
I've been tempted a time or two to either pull the bullets and use a proper powder charge or just shoot them off in practice.
They are accurate though.
I do wish Winchester would bring back that 175 gr. load. It worked.
Paul B.

I have been working with my son's M70 FWT 7x57 and having very good luck with RL19 and 160 PT's. Getting a little over 2700 with them and pressures seem very easy. Need to get the trigger tuned up a touch and you gotta shoot this rifle very slow, but for a hunting rifle, I can't see it being any kinda drawback. It will shoot under an 1" at a 100 and once I am home, I will stretch it out a little. It is going to be my Son's elk rifle for a long time, or at least till he buys his own!

It has a nice 3x9 Minox on it, so I think it should make one nice packing rifle. Still gotta finalize the load, but I think it'll be in the mid 2700's before I am done. Really enjoy this little rifle. Want one of my own now!

JB,

Good post re: use of reticle/POI. Simpler yet if one runs a 6x standard duplex - as you know.

You guys are talking about this as if you can actually kill an elk with a 7x57....


Who knew?.....



The things you are able to learn on the 'fire.....

I think the man who made the 270 famous - his wife

Says the closet 270 W. shooter!

I have been following these comments with interest. I intend to Moose hunt in Newfoundland in 2013. The outfitters want .270 or better, almost all prefer .300 winmag., 06, .338 WM even better.
I have a 7x57 R that I prefer to use and have an .06 as well. I have several boxes of Norma Oryx 156 gr to try on whitetail this fall.
What is the opinion on this bullet or better off with the 173gr Speer GS?
I don't reload but may start!

That Norma Oryx 156 gr Load, will be fine for those Newfoundland Moose. Anybody says different is smoking something. I use to go to Newfoundland every year from 1968 to 1975. When with my Uncle, he shot a 308 Winchester and what ever factory 180 bullet that was on sale. The 7 x 57 R Norma load that you are shooting is way better than the junk my uncle use to shoot, he was a penny wise and a dollar foolish sort. but he killed every moose he had a tag for and his buddies and mine on occasion as well. Moose are not bullet proof, just big. You put that bullet into a bulls heart or lungs or the neck and you are going to need a very sharp knife. And some waders too, seems like all my moose gave up the ghost in knee deep water for some odd reason.

The most experienced moose hunter I knew used a .303 british for most of his hunting, but now uses a 7mm-08 exclusively with 140gr corelockt ammo.

The 7mm Mauser loaded with 162 gr hornady sp was what my dad used for many successful moose hunts here in northern Ontario. He also hunted with the 140 hornady in his 6.5x55 for moose and didn't have any problems putting meat in the freezer. The 160 partitions are the way to go. Those calibers are so cool.

The bullet I'd choose for use in my Ruger #1 International in 7x57mm would either be the 150 grain or the 160 grain Nosler Partition Bullet in front of a maximum charge of H4350 for elk.

Both bullets will give excellent penetration and the decision you have to make is choosing the bullet that gives you a high enough muzzle velocity that you have a reasonable point-blank range of at least 200 yards.

Of course, hopefully... you will be able to get closer than that before taking your shot, but 200 yards is not beyond the ability of the 7x57 to deliver the "goods" if the bullet is well-placed in the elk's "kill zone".

Regardless of what you choose, good luck on your elk hunt and may you find a big 7x7 bull within range.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

My initial results with some old Nosler 162 gr. Solid Base bullets are that I have been able to reach right at 2600 fps with 47 grs. of IMR4350 with no signs of pressure. I will continue to work up a bit and see what happens.

I can get a good deal on some Combined Technology 160 gr. Partitions here locally and may try some of them. Are they essentially a Nosler Partition or is there something different about them?

I've had good results with H4831 SC and 160/175 gr Partitions in my Ruger #1.

"I can get a good deal on some Combined Technology 160 gr. Partitions here locally and may try some of them. Are they essentially a Nosler Partition or is there something different about them?"

IIRC, they have the partition a little farther to the front and have some kind of black coating. I believe it's to allow a bit more weight retention for deeper penetration.
Paul b.