7 x 57 users out there.

[Sinistral]

I have hunted mule deer, white tail deer and elk with my 7x57. My 7mm is my #1 favorite rifle.

Ammo in the US commonly means Remington or Winchester. Very expensive. PPU has recently come to town and I buy it in 100 lots as the loaded ammo is cheaper than un primed brass from any other makers. To get the most from a 7x57 (or 6,5x55) you need to reload for best performance. Much factory ammo is down loaded for early, weaker actions.~Muir

Looking at the numbers in use you've got to say that the 7x57 is on it's last legs, if not on the way out in the UK.

The only rifles for it are old numbers, often pre-owned by several hands, which are favoured by the cognoscenti (err ...... often bearded men of a certain vintage). It's been superseded to some extent by the 7mm-08 which comes in shorter actions built into more modern and fetching rifles. Naturally these are sought after by newer entrants who think they know something the rest don't.

As Muir says, 7mm Mauser ammo is pretty scarce and is expensive 'squib' stuff if you manage to find it. The UK PPU importer only offers FMJ in this. You do see the odd old BSA/PH or old military type rifle appear on the range shooting this, or multi-fired S&B-cased handloads (lethal to the user or bystanders) when the weather is fine.

You see the old .303 British much more often than anything in this cartridge. The only man I knew who ever used a 7x57 for stalking is long gone. I think this got an outing just for sentimental reasons when the .308 wasn't handy.

 

[iain b]

Get a 7-08, 7x57 is great but.... 7-08 is the better cartridge .
edi

+1 to that. Wouldn't swap mine for anything else ( except a custom job in the same )

 

[Southern]

Please explain ? if you hand load the 7x57, it holds more powder and is far better than the 7-08 with heavy bullets. How could it possibly be better ?

Most 7mm-08s have a 1:10 twist, to shoot the standard load of 140 grain bullets at 2,800 fps.
They do well with 120 gr to 150 grains.

Most 7x57s have a twist rate for the heavier bullets, because it began life as a military round with 175 grain bullets at 2,400 fps, twist rates of 8.66:1, 8.75:1. Some of them don't shoot bullets lighter than 150 grains very well.

So figure what game you are going after, the ranges, the likely bullets, and choose a rifle that suits that purpose. Talk to owners of it, find out what ammunition is working well for them, and make the decision based on real world use and experiences.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

I was looking at this calibre a few months ago as there was a Varberger with a left handed bolt at an RFD near to where I live in this calibre. I discovered that ammunition supply would not be a problem. The easiest to get seems to be RWS 123grn, which William Evans always carry as so many of their customers have classic rifles in .275 Rigby....

OK, for most RFDs it would be a special order, but then so is 7-08 or 7x64.

And if you want to reload the 7mm (.284/.285) bullets do not seem so hard to come by.

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

I appreciate the enthusiasm people have for the 7x57mm, but I get a little weary of these discussions that invariably devolve into analyses of ballistics tables and comparisons to the 7mm-08, ad nauseum.

The 7x57mm doesn't need to be loaded up beyond factory ballistics; there are beaucoup .280 Remingtons, 7mm Remington Magnums, etc. Even in its original military loading (175-grain RN at 2300 FPS), the round is pretty damned effective on deer-sized game out to 300 yards.

The 7x57mm is legendary because it's accurate and doesn't beat the snot out of the shooter. Why try to stretch it beyond that or compare it to something it's not?

 

[Kalahari]

Yea, total sense.

David.

 

[Muir]

Most 7mm-08s have a 1:10 twist, to shoot the standard load of 140 grain bullets at 2,800 fps.
They do well with 120 gr to 150 grains.

Most 7x57s have a twist rate for the heavier bullets, because it began life as a military round with 175 grain bullets at 2,400 fps, twist rates of 8.66:1, 8.75:1. Some of them don't shoot bullets lighter than 150 grains very well.

So figure what game you are going after, the ranges, the likely bullets, and choose a rifle that suits that purpose. Talk to owners of it, find out what ammunition is working well for them, and make the decision based on real world use and experiences.

I have shot 120, 129, 139, 140, 145, 150, 154, 162, and 175 grain bullets from my old 7x57 with no accuracy issues. I have recently retired it in favor of a 7-08 because I wanted to save it, my finest hunting rifle, for my young grandson. Without nitpicking, I consider the 7-08 and the 7x57 ballistically identical and would use them interchangeably. ~Muir

 

[Southern]

What a splendid excuse for buying a new rifle!! Seriously.

