What Have You Killed with the 7x57

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Well said. I agree with you IvW.
Witold

 

[7x57Joe]

Elk is the largest game I've taken with my 7x57 using 150 grain Nosler Partition @ 2717 fps. Several W/T deer using 130-140 grain bullets 2550-2720 fps.
The rifle came from a friend of mine which is a M.98 that he had a brand new FN barrel installed and is one of the most accurate rifles I own. Thanks Bob, my friend!

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Thank you lofty, good work!!

 

[D.Unger]

My 13 year old son shot his first elk with a Ruger No.1 in 7x57 with a 140gr Barnes TTSX. Bullet performed perfect and the bull piled up within 50 yards.

 

[Milan]

Always have been a fan of this round, yet never hunted with it and always have been an even bigger fan of the bigger rounds. But a while ago I acquired a nice Brno 21H and thought, this time around I have to try it hunting if I get a chance. I set it up with a 3-9x33 Leupold compact scope, German #1 reticle, sighted it in with a puny Hornady 139gr Superformance SST rounds (2760 fps) at 2" high at 100m and waited for an opportunity to try it. Well, finally put it to use. Took a young whitetail with it at 316 m. Front of the lungs shot, ripping the aorta and trachea. Lungs completely destroyed, not much damage otherwise. Most damage around the lower neck where it meets the body where it blew the aorta and trachea Bullet exited so I can't tell what it looked like after. Deer was DRT, I was very impressed.

 

[MS Hitman]

I took a 145 pound doe with the 140 Remington Core Lokt from my Ruger .275 Rigby African model. Sot was about 100 yards and she bolted about 60 when I heart shot her. Took our her heart and front end of her lungs and the off (right) shoulder. I missed the run back a few years, so jumped on this one when I discovered another run had been made.

 

[Milan]

I took a 145 pound doe with the 140 Remington Core Lokt ...

I like the Core Lokt but they did not shoot well out of my rifle.

 

[MS Hitman]

I like the Core Lokt but they did not shoot well out of my rifle.

Core Lokt are good game bullets, just not match bullets. This load shoots about ¾" at 100 yards from my rifle. I am most satisfied with its performance.

 

[Spooksar]

Shot a Warthog and Duiker with my Cooper in 275 Rigby with a 160 grain Nosler Accubond. This was on a trip that was for my boys to hunt I me to be an observer.

 

[benchracer]

View attachment 39492

I haven't killed anything but paper with my Ruger #1A. Yet. A trip in pursuit of plains game seems like a good fix for my problem...

An updated response to an old thread...

Took a Whitetail Buck last year at just a shade over 200 yards. Estimated live weight around 145 pounds. It was a broadside shot with a 160 Nosler Partition that took out the on side lung and the bottom of the heart. He stumbled for less than 50 yards and went down. When I took the shot, I thought I was getting a Doe. Turned out I had taken a Buck with short little spikes. He needed to be culled, and I was happy to do it, but this left me without a Buck tag a couple of days later when a VERY nice 8 pointer stopped broadside to me at about 75 yards and stuck his tongue out at me as he snorted in laughter at my predicament.

Took a Whitetail Doe this year at just about 100 yards. Estimate live weight around 140 pounds. Broadside shot, 160 Nosler Partition, double lung hit. She hopped a fence, wobbled, and went down after traveling less than 25 yards.

 

[sestoppelman]

Now here is a golden oldie! The OP hasn't been here in years! I miss the contrary old cuss too!

 

[Milan]

Well I again tried it on Whitetail this year. Took a buck at about 60 meters. Again using Hornady 139 gr SST. This time though it hit a rib and I assume exploded. It broke the rib, ripped the tip of the heart, and most of the bullet went out the other side but at an angle towards the back. The side opposite the entry hole was splattered with innards but only on the inside of the rib cage. I found holes in liver, stomach and lungs but all shallow, also bruise in the shoulder somehow but no holes. Therefore my assumption of bullet coming apart in some weird and spectacular way. Buck took off on a sprint in the bush but towards me, so I was able to see him until a spot where it looked like he went down fairly close to me. I went to where I shot him and found just hair. I thought maybe I missed and over shot, skimming his hair and the movement where he went down was a squirrel rather than deer leg twitching. Then I found few sprinkles of blood. Then I found him about 50 meters from where he was shot and 15 m from my sitting spot where I thought I saw him go down. Not much blood leaking out, but his guts were all bloody. Heart shot and bruised and the rest as described. This may make me switch to a tougher bullet even though he died quickly and of heart shot.

 

[nztimb]

My various 7x57's have taken a number of deer, lots of goats and a single pig at ranges from up close to just over 300yds. Bullets have been 160gn Sierra, 160gn Woodleigh, 120gn GS Custom and 160gn cast and never had a failure with any of them. The only animal that travelled was a fallow doe that had both front legs broken and a heart with the bottom off it and still managed to go near 100 yds to the tree line.

 

[BWH]

Honey badger, red Hartebeest, klipspringer, Steenbok, baboons, etc. wonderful round for sure.

