Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why No Love For The 7 Mauser?

There is a lot of love for the 7-08, but little for the 7x57, why? I realy like the 7 Mauser as it is a very pleasurable round to shoot as well as very effective.

The grand old 7x57 is greatly appreciated at my house. It is my favorite whitetail cartridge.

My guess is based on some experience with the round, having owned over a dozen 7x57's during the past four decades, and hunted with it in Africa and all over North America from Old Mexico to Canada. (As a matter of fact my custom Serengeti Walkabout has been my second-most used big game rifle since I got it in 2005, but have owned two other custom rifles in 7x57, and a bunch of factory sporters.)

First there's the factory ammo problem. No cartridge becomes very popular without abundant and effective factory loads, and in the U.S. this just doesn't apply to the 7x57. The loads available aren't as bad as many people think, but for the same purposes the .308 Winchester covers the ground even better, due to factory loads for every purpose.

Second, throat length varies enormously, which is part of the cause of the factory load problem, and also causes problems in handloading data. It's impossible for any component company to put together data that really takes advantage of the cartridge's capabilities.

Third, it won't fit in a short action, which many rifle loonies feel is highly desirable in a "moderate" big game round these days. As a result, many shooters who might buy a 7x57 instead go for a .308 or 7mm-08.

Fourth, because of the first three problems, not many American factory rifles are available.

I have a feeling it's because people can find really good brass for the 308 to make 7-08 so easily if they can't get 708 headstamped brass to begin with.

Combine that with not a lot of choices in factory 7mm Mauser rifles and there's a natural advantage to the 7-8 today.

I kind of see them as a horse a piece and would think a Kimber Select in 7mm Mauser to go with their 257 Roberts would be kind of natural but don't know about mag lengths...

The 7x57 won't work in the 2.8" magazine of the Kimber, because its bullets are seated out much further. About the shortest magazine length practical for the 7x57 is 3", and even then most factory ammo won't fit.

You've pretty much answered your own question:
1. Because there is a lot of love for the 7-08, a cartridge virtually identical to the 7x57 in ballistic terms.
2. Because it is a pleasurable round to shoot and it is very effective.

If you want more, maybe these are some additional reasons:
3. Americans historically haven't taken to European rounds, for whatever reason.
4. The 7-08, though it is named in millimeters, has the suffix -08, tying it to an American round, which helped it overcome the millimeter naming problem other cartridges have been saddled with.
5. The 7-08 has received more accolades in the last decade or two than the 7x57.
6. The American consumer likes new things.
7. American gunmakers have chambered the 7-08 in more models than they have the 7x57.
8. Occasionally you hear warnings about older 7x57 rifles shooting modern, higher pressure ammo.
9. The 7-08 has a popular lineage, standing right between the .243 and the .308.
10. In that lineage, the 7-08 benefits from the military association of the .308.

These may or may not be adequate reasons, but anyone would be hard pressed to come up with 10 reasons why the 7x57 should be more popular than the 7-08.

Many of these reasons have to do with marketing. Considering reason #9, if the .260 Remington had come along before the 7-08, it would be enjoying the popularity the 7-08 has. And we'd be asking the question why the 7-08 isn't getting much love. So, timing also factors into these things.

Steve.

Was just looking at Dad's old guns and there's an FN-49 we used to fart around with. Brass was issue so Dad got the green boxes that converted '06 to 7x57.

IIRC the extractor kind of mangled the rims on the specially overhauled cases, so when something in the mag mechanism went south Dad never bothered fixing it.

Anybody know an FN military rifle expert?

On the cartridge itself: always wanted a No. 1 RSI in this cal. Ain't got around to it. It could easily cover my whitetail chores in these parts.

ETA: got a ton of components still and may look around for an RSI!

Are you serious? Loads of people like it. Commercially, it's hampered by the bazillions of old rifles that aren't safe with high pressure loads, which makes it a handloading proposition to get good performance. Joe Deerhunter wants to buy a rifle and ammo and go hunting, so he gets a 7-08. Rifle loonys wanting a little more steam will build a .280 AI, or if they're real gone, a .284. 7X57 lovers are usually folks with nice old Mauser sporters or maybe Ruger 1As that they can load to outrun the 7-08 a bit. Occasionally, someone will have a new sporter built throated for the lighter bullets in favor now.

Certainly there is plenty of love for the 7x57, not "No Love" as the Subject line of this thread suggests. It's simply not as popular as the 7-08, and for some reasons outlined in this thread.

Steve.

Where is Ingwe when we need him?

I doesn't do anything a 7mm08 doesn't do, except fit in an intermediate length action, which there ain't many of them around.

My thoughts exactly.

And RevMike.

The OP went to far when he framed the question with "No Love", but backed it down with "little for the 7x57". Interesting...which is it?

I have never found the need to defend the 7x57 as I let the results of it's use do the talking.

One thing it does do better than the 7-08 is feed better due to the tapered case, at least in my HVA ('06 length)and 93 (course Peter designed it for the 7x57). Shot my WT last weekend with my HVA 98 7X using a Speer 145 gr GS, 50 gr RL-19 and WW/WLR. Bullet expanded to .520 average and penetrated approx 22" (facing me and found in the flank past the ribs and entering in the throat).-Muddy

None of the 57 mm length cartridges fit actions just right.

While some dote on the 7-57 because somebody shot elephants with one or it has two number (7's) I put the one I got aside.

It's in a Brno 21H that I wanted for the rifle, not the cartridge.

It shoots alright but it's really only a woods walking rifle and I much prefer my 358's for that.

Which goes back to the original question: These days relatively few people care that the 7x57 feeds better than the 7-08 in a Mauser action, because relatively few people use Mauser actions. Instead they buy factory rifles in stores where the line-up doesn't include a new 98 rifle of any kind.

I have a light weight small ring Mauser and shoot mostly factory 175 grain round nose soft points. I like the mild report and the original velocity of these 7 Mauser. The rifle has a ghost ring rear sight and is plenty good for hunting IMHO.

John, You're are right, but they aren't "Loony's"-Judd

Folks have done a fine job of answering the question......but there is one more thing.....If I wanted to trade one in.....it's value will likely be considerably less than a more popular round such as the 7-08.

The same arguments apply to other fine European rounds such as the 6.5 x 55, the 8 x 57 and the 6.5 x 57. Great rounds just don't fit short actions and if you want to offload it, you'll take quite a beating.

I do own a M-98 in 6.5 x 55 and it's a splendid shooter.....as would be a 7 x 57, but the .260 Remington wasn't available when I made my 6.5 x 55. There is (in most folks budgets) a serious limit on the number of rifles we keep in the gun safe chambered in .264.....and .284 as well....