Advantages and limitations of 7mmx57 round?

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7x57 mauser for home defense.. I had to chuckle at this.

A round of that through the vitals will reliably put any predator or game in North America down, 2 OR 4 legged.

I sure as hell wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one.

Firing it indoors at night in self defense will be VERY detrimental to your hearing / eyesight (and anyone else in the vicinity).
 
I'm going out on a limb here, but I think 7x57 could be used as a home defense round just as effectively as a .308 could. There's no dedicated frangible bullets that I know of, but you could load up some of the Sierra 100grn HP Varminter bullets. I don't have experience with the 7mm ones, but I have loaded the 85grn HP .264 bullets to about 3000fps in my 6.5x55. They behave quite explosively when contacting anything solid. Fragmentation is very rapid. I shot a lot of jackrabbits with them. I once got two of them lined up in the same shot, the second about 5 yards behind the first. The bullet exploded so violently in the first rabbit that it only managed to mangle the one behind it with shrapnel. I would think that the same load would work pretty well in home defense, at least as well as any other rifle caliber round out there.

As for noise, it would be loud. Then again, so is firing a .357 Magnum revolver indoors.
 
That's true 30 cal! But so could a 50 bmg. With all the polls el godfather posts, it seems like he like to make post to rattle a few cages. No way I would consider that round for hd. Most of them are older bolt actions.
 
No doubt, I use a 12 Gauge for HD. All I'm saying is, that for the plethora of people out there who use .223, 7.62x39, .308, etc for home defense, the 7x57 can work just as well. Load it with light, explosive bullets. It will put a world of hurt on someone, yet it's explosive fragmentation means it won't be very good at going through walls and stuff. If you set up the gas system on an FN49 to run those bullets, you could very well have an extremely lethal home defense weapon. A little on the heavy side, but that's some serious firepower.
 
HD question is supposed to be more related to the PLATFORM rather than Caliber, lets leave 12 gauge aside (it is a different class), how much longer shots do we expect in HD situation, 15-150 yards, I don't think that anybody will disqualify 7mm Mauser for this role,,, but M-4 or any other setup in 308 is a different ballgame mostly due to platform not the caliber,, I would love to have an AR-15 in 7mm Mauser ;)
 
I have a Mauser 93 that is ugly (bubba got to it) but still shoots wonderfully. I'm building a scout rifle on a VZ24 with a 19" barrel in 7x57 as well. As has been said, it's a delightful combination of all the factors that make up a hunting cartridge.

These days you can find many more rifles chambered for 7mm-08 which, in lighter bullets, can pretty much duplicate the 7x57 - power, recoil, etc - and do so in a short action. However for heavier bullets, I think the old Mauser chambering is still supreme and I prefer to load my 7x57 with 175 gr SP to take advantage of that.

I note that there is a SHOT Show special at the Winchester website of a M70 Featherweight in 7x57 with a 26" barrel. If I were in a place to afford that rifle and a good fixed power scope, that would be a delightful grail gun :)
 
Overall the 7X57 is a favorite in print and like many cartridges is adequate for hunting some game larger than varmints.

It has no advantage over other more popular rounds.

The 7X57 is limited by a lack of available ammo in the USA and limited range.

While 7mm is good the 57mm case is not large enough to optimize trajectory, wind drift and power.

None of the 57mm cartridges are big sellers these days as they don't fit in long or short actions.
 
I found that an easy round to load, and a relatively gentle one to shoot. That one is definitely an oldie but a goodie.

It should be noted that as an elephant gun, success was almost entirely due to shot placement, specifically brain shots.

This is the guy mostly responsible for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W.D.M._Bell

I read elsewhere, but cannot site now, that he had the elephant skull dissected to see where he needed to aim from many different positions relative to the target.
 
For me the main advantage of the 7x57 is the sweet old Mausers that it used to be chambered in. For a battle rifle it is far superior to the new fangled 30'06 as it recoils less and the ammo weighs less to carry. For hunting it has less recoil and with old technology bullets it was dependable with its heavy 175 gr slugs at low speed. With newer bullets that is no longer moot.