My only 7x57 is a rimmed version, combination gun, so I don't load it hot. I am enjoying working up loads various weights which shoot to the sights in some fashion. Some rifles are most accurate with a mild load of a bullet, and some are more accurate with a case full of powder. I try to let the rifle tell me what it wants to be. I don't force it. I reach for some other rifle if I need more power or range.

In fact, it was the discussion of the 7x57R and 7x64 mm which got me to join this forum, so I could talk to more shooters of these cartridges in rifles similar to my own.

I got into the 7mm-08 by accident, shopping for a Model 7 for my son. I found a Winchester M70 and we both loved it. I later bought a BLR 81 Lightweight in 7mm-08. Both are great, light rifles to carry and shoot.

 

[Spotterdog]

A slight tangent here, but I'm a strong advocate of the 57mm cartridge. I know the 7x57 to be very sweet shooting, I almost bought a Sako in 7x57 as my first full bore. I eventually bought a Sauer 90 in 6.5x57 as I preferred the 6.5 ballistics for my purpose. That turned out to be a good choice too, the 6.5 has done absolutely everything I have ever wanted it to, so much so that I moved the Sauer on and spoiled myself for my 40th birthday with a MO3 in 6.5x57 and 8x68s for heavier game. I wouldn't take anything away from someone who wants a 7x57, it's nice to see people with personal choices, but with limited availability of 7x57s the 6.5 deserves a look at, especially as it's happier with lighter bullets that the 6.5x55 generally isn't.

Spotterdog

 

[Muir]

What a splendid excuse for buying a new rifle!! Seriously.

My only 7x57 is a rimmed version, combination gun, so I don't load it hot. I am enjoying working up loads various weights which shoot to the sights in some fashion. Some rifles are most accurate with a mild load of a bullet, and some are more accurate with a case full of powder. I try to let the rifle tell me what it wants to be. I don't force it. I reach for some other rifle if I need more power or range.

In fact, it was the discussion of the 7x57R and 7x64 mm which got me to join this forum, so I could talk to more shooters of these cartridges in rifles similar to my own.

I got into the 7mm-08 by accident, shopping for a Model 7 for my son. I found a Winchester M70 and we both loved it. I later bought a BLR 81 Lightweight in 7mm-08. Both are great, light rifles to carry and shoot.

I am a gun junky but this is my first grandson and I would fall on my sword for the wee guy... or even give up the rifle that has never failed to drop a head of game with a single round over the last 30 years.

I had owned 7-08 in the past and liked it, and when I found a 7-08 Tikka T-3 Lite I decided it was enough of a utility gun to beat up in the back country with no regrets. I had to pause at all the polymer but now that I've hunted with it for a season, I can fully appreciate it's utilitarian "beauty" as well as it's astounding accuracy. Light as a feather and shoots like a laser. If I had an issue with it -and I put that into the past tense- it was that when I first got it I found it difficult to shoot off hand due to the unaccustomed lightness of the rifle. Practice took care of that.~Muir

 

[Southern]

I have had a hard time restraining myself from buying a T3 Lite in 7mm-08. It seems a perfect rifle for all terrain deer hunting, and sheep and mountain goats, and elk, if you stay close enough to deliver some punch. My T3 stainless .30-06 shoots every normal load into small groups, and the recoil is not bad, but then I hunt with rifles wearing only iron sights and weighing 7 lbs or less in .30-06, .270 and 8x57, with metal buttplates, so I may not be a fair judge of recoil.

My rational side keeps telling me I do not need a T3 7mm-08, because I have Sigarms SHR-970 in .280 with a beautiful walnut stock and a nice synthetic stock. It weighs 8.5 lbs scoped and loaded, whereas my Model 70 7mm-08 weighs just over 7 lbs, the same as the T3 .30-06. But, then owning the .280 should have stopped me from building a self-custom 7x64 and buying a Steyr Pro Hunter 7x64, too, right?

I just want a T3 in 7mm-08. I am glad to hear you are so pleased with yours.

 

[JAYB]

I have 7X57 barrel for my Blaser, and I love it. It shoots 140 or 175 grain with equal accuracy, is very gentle on my poor old body (just like my 6.5X55), and seems to kill Roe, Red and Sika equally well. Wish I had discovered it year ago it would have saved me a fortune.

John

 

[Orion]

I have shot 120, 129, 139, 140, 145, 150, 154, 162, and 175 grain bullets from my old 7x57 with no accuracy issues. I have recently retired it in favor of a 7-08 because I wanted to save it, my finest hunting rifle, for my young grandson. Without nitpicking, I consider the 7-08 and the 7x57 ballistically identical and would use them interchangeably. ~Muir

After shooting deer and other medium sized game for 30+ years with .243 & .308 I finally found my dream stalking rifle, a Heym 44b Kiplauf in 7x57.

