I am beginning to put together an elk load in my 7x57 for one of my sons and am interested to hear some thoughts on bullet selection.

My initial work will be done using 160 gr. loads. Am I correct in thinking that with the modest velocity of the 7x57 that standard Sierra, Speer, and Hornady bullets will be just fine and there is no need for the premium bullets?

I did quite well with the 160 speer spitzer, wich by all means is extinct now, in my .280. Used the grand slam in the same weight in the .280 with very good results also.

Had some interesting outcomes with the horn 162 btsp. One failed to penetrate a coyote, They seemed to make LARGE entrance wounds not exit wounds on game. They shot very good, but lacked the 'deep' teminal effect But that has been at least 20 some years ago. When the sst came out in 162 7mm, I tried them and found those to be better than the regular btsp version terminally.

So if those bullets work good in the .280 even counting the regular 162 horn btsp, the 7x57 should really do good with 'plain jane' bullets

A friend of long ago use to shoot a 7x57 at everything. His load I did not find out till years later was the 139 gr horn btsp. He kilt EVERYTHING from ground squirrels, a 500lb black bear a couple pick-up loads of deer counting one Boon & Crocket whitetail, and assorted wapiti with the trim little gun.

The new 160 deep curl from speer, the thing that seems to have replaced there spitzer might be one to try, We are truly in the golden age of bullets

According to the Midway web site, Speer is re-introducing the 160 gr. Hot-Cor...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/61...-160-grain-spitzer-soft-point-box-of-100

PD: Ive used the 7x57 on more than a couple elk. 162 gr. Hornady was OK..175 grain Nosler Partition was stellar, as was 160 gr TSX
Shot lots of elk-sized African game with the 7x57 and those NPTs...always with predictable and excellent results..

If your rifle likes 160 grainers, you might also try 160 NPTs...

I lean towards the logic that with the small amount of shooting needed for elk hunting (even with load development), the cost of a box of Partitions or TSX is negligible compared to the potential frustration of tracking a wounded elk. 20 bullets at $0.65 is all it takes to develop a load (for the un-particular me anyway), and the remaining 30 from the box last me another 5 years.
There really are no drawbacks for using premium bullets, other than the cost and the unlikely possibility it won't shoot well in a particular rifle. The latter can happen with any bullet though.

I wish, the expected arrival date keeps moving up, for a couple months now

PastorDan,

The one and only elk I've ever lost due to bullet failure (the cow was found only after the meat had soured) was due to an ordinary bullet that didn't penetrate far enough. I was young and dumb, and because I'd killed plenty of deer with cup-and-core bullets thought I knew everything.

This doesn't mean C&C bullets won't do the job, but I can testify that one didn't penetrate deeply enough on a cow angling away at 75 yards some 35 years ago. I would still use the same bullet today, but the circumstances would have to be different.

Find a load that works with a 160 Sierra, then switch to the Partition and it will probably shoot to the same place. Or at least that's what happened with a LOT of my rifles. Then you can use the Sierras for sighting-in, practice and deer, and Partitions on elk--and an "expensive" box of 50 Partitions will last a long time.

I'm sure your 7X57 will do fine with any appropriate bullet. Find the one that shoots the best and have at it. The only thing limiting that round much like other 100+ year old veterans is the lingering junk still hanging around in that caliber. If you have a modern rifle have no fear. Although the old standard loads have killed all sorts of game including elephant when using solids.

I'd bet the 160 accubond would be a great bullet in your 7mm.

I'm a believer in stout bullets for elk. I want it to get a long ways through the bull. Good luck, Pastor Dan.

I appreciate the input. All things considered its probably a good idea to go with the 160 gr. Partition. The extra cost of premiums compared to how many I will need to shoot is pretty inconsequential. If the 160's won't shoot I have some 175 gr. Grand Slams for my .280 I can try.

I like the idea of the 160 Sierra's for deer (providing I can get enough velocity) and Partitions for elk.

I love Sierras for deer but I would go with a 160 gr. Partition in 7x57 for elk. Great piece of mind to know that bullet will penetrate at any angle. I shot my first elk years ago with a 165 gr Partition in a 30.06. Partitions are worth the premium for something as special as elk IMHO.