 

[WAB]

Whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, caribou, dall sheep, black bear, wolf, impala, baboon, blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, zebra, bushbuck, red hartebeest, warthog, nyala, kudu, springbok. I’m likely missing some. I stick to three proven bullets, 175 gr A-Frames, 160 gr A-Frames, 145 gr Speer BTSP. I have two M-70’s, an early 80’s featherweight and a new CRF. One of the all time great cartridges!

 

[Mr. Zorg]

Well I again tried it on Whitetail this year. Took a buck at about 60 meters. Again using Hornady 139 gr SST. This time though it hit a rib and I assume exploded. It broke the rib, ripped the tip of the heart, and most of the bullet went out the other side but at an angle towards the back. The side opposite the entry hole was splattered with innards but only on the inside of the rib cage. I found holes in liver, stomach and lungs but all shallow, also bruise in the shoulder somehow but no holes. Therefore my assumption of bullet coming apart in some weird and spectacular way. Buck took off on a sprint in the bush but towards me, so I was able to see him until a spot where it looked like he went down fairly close to me. I went to where I shot him and found just hair. I thought maybe I missed and over shot, skimming his hair and the movement where he went down was a squirrel rather than deer leg twitching. Then I found few sprinkles of blood. Then I found him about 50 meters from where he was shot and 15 m from my sitting spot where I thought I saw him go down. Not much blood leaking out, but his guts were all bloody. Heart shot and bruised and the rest as described. This may make me switch to a tougher bullet even though he died quickly and of heart shot.

Thank you for posting your experience @Milan. I received some Hornady Superformance 7X57mm ammo loaded with the 139 grain SST bullet. I thought about using it for whitetail & Axis deer, your experience has convinced me to use a different bullet. I have some Nosler ammo loaded with the 140 grain Accubond bullet that I'll plan to use instead for whitetail & Axis deer hunting with 7X57mm.

I purchased a (not very fancy) custom 7X57mm carbine, 20" barrel with no iron sights and full stock a while back. I have not taken any game with it as I've been having issues with mounting a modern scope, I've purchased a EGW scope base to try out but haven't fiddled around with that yet. I've been using my .25-06 with great results on deer & hogs so I need to get motivated to get back to my little projects.

 

[Milan]

No problem @Mr. Zorg . I am trying to learn more about different bullets, so this interests me. I only started using these because they shoot well out of this gun. Plus I normally like Hornady ammo for their consistency. I have the 139 Superformance in GMX and they seem to fly the same, so will use those as well. I'm not really 100% on the results of that last shot as it was cold and I was trying to get the deer gutted, skinned and quartered. So I did not investigate closely. Now I wish I had taken more pictures. I only have a pic of the entry, the heart and the opposite side. I did not find out exactly where he was eventually leaking at exit but when he was on the ground it seemed way back from entry which was puzzling since he was broadside when shot. The first deer was DRT but that one was hit more forward and higher up and quartering away slightly. Lungs exploded and neck got hit hard. Again no bullet recovered and given the angle I was surprised at the neck being hit where it was impacted. Its supposed to be ideal bullet for whitetail and so far it does kill quickly but seems a bit unpredictable as to what will get damaged in the end and does look like even small bones make it fall apart. But keep in mind this was at 60m, so near full speed. the other deer was at 316 m or so and the bullet seemed to hold up together better at lower velocity.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

Noted @Milan. I've been a bit skeptical of the Hornady SST bullet and Superformance powder, to provide a higher than typical muzzle velocity. Bullet blow-up at 7X57mm velocity is something I'd rather avoid. Plenty of other options available these days. I've been impressed with the performance of the 110 grain Nosler Accubond in Federal Premium ammo with muzzle velocity of 3100 fps, I expect 140 grain 7X57mm Nosler ammo to perform similarly.

 

[leslie hetrick]

my late father and I bought a sporterized(rough job,non gunsmith) 98 mauser in 7x57(ex bore) in 1953 for my first deer rifle, all of 20 dollars. i later moved on to a 3006 and started to reload in 1958 and loaded the 7x57 and 3006. In the mid 60,s I took the 98 mauser to a friend who was a gunsmith and had him rework in into a light weight custom rifle for my father, D&T, altered bolt, new trigger, new stock, 4x leupold and reblued for a total cost of 225.oo. he killed a lot of deer with it using my load of hornady 154 gr sp at 2500 fps, fast foreward after his death in 2007 at 87 a rotten soon to be ex BIL latched onto it and it has been lost to me forever , as he has since died.

 

[Foxi]

Whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, caribou, dall sheep, black bear, wolf, impala, baboon, blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, zebra, bushbuck, red hartebeest, warthog, nyala, kudu, springbok. I’m likely missing some. I stick to three proven bullets, 175 gr A-Frames, 160 gr A-Frames, 145 gr Speer BTSP. I have two M-70’s, an early 80’s featherweight and a new CRF. One of the all time great cartridges!

I'm happy to read this.
Here (Germany) nobody buys it anymore (in new guns).
All take .308