7x57 Owners....educate me

[PHOENIX PHIL]

As if I need another rifle project, I'm already started thinking about the future and having my wife along with me in Africa. Who knows when this will be, but surely I need to get started soon....because after all it's Valentine's day and I'm doing this all for her! Well at least this is partially true, the wife does want to hunt now.

So every so often here on AH, the subject of the 7x57 comes up and with it there seems to be a gleam in the eye of those that own them.

I've never shot one, not sure I've ever even seen one. But I'm clicking on the Winchester page and sure enough they're offering their Featherlight in 7x57. So I'm looking at my Swift manual and I'm not all that terribly impressed ballistics wise. But then back on the Winchester website I see that the Featherlight in this caliber comes with a 26" barrel. Things aren't making sense. With this being a very old cartridge, is it suffering from kind of the same thing that the .375HH and .416 Rigby suffer from in the loading manuals. By that, the manuals are very conservative assuming there are still very old rifles still about?

I can't help but think this. Looking at the 7mm-08 in the manuals, it's far better performing with far less powder capacity.

So, please tell me your likes/dislikes about this caliber.

 

[Mike70560]

Phil,

Wayne at AHR built a 7 by 57 for Katherine a couple of years ago. The action was an old Mauser my Dad bought in the 60s.

What do I like about? Classic caliber, has worked for over 100 years. A 160 grain Swift at around 2375 FPS will work fine on most any plainsgame.

The recoil is very manageable, no need for a muzzle brake.

Works well on deer also.

Katherine even lets me shoot it from time to time.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Recoil at 2375 would definitely be tame especially if the rifle is in that 7lb range or so. My son's 308 is right at 6.5lbs and throws 165gr bullets at 2600fps, feels like a pea shooter.

Have you ever loaded the 7x57 up hotter?

 

[enysse]

I would be buying that lovely 7x57 with a 26 inch barrel if I were you.

 

[Mike70560]

Phil,

I never pushed any of the loads over 2400. The action is an old Mauser (93 Model IIRC).

 

[PaulT]

Come on Phil, fess up !

This little 7mm isn't for the wife at all, is it.

That brief and painful encounter you had with the .416 taught you to look for a better handling gun with a recoil level more to your liking, no ? :stirring: :shades:

You'd better not fool with that .458 B&M any longer and just hand it over before the recoil beats you up.

I'll give it a good home.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

I never owned a 7x57, but I have owned a 7x57R and have tested 2 7x57 rifles on the range and talked with the owners that both reload.

If you want an old classic that has a low recoil and works well for small to medium sized game, then the 7x57 is great.
Norma has one load for 7x57 with a 156 grain bullet at 2641 fps and one load for for 7-08 with a 140 grain bullet at 2822 fps.
To me it doesn't look like there should be much of a difference between them in a modern action if loaded with the same weight bullet.

But if you are not happy with the speed, I would get a 280 rem or a 7x64 instead, but the recoil might be to much for your wife.

Personally I would get a 7x64 if I wanted to get a 7mm again. An old classic with great performance

 

[spike.t]

Recoil at 2375 would definitely be tame especially if the rifle is in that 7lb range or so. My son's 308 is right at 6.5lbs and throws 165gr bullets at 2600fps, feels like a pea shooter.

Have you ever loaded the 7x57 up hotter?

phil it worked at those velocities and still does so maybe it doesnt need hot rodding especially for the wife. norma has a factory load that has a 156grn bullet at 2641 fps. try looking up some of the european manufacturers like rws they have a couple of loads as well. its original loading was with 173grn bullets, and karamojo bell used 173grn solids( mv 2300fps) on elephant. the classic loading for most of the rigby rifles built in .275/7x57 was for the 140grn bullet . the rigby designation is .275hv and mv was/is 2800 fps with this 140grn bullet. paul sells ammunition in rigby style boxes loaded to these specs. it is effective and easy on the recoil. my .275 rigby made in the late 1940`s only has iron sights an is regulated for the heavier bullet. go for it , its a great little round thats effective on a big variety of animal sizes.

 

[spike.t]

pressed the wrong number..... the rigby velocity is approx 2700

 

[greyfox]

7X57 (aka 275 Rigby) is a fantastic round that has been getting the job done for nearly a century. Loads easy, not real finicky about handloads, mild recoil, and hits hard.
Loading manuals are mild due to the old military rifles that are still in use. The 7-08 was developed to replicate velocities but for modern, stronger actions, then the smart people figured they could bump it up a notch, though, I'm sure most will agree the increases are more theoretical. Think about .308 and .30/06, pros and cons with each, but honestly, I don't think any animal you're shooting with one could tell the difference. Personally I shoot a 7mm Mag, however, I've always had a soft spot for the 7X57, and yes I owned one, but a very good friend wanted it for his son, so I sold it to him, a Ruger 77.