I have had mixed results with the TSX but have been using the Parttition for 50 years.

I've seen 4 different elk that thought they could just laugh and shrug off a single hit from a 7x57 loaded with hornady 154 gr interlocs.... They were wrong and hit the ground at the shot.
Also saw one that thought he was a real smart alec and could laugh off a hit from a 140 gr Sierra Gameking... He spent the rest of the winter getting barbequed in California...

I've seen enough of what the 154 Interlocks do on other critters, that I'd have no qualms using that bullet on elk at the < 300 yard distances that I'd personally engage them.

I believe my Dad used 140 & 175 NP's on elk - none were on their feet long enough to take a 2nd shot.

FC

I ran some 160 gr mag tips in my 7-08 and used them on deer. I had better luck with 139-145 gr bullets for deer. The 160's punched right through with little expansion on broadside through the ribs shots on whitetail.
In my eyes the 7x57 is a ballistic twin to the 7-08 or between it and the 280. Not a bad place to be. I have often thought of buying one and just might out of respect for a cartridge that is 120 years old and still knocking down game.

I havent shot an elk with my 7X57 yet, but have tested on cattle, and the 175 Partitions, and Speer Grand Slams, will blow your mind with there level of penetration at the modest 7X57 velocities.

Gunner

For elk and moose the insurance policy in the 7x57 is a 160 grain Nosler Partition.

Cattle

Now there is a test medium!!!

Not that unusual...Brentd shoots cattle.

LOL, Not to sound morbid or like a cast member from Texas Chainsaw massacre, but with a tractor and loader, chainsaw, axe, and a big knife, you can get all of the bullet testing you want from dead or sick and dying cattle.

And at weights from 100 to over 2200 lbs, and ranges from PB to 500 yards or so, and at any conceivable angle.

Gunner

I have eaten more than one deer taken with a .22LR. I would sure hope the 7 would have enough of everything for deer.

When I mentioned getting enough velocity I was referring trajectory not killing power.

I've used Mule Deer's 160 gr. Sierra/NPT technique to great effect 6 times through the years
Cheers

My favorite bullet in the 7mm of any kind is the 160 gr regardless of who make it, but if going for Elk with my 7x57 it would be the 160 gr Nosler Partition loaded with H4831SC

I've used the 7x57 for 20 years or so, only a couple years I used a different rifle and calibre and I felt like I was being unfaithful.

That said I have had 100% good results on elk and everything else with the Nosler 160 Partition. My rifle shoots the 160 Speer flat based spitzer more accurately but the Partitions give me more confidence. Shoots flat enough for my style of hunting, out to 250 and maybe a few more yards. For prairie goats and small deer the 130 Speer flat base shoots lights out, kills like a bolt of lightning, and with a flat trajectory. The 150 Partition is tempting but I've yet to give it a try.

I've kind of taken the 150 gr NPT as my fav for bigger stuff. I'm seeing it do pretty well in three diff 7's - 7wsm, 284 win, and 7-08ai.

Used it in my 7wsm to take my one and only elk ever in NM in 2009 at 322 yds. Based on that bullets performance - broke both shoulders and exited - elk staggered about 15 steps and went down - it looks to be up to it.

Almost all of my rifles have gotten this treatment that JB describes,and lots of load development starts with a like-weight Sierra,and ends with the Partition. It's rare that they don't stay close,clear to 400-600 yards.

I piously promise myself that I will use the Sierra for the deers,save the NPT for larger stuff,and have, but don't bother anymore and use the Nosler for everything.

Partitions from 140 gr up will work on elk from a 7x57.

Any 154 or 160 conventional projectile will work fine as will the Partition. I would hesitate to use a bonded premium over 140 as they will penetrate but not expand as well.

PastorDan,

The 160 Sierra load I use gets just under 2700 fps at the muzzle--about like the standard 180-grain load in the .30-06. I normally sight-in 2" high at 100 yards, which means a typical spitzer is dead on at 200 yards, 3" low at 250, 8" low at 300 and two feet low at 400.

