The 7x57 has a few attributes that get lost in the ballistic chatter.
1. The recoil is low enough so as not to intimidate the user which allows greater emphasis on shot placement because of that "unintimidated" concentration.
2. The caliber and bullets available are largely designed for game hunting so are not only reliable performers, that reliability is enhanced by the velocity window generated by that Mauser case.
3. The 140-160gn bullet weights kill beyond expectation because most hunters have relied on higher velocity for so long, so are less familiar with standard case design and velocity ranges. This is however changing, because of the increasing use of the 7/08 and smaller 6.5 cartridges which are educating the hunter on velocity capabilities and by default, more emphasis on bullet selection.
4. Most of all, the 7x57 is an easy rifle to shoot and master so the current deep penetrating bullets and commonly available (usually) components make it an easy choice while it teaches you the meaning of the word "competence".
I have sold 7x57 and a John Rigby .275 Rigby rifle, but always regretted the gap created so filled it again soon after. My current Model 70 Super Grade is the only perfect rifle I have seen where I fitted Leupold dual dovetails and a Zeiss Conquest and it was already sighted in without adjustment and best loads teased me with true cloverleaf groups with all touching using Barnes 145gn TTSX's at 2850fps.. I know what I can do with that, but struggle to imagine what I cannot do with it.
IIRC, "Karaojo" Bell used the .275 Rigby sighted for the 140 gr. bullets but shot the 173 FMJ bullets. He had an extra sight leaf sighted for the heavier bullet. Based on that, I'm positive either rifle, the #1 or #2 had a throat long enough to accommodate the 175 gr. bullet.
On the idea of a book dedicated strictly to the 7x57, I'm definitely in favor of such a book. Count me as one standing in line for a copy.
Paul B.
7X57 Mauser References
2019 - Handloader #320, June, The Modern 7x57, John Barsness
2017 - American Rifleman, October, A Tale of Two Sevens, Craig Boddington
2015 - Guns Magazine, May, The Magnificent 7x57 Mauser, John Barsness
2015 - Sporting Shooter Magazine, Handloading the 7x57 Mauser, Nick Harvey
2014 - Rifle Magazine #273, March, Ruger 7x57mm Mauser, Dave Scovill
2014 - Handloader #289, April, 7x57 Mauser Part II, Gil Sengel
2012 - African Expedition, Mauser's 7mm, Koos Barnard
2012 - Guns and Hunting - Two Decades of Thoughts on Guns and Calibers, A Tale of Two Sevens (Chapter 1). The 7x57 mm Mauser (Chapter 17). Finn Aagaard
2012 - Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, 7X57mm Mauser, Dave Scovill
Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, Contemporaries of the 7x57, Mike Venturino
Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, The 7mm Comes Full Circle, John Haviland
Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, Seven Deadly Millimeters, Ron Spomer
Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, The Legacy of the 7x57, John Barsness
Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, The Commercial Sevens, Mike Venturino
2010 – New Zealand Guns and Hunting, #119, July/August, The 7X57 Stalking Rifle, Garry Keown
2010 – New Zealand Guns and Hunting, #118, May/June, The 7X57 – the 7mm Mauser and the 275 Rigby,
Garry Keown
2009 – American Rifleman, November, A Perfectly Delightful Cartridge – 7x57 mm Mauser, Jim Wilson
2008 – Handloader, #252, April/May, 7x57 Mauser - The “First” 7mm, John Haviland
2007 – Handloader, #246, April/May, 7x57mm Mauser – The Original 7mm, John Barsness
2004 – Handloader, #231, October/November, 7x57mm Mauser – Accolades from an admirer, Steve Gash
2001 – Handloader, #211, June/July, 7x57mm Mauser – The grand, old 7mm, Stan Trzonec
2000 – Handloader, #206, August/September, 7mm’s – The all-American standard, John Barsness
1999 – American Rifleman, February, 7x57mm Mauser in Modern Rifles, Edward A. Matunas
1995 – Handloader, February 1995, Modern Powders in the 7x57, Ken Waters
1992 – Game Loads And Practical Ballistics For the American Hunter, (see index), Bob Hagel
1991-Guns and Ammo, 1991, 7mm Mauser…Smallbore Blockbuster!, Ross Seyfried
1991 – Rifle, #137, September/October, The 7mm Mauser, Ludwig Olson
1990-American Rifleman, April, 1990, John Rigby & Co., Finn Aagaard
1989 – Nosler Reloading Manual, The 7x57 Mauser, Finn Aagaard
1986-American Rifleman, Nov. 1986, The 7x57 Mauser, Finn Aagaard
1986-Guns, July, 1986, Know Your Hunting Cartridges: The 7mm Mauser, Ed Matunas
1984 – Outdoor Life, March, The 7x57 Mauser, Jim Carmichael
1983 – Handloader, #102, March/April, light hunting bullets in the 7x57mm, Mike Venturino
1982 – Rifle, #83, September/October, Model 70 Featherweight – 7x57mm, Bob Hagel
1982 – Handloader #95, January/February, still popular…7mm Mauser, Ken Waters
1977 – Handloader, #66, March/ April, Super velocities in ONE 7x57, Dennis Hall
1974 – Gun Digest, #28, Forty Years with the Little 7mm, Jack O’Connor
1973 - Gun Digest, 27th Anniversary Edition, The Beautiful Blazers all but Forgotten ! Bob Bell
1976 – Guns & Ammo, November 1976, 7x57 Mauser, Les Bowman
1973 – Sports Afield, August, The Welterweight Rifle With The Heavyweight Punch, John Jobson
1973 – Rifle, #27, May/June, Ruger 77 7x57---, Bob Hagel
1970 – The Hunting Rifle, Big Punch in Little Case, Jack O’Connor
1968 – Handloader, # 16, November/December, Cartridge of the Month, 7mm Mauser, (Staff)
1968 -1969 Yours Truly, (Handloader Magazine column) Loading for the 7x57, pgs.107-110, 178-179, 184-185, Harvey Donaldson
1968 – Handloader, September, The 7x57 Mauser, Ken Waters
1967- Gun Digest 1967, The Mysterious Seven, Robert Sherwood
1964 – The Rifle Book, The All-Around Rifle (7x57), Jack O’Connor
1948 – Outdoor Life, October, Arms and Ammunition – The 7mm is great stuff for most big game. Jack O’Connor
I only have one, it's a 700 Classic. To me the 700 classic 7x57 is perfect. I had a couple military 98 7x57's but they were quite picky on loads, extremely long throats. I suspect that at my age all my big game hunting could be done with that classic, unless I put enough coin together to go to Africa for cape or to Alaska for bear.
I'm one of those guys that didn't see a reason for the 7mm-08 - however I bought one for my wife - she's a lefty and a left handed bolt action in 7-08 appeared in a used gun rack and she liked it.