For deer, the modern 250 Savage offers plenty of range and power with even less recoil, and for elk the 280 Rem and 270 Win, when loaded with Hornady Superformance GMX, are far superior. I can't see much reason for anything more.
 
first thing ill say is to boxhead. Thats a flat out gorgeous rifle. It ranks right up there in my book as one of the prettiest guns ive seen anywhere!! Then ill adress some of the others. Why is it when any question is asked about a specific caliber some guy will jump in and claim its everything a bigger caliber is. The 757 is a great caliber, what its not is a 06 or even a 270. Sure a guy can twist the mathmatics around and make any round look good by also twisting the numbers on the round hes comparing it too. Bottom line has allways been and allways will be, add more powder and more bullet and you get more power. Real life numbers an 06 will push a 150 to 3000 and a 757 WILL NOT. An o6 will push a 180 as fast as a 757 will push a smaller diameter 150. How in the #### does that make the 757 equal to an 06. I own a nice 757 and load it with 140s at a tad over 2800 fps and its death on deer out to 300 yards so why say its more then what it is. As to all the guys who jump in and claim recoil is the big seperator. Well maybe for a kid or your wife but any Man who shoots regularly (and i assume we all do or we wouldnt be frequenting shooting forums) that can accurately shoot a 757 loaded up to the level you guys are talking sure wont go home injured after shoot the same rifle in 270 or o6.
 
Lloyd Smale said:
first thing ill say is to boxhead. Thats a flat out gorgeous rifle. It ranks right up there in my book as one of the prettiest guns ive seen anywhere!! Then ill adress some of the others. Why is it when any question is asked about a specific caliber some guy will jump in and claim its everything a bigger caliber is. The 757 is a great caliber, what its not is a 06 or even a 270. Sure a guy can twist the mathmatics around and make any round look good by also twisting the numbers on the round hes comparing it too. Bottom line has allways been and allways will be, add more powder and more bullet and you get more power. Real life numbers an 06 will push a 150 to 3000 and a 757 WILL NOT. An o6 will push a 180 as fast as a 757 will push a smaller diameter 150. How in the #### does that make the 757 equal to an 06. I own a nice 757 and load it with 140s at a tad over 2800 fps and its death on deer out to 300 yards so why say its more then what it is. As to all the guys who jump in and claim recoil is the big seperator. Well maybe for a kid or your wife but any Man who shoots regularly (and i assume we all do or we wouldnt be frequenting shooting forums) that can accurately shoot a 757 loaded up to the level you guys are talking sure wont go home injured after shoot the same rifle in 270 or o6.
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Spend an entire day at the range shooting both out of a military rifle with a steel butt plate. Then you'll see the advantage in recoil reduction with a 7x57. Like it or not, there's a big difference in recoil between the 7x57 and .30-06. That means you can have a lot lighter rifle and still be comfortable. Quicker handling, easier to carry all day, etc, etc.

Power is not the end all be all of a hunting rifle. '06 size cases are rough on deer size game. Overkill. The 7x57 or 6.5x55 kills a lot cleaner, with a lot less fuss and hassle, than the bigger cartridges. It's more than adequate for any game that most of us will ever hunt. If you need a bigger cartridge, then get one. My next step up from a 7x57 would be along the lines of a belted magnum or a .35 Whelen/.338-06. IMO, having a 7x57 in the rack (in a modern action capable of loading to full pressure) completely negates the need for an '06 or .270. Especially the .270.

BTW, my 7x57AI will launch a 150 grn bullet to 3000 fps. That being said, in what case are you ever going to need that extra 150-200fps?
 
7x57 is a great round, and as others have said it is capable of taking any big game in north America short of the larger bears. 7mm-08 essentially duplicates the 7x57 in a short action as does .260 Remington for the 6.5x55. The performance of these old Mauser rounds are still relevant, and up to modern standards, especially if you reload for them.
 
The 7X57 is the 30/06 of the 7MM's. It is good OLD caliber- but the 7MM/08 will serve the same purpose in 99% of the cases in a short action and is more economical to load and shoot- same as the 30/06 verses 308 Winchester.Either one will do the job,most of the time.
 
Good for you 7X57 Mauser aficionados.

When I started out in the early 1950's our rifle club would issue us all of the free 30-06 ball ammo we could use within reason.

