7x57 or 358 Norma Mag

RStien321

RStien321

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Hello!

I am finalizing Safari plans and am deciding which plains game rifle to take.

I have two Model 70s, one in 7x57 (175gr Partition) and one in 358 Norma Mag (either a 222 Grain Hammer Hunter or 280gr Swift A Frame).

Plains game on my list are Blue Wildebeest, Zebra, Impala, Nyala, Warthog, and maybe a red hartebeest/kudu.

I will also be hunting Cape buffalo with a 404 Jeffery.

Interested in folks thoughts on which cartridge they'd run with!
 
I love both of those calibers, and with a 175 the 7x57 is capable of taking them all cleanly... BUT, I would vote for the 358 Norma. Why? Because they are cool, and they don't get enough love!
Loaded with a 225gr nosler accubond it shoots flat and long! That swift A frame is going to penetrate for days. There are some great forthforks for it.
So I say 358 all day every day.
 
Thanks for the note! For reference, both rifles are equipped with 22" barrels, both rifles weight just shy of 10lb with optics.

7x57 is running a capped turret 2-10x42 Leupold VX-5HD
358 Norma is running a Nightforce 2.5-10x32 NXS

7x57 is a classic blued with a super grade walnut stock
358 Norma is Cerakoted and in a McMillan Super Grade with the McWalnut finish
 
RStien321 said:
Thanks for the note! For reference, both rifles are equipped with 22" barrels, both rifles weight just shy of 10lb with optics.

7x57 is running a capped turret 2-10x42 Leupold VX-5HD
358 Norma is running a Nightforce 2.5-10x32 NXS

7x57 is a classic blued with a super grade walnut stock
358 Norma is Cerakoted and in a McMillan Super Grade with the McWalnut finish
Click to expand...

WOW.... Will describe them, but wont post pics.... What a tease!
 
I love all things 35 cal, so I would take the norma. I love mine. Built on a Weatherby 9 lug as a backcountry elk/moose rifle, it weighs, lets say a little less than 10lbs. We run a suppressor to help with the recoil. It is a fast twist designed to shoot the heavy cutting edge bullets, but we went with the 255 hammers instead. Staball 6.5 works great in the norma.
IMG_20250408_150432.jpg
 
358 Norma will flatten any of the game that you have mentioned.
Nothing again the 7x57, great caliber, however, I believe there was a book titled "Use Enough Gun"
The 358 Norma is enough gun.
 
RStien321 said:
Hello!

I am finalizing Safari plans and am deciding which plains game rifle to take.

I have two Model 70s, one in 7x57 (175gr Partition) and one in 358 Norma Mag (either a 222 Grain Hammer Hunter or 280gr Swift A Frame).

Plains game on my list are Blue Wildebeest, Zebra, Impala, Nyala, Warthog, and maybe a red hartebeest/kudu.

I will also be hunting Cape buffalo with a 404 Jeffery.

Interested in folks thoughts on which cartridge they'd run with!
Click to expand...


On a three gun safari I always go with 7x57, 375HH, and 470NE.

You're thinking of a two gun safari, so we'll exchange out that 375HH for a 404 Jeff. Sounds great. Neither the 7x57 nor the 358 Norma provide you a lifeline if your buffalo gun breaks, so you need to pick a versatile caliber that gives you no redundancy. The 7x57 is your smallbore caliber of choice. There's just no place for the 358 Norma in the equation that I can see.

I used the 175gr partition on all of my safaris where I brought a 7x57. They worked, usually exceptionally, occasionally marginally. I'm now testing 160gr Northfork loads to see if that becomes my go-to 7x57 loading. (I suspect it will be superior to the 175gr partition)
 
rookhawk said:
On a three gun safari I always go with 7x57, 375HH, and 470NE.

You're thinking of a two gun safari, so we'll exchange out that 375HH for a 404 Jeff. Sounds great. Neither the 7x57 nor the 358 Norma provide you a lifeline if your buffalo gun breaks, so you need to pick a versatile caliber that gives you no redundancy. The 7x57 is your smallbore caliber of choice. There's just no place for the 358 Norma in the equation that I can see.

I used the 175gr partition on all of my safaris where I brought a 7x57. They worked, usually exceptionally, occasionally marginally. I'm now testing 160gr Northfork loads to see if that becomes my go-to 7x57 loading. (I suspect it will be superior to the 175gr partition)
Click to expand...
I like your logic! Makes a ton of sense!

I also fully understand the legal 9.3 or .375 for Buffalo, but also struggle to believe that in a pinch a 358 loaded with 280gr swift a frames wouldn't be an adequate cartridge (I have zero buffalo experience to back this up).
 
7x57. No need for anymore. It "Is Enough Gun"
 
Hi Rstien321,

Agree about 7x57, specially with the 175 grs NP, and a 404 J!
I have used my two 7x57s with that NP at 2600 f/s for big Red Deer and wild Boars, about the size of African PG. Great combo!!! About that velocity, can be reached easely with entirely safe pressures useing various slow powders, like R22, R19, an so...

Good luck!

CF
 
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