7x57 bullet choices

[Velo Dog]

The wife of one of my friends shoots a 7mm-08 (may as well say identical ballistics to the 7x57) with Norma brand "Oryx" bullets, hand loaded.
I cannot remember if they are 156 grain or 160 grain but, she has taken a number of African animals with it, out in the open Kalahari and in the more forested / brushy areas of Limpopo, South Africa, including large tough ones like gemsbok and zebra, among others.
My friend tells me he is very happy with the performance his wife is getting from this bullet.
I have a 7x57 but have not taken it to Africa (yet!).
However, if I were leaving today on safari with it, I'd take Swift brand 160 grain A-Frames, whether planning to hunt more open geography / sparse foliage, or in the thick thornbush either one.

 

[Piet-Skiet]

I picked up my 7x57 mauser this week after waiting for the licence since September. I have spent a lot of time thinking about it and i have decided on the 162gr hornady interlock as a "all round" hunting/ competition load. I don't like the the idea of multiple loads for a rifle. I believe in one load and learning that loads trajectory inside and out. I like the high BC and SD of the bullet and suspect it would hold up well at moderate velocity. The rifle is going to stand for a long time. I have a few other projects going on.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Whatever shoots best and holds together reasonably well. We used 140gr TSX bullets in my boys .284 at just over 3000fps with great success last summer in RSA. You wont be able to quite drive them that fast in the 7x57 but you should be able to get around 2800 or so which would certainly do the job. Funny thing about rifles and bullets. This .284 is a rifle of my late dads that I actually took my first 2 deer with in the 60's in Alaska. It is a rebarreled pre 64 M70 Win Featherweight with 22 inch Douglas bbl. It was always a very accurate rifle with any number of bullets. Dad gave it to my boy to grow up with a few years ago so we started shooting it again. It was all over the place! I found a crack in the web area of the stock, fixed that, seemed a little better but not much. I had remembered it as already being glass bedded but it wasn't, so I did that and floated the barrel. Got a little better. Than had a local smith recrown it, that didn't go very well but it seemed a little better still. Then took it to a world class smith who laughed heartily at the first crown job and re did it to perfection. Still wasn't shooting like I remembered it would. Gave up on all the standby bullets and tried a new powder and bullet combo. Win 760 and Barnes 140gr Triple Shocks. A bright light shown down thru the clouds from the Heavens and I could hear trumpets and angels in song! Not really just being dramatic! But truth is, it just came alive. Almost any charge would shoot super. I finally settled on 55.5 grs of 760 with that bullet and it goes just over 3k and shoots under an inch at 100 and is lights out on game if properly hit, even wildebeest, which are notoriously tough. New life for Dads favorite old rifle in my boys hands, that got me my first deer. Doesn't get much better than that.

Good for you and your boy! Excellent story. I also like the .284 and have a Dakota 76 SA that I will be rebarreling.

 

[Andrews]

My Ruger #1 CB really likes the 175 gr Nosler Partition. I have only used it on whitetail in the states, but in my humble opinion, it is THE bullet for the 7x57. I use it for a stalking rifle in wooded areas, but it has never failed me. 175 gr Partition at around 2400 fps has ruined alot of deer's days.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi Andrew (by the way, my second name is Andres=Andrew),

I am inclined to think the same: the Nosler P 175 grs in the 7x57, at around 2600 f/s, is THE load for Big/Tough animals ay any distance. Is the one I use and like, with great results!

 

[Rob404]

I recently aquired a CZ550 Euro stocked 7x57 with a 24" barrel with a 1-10 twist, While my 35Whelen will handle the heavy game I want my 7x57 for Baboons, Jackels and lighter game, accuracy it still the prime objective I also want to shoot a lightweight bullet that shoots flat, Any suggestions based on Knowledge would be appreciated

 

[Rick Cox]

My choice for the all round bullet for my 1908 DWM 7x57 is the 160 gn Woodleigh PP bullet at 27oofps from my 25in TSE barrel (1 in 9 twist) it is a very accurate bullet.

I bet that's a good one. Just started using Woodleigh last year in Africa with good results. (.375 HH) I've been using Swift 150 gr. Scirocco in my 7mm-08 on deer and bear with good results as well.

 

[Ryan]

In 2017 I loaded up my 7mm-08 with Barnes TTSX 150 grain bullets and dropped a caribou cow dead as disco with it. That said, the bullet is long for that cartridge but for a 7x57 ought to be about perfect for a monometal bullet.

 

[bruce moulds]

anyone thinks heavy noslers are good, wait till they try the same weight swift!
bruce.

