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Thread: What's a good hunting bullet for 7X57 Mauser?

  1. #1
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    What's a good hunting bullet for 7X57 Mauser?

    I cast for several rifles suitable for hunting but they all have iron sights, which are not suitable for my old eyes.

    I have several scoped rifles, 264 Win. Mag.; 260 Rem.;270 Win.; and 7X57 Mauser. I think that the 7X57 would be the best choice of these because it has the largest diameter and the smallest case capacity.
    It also has a long magazine and throat so that long heavy boolits can be seated out with the gas check still in the neck.

    My 7X57 rifle is a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight with a 22" barrel and a 9.5 to 1 twist rate.

    Would those of you who have hunted deer with this caliber please suggest a mold and powder load for this purpose. My hunting is typically 115 yards or less, for 100 lb. Florida panhandle deer.

    Thanks
    Last edited by rockydoc; 05-22-2017 at 03:30 PM. Reason: spacing
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  2. #2
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    I have a 7mm TCU and have found that the Lee soup can 140 gr. RNFP-GC performs very well. Sadly, it was a specialty mold I only saw at Midsouth and it no longer appears there or in the Lee catalog. It seemed too disappear along with the old style Lee Bator .22 which was in the same special category (my Hornet loves that style but not the new style). Accuracy wise, the Lee standard 7mm 130 gr has been excellent for me and superior to the 140 gr RNFP-GC.
    Last edited by quilbilly; 05-23-2017 at 04:52 PM.

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  4. #4
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    My Mauser re-barreled 7x57 seems to like the RCBS 7mm 145 gr. silouette boolet for a cast boolet and a Nosler 7mm 150 gr. Ballistic Tip for deer.Robert

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    Remington makes a 140gr Core-Lokt bullet that is good for out to 300 yards in my 7x57 chambered Garand.
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    Load??? PC'd/GC'd LEE 130 gr. std. or special 140 gr. 'soupcan' cast 50/50 on 24.0 grs. IMR4198 with CCI #200 primer in R-P brass. Put into the right place, it works for me to 200 yds.: YMMV.
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    Corelokts are hard to beat, but you don't need HV to kill deer with the 7x57, just an accurately placed shot with moderate velocity. The 286407 would be a good choice!

  8. #8
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    tdoyka,
    What top punch fits the flat nose Lee 130 soup can?
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    Quote Originally Posted by rockydoc View Post
    tdoyka,
    What top punch fits the flat nose Lee 130 soup can?
    that i can't tell ya. you could go to lee, lyman or saeco and find out what you need.

  10. #10
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    quilbilly:

    Mid south still has that(7MM 130 soupcan) bullet in 2cavity and 6 cavity. I just bought the 6 cavity. Haven't cast any yet, I have a lot of COWW to smelt first.
    NRA Lifetime member since 1956, NRA Endowment Member. Reloading since 1954. CBA Member Navy Vietnam Veteran USS Intrepid CVA 11

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    There's a gentleman on here from New Zealand who has done some amazing things with cast in a 7x57 hunting big game. Can't think of his screen name at the moment.

    That little Lee 130 grain RN has been a good shooter in every rifle I'd shot it in. Maybe using those cast with soft points using BruceB's method (see the stickies) would be your best bet.

    I have that soup can mold but haven't cast or shot any with it yet. Need to get it out.

  12. #12
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    Hornady Match # 28405 162 g BTHP will be an excellent bullet for hunting, I have found that Sierra and Hornady Boat Tails you just cant beat ,for the money that is , I have used these and I get great results as far as paper punching is concerned I can get clover leaf 3 shot groups with them.Now the Berger and Nosler bullets are great too , but at 45 to 60 bux for 50 count box I just refuse to spend that kind of money for paper punching . It all in ones preferences LOL
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    Quote Originally Posted by izzyjoe View Post
    Corelokts are hard to beat, but you don't need HV to kill deer with the 7x57, just an accurately placed shot with moderate velocity. The 286407 would be a good choice!
    I keep them just a little over 2400fps in my Garand although I can load them up with 7mm-08 data in that Garand. I also have a 1909 Mauser I rebarreled to 7x57 a few years back that likes them as well.
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    Boolit Buddy Euan's Avatar
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    Maybe, Von Gruff

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    Quote Originally Posted by richhodg66 View Post
    There's a gentleman on here from New Zealand who has done some amazing things with cast in a 7x57 hunting big game. Can't think of his screen name at the moment.

