Old Faithful - My 7x57mm Mauser

I shoot my guides 7x57 Mauser in South Africa last month. I shoot a Waterbuck, Sable, Red Hartebeest, Steenbuck, Common Reedbuck, Gemsbuck, Red Duiker, and Bush Pig. I was impressed and the performance was way beyond my expectations. The effective range worked well for Limpopo South Africa. The recoil suppressed was very light especially after 375 H&H.
 
This is part of an artical I wrote for the NZ G&H in early 2010 when I was in the grips of 7x57 fever and building a custom arround the this wonderfull cartridge. A couple of edits to clarify only but I had to correct the OP as the 7.9x57 was a commission design and not a asuer cartridge.

The 7x57.
The 7mm Mauser and the 275 Rigby.
It was in 1892 that the cartridge known by the first two of these three names was
developed, and although all three are the same and interchangeable, it would be 15 years
before Rigby, as Mauser's British agent, adopted it as the 275 in 1907. None then knew of
the fame to come for it, first as a military round, then with its world wide acceptance as a
hunting round. Again no-one would have foreseen its importance as the parent and
instigator of a whole slew of future cartridge developments. Before then of course, the
French Lebel started the modern era in 1886, with the introduction of smokeless powder in
its small-bore 8mm cartridge, making the rest of the world’s military small arms obsolete.
In 1888 the British gave us the 303 although it was loaded with compressed black powder
until 1892 when the switch to smokeless was effected. Germany's first smokeless round was
the 7.9x57 cartridge, (8mm Mauser) and originally adopted in a modified Mannlicher style
M88 Commission Rifle. ( The 7.9x57 cartridge was designed by the commision members who were responsible the M88 comission rifle) There were numerous rifle improvement made untill 1898, when, with the introduction of Mauser’s latest improved rifle design, development was complete and this action has been the lodestone for gunsmiths and manufacturer’s alike the world over ever since.
But it was the Mauser designed 7x57, developed and first released in a Mauser rifle, pattern of 1889
that was to set the world alight. In 1893 an improved design was chambered for the 7mm
cartridge and became the military mainstay of Spain, (in fact it is still sometimes referred to
as the Spanish Mauser in the U S and for good reason). It was also adopted by many
Latin-American and some European governments for their Military's, thus beginning its
world-wide distribution and acceptance first in the battle fields and then in the hunting
fields. It may have been the most widely distributed military and sporting cartridge in its
day, rivaled only by the 303 of the British Empire.
The Americans faced the Spanish in Cuba who were armed with 1893 Mausers
chambered in 7x57 Mauser, (as were the Boer's in their struggle against the British ) during
the Spanish-American war. The 6600 US troops attacked up San Juan Hill with their single
shot 45-70 and slow to load, 30-40 Krag repeater and were to lose 1400 men to the 700
Spanish on top in fortified positions armed with the 1893 bolt action Mauser, with a clip fed
magazine. After the bloodshed was over this led directly to the Americans scaling up the
7x57 to become the 30-03, later morphing into the 30-06. This round has been the basis
for in-numerable 'new' rounds, so it can be seen how influential the 7x57 has been when
you consider the number of cartridge developments it has been the foundation for.
 
Being a "gun nut," I naturally had to add a 7 x 57 Mauser to my collection. Bought one some years ago used via gunbroker.com. Bid on it and won without contestation. Don't remember what I paid for it, but it was very reasonable. It's a Ruger Model 77, with a lovely stock; a decent looking piece of walnut with Rosewood for end and accented grip cap. Topped it with a Burris Eurodiamond lit reticle scope. It is a sweet shooter. Pretty mild recoil, and great accuracy. While I find myself planning to bring bigger pieces on my long-dreamed of trip to hunt in Africa, because I'm planning for some of the bigger game animals on the list for my first time around, I could see myself bringing this on a follow on trip for some of the smaller/medium-sized game. It is one of two favorites I have for use on white tails here in Virginia. The other is my handy little Model 1899 Savage in .250 Savage. Being a hunter of only modest experience, I'm leaning either toward my .30-06 or a .280 Ackley Improved, which is simply the OH 6 necked down to 7mm and the case modified to increase its capacity by 5%, making it essentially a 7mm Mauser on steriods.
 
Being a "gun nut," I naturally had to add a 7 x 57 Mauser to my collection. Bought one some years ago used via gunbroker.com. Bid on it and won without contestation. Don't remember what I paid for it, but it was very reasonable. It's a Ruger Model 77, with a lovely stock; a decent looking piece of walnut with Rosewood for end and accented grip cap. Topped it with a Burris Eurodiamond lit reticle scope. It is a sweet shooter. Pretty mild recoil, and great accuracy. While I find myself planning to bring bigger pieces on my long-dreamed of trip to hunt in Africa, because I'm planning for some of the bigger game animals on the list for my first time around, I could see myself bringing this on a follow on trip for some of the smaller/medium-sized game. It is one of two favorites I have for use on white tails here in Virginia. The other is my handy little Model 1899 Savage in .250 Savage. Being a hunter of only modest experience, I'm leaning either toward my .30-06 or a .280 Ackley Improved, which is simply the OH 6 necked down to 7mm and the case modified to increase its capacity by 5%, making it essentially a 7mm Mauser on steriods.

The 7x57mm Mauser has always been my all time favourite for most of Africa's plains game, and here I mean when hunting in true mopane and acacia woodland. It isn't ideal for wide open plains where you're shooting over greater distances. For those hunting conditions I'd opt for a .300 Winch. However, and to get back to the 7x57 Mauser, in the Rhodesian (Zimbabwe) game department of old, we had a 7x57 Mauser in the armoury on virtually every game reserve in the country. It was the go to calibre for all of our plains game needs, and was used extensively for management work. It also works well on lion and leopard. When I was a kid back in the 1950s too, my late dad owned and used a 7x57 Mauser. He shot a lot of kudu using that rifle. I owned one for many years and I just love the calibre!
 
I have a Valmet made 7x57. Its been made by Japanese Mauser "Arisaka" action. I change Timney trigger because original safety was so unpractical.
I also change Fajen made stock, that I find from eBay. It also has original Valmet chost ring. Nice little bas****
 

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