The 7mm Mauser
- Thread starter Buckmastr
- Start date
It always amazes me how, after a century, we have tinkered with cartridges, but there have not been a lot of huge improvements over the old standbys - 30-06, 6.5X55, 7mm Mauser, 375 H&H, 45-70, 250-3000, 270, the venerable 22 RF, to name just a few. Manufacturers have tweaked them, but have not been able to come up with any huge, groundbreaking improvements. A few fairly notable exceptions, I guess, would be the Weatherby's, the 223, and a few of the "large bore" African calibers,
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
If one is going to be restricted to a single rifle for all North American hunting, I strongly believe the .30/06 is the correct answer. I also believe that there are folks who find a light weight .30/06 a bit intimidating, and for them the 7X57 covers the same ground, with better manners, while giving up nothing in range or terminal performance. You get more for less, and a 7X57 is arguably a better choice than a .30/06 for someone who prefers a carbine length rifle. At one time I considered having a matched pair of rifles, probably Ruger #1s, one marked .275 Rigby, the other .416, thus having a brace of Rigbys.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
To that you can add the .220 Swift and the 6mm Lee Navy.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I have another 275 Rigby in the works.
Here's the project ....
It's going to be a long road ahead on this one. Currently in the "gathering" stage. Barrel enroute for 7x57 chambering.
The bottom lumber .......
Will be patterned after this rifle. Chris Griesbach is doing it.
Once completed that will be very nice rifle.
And what would that be? Please, please, don't say the 375 Ruger???????
Sorry, completely forgot about the 220. Would you place the L-N in the same group as the others? I had also thought of the 280 Ross, but then figured, as great as it was, that it didn't become the standard the others did.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Good point, but had either of those cartridges become the standard of their respective nations, neither the .30/06 or the .303 would have seen the popularity they did, in fact the .30/06 might have never seen the light of day. The .280, combined with a lightning quick straight pull bolt action, would have been a giant in the game fields.
A tang safety M77 in 7x57 was my first centerfire rifle (back from ‘75).
Took WT and mule deer, elk, moose, black bear and coyotes with it.
Used 140 grain Hornady cup and core “Spire Points” for everything except the elk (160 gr Speer Mag-tips).
Took a KS Arms ‘98 Mauser to South Africa in 2011, used 140 grain TSX on Kudu and other plains game. Chrono’d velocity averaged 2,950 with H414.
As long as you hit the animal in the vitals, it will work very well.
The nice thing about the 7mm Mauser is it is easy to shoot well. No doubt due to the modest recoil.
My own experience with heavy bullets (Lapua 170gr) was over-penetration (on a decent whitetail). It bounded off like nothing happened but dropped dead after 60 or 70 yards. Lung-shot. 140’s seem to have more immediate effect. Plus, they shoot way flatter than old-style 170’s.
If you’re getting 2,750 to 2,850 with a 140-150, that’s about perfect.
Going faster won’t make it kill game better. Bullet construction and placement will.
Enjoy!
P.S.
Just a wee edit. My “Holy Grail” hunting rifle is a ZG47 carbine in 7 x 57.
Not an MOA shooter, (more like 1.5MOA) but, oh my. Totally perfect for a “walk in the woods” rifle!
Took WT and mule deer, elk, moose, black bear and coyotes with it.
Used 140 grain Hornady cup and core “Spire Points” for everything except the elk (160 gr Speer Mag-tips).
Took a KS Arms ‘98 Mauser to South Africa in 2011, used 140 grain TSX on Kudu and other plains game. Chrono’d velocity averaged 2,950 with H414.
As long as you hit the animal in the vitals, it will work very well.
The nice thing about the 7mm Mauser is it is easy to shoot well. No doubt due to the modest recoil.
My own experience with heavy bullets (Lapua 170gr) was over-penetration (on a decent whitetail). It bounded off like nothing happened but dropped dead after 60 or 70 yards. Lung-shot. 140’s seem to have more immediate effect. Plus, they shoot way flatter than old-style 170’s.
If you’re getting 2,750 to 2,850 with a 140-150, that’s about perfect.
Going faster won’t make it kill game better. Bullet construction and placement will.
Enjoy!
P.S.
Just a wee edit. My “Holy Grail” hunting rifle is a ZG47 carbine in 7 x 57.
Not an MOA shooter, (more like 1.5MOA) but, oh my. Totally perfect for a “walk in the woods” rifle!
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I shot mine last night with RL 17, R-P brass
140 TTSX at 2950 with 50gr
120 Ballistic Tips at 3100 with 53 gr
120 ProHunters at 3100 with 53 gr
All shot to just under an inch from my Ruger M77.
I haven't killed any game with it though. Recoil was mild. I was impressed by the trigger of this old rifle as well. Broke nice at 2.5lbs.
I own a couple M70's in 7x57, my main hunting rifle, in New Zealand for many years,
Bought one of the limited run Winchester M70 featherweights, 5-6 years ago, my present to myself, for paying of the house, really like the handling and balance.
162 gr A-max @ 2650 ish, has servied me well. I've tried the 150 Bt, and numerous 140 gr Factory loads, none have dumped game with the same authority. pretty sold on the 162 gr Now, and only ever use the 175 gr, bush hunting in the Roar for stags,
Just ordered a 7x57R barrel set, for my double rifle,
Fine hunting round, for the type of hunting I mostly do.
Bought one of the limited run Winchester M70 featherweights, 5-6 years ago, my present to myself, for paying of the house, really like the handling and balance.
162 gr A-max @ 2650 ish, has servied me well. I've tried the 150 Bt, and numerous 140 gr Factory loads, none have dumped game with the same authority. pretty sold on the 162 gr Now, and only ever use the 175 gr, bush hunting in the Roar for stags,
Just ordered a 7x57R barrel set, for my double rifle,
Fine hunting round, for the type of hunting I mostly do.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
One of my main stand by powders in a 'number' of calibre's is IMR 4350
. 
Cheating and using a quick short cut fix has been/is the accuracy loads listed in the Sierra manuals. This has worked well in a number of calibre's for me, one of which is the 7x57. Two that come to mind are the loads listed for the Sierra 140gr SPT and that listed for the 160gr SBT. 
