Why is 7x57 (AKA 7mm Mauser or 275 Rigby) not more popular?

[Riomouse911]

Nothing to do with 7mm, but a few years ago, I found Remington 20-gauge low brass #6 shells on sale at, of all places, a Meier grocery store in Lexington. $3.50/box, I bought all they had.

Heck, I would have bought them out, too!

“Sorry honey, I forgot the tomatoes, salad dressing and croutons, but looky here! I got a smoking deal on this cart full of 20 gauge!”

Stay safe.

 

[ThomasT]

I hadnt ever thought much about 7x57, but was reading about it recently, and it looks on paper that it would be as good as other deer caliber rifle cartridges, but perhaps with less recoil. Has it ever been more popular?

I have killed most of my deer with a custom 7x57 built on a Mauser G33/40 action by my grandfather and uncle. It had either a PO Ackley or Douglas barrel on it. My uncle couldn't remember. I gave it to my youngest son with a lot of ammo. I replaced it with an older Remington model 7 in 7-08 with 18" barrel. I am considering getting a wood stocked Savage Axis in 7-08.

Jack O'Conner wrote about the 7x57 and his wife using it and he liked the round. I was just looking at 7x57 rifles on GB a few days ago. Not a lot of selections of them for sale.

 

[dickydalton]

I had a nice 1936 Mexican Mauser that wasn't a rusty junker. I owned it for a long time. I sold it on GB last July. The high bid was $2,150.

 

[Random 8]

It is a fine round, as is the 6.5x55, 7.65x53, and 8x57. A previous poster touched on it, it's not American. The time frame when it (these) were cutting edge cartridges, other than an elite cadre of well heeled individuals, most hunting rifles in the US were a lever action or a surplus Krag. Some Spanish/US war bolt rifles and rolling blocks were available in this caliber between 1900 and 1920's, and it saw some use by rank and file sportsmen. The military of the US absolutely was interested in it's performance, but were set on long, heavy and round.30 caliber tooling and bullets, and didn't really take an interest in the long range capabilities of a pointy bullet at high velocity until Germany did.

After WWI, 8x57 and 30-06 bolt rifles were common on the surplus market and easily converted into inexpensive sporting rifles. Soon after followed the .270 Win, and a few high velocity lever/semi auto rounds that filled most niches in American style hunting. Optics really hadn't gained enough universal acceptance to realize the LR potential of a sleek 7mm bullet. Why get a 7x57 when you could get a good old Winchester 270 or Savage .22 HP, .250 or .300? Maybe a .256 Newton or 6mm LEE or 280 Ross if you really wanted something swanky!

The rest is history. It's always been a niche cartridge here. Popular in Europe still today.