Where are the Euro cal shooters out there?

dilly

dilly

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I’m new to the Euro caliber scene. It’s my strange attraction to combo guns that brought me there. I have a Blaser BBF with a 5.6x50R under barrel. It seems to me to be a great medium cartridge. I am loading it with 40gr varmageddon for coyotes and it’s both very accurate and effective. I think it would even work on antelope with heavy enough bullets. With all the discussion about ultimate varmint rounds, I think it’s a contender...albeit odd and hard to get.

Now I am delving into 7x65R. Early indications show accuracy and a really capable versatile bullet. I plan on loading for it as well. Plan on using it for pretty much everything else in the big game category.

Any other Euro cartridge aficionados out there? I am interested in experiences and wisdom around usage and loading etc.
 
I shoot 6.5X55, 7X57, 7X64, 7.62X57, 8X57, 9.3X62 & 9.3X74R... I have had many others over the years too... rifles in various platforms... break action singles and doubles, falling block singles, Mausers and other bolt platforms. I find myself drawn to non-domestic chamberings for interest sake.
 
hoytcanon said:
I shoot 6.5X55, 7X57, 7X64, 7.62X57, 8X57, 9.3X62 & 9.3X74R... I have had many others over the years too... rifles in various platforms... break action singles and doubles, falling block singles, Mausers and other bolt platforms. I find myself drawn to non-domestic chamberings for interest sake.
Click to expand...

I feel like a newbie next to your selection, having only a 6.5x55 and a couple of 9.3x57 rifles. All Mausers, great rifles, lots of fun shooting and casting for the 9.3x57.
 
I have hunted with 6.5x55, 7x57 and 8x68S. I knew a fellow some time ago that was crazy for the European stuff - he hunted with matching Steyr-Mannlichers in 5.6x57, 6.5x68 and one of my favourite European cartridges, .300 H&H.

I know of a new, unfired Mauser 66 in 7mm Vom Hofe Express. A bit too eccentric for me!
 
I have found the 6.5x55 looks fairly easy to buy over the counter. For the other stuff, do you guys load your own?

Any 7x64 or 7x65R users other than Hoyt?
 
I have used 6.5x55, 7x57, 7x64, 303british ,7.62x54r, 8x57, 9.3x57, 9.3x62, and 9.3x74r . Great cartridges with proven performance! I reload but everything mentioned except the 9.3x57 is over the counter at my local shop.
 
I forgot about a couple of Mannlicher-Schoenauers in 6.5x54 and one in 8x56 M-S, plus a couple of Brno 21H in 8x57.
 
I like the Euros as well.
I have or have used .22 Savage, 6.5x55, 6.5x57, 6.5x57R, 7x57, 7x57R, 7x64, 8x64, 8x57, 8x68, 8x57R, 9x57, 9.3x57,62,64, and 74R, others like 416 Rigby, .404, 6.5x56MS. 8x56 MS, 9 MS, 9.5x56MS...9mm Flobert, various nitro express, .500 Jeff...
I probably have forgotten a few.
Some I used a lot and others not so much. I do have my favorites. Such as the 9.3x74R in a double. Has killed more game then I ever expected. 286 gr at 2450 is wonderful medicine. 7x57 of course and the 8x57.
Almost all I load for.
 
Metrics are definitely my thing. 7 x 57, 8 x 57JS, 8 x 64S, 8 x 68S, 9.3 x 57, 9.3 x 62, 9.3 x 64, 9.3 x 74R and 11.15 x 60R. Load for all of them. Used to shoot 6.5 x 52, 6.5 x 64 and 6.5 x 55.
 
I'd sure love to add a 9.3x53R Finnish sporting rifle to my batch. Mosin Nagants make a great base for nice huntin' rifles.;)

Pre ww2 versions.
9.3x53R Finn MN Rifles.jpg

Post ww2 examples.
Finnish 9.3x53R MN Sporting.jpg
9.3x54 Sporter.jpg
 

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7x57 and 9.3x62 are my favourite cartridges. 6.5x55, 8x57, 9.3x57 have passed through my hands. I have an idea for a 7x65R falling block single shot, but it hasn't come to fruition yet.
 
I have a 22 HP in a combo gun as well as 6.5x55,6.5x68, 7x64,7.62x39,7.62x54,8x52 siamese,8x57,8x60,8x68s,9x57,9.3x62,9.3x64,9.3x66. There are others such as the 7x61 S&H the 308 Norma and the 358 Norma that are more European than North American.
 
I'm surprised there was only one mention of the 6.5X47. I have two of them. One heavy practice gun that shoots the 130 gr Berger Hunting at 2950 fps and lighter weight carry/tree stand rifle that shoots the 130 AccuBond at 2900 fps. Have taken multiple deer with both guns and each bullet works excellent. My 130 Berger load carries 1820 fps out to 750 yds, so that's no slouch for deer size game.
 
I was thinking this thread was about Euro/Metric cartridges, I was not including Russian or British designs... I have and "have had" a host of British Rigby's, Nitro's and many, many rifles with "Red" chambers.
 
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