Back then it was easy to get an old military rifle real cheap or even borrow it free. I had a Springfield and a Garand from the club. Then the DCM sold us Springfields for $10!

I never had a 7X57 nor missed one.

Later in the 60's I got a .358W for the woods up north and I felt it was optimum.

Now I am hunting in more open land and the .358 is out of place there. However a 7X57 could do it they say.

The magnums and 30-06 have more range, wind bucking ability and a flatter trajectory and are even better for me in the open.

I have a 7X57 now as an old Brno came so chambered.
 
I never understand serious "debates" about this caliber/round is better than that one unless we are talking about extremes. Virtually any round that has made it into the 21st century, when used within its reasonable limits, is completely satisfactory for 97% of shooters and their abilities. The 7x57 will do very well for the vast and overwhelming number of hunters in North America. It will also be excellent for most recreational and club competitive shooters. It's a great round. Ideal for elk? No. As good as the 30-06 for deer at distances that the vast and overwhelming number of hunters have no business taking shots at? No. A great brown bear or rhino round ? No. A great 1,000 yard precision target round? No. The ideal prairie dog round? No. An excellent mid-range caliber / round? Yes. Classic? Yes. Super fun? Yes. Enjoy.
 
Spend an entire day at the range shooting both out of a military rifle with a steel butt plate. Then you'll see the advantage in recoil reduction with a 7x57. Like it or not, there's a big difference in recoil between the 7x57 and .30-06. That means you can have a lot lighter rifle and still be comfortable. Quicker handling, easier to carry all day, etc, etc.

Power is not the end all be all of a hunting rifle. '06 size cases are rough on deer size game. Overkill. The 7x57 or 6.5x55 kills a lot cleaner, with a lot less fuss and hassle, than the bigger cartridges. It's more than adequate for any game that most of us will ever hunt. If you need a bigger cartridge, then get one. My next step up from a 7x57 would be along the lines of a belted magnum or a .35 Whelen/.338-06. IMO, having a 7x57 in the rack (in a modern action capable of loading to full pressure) completely negates the need for an '06 or .270. Especially the .270.

BTW, my 7x57AI will launch a 150 grn bullet to 3000 fps. That being said, in what case are you ever going to need that extra 150-200fps?
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I shoot alot of deer every year and have shot them with just about every caliber you can think of. Everything from a 223 to a 458mag. Most have been taken with guns in the middle ground. ie 243-300 mags. Ill say this. If you think a 757 or 708 kills deer as well as an 06 youve either not killed enough with both or are just predudice. You say yourself that the o6 does more damage. In my book that relates to quicker kills in more instantances then not. Id about agree with you if you were talking 200 yards but when the range gets out to 300 plus the 06 is just flat out superior. Just as a 300 mag is superior to the 06. I kind of get a charge out of posts like these when guys will talk up there favorite round by saying its everything a round thats 200 fps faster is. Even a 100 fps makes a differnce.

Does this mean the 757 is no good? Hell no. As a matter of fact i just picked up another one yesterday. A tang safety 77r. Thing is i have no intension of trying to pass it off as a 280 or 06. Im not going to load it till the primers flatten just to prove a point either. What im going to do with it is take it out and kill deer where i know the range isnt going to get any farther then 250 yards.

I also chuckle at all the posts about magnums doing more meat damage. Again i shoot a ton of deer every year. Actually a couple tons. Only differnce i really noticed deer to deer when it comes to meat damage is in shot placement. Hit them in the meat and they all damage meat. Hit them behind the shoulder and your going to loose some ribs and i dont worry about that. Ive shot 80lb deer with 300 wbys and 7stw using cup and core bullets and other then the scraps off the ribs have lost no good meat. I about have to question the marksmanship of guys who wine about meat damage. I think most of it is based on what someone else said and very few of the guys that claim they cause more meat damage have actually shot a bunch of deer with both. Some of the most messed up deer ive seen have been shot by the lowly old 3030. Hit a deer in the shoulder with a 150 corelock at 50 yards and you WILL SEE some meat damage.

