7mm-08 Vs 7x57 Mauser

Boddington recently wrote an article comparing the three most popular non-magnum 7mms: the 7x57 Swede (7mm Mauser), the .280 Rem., and the 7mm-08 Rem. (See May/June 2011 edition of Rifle Shooter)

He's a big fan of the 7x57. However, his big criticism is that factory ammo is underpowered due to the fact that many rifles in this caliber made in the early 1900s cannot handle higher pressures. However, if one is into rolling their own ammo, this round can be, with modern rifles, torqued a tad to exploit its potential and brought closer to matching the 7mm-08.

Lot more to choose from in factory ammo for the 7mm-08.

For anyone who is sensitive to recoil, youth and ladies in particular, the 7mm-08 is probably the ideal solution to an all around hunting rifle, including for elk with the right quality bullets.

FWIW.
 
Have both, love both, but I prefer the 7x57. S&B makes a nice "full-power" load that launches a 140 grain bullet to a claimed 2850 fps -- similar to typical commercial 308 Win loads. There's also more power to be had than that with handloading. My uber strong 1947 large ring FN Mauser can handle a lot more pressure than the US cartridge manufactures produce, so I stick with S&B and Prvi. I don't handload 7mm Mauser yet, but I am saving my casings for when I do.
BTW, I consider 7x57 a medium or intermediate cartridge in comparison to 30-06. The photo below illustrates this point, left to right: 12 ga 3", 30-06, 7x57, 308 Win, 7.62x39 (Prvi), 7.62x39 (military FMJ), 22LR

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senior said:
I'm not a fan of the 7x57 because the case specs show it to be very loose in the neck of most chambers.
The best thing you can do with one (IMHO) is run a 280 reamer into it :)
It will leave a little bulge around the base of the case upon fireing (because of the loose neck dia) but case doesn't seem to suffer from it. My rifle had the barrel set back one thread so bulge is minimum length. It improved accuracy 100% in my rifle.

Ok you 7x57 lovers flame away, I got my umbrella up :D
Click to expand...

Well you are from Ontario so we can just chalk it up...
 
If you are looking for an off-the-shelf rifle, everyone chambers a 7-08. New 7x57 are hard to come by.
 
If you handload, a 7x57 is marginally ballistically superior to the 7mm-08. If you don't handload, the 7mm-08 is the only practical way to go. The cartridge length is a good point, the 7x57 was designed to be used in what would now be classed as an intermediate length action. Rem 700 short actions, for example, aren't a good choice for the 7 Mauser (unless modified). The Win action, being slightly longer, is a better choice for this round. If you use a long action, well then you may as well chamber for a 280 or 7 Rem Mag. FWIW - dan
 
You won't get anyone badmouthing the 7x57 that really used one.............in Africa the British were so impressed after losing many men[Boer War] they relabeled it the. 275 Rigby and it became a favorite sporting cartridge.................like the 9.3x62 it ain't fancy but it works.........................Harold
 
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