There's nothing I can fault about it - quality build, short overall length, fits like a glove and the 7mm Mauser with it's low felt recoil is a perfect accompaniment. The 139gr Hornady BTSP does just as good a job as the .30 150gr I'd previously been using and is a pleasure to shoot even in such a lightweight single shot rifle - bang, gentle push, quarry falls over. It's a classic cartridge that might not have the cachet of more modern offerings in US-centric countries but there's a reason it's been around for so long that some can appreciate.

 

[zeeriverrat1]

The 7x57 is one of my favorites. I have built several on mauser actions and they all shot well, and were easy to load for. With a 24" barrel and the modern powders we have now, its the ballistic twin to the 7-08. Either will work fine...but my choice is the 7x57. It is a great choice for new hunters that are slight of build, of anyone that does not enjoy being beat up by recoil.

I built one on a Mexican Mauser action for my wife when she started hunting. She could shoot that little 7mm well, and piled up deer, antelope and wild hogs using a moderate load with 139gr or 140gr bullets (SST's and partitions). She took this buck antelope at a measured 397 yds. with one shot...

Recently I found a Win M70 featherweight in 7x57...its a beauty and shoots very well....it will get a lot of use from me!
Not much to dislike about the 7x57. Its an efficient cartridge that has been working well for a long time. There will always be a 7x57 or 2 in my gun safe...

Z

 

[BRORA260]

The 7x57 is making a bit of a comeback, I have rebarreled 5 rifles in the last 2 years on various actions. New barrels with faster twists and 120 grn. 123grn. in Sako and RWS factory loads have had a lot to with this resurgance in the calibre.
You will get a little bit more energy than with some of the 6.5 rounds dependent on bullet weight used of course, but it isn,t enough to argue about, they are all good and all the rebarrel jobs I have done have been Lothar Walther barrels and they have been exceptionally accurate, it really is a case of what you fancy and I dont think you would be disappointed whatever you choose.

 

[Muir]

I have had a hard time restraining myself from buying a T3 Lite in 7mm-08. It seems a perfect rifle for all terrain deer hunting, and sheep and mountain goats, and elk, if you stay close enough to deliver some punch. My T3 stainless .30-06 shoots every normal load into small groups, and the recoil is not bad, but then I hunt with rifles wearing only iron sights and weighing 7 lbs or less in .30-06, .270 and 8x57, with metal buttplates, so I may not be a fair judge of recoil.

My rational side keeps telling me I do not need a T3 7mm-08, because I have Sigarms SHR-970 in .280 with a beautiful walnut stock and a nice synthetic stock. It weighs 8.5 lbs scoped and loaded, whereas my Model 70 7mm-08 weighs just over 7 lbs, the same as the T3 .30-06. But, then owning the .280 should have stopped me from building a self-custom 7x64 and buying a Steyr Pro Hunter 7x64, too, right?

I just want a T3 in 7mm-08. I am glad to hear you are so pleased with yours.

At the same time I bought the T-3 I picked up 2000 Sierra Game King 150's at an estate sale. They shot really well over IMR 4350 right from the go. Adjusting the load a bit brought them into the half to 5/8" range. Smacked a whitetail with it this past fall and it did the job. After the season, however, I saw some 7mm x 120 grain Sierra Game Pros on my bullet shelf so I gave them a test over Varget. Mercy! Fast, flat shooting, and accurate as can be. I think these bullets will get the nod next fall. If you get a chance, give them a test. (If you haven't already, that is.)~Muir

 

[Southern]

I first tried the Sierra 7mm 120-gr bullets for my then 11-year-old son in a Win M-70 Featherweight, over 37.5 grains of IMR-4895 at 2,675 fps, about like a .257 Roberts. Mild recoil, all shots into tiny ragged hole groups, and perfect for whitetail deer inside 100 yards, the limit I imposed then. Easy to step it up to nearly 3,000 fps, and still have tiny groups. We were shooting the Nosler 120-gr BT, too, but the Sierra costs half as much. The mild loads are great for practice, too, because they are traveling the same trajectory at the normal 140-gr at 2,700 ..2,750 fps from the same rifle.

About 15 years later, I am trying to dial in the load and OAL of this bullet and both IMR and H-4895 for my 7x57R, and get it shooting near the sights on my combination gun at somewhere between 2,650 and 2,800 fps.

A full load in a 7x57 makes it shoot almost like a .25-06.

The Sierra 150-gr is high on my list of bullets to work up in the 7x57R, because of the way it shoots in my .280 and 7x64.