7x57mm Mauser

[MT Gianni]

Good point on the SAAMI limits for the 7 x 57.
Because SAAMI tends to set pressure limits based on the weakest guns chambered for a particular round, the U.S. limits are sometimes lower that what most actions can handle. The European C.I.P. maximum pressure limits for the 7mm Mauser are a bit higher.

There are a lot of Mauser 93 and 95 models that are capable of safely handling the 7mm Mauser but it appears that SAAMI is worried that there may be a few that are not. Out of an abundance of caution SAAMI tends to set their limits using the lowest common denominator principle.

I think it is the Remington RB's that concern SAAMI not the 93/95's. I have a 93 carbine with a washed out bore and throat and a Mauser Mark X in 7x57. My loads for the two do not interchange.

[TCLouis]

Hope you saw something, got a shot and have results to report.
Looks like whether one uses length or volume the 7X57 has about 10 % volume increase over the 7-08 which could be significant with slow burning powder and loading to full potential.
As far as strength I betting there are 3 relative strengths to load too . . .
Rolling Block, 93-95 and 98/modern centerfire

[fiberoptik]

Have a Spanish military Mauser in 7x57. Beautiful outside, poor looking barrel inside. Hadn’t shot it yet, but looking forward to it.


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[richhodg66]

Pre-rut antlerless season this weekend and here I am. Poured down rain all night and has been this morning, just not gonna go out and sit in that. Looks like it's going to improve some. I hope so, maybe this evening.

[ole_270]

I'm a couple + hours east of you, it waited till just about daylight to start up. Forecast is showing thunderstorms for the next several days. Depending on the weather somewhat, I'll either be hunting close cover with a Marlin 336 rebored to 38-55 and cast or my old M99R Savage 250-3000 with the 87 gr Speer Hot Core in more open ground.

[richhodg66]

Worst case, I'll just get the year's venison the hard way with the crossbow. Not out of meat yet, and a few weekends in late October or November will do it. I'd much rather use a rifle, particularly this one since I've been working with it so much.

It's nasty out there right now, but predicted to slow down later. I hate hunting in the rain, tracking becomes tough if need be. I'll probably get out later.

[richhodg66]

Almost didn't go out. #2 son showed up from college and we hadn't seen him in a couple of months, so kinda got lazy, but he wanted to go hang out with some friends for a while so I went. Dressed for down pours, wasn't too bad. Set up in a good spot, and had this doe come in maybe an hour before it got dark. She went down pretty fast, though I did have to look for her. She made it maybe 50 yards. The deer was standing more facing away from me than I thought, I was trying to hit her pretty far back in the rib cages figuring the bullet would exit just forward of the opposite shoulder. As it happened, hit high in the flank and what was left of the bullet was under the skin just forward of the brisket, so it penetrated a long way after expanding violently. It tore up a good bit of the left back strap, darn it, could fit my hand through the hole once I had the skin off. Damaged one tenderloin too. I think if I use this bullet again, I'll slow it down some and/or wait on a better shot. If I'd been a little more patient, I might have gotten a more broadside shot. Anyway, meat in the freezer, rifle got rained on, bloodied and dropped in the mud (I did too) gonna have to give her a good detail cleaning now.

[Rick Hodges]

Good Work. Do you think the hollow point was too much?

[thadfz]

Great looking rifle, congrats

Good eating deer also!


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[richhodg66]

Good Work. Do you think the hollow point was too much?

Not sure, was definitely more destructive than I'd like, but a lot of that is my fault for taking that shot. A shot through the lungs would have probably been perfect. I'll try to weigh and take a pic of what remains of the bullet, looks to have mushroomed well, but I doubt even half the original weight remains. It went through almost the length of the deer, so penetration isn't an issue.

I carefully read Von Gruff's posts about his 7x57 loads, he uses the RCBS 168 grain bullet with a soft nose and a linotype driving portion. He also pushes them faster than I think I will. I have that mold, just haven't cast with it yet.

I kill two deer a year on average and except for the occasional arrow, haven't used anything but cast on them since 2009 right after I got back from Iraq. It's not hard with .30s or bigger, at least not under the conditions I hunt. I had some concerns about a bullet this small. I doubt I'll try to do this with anything smaller, though I think I could.