I've made a number of shots at around 400 yards with both the 160 7x57 and 180-grain .30-06, using the old-fashioned hold-over method and a Duplex reticle. (Maybe it would have been easier by twisting the elevation turret, but so far my 7x57 and .30-06's have had standard scopes.) The longest shot with the 7x57 and 160 Sierra was 375 yards, on a springbok in South Africa during a cull hunt, and have regularly taken other animals out to 250 yards with the same load.

One trick that makes 400-yard shots relatively easy with either the 160 7x57 or 180 .30-06 is to fiddle with the magnification on a variable scope until the tip of the bottom post of a plex reticle is 6" below the intersection of the crosshairs at 100 yards. This means it's two feet below the intersection at 400--just about where the bullet will land with a 2" high sight-in at 100 yards.

Thanks for all the info guys.

Now you've got me wondering if I shouldn't take my 7x57 to Wyoming this fall instead of the 300 WSM that I intended to.

donsm70

Good info, I recently bought a 7X57 mountain rifle. Its been 20 years? since I owned a 7mm mauser. I am going to try the Sierra 140's and 140 Nosler PT's in mine. First load through it was factory Hornady Custom 139 BTSP's and it looked good with the first group at 1 1/4 or so and the second at 3/4" or under (took more time shooting this group). It'll be my backup deer / elk rifle.

I've been following this thread with great interest. However, I have certain misgivings on using my 7x57 on my upcoming cow elk hunt. It is a December hunt on very spooky animals as I found out when I hunted that ranch in December 2010. I took two rifle with me back then, a .35 Whelen and .300 Win. Mag. as back up in case shots would be at long range. Those were more than spooky. As we were driving down the road to where we wanted to hunt, a small group of elk well over 400 yards away saw us and were up and running as fast as they could pick 'em up and put 'em down. The elk I did get wasat 100 yards when we saw her and by the time I got my shot off, she was at least 150 yards out and running flat out quartering slightly to the left. The .35 Whelen did a beautiful job of elk smack down one the first shot so I know that if I take that rifle again it will work.My biggest problem is arthritis is doing a number not only on my shoulder but both knees and one hip. I was thinking I could use the 7x57 and maybe a 150 or 160 gr. bullet this year but my big worry is just how well will it work on a seriously adrenalized elk that's running all out? I'm not worried about getting a good hit but with my hip and knees, hiking after a wounded elk at 9,000 tp 9,500 feet MSL is not something I'm looking foreward to doing. Pain does not make a hunt fun. The 7MM bullets I have on hand are 150 gr. Nosler Partitions, 160 gr. Speer Hot-Cores and 160 gr. Speer Grand Slams, both the old and new style. I also have a very few 160 gr. Nosler Partitions. I have two rifles in 7x57, a Winchester M70 Featherweight that is quite accurate and a custom built on an FM Mauser action that is equally accure so if using a 7x57, I would go with the one most accurate. Kind of hard to do as both are tackdrivers.
What say you gentlemen?
Paul B.

If the shots could be longish, the 300 Win surely has an advantage over the 7x57 on elk, assuming you shoot them equally well.

I don't trust myself to take shots at animals moving at more than a walk so that isn't an issue for me. I greatly appreciate the invaluable input on the 160 bullets. I found a partial box of old Nosler 162 gr. Solid Base bullets that I forgot I had from way back in 80's that I am going to do my initial load work with. Will probably switch to partitions if I get loads that look promising.

I went out and shot this weekend with variety of loads. I use the Lee scoops and have found, as a general rule, that if a bullet/powder starting load with the scoops shoots under 2" I am pretty certain that I can work up a useable load with that combo.

All I currently have on hand is IMR4350 so that is what I started with. With that powder, Speer 130 Hot-Cor's and Sierra 140 GK's were HORRIBLE but 150 gr. Ballistic Tips and the 162 gr. Solid Base bullets both showed real promise. The 150's came in at under 1.5" and the 162's shot just over that.

Both bullets shot close enough together that I figure I can use the 150's for deer and the heavier bullets for elk without having to change scope settings. I have been sighting in 3" high at 100 yards for quite a few years now after doing quite a bit of work with a ballistic calculator. With the loads I shoot if I have to hold over on an animal it is probably further than I should be shooting (once again, a man's got to know his limitations!). As none of the calibers are super high velocity it works pretty well.