Most of the posts you see where guys use low recoil and meat damage for an arguement come from guys thats idea of shooting is popping off maybe a box of shells a year in there deer rifle and killing a deer every two or three years. They dont want to put in the time to master a bigger gun so instead of admitting they cant handle it put a lable on anyone who can or say they arent as cool of a hunter because they too dont use a small gun. Sorry but i use them all. Ive shot enough deer to have a pretty good grasp on what works and how differnt calibers stack up. You can preach that smaller is better or just as good till your blue in the face but preach it to me and you might as well be preaching to the choir. As to your arguement about weight. I wieght 250 lbs and worked a real job all my life and even at 56 i think im capable of carrying 8 flipping pounds around all day. Nope i hope God comes and takes me the day i feel i no longer need an o6 in the safe
 
as a side discussion, it would be very interesting to hear how you are able to take so many deer every year. Most of us are fortunate if we get one or two... I am not being sarcastic - the story and background (with pics, of course) would make interesting reading...
 
not hiunting just shooting. I do crop damage deer shooting on a big potatoe farm here localy from the middle of july till the first of nov. Does only and I shoot between 50 and a 100 a year. before the negetive people jump in all the meat is eaten. We keep some and donate alot to the local food bank.
 
Lloyd Smale said:
not hiunting just shooting. I do crop damage deer shooting on a big potatoe farm here localy from the middle of july till the first of nov. Does only and I shoot between 50 and a 100 a year. before the negetive people jump in all the meat is eaten. We keep some and donate alot to the local food bank.
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Just imagine how many you could get if you used a real round! :D I love my mexican 7x57. I've yet to get a deer with it, but it's good out to about 300 yards for insurgent paper and gongs. Really likes 120 grain Ballistic Tips. For me, it's close to a perfectly balanced round. But, then again, I have a thing for the x57 family of cartridges. I have many 8x57, both sporter and military, 7x57, a 257 Roberts that should be finished in a week or so, and a 6mm Rem in process. Now I just need to do a 9.3x57 and I'll be all set.

Matt
 
Box, that is dop-dead gorgeous. One day I'm going to build one and mark it .275 Rigby. I also want to build a .280 and label it 7mm Express.
 
Killing oomph

I think that bullet construction and shot placement play a larger role than raw horsepower. With a high chest shot a high velocity 85 gr bullet will drop a deer in its tracks where a 180 gr at 2700 fps from a 30'06 will usually have them run for a short distance. Make the same shot with a 125 gr TNT from the '06 zipping along at 3200 fps and the deer will crumple with a hole that you can see through. Excessive meat damage comes when a bullet expends most of its energy in the meat...duh. If the bullet blows up in meat meat will blow up too.

A buddy went hunting with a guy who shot a small doe with a 300 Weatherby mag using a 150 gr bullet at 3500 fps. There wasn't much meat worth saving. The same shot with a 458 Win Mag would have had a better ending.

The 7x57 has a good reputation because historically hunters used a great bullet in an era fraught with bullet failures. When the 30'06 and 270 came out they were the magnums of their day. Bullet selection hadn't caught up to the new high velocity yet. Just when it finally did the next batch of magnums shooting even faster came out with yet more bullet failures until technology caught up yet again. Failures led to core locts and interlocks, then more speed and failures led to bonded cores and X bullets, etc.

The 30-30, 6.5x55, and 7x57's built their reputations on slow bullets that held together at their low velocities. Pump those same bullets out at 400 fps faster and they will often fail to perform correctly.

Today we can better match the game and velocity and bullet construction up much better than in the past due to high technology and better communication. So with all else being equal the bigger guns are better killers. It just took a while for technology to catch up. That said, dead is dead. We can now kill at long range or ridiculous range or even with light recoil, assuming that the bullet construction, velocity, game animal, and shot placement are in harmony, and Lady Luck smiles upon us.

As an aside, I once gut shot a mule deer using a JLK 108gr VLD in a 25'06 going 3400 fps. The deer was disemboweled and dropped where it stood. A hasty follow up ended its misery. A 30'06 with a strongly built 180 gr might have let that deer get away. That bullet with its light jacket, high velocity, and high BC made it the dealer of instant death as long as you stayed away from heavy bones on heavy animals.
 
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Karmamojo Bell. He mastered the brain shot. It doesn't make the .275 Rigby (as his was chambered) an elephant round though ;-)
 
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