[Uncle Grinch]

Glad it all worked out for you. Nice rifle and good venison.

Think you may be right to slow that hollow point down slightly, but I’d keep it between 1600 and 1800, depending on your alloy.

[Petrol & Powder]

Good Job.

I wouldn't make any decisions about the load or bullet based on one shot and one deer. I think you did the best you could given the presentation of the deer.
If anything, the hollow point may be the issue considering the apparent loss of bullet weight and destruction of meat. A flat point may be a better a profile but I wouldn't be jumping from bullet to bullet based on one deer with a difficult presentation. It doesn't sound as if there was a lack of penetration!

One thing is for certain, the 7x57 is a outstanding cartridge !

[Larry Gibson]

Excellent job. For a factory HP stem performance was as I would have expected because the HP is very deep and the 7mm bullet doesn't have the diameter mass that larger caliber bullets have. I found years ago, with the factory HP stem, that even .30 cal cast HP bullets give too much expansion. I found that shortening the HP stem or when using the 1/8" Forster HP tool a 3/16" deep HP gives the best overall performance. Cast with the 50/50 + 2% alloy the bullets give more of a controlled expansion with minimal expansion petal sloughing, The short HP does not give the violent expansion of the deep factory stem HP. I also suggest trying the bullet/load again as results from that shot may not be indicative of the performance from a better placed shot, as you mention.

Again, well done.

[Larry Gibson]

Speaking of 7x57 psi's;

I have pressure tested numerous factory and milsurp (going back to DWM 1918 headstamp) in my M1895 Chilean Mauser with the M43 Oehler. Federal factory ammunition of known factory measured psi was used as "reference" ammunition. Pressures ranged from 44,000 psi up to 59,000+ psi with milsurp ammunition. The DWM 1918, presumably made for the abundant M93 and M95s available at that time, with the 172 gr RNFMJ cupro-nickel jacketed bullets measured 54,800 psi. The psi of new US commercial made ran in the mid 50,000 psi range also. My favorite jacketed bullet hunting load (154 gr Hornady SP over H4831SC) runs 55,700 psi. To duplicate the classic 7x57 load with the 175 gr Hornady RNSP I load it to 2400 fps (22" barrel) over 49 gr H4831 which runs at 52,100 psi which is less psi than the milsurp 172 gr RN loads.

I was souveniered some PC'd RCBS 28-162-SPs that were .288 diameter and found 25 gr of H4895 with a Dacron filler to be the most accurate load. It runs 1870 fps at 29,300 psi. Two loads I have not yet pressure tested are; a 50/50 + 2% alloyed 287308 (163 gr fully dressed) a good max load for hunting is 28 gr H4895 with a Dacron filler which runs 1974 fps. My 1st choice is the original RCBS (semi-Loverin design) 28-168-FN cast of 50/50 + 2% and sized as cast at .287. Loaded over 30 gr H4895 with a Dacron filler they run 2087 fps out of my 22" barreled M95 and hold hunting accuracy (3 moa at 200 yards).

[richhodg66]

Actually, it did have a very deep hollow point stem, and after reading your advice in another thread, I shortened it to where it's maybe 3/16" deep. The bullet shoots well, the rifle is not a tack driver, but decently accurate.

I have been shooting the Midsouth "soup can" bullet through it for practice and after this, am beginning to wonder if it might not make a good hunting bullet now. Seems awfully light, but for most shots, I wouldn't need the penetration this one gave.

I do plan to try this again, our rifle season won't start until Late November, but if I haven't tagged out with the crossbow by then, this rifle will go back to the woods.

[Larry Gibson]

Good luck, good hunting, hold hard and shoot straight.....if you bag another a similar detailed report would be much appreciated.

[Texas by God]

I like that rifle. I'd hunt with it too. Congrats on Meat!

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[sharps4590]

Heavy for caliber, large meplat bullet, dead game with little meat damage. Usually pretty accurate as well.

[725]

you did good. that is a beautiful rifle ------------ and it's in a super caliber, too. well done

[Rick Hodges]

I just got the "soup can" mold and plan to use it for fire forming loads in my 7-30 Waters Contender Carbine. I'm curious about its performance at 2000 fps or so on deer.