Before you stress yourself about the supposed deficiency of -10% velocity with the rimmed cartridge, consider this perspective. I have two 7x57R rifles, a Merkel and a Krieghoff. I have used them for local game only, but found them entirely adequate for our big northern whitetail deer, mule deer, wolf, and similar sized creatures. I'm not sure about your part of the USA, but factory 7x57R ammunition is readily available in Canada from S&B, Norma, RWS, and Hornady.
I also have a 7x57 bolt action rifle. In every instance when I have compared actual velocity of the same bullet weight, the European 7x57R ammunition ws loaded to HIGHER velocity than USA brand 7x57 ammo. For example, S&B 174gr. Cutting Edge soft point 7x57R = 2350 FPS in my rifles. VS about 2230 FPS for Federal 175 gr. SP ammo. Or the same difference ( deficiency) with old Winchester 7x57.
USA ammo manufacturers have focused in recent years on the 140 gr. "deer" load for the old 7x57. Dropping the more generally useful heavier weight bullets from their line up. The exception in Hornady, with their fragile and fragmenting 160 gr. SST. No thank you, Hornady.
If you can find proper European loads for your 7x57R, you will actually have a MORE versatile, capable, and generally appealing cartridge to hunt with than what most USA hunters have available with domestic 7x57 ( "7mm Mauser" ) factory loads.
Or develop 7x57R handloads that will beat domestic 7x57 - 7mm Mauser loads in every way. Hornady is not where I'd look for that data, I'd go to European sites and use powders from there, VV and Norma etc.
Fair enough.
Not necessarily concerned about "supposed deficiency", more like "but what can it do?". In other words, don't put yourself in a position where it's not capable, especially when you can choose something else to do that.
Next time I'm in Canada, I'll look for RWS on the shelf. S&B is available, and while Grafs lists Norma on their shelves, Norma itself says they are out of stock. Ditto their brass, which I'd prefer, although PPU seems to be readily available. I'm still a bit butt hurt over Serbia and June of 1914 to rely on that though. Good thing Grafs has plenty of Norma brass.
Noted on the Hornady. But that's the book I had that came most conveniently to hand, and was used as a "for example", to make sure I understood another's point. Given the choice, I'd rather use a Brenneke TOG round, but again, wish I could get my hands on Brenneke stuff here. "Here" is the Idaho panhandle, BTW.
I started to write a lot on hand loads (which I am more than willing to do, and rely on hand loads for my Mannlichers), but noticed I could get what a needed from the Brenneke page.
I was hoping to use standard data from Brenneke, but they only carry the TIG bullet at 150 grains for the 7X57R, and only the 177 grains for the 7X57, so it's not really a good comparison. What I do see is the 150 grain bullet pushes 3111 joules at the muzzle, 2600 at 100m (hits my minimum of 2000 joules for hochwild), and 2158 at 200m.
The rimless round with the heavier bullet pushes 3321 at the muzzle, 2668 at 100, and 2120 at 200.
Clearly, the lighter round carries its energy further, but no animal is really going to notice the difference of 38 joules, are they?
So, using European standards, 7X57 is "good enough" for Red Stags, but Wapiti? I use "Wapiti", because an Elk in Europe looks an awful lot like a moose to me. Should be OK, but my 7.62X63 may be a better choice if
Alces alces is on the menu. Heck, within 100, I'll take my 9.5X57... but because the rule in Idaho is one in a lifetime, that might be a good reason for that .300H&H I always wanted. Or even a .375.
So OK for Red Stag. Wapiti? A .280 Remington would work... and .30-06 or .300 Win Mag all day long. But this?
Hand loads, yes. What I noticed going to the VV page is the 150 grain load is slower but close to the stock Brenneke load. The only 174 grain bullet is the TSX, at about 2200 fps from the muzzle. My understanding (and I'd like to be better educated) is the TSX bullet likes velocity to open. Unlike say, Woodleigh, Barnes does not list recommended impact velocity on their page... I'd really like to know.
Recommended impact velocity... that seems like an important thing to discuss. Too fast, and it doesn't open, but lots of energy is helpful. Someday, we can discuss what a 6.5X54 does to a whitetail at 15 yards, moving at about 2200 fps. Too slow, and it doesn't open either.
This is why I asked the question. I know what a .30-06 can do. I have a good idea what a 7X57 rimless will do. But the rimmed round is beyond my experience. So I asked. 99% of the time, the vicious and ferocious
Odocoileus virginianus is what's on the menu. But every now and then, something else might come up...