 

[shootist~]

anyone thinks heavy noslers are good, wait till they try the same weight swift!
bruce.

A-Frame or Scirocco?

Thanks,
Joe

 

[bruce moulds]

aframe

 

[Sand Rat]

156 gr Oryx is all I hunt with in my 7X57 and it’s one of the most accurate. Really tough on hogs and whitetail. Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to try them on planes game with my rifle. Have always used a rented rifle in Africa due to firearms restrictions in Saudi but have used the 180 gr Oryx in 30-06 in Botswana and had no complaints.

 

[JPbowhunter]

156 gr Oryx is all I hunt with in my 7X57 and it’s one of the most accurate. Really tough on hogs and whitetail. Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to try them on planes game with my rifle. Have always used a rented rifle in Africa due to firearms restrictions in Saudi but have used the 180 gr Oryx in 30-06 in Botswana and had no complaints.

I use the 156gn oryx also, it is an incredible performer.

 

[Ray B]

I find the ballistics in an Oberndorf 1916 98 GEW rebarrelled with a 25" Shilen 7x57mm matched VonGruffs with the 160 gr Woodleigh bonded bullet.

 

[nztimb]

I find the ballistics in an Oberndorf 1916 98 GEW rebarrelled with a 25" Shilen 7x57mm matched VonGruffs with the 160 gr Woodleigh bonded bullet.

Some time back there was an Aussie bloke who did a series of tests with the 160gn Woodleigh in both his 7x57 and the 7mm rem mag. He was getting 2500fps with his 7x57 and 2900fps with the rem mag. His tests were video of penetration in packed wet cardboard and the rem mag bullet was opening up so didn't penetrate as far as he expected, while the 7x57 lacked velocity to penetrate as far as he thought it might. He came to the conclusion that this particular bullet would be best suited to 2700fps velocity (on this particular type of test) and that was what my 7x57 was reaching as does yours Ray so should be in the perfect zone for the bullet

 

[sgt_zim]

What do the people that have used a 7x57 on plains game or PH's think is the best route to go on this. Heavy cup and core or mid weight bonded and last long for caliber like a gmx

Everybody on here will have had great success in North America, Africa, Europe, and Oz with (in no particular order)
1. Nosler Partition
2. Swift A-Frame
3. Swift Scirocco 2
4. Woodleigh PP
5. Norma Oryx
6. Barnes TTSX
7. Barnes TSX
8. Northfork

This isn't a caliber well-suited to long-distance shooting, particularly with heavier-bodied game. But at appropriate distances, .284 bullets are very good. Pick the one you're most inclined towards, work up some loads, see if they give you the sort of accuracy you require. Every bullet on that list will give you very good terminal performance out to 200-300 meters, depending on what you're hunting. Personally, I favor heavy-for-caliber bullets: 156 gr or heavier would be where I'd start; except for Barnes. I don't shoot Barnes, but there are a boatload of guys here who do and in one of the .284 flavors. They report on 150 gr TSX or TTSX being the goto weight for Barnes.

I know...that isn't much help. But... We are living in the heyday of high performance bullets. There aren't any bad choices, just choices that are best suited for your rifle.

I think you'll find very few fans here of Hornady bullets for hunting in Africa. There are probably a couple guys here who've used them to great effect over there, but they'll be in the minority.

Work up some loads and let us know!

 

[WAB]

I use three bullets; 175 gr Swift A-Frames for hunting the bush in Africa, 160 gr. Swift A-Frames for larger NA game at somewhat longer distances, 145 gr Speer SPBT for deer, pronghorn, etc. The 145 is loaded fairly hot and shoots relatively flat out to 400. It hits a deer about as hard as any round I’ve ever seen. I think it is the combo of bullet construction and velocity. It always exits on a quartering or broadside shot, typically with a very large exit would.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

My father in law uses one of these. His is a BRNO . He prefers the 173 grainers . Cup and core.

 

[Milan]

Oddly enough my old Brno 21 H with long throat and 1 in 8.66 twist does not like long 175 gr bullets. It shoots the 139gr SST best. I would not recommend those on PG. I will try to work up some hand load s for this to see if I can make some heavier bullets work in this barrel.

 

[ZG47]

Oddly enough my old Brno 21 H with long throat and 1 in 8.66 twist does not like long 175 gr bullets. It shoots the 139gr SST best. I would not recommend those on PG. I will try to work up some hand load s for this to see if I can make some heavier bullets work in this barrel.

Are you talking about 175gr round nose bullets, which are probably a similar length to the 139gr SST bullet, 175gr spitzer flat-base bullets or 175gr spitzer boat-tail bullets?