    That little Lee 130 grain RN has been a good shooter in every rifle I'd shot it in. Maybe using those cast with soft points using BruceB's method (see the stickies) would be your best bet.

    I have that soup can mold but haven't cast or shot any with it yet. Need to get it out.
    The soup can 130 gr mold I got is a flat point, which should be better for hunting. However if the the round nose has the BruceB soft nose should be a fine game getter, and it has a better BC than the flat nose.

    I intend to make some of the BruceB soft noses once I develop an accurate load.
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    rockydoc,

    Inasmuch as I'm a "heavy bullet fan", may I suggest a 170 grain GCCB in front of 30 grains of 4895.
    (WT are not that hard to kill & that big boolit will not cause a lot of "blood-shot meat" & should be a GREAT killer.)

    yours, tex

  17. #17
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    I took several deer with Hornady 154gr SP, out of Ruger single shot. Good expansion at about
    2500fps.

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    Quote Originally Posted by rockydoc View Post
    The soup can 130 gr mold I got is a flat point, which should be better for hunting. However if the the round nose has the BruceB soft nose should be a fine game getter, and it has a better BC than the flat nose.

    I intend to make some of the BruceB soft noses once I develop an accurate load.
    The mold I have for that bullet is a single cavity, so it would be relatively easy for me to try the soft point method. Wife gave me a CVA Ultima Elite in 7mm-08 a few years ago I've been toying with and wondered if that Lee or the soup can would make a good deer round. All the heavier 7mm bullets I've tried require deep seating and don't seem to shoot as well.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by richhodg66 View Post
    The mold I have for that bullet is a single cavity, so it would be relatively easy for me to try the soft point method. Wife gave me a CVA Ultima Elite in 7mm-08 a few years ago I've been toying with and wondered if that Lee or the soup can would make a good deer round. All the heavier 7mm bullets I've tried require deep seating and don't seem to shoot as well.
    The heaviest bullet I have fired in my Winchester 7x57 has been the Hornady 139gr spire point flat base. It loves that bullet: I got less than a minute of angle at 200 yards.
    The throat in my gun has plenty of room for long bullets.
    I am starting with this 130gr boolit because several here on the forum have gotten good accuracy with it and The Lee 6 banger mold is CHEEP.
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  20. #20
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    I've been loading the lee soup can, about 136gr after an aluminum gas check and two coats of 45/45/10, for about 5 years now and it's very accurate and fun shooter for me. The rifle is a 1956 Husqvarna featherweight, 7x57, mauser action with I believe a 20" barrel which was imported by tradewinds in the 50's. Range pickups that were full length sized, then only neck sized afterward. I get about an inch at 25-50 yds, or less, with a lyman peep and have never shot at paper past those ranges; however, I shoot it to 200yds at an 8" swinging plate and will hit it 4 out of five, so, it's a shooter for me. I've settled on 19gr of 4759 as this proved best after an ocw test a few years ago. Since then, i've taken 4 doe, one each year. One from directly below my stand to 3 about 90 yds from my stand (at an intersecting trail) away. The deer shot at close range was a spinal hit and dropped immediately. The three longer shots all were lung shots and I had about a 1" exit hole. They went no farther that 40yds. Using coww, that's a wonderful thing. I estimate i'm about 1800+ fps. Works so well and is so mild that my grand daughters shoot it all the time. Two more deer for them for that rifle. To note, one large doe was shot in the hind quarter and it angled through the body and exited through the front shoulder and hardly any bloodshot meat was lost! The soupcan has a flat meplat, but another 130-140gr type may do just as well for you. My 2cents and hope this helps. Good luck.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check