7mm Mauser or 7mm-08?
- Thread starter Glen
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Arkansas Paul
Member
Speaking of ballistics, I don't think there's a real world difference one way or the other. I would probably go with the 7mm-08. More options ammo wise, unless you handload then it prolly wouldn't matter.
wlewisiii
Member
I have and love both. In this case, stick to mauser and put a 7x57 barrel on it.
docnyt
Member
There's something about the 7x57 caliber. It gets my vote.
bobnob
Member
You are using an action designed for the x57 length, mad to go any other way than 7x57.
jimmyraythomason
Member
Actually from a labor/effort standpoint there is no difference between the 2 for rebarreling. The 7mm-08 will feed from an 8mm magazine just fine with no modification.
I have M98s chambered in 30.06,.308win,.280rem,.257 roberts and 7x57mm. All were originally chambered in 8x57mm. No modifications were made to the bolts,magazines or extractors. Having said that,go with the 7x57mm. It is an awesome caliber and is much less expensive,ammo wise,than 7mm-08.
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Float Pilot
Member
7x57mm. Not only is the action already set for that length case, but the 7x57mm handles longer and heavier bullets better than the 7mm-08.
jimmyraythomason
Member
Maybe so but I've built sporters on Gew 98,Turk K.Kale and Colombian actions and none needed any rail work(even the shorter .308 win. round).
Kachok
Member
Go with the old school Mauser. While the 7mm-08 has a little higher perfomance with 140-150gr bullets I like the tight twist and heavier bullets of the 7x57
Flintknapper
Member
I'm a big fan of the 7mm-08, but in your case...I agree with the others who suggest you go with the 7X57.
azwizard
Member
Why step down, I'd rather stay with the 8mm. Shoots heavier bullets, your already handloading so you can shoot lighter bullets if you want to. The 7X57 will shoot a little flatter maybe but Ii don't see it as an advantage. You can download the 8mm to 7mm equivanent charges but if you need something heavier you can't upload the 7mm to 8mm levels.
Jeff F
Member
The 7x57 is such a sweet shooting round and can be very accurate. It would get my vote.
GooseGestapo
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A poster queried why the 7mm08 gained so much popularity....
The 7mm08 is slightly shorter and is loaded to the pressure levels that only reloaders with strong 7mm Mausers are able to load too.
I've owned both, and both have their place and use. A true apples to apples to comparison. But, each has it's differences.
If you are building a custom rifle based on the Mauser action, I'd go with the .280 Ackly-Improved rather than the basic 7mmMauser. Use the length of the action to get even more performance.
If buying a new, modern short action rifle, go with the 7mm08......
Most people won't shoot a rifle in 8mm enough to wear out the barrels. Most were worn out shooting steel jacketed mil-spec ammo that was made close to 100yrs ago. Modern bullet materials as well as primers and powders are much less corrosive than a century ago.
I'd just stick with the 8mm.
The 7mm08 is slightly shorter and is loaded to the pressure levels that only reloaders with strong 7mm Mausers are able to load too.
I've owned both, and both have their place and use. A true apples to apples to comparison. But, each has it's differences.
If you are building a custom rifle based on the Mauser action, I'd go with the .280 Ackly-Improved rather than the basic 7mmMauser. Use the length of the action to get even more performance.
If buying a new, modern short action rifle, go with the 7mm08......
Most people won't shoot a rifle in 8mm enough to wear out the barrels. Most were worn out shooting steel jacketed mil-spec ammo that was made close to 100yrs ago. Modern bullet materials as well as primers and powders are much less corrosive than a century ago.
I'd just stick with the 8mm.
I'm not even sure why the 7mm-08 gained the popularity that it did. The 7X57 has been around for over 100 years and their ballistics are virtually the same. Go with the 7X57, it a classic and stylish.
Because the two popular action lengths are long (30-06 class or ) and short (308 class). The 7x57 case length falls between these two. None of the calibers based on the 57 mm length cases are popular, to include 6mm Remington, 257 Roberts, 7x57 & 8x57. All are fine calibers and will do the job well, but they are "tweeners". Too short for long actions and too long for short actions
jimmyraythomason
Member
All of the cartridges you list work very well in long actions and allow for a wider selection of bullets.
This is true.
Smokey in PHX
Member
It is hard to beat the classic 7X57. I have always been amazed at how well it puts down game to include elk.
This is a good point, but the fact of the matter is, no one wants to buy a long action for a 57mm cartridge.
51mm cartridges in the short action is what sells- 243 Win, 260 Rem, 7mm-08. The WSM and the RUSM cartridges were designed to fit short actions.
or '06 length cartridges in long actions- 30-06 & 270 Win. The 300 Winchester Magnum & 7mm Remington Magnum were also designed to fit the long action.
When buying a long action, it makes more sense to have it chambered for the 280 Remington or 7mm Remington Magnum than the 7x57
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