7x57 175gr - marginal or good?

[Essexsussex]

Picking up my 7x57 Stutzen today

Very excited to have a shot, only ammo available locally is 175gr. Is it an outlier weight-wise or worth having a go with? I was assuming I’d be using 140-160gr.

Mainly will be used with fallow.

Thank you

 

[cjm1066]

With lead I used 139/140 now 120 non lead.

175 is well within the range of bullets widely used.

 

[webley701]

In the long history of the wonderful 7x57 cartridge the 175 grn bullet is hardly an ‘outlier’.

Rigby in particular helped to popularise the 140 grn load (in the guise of the .275 Rigby) & over the years there’s been a move to 123 - 150 grn bullets in the 7x57 for use on deer. That said, the 175 grn is still first choice for some larger/stronger game.

Given the right bullet construction for the game (a key point) - a 175 grn load will be as good as it ever was. For fallow it would be good to check that your factory ammunition isn’t intended for wild boar.

 

[Essexsussex]

With lead I used 139/140 now 120 non lead.

175 is well within the range of bullets widely used.

Thank you

Trying to find something lighter is proving less than easy - at least that I can get my hands on today anyway. Should have been more prepared!

 

[angusb1]

The older 1:8.66 twist was designed to shoot round nosed bullets around the 175gr weight, if it is a newer rifle it might have a 1:9 or 1:10 twist which should still stabilise the 175gr bullets well.

 

[Essexsussex]

In the long history of the wonderful 7x57 cartridge the 175 grn bullet is hardly an ‘outlier’.

Rigby in particular helped to popularise the 140 grn load (in the guise of the .275 Rigby) & over the years there’s been a move to 123 - 150 grn bullets in the 7x57 for use on deer. That said, the 175 grn is still first choice for some larger/stronger game.

Given the right bullet construction for the game (a key point) - a 175 grn load will be as good as it ever was. For fallow it would be good to check that your factory ammunition isn’t intended for wild boar.

Think it’s federal power shock which just says “big game”. But it has a picture of something with antlers on the packet!

 

[Leec6.5]

150’s work will in copper and lead, not ventured heavier as of yet, not seen the need too.

 

[Essexsussex]

The older 1:8.66 twist was designed to shoot round nosed bullets around the 175gr weight, if it is a newer rifle it might have a 1:9 or 1:10 twist which should still stabilise the 175gr bullets well.

Heym sr20.
Not sure of the twist yet but probably sits in “modern” category

 

[Mauser Martin]

I use a GECO SP 165g with great success. It will deal with a big Norfolk red down to Muntjac without any major damage. Very little meat damage.

 

[Sika98k]

I’ve used 175 gr bullets in my Rigby for several years. Shoots them perfectly. The rifle shoots 140gr well also.

 

[Apthorpe]

It will be fine and gives you some brass to reload. Nobody is in the game of keeping manufacturing rounds for game which don't work. Probably not optimal but perfectly OK.

 

[Essexsussex]

Good old DeerSussex has come to my rescue with some more mid ranged weight rounds to try…I’ll report back how it shoots,
Thanks everyone.

 

[Scipio]

Picking up my 7x57 Stutzen today

Very excited to have a shot, only ammo available locally is 175gr. Is it an outlier weight-wise or worth having a go with? I was assuming I’d be using 140-160gr.

Mainly will be used with fallow.

Thank you

First of all welcome to the club!

Well, I havnt shot anything heavier than 160 something Gecos i think they were, so i cant tell you much on the field use of the 175s, besides that they, in the old cup and core soft lead shot days, were considered the go to for bigger and more dense animals, needing a high SD for adequate penetration.
Here is a table that gives a bit of over sight of projectile weight and SDs for different calibers Sectional Density

Bear in mind that this table (i believe) reflects assumed fitting SDs numbers to quarry for old soft cup and core bullets and not for modern sturdier projectiles. With those one might adjust a bit in weight and SD.

 

[Sinistral]

Think it’s federal power shock which just says “big game”. But it has a picture of something with antlers on the packet!

Most of the US majors turned their backs on the 7mm Mauser decades ago, and only produce ammunition now in their 'economy' line.
Federal's offerings are the Classic (Power-Shok) loaded with their own bullets in 140gr, and the 175gr RN which hasn't ever made the legal MV for large deer in Scotland. It was just below the minimum until 2007, but the loading was reduced by another 50fps the following year.

The Heym SR20 twist-rate in 7x57, 7x64, and 7x65R is 1 in 220mm (8.7") . . . the 7mm RM is 1 in 240mm (9.5").

 

[enfieldspares]

Picking up my 7x57 Stutzen today

Very excited to have a shot, only ammo available locally is 175gr. Is it an outlier weight-wise or worth having a go with? I was assuming I’d be using 140-160gr.

Mainly will be used with fallow.

Thank you

It is good enough that we, the Brits, essentially copied it after being on the "wrong end" of it in the Boer War. The .303 Mk VII that was introduced in 1907 was the result of those lessons hard learned in South Africa and served through WWI, WW2 and the Korean War. It is in ballistics the same. A 174 grain bullet at 2,450 fps. With right bullet construction and put in the right place it will do all that is needed and do it well. Yes I probably wouldn't use it for shooting magpies or crows at 250 yards but, them aside, it'll do most anything else.

 

[Bowland blades]

Picking up my 7x57 Stutzen today

Very excited to have a shot, only ammo available locally is 175gr. Is it an outlier weight-wise or worth having a go with? I was assuming I’d be using 140-160gr.

Mainly will be used with fallow.

Thank you

I sold my 7-08 years ago but i used lead then 140 grain Sierra . and i shot mainly Fallow with it ( haven't used any 7mm copper ) , though i am sure Barnes will have a copper tTSX of similar length so your OK to shoot all venues legally for a long while into the future .

 

[jcampbellsmith]

Picking up my 7x57 Stutzen today

Very excited to have a shot, only ammo available locally is 175gr. Is it an outlier weight-wise or worth having a go with? I was assuming I’d be using 140-160gr.

Mainly will be used with fallow.

Thank you

Surely you should be investigating the non-lead options?

GECO ZERO | GECO

Discover the GECO ZERO: A highly effective and accurate, lead-free bullet for all types of game.

geco-ammunition.com

Rifle ammunition with eXergy Blue bullets – Sellier & Bellot

www.sellier-bellot.cz

Regards

JCS

 

[Essexsussex]

Surely you should be investigating the non-lead options?

GECO ZERO | GECO

Discover the GECO ZERO: A highly effective and accurate, lead-free bullet for all types of game.

geco-ammunition.com

Rifle ammunition with eXergy Blue bullets – Sellier & Bellot

www.sellier-bellot.cz

Regards

JCS

You are right JCS but just needed something to get me shooting, very little choice off the shelf.

Now the proud owner of some rws 123gr and will follow with Geco zero once I can get some on order.

 

[WildBoarHunter]

Heym SR 20 are wonderful rifles. Mine is 6,5×55 and left handed. Very accurate and well made. From the times when rifles where made from wood and blued steel. I would love to have a SR 20 in 7×57, but with half stock and 60 cm barrel just for a change as I allready own a stutzen. You will be fine with 175 gr bullets.

 

[moeggesit]

I consider the 7x57 with 175gr marginal for elephant and an already ****ed off buffalo (where you would use RN-FMJ or ideally a .458Lott), for everything else it’s fine.

It was designed for use with 175gr bullets and that’s what it works best with.

It’s certainly everything you could need for the UK.

Mine shoots 170gr copper fine too.

It underperforms with lightweight bullets so don’t bother in my opinion.