 

[Nyati]

My very first centerfire rifle was a 7x57 built on a spanish military rifle (Mauser 93), years later I had a Ruger n 1.

It s agood all around cartridge for most plainsgame, with little recoil.

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

I am one of those proud owners of a 7x57 musgrave(true south african) i use it consistently for all plains game hunting. I shoot 173gr Sellior &Belliot at around 2300. It has very moderate recoil and the wife also just love taking it for a spin on the range.

For the wife i would say buy it, impressive caliber little recoil and it gets the job done

Best regards

 

[TerryR]

I have a Dakota 7X57. I have never taken it to Africa but use it for whitetails here. It is one of those magic caliber that just works better than you expect it to. I would not have any qualms about using it for any game up to, and including kudu. You can handload it hotter than the factory loads, but frankly it works just fine at it's pedestrian velocity. I would certainly go ahead and buy the rifle. I've never regretted buying mine. One of these days it is going to Africa with me.

 

[nztimb]

I have had a few 7x57's over the years and a 7x61S&H as well but the 7x57 is a very capable cartridge and in my present rifle, built on a 1908 DWM with 25 in barrel I comfortably run the 160gn Woodleigh protected point bullet at 2700fps over 46gn H4350 and would be comfortable with that combination on anything in the medium to medium large range.
Have the 120gn GS Custom bullet at 3235fps over 51gn BL-C2 and get exceptional accuracy and of course the GS bullet is an excellent unit. Really is an overachieving round and there is very good reasons it has had such a long, distinguished, and decidedly ongoing exceptance among hunters.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Come on Phil, fess up !

This little 7mm isn't for the wife at all, is it.

That brief and painful encounter you had with the .416 taught you to look for a better handling gun with a recoil level more to your liking, no ? :stirring: :shades:

Well that and the humiliation that came from the way that .416 Rigby would blow up my skirt at the very crowded gun range! :blush:

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I have had a few 7x57's over the years and a 7x61S&H as well but the 7x57 is a very capable cartridge and in my present rifle, built on a 1908 DWM with 25 in barrel I comfortably run the 160gn Woodleigh protected point bullet at 2700fps over 46gn H4350 and would be comfortable with that combination on anything in the medium to medium large range.
Have the 120gn GS Custom bullet at 3235fps over 51gn BL-C2 and get exceptional accuracy and of course the GS bullet is an excellent unit. Really is an overachieving round and there is very good reasons it has had such a long, distinguished, and decidedly ongoing exceptance among hunters.

Now those are the kinds of numbers I was guessing the caliber was capable of.

From the various posts, the 7x57 seems to be a very flexible chambering. I like it! A "classic" caliber quite capable of more modern ballistics. By the way, the wife went with me to the range a couple of weeks ago and shot my son's .308 with 165gr North Forks chrono'd at 2600fps. She was fine with the recoil in that very light Tikka T3. So this may just be a winner.

Now if all of you can figure out a way I can get away with getting this rifle for my wife's birthday in May or perhaps Mother's Day, I'd be set.....because after all it's only for her! That's gonna take some work!!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Phil,

Wayne at AHR built a 7 by 57 for Katherine a couple of years ago. The action was an old Mauser my Dad bought in the 60s.

What do I like about? Classic caliber, has worked for over 100 years. A 160 grain Swift at around 2375 FPS will work fine on most any plainsgame.

The recoil is very manageable, no need for a muzzle brake.

Works well on deer also.

Katherine even lets me shoot it from time to time.

By the way Mike, that's the gleam in the owner's eye I mentioned in my original post. I bet that whitetail that your wife shot was mighty tasty! Say hello to K for me, it was great to meet you two in Dallas.

 

[greyfox]

No one has mentioned any negatives about the 7X57 so here goes: There aer not wnough SAKOs chambered in it!
If I could find a SAKO in a 7X57 I could not afford it, they are collectors gun, and I only hunt SAKO. Long story, I have a few and my 7mm is the 7mm Rem Mag.

I have always wanted a 7X57 and a 220 swift, 2 rare finds in the community.

 

[Jafa]

I am not an expert in energy, grains or velocity. I did my first safari with a 7x57 musgrave, that I hired at the lodge. I took kudu, impala, blesbok, steenbok and seven wharthogs. I was really surprised with that caliber, very good penetration and limited recoil. We took the bullet of the kudu on the opposite shoulder.
Very pleasant recoil.

 

[Cliffy]

Wasn't there a very famos old time ivory hunter that almost exclusively used a 7X57 for elephant? His name doesn't ring a bell with me right now