I am not sure what your "shots at animals moving" refers to, if it relates to my post.

As my user name indicates, I am a big fan of the medium capacity 7mm rounds. Elk are also a big target, easy to hit, and not armor plated. All that indicates that a 7x57 ought to be more than sufficient. The problem for me is that getting the chance to shoot at an elk is the hard part. I have gone an entire season, hunting hard, and never had a shot. Or I have ridden 40 miles on horseback to get one shot. Or I have walked 20+ miles for that shot. Or this year it looks like I will not draw a tag.

I think a 300 Win Mag would add 100+ yards to my comfortable shooting distance at elk over my self-imposed limit with a 7x57. I would want that advantage in the open country I hunt in the Rockies.

But I also concur with the other opinions that the 160 Partition is a killing sumbitch.

PastorDan you might want to consider keeping things simple and just find a 150 gr load that rifle can live with. They haven't built the elk yet that a 150 gr bullet from the 7x57 would penetrate from one end to the other at 200 yds or less...

This is a fine cal that will do anything you want it to do then some game kings are great .Yhis is a better then a copyed 7mm08 Also federal an winchester along with remington regular stuff works great 160 gr

Sorry, that my comment came across weird. You had questioned your taking a 7x57 because of the context of your elk hunting and I was simply commenting on my own context. Probably comes from me reading too fast and trying to respond while I should be working!

I know a 150 gr. bullet of adequate construction should do fine but I prefer having a little more weight/sectional density for an elk if I can. I'm not preaching it as gospel, it's just what makes me more confident on a less than broadside shot.

This post by Topheti - Code 4 on Nitro Express is a revelation on the 154Interloct and the 160gn Woodleigh is a good read.
http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=196029&an=0&page=1#Post196029

The U-tube vid shows the test.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIPnl3IRS4I

Topheti runs the 160 gn at just over 2400fps in his 7x57 and 2900fps in the 7mmRM and with the penetration versus expansion give me the best of both with it running at 2700fps from my own 7x57. There isn't anything short of DG I wouldn't be confortable using the 160gn Woodleigh on.

Von Gruff.

I currently shoot the 175gr Hornady SP interlock from all my 7x57s. All three rifles are Rugers and all three shoot about 1 inch groups at 200 yards (My FN/Flaig's Mauser is at the gunsmith for now). My load is 45gr of H4350. Don't know the exact speed but it should be around 2400 fps if my manuals are any indication. I haven't killed an elk with them yet but I have killed many whitetails. Those big bullets always exit and leave a gaping hole. I've never recovered one of those bullets and never lost a deer shot with them. If you punch through both shoulders the deer drops like a sack-o-taters and it makes a bloody mess inside them. In my ignorance, I would not hesitate to shoot an elk or any other non-dangerous game animal with it at up to 300 yards, and that only because I'm not very practiced beyond that range. I got a 416 Rigby on the way for the really big bucks.

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.

Exactly--but I never could tell any difference on game.

I've never killed an elk with a 7x57, but have killed one Alberta moose that was a bigger than any bull elk I've ever seen on the ground. The 7x57 worked fine with 160-grain North Forks at about 225 yards. I shot the moose right with the first shot, but like a lot of moose he didn't flop over with a double-lung shot. At the urging of the guide, I shot the bull again, basically in the same place. This may or may have speeded up anything. The bull died 19 yards from where it was first hit.

. That's my favorite advice "hit him again". Me-- Why he's just standing there dead on his feet and I don't wanna go looking for him!

Years ago I hunted elk in heavy timber with a 7x57 loaded with 175gr NP's, broke bones, penetrated from any angle, killed elk and a few deer very easily.

Now I have a 7x57R in a nice combo gun, the 154gr Horn at 2600 fps seem to work just as well on deer as my 270 at under 300 yds. Can't say how the bullet looks as it has so far shot through everything, expanding well, DRT performance on 5 deer last year. Now, as to the 162gr Horn SST, I found it to be less than satisfactory falling apart quite easily and not nearly as accurate in my rifle as the 154gr.

I would be very happy to hunt elk with my 7x57R and 154gr Horn but would be a good bit more selective about shot angle than with my 9.3x62 and 286gr. NP's.