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

From what I have seen, there are two groups who favor the 7x57. The first group is fascinated with the classic pre-war sporting rifles in this caliber. They tend to hand load their own ammo. The second group is carrying around some really beat up military 7x57s in 93 and 95 Mausers that they got for cheap and don't shoot much because they can't find any cheap ammo.

The 7x57 is for Europhile's with their own special version of Munchhausen.

As far as American actions, it's neither fish nor fowl. Too short for a LA and too long for a SA.

Really doesn't do anything more than what the American 7-08 does.

Best use of the 7x57 was found by the Yankee tinkerer Ned Roberts...

A third group are those who use modern bolt action rifles chambered for the 7x57 and handload their hunting ammo. I'm one of those guys.

My first really custom-ordered-from-a-gunsmith rifle in 50 years (all my customs prior to this one were built by me or bought off the used rack) was a 1909 Mauser in 7x57 (a cartridge caliber I had never owned). It was built to use in Africa and specifically for the 175gr Nosler Partition. I am just about going to have my 3rd and last custom built and the action will be one of the Mausers Sarco is selling. Barrel is a 8.5 twist 7mm Krieger and it will be in 7x57 again throated for a 175gr Nosler Partition. I used my custom on my last safari I made and took several Kudu and Impala quite handily. Ranges from 50 to 300 yards. Nice caliber to finish on in my estimation.

if you would care to sell, I would care to buy...

zimhunter,

Excellent! Have a good hunt with that fine rifle.

This

Dave, have similar plans including the butterknife handle but with a full length stock though I haven't settled on 7x57. Want to go that way but I rather enjoy agonizing over the choices. Consider a single-set trigger, way cool if harder to get a good not-set pull. Or so I'm told. (Will be finding out the hard way. )

Jon

I concur... With a caveat concerning "best use" and the Boers...

I be read that old tired Spanish American war tale numerous times and never quite bought the ballistic superiority angle. It seems always to forget to mention that the Spanish were in a fortified defensive position on the high ground. I would give a any real tactical advantage arms wise to the mauser stripped clips as opposed to any real ballistic advantage of a 175 gr rn at 2400 vs a 220 gr rn at 2100 especially in the average infrantry mans hands

Although I grew up in an environment that saw great number of hunters coming and going in a never ending procession from the US and Europe - (Game Ranch) many of the traditional (home grown) hunters went out every year and harvested their 10 Springbok, 5 Rooi bok and two Kudus with their 7x57 Mauser's, most of the meat was turned into biltong.

I on the other hand, have always favoured the 7x64 and have forgotten how many animals my 150 grain bullets have knocked over in 40 years of living and hunting in Southern and Central Africa

Today I still use the same caliber for all my hunting in BC with this rifle ......

My Mannlicher-Schoenauer in 7x64 Brenecke!



Some may call me a Europhile or something just as silly, frankly I really don't give a damn - I have been in the hunting game for too long to be bothered by the opinion of airheads!

That rifle is pure class.

I only have one 7x57. It's a Ruger No 1, with a Leupold 1-5X variable. Haven't shot it much, except at the range, but it's growing on me. It groups well with 140 grain Partitions. Might have to build a nice lefty bolt gun for further research.
Bob

Remington has built 1.5",2.0' and 2.5 " 7mms on a basic .308dia. case 2.0 and 2.8" cases on ultra mag dia cases and of course the 7mm rem mag and 7mm STW Why not reintroduce a 122 yr. old cartridge with a new name and some marketing, they tried it with the .280 twice , and the .244/6mm rem.!!!!!! there is an old saying ,you can turn and turn and turn but the ass is always in the back! The 7x57 started off right we should end it right..........

LOL, true. Would add, its best use, Boers aside, would be a Mauser action built around the cartridge.

7X64, huh? I wouldn't have one...

My 7X65R on the other hand is a wonderful round.




BTW...I'm jealous of that MS 7X64.

A few years back I blundered into an HVA Dlx 4100 LW in 7X57AI and have been using it for about 1/2 of all my BG hunts since. AI or just as designed, the 7X57 is one of the world's great sporting cartridges.

You've got that arse about, the 7mm08 doesn't do anything more than the 7x57.
I've got rifles in both BTW..

FWIW, it would be really good if some manufacturers actually chambered it as part of their regular lineup.

Probably the best affordable American-made rifle in 7x57 was the Ruger 77 Mark II/Hawkeye, because unlike most other long bolt actions made here these days the magazine is 3.35" for .30-06 length cartridges. Thus it wasn't "too long" for the 7x57, and in fact provided plenty of flexibility in bullet seating, since the throats in Ruger 7x57 rifles were considerably shorter by then. A German-made 98 Mauser action is probably more appropriate for purists.

For over-the-top rifle loonys one good option is the Montana 1999 "short" action, with a 3.15" magazine. The 1999 is a cross between the 98 Mauser and pre-'64 Model 70, and is what my custom 7x57 is built on. Will it do anything a push-feed 7mm-08 won't? Not ballistically, but perhaps in other ways.

If I wanted pure practicality in a big game rifle of about the same power level I'd probably get a Ruger American Rifle in .308 Winchester. Hey, wait a minute, I did that too!

MD, My other "Deer rifle" is a small ring HVA 308. Muddy