Thread: Any 7x57 Experts?

I picked up my Grand fathers BRNO Mauser action the other day.
It’s chambered in 7x57 and came with a bunch of 50 year old ammo.

I’m looking to take it out to the range and wonder if anyone is shooting factory ammunition and there is any recommendations

Also looking at loading for it if it is shooting ok. Anyone have it any success reloading these?

The Brno rifle will be way better than the 50 year old ammo. Fine to shoot it but a 7x57 that I used for nearly 30 years got more accurate as it got older . . . .actually I think ammo and projectiles improved heaps during this time.

Reloading will get you the best results in term of both power (US ammo is woeful in 7x57) and accuracy. 160 Gn Sierra's are very reliable on any NZ game and nearly always shoot well in just about any 7mm you can shoot them out of.

Cheers

In my experience most of the BRNOs are long throated for 175 gn military ammo.(I have a Model 21H, as well as a ZZK600).

Take this into account when you are handloading and you will be fine. They can handle European pressures (US factory and reloading manuaks both underload the 7x57)

Great chambering on deer when loaded with Sierra 140g Gamekings and 2208

I used 140 Gamekings and H414. Grouse calibre.

An excellent cartridge with a versatile range of projectiles available. Pre-WW2 'Karamojo' Bell used one (with 173 grain RN FMJ's) for head-shooting over 1,000 elephants (as well as the 6.5x54) but his technique of creeping into a sleeping herd then climbing a step-ladder to get precise shot placement is not for the faint-hearted!

Great calibre, I used one for years before it was stolen! I used nosler 150 B/Ts and 2208 and it was accurate and very effective on all game including pigs. It didn't seem to recoil much and that was before suppressors came along, so great for new hunters.
Regards
Ruger7mm

Originally Posted by gundoc

An excellent cartridge with a versatile range of projectiles available. Pre-WW2 'Karamojo' Bell used one (with 173 grain RN FMJ's) for head-shooting over 1,000 elephants (as well as the 6.5x54) but his technique of creeping into a sleeping herd then climbing a step-ladder to get precise shot placement is not for the faint-hearted!

@gundoc not a lot of room for mr cock-up

Greetings Tony D,
So you have your grandfathers rifle. Well done. You must have done something right. May I suggest you resist the temptation to turn it into a modern rifle, you likely have other rifles that are much better suited anyway. These rifles with historic family connections are treasures which can be taken out for an aimless wander through some nice easy deer country when the mood takes us. Any deer spotted can be taken or not depending on our mood at the time. As far as loads go have a look at your grandfathers cartridges to see what he was using. You might have to pull a few apart to find out if they are not in their original boxes. The 7x57 is not chambered much these days having been displaced by the 7mm-08 (or the 7x64 in Europe) so handloads are probably the story. As others have stated the rifle will have a long throat so longer and heavier projectiles are likely the best bet. I see that even in the current component drough Reloaders has at least 3 options in the 175 grain area. Backed with a suitable charge of AR2209 this would kill anything in NZ out to 200 metres or so. Ken Waters in his 1968 Pet Loads report favoured 44 grains of IMR4350 and 1970's manuals listed 45 grains for around 2,400 fps as max. IMR 4350 is a little slower than AR2209 and Hodgdons suggests a max of 37 grains of AR2209/ H4350 for a low pressure load and I would start there. Enjoy loading for it.
Regards Grandpamac.

Old Karamojo Bell Article. (A bit fuzzy, sorry.)
Karamojo Bell Article.pdf

A superb cartridge. been loading for it for a long, long time.

If it was my grandad's this is what I would do.

1. Google model, see what I could discover.
2. Have competent gunsmith check bore, throat and measure twist rate of rifling.
3. Don't modify
4. Check out the ammo but put aside for interests sake.
5. If reloading you will find a heap of information on here from very competent people.
6. Totally ignore all American forums re reloading for this cartridge.

Enjoy the rifle

A superb cartridge. been loading for it for a long, long time.

If it was my grandad's this is what I would do.

1. Google model, see what I could discover.
2. Have competent gunsmith check bore, throat and measure twist rate of rifling.
3. Don't modify
4. Check out the ammo but put aside for interests sake.
5. If reloading you will find a heap of information on here from very competent people.
6. Totally ignore all American forums re reloading for this cartridge.

Enjoy the rifle

I should add that I used to own a .275 Rigby but all I ever shot with it was a very large boar on the back face of Mt Grey, and a possum running along a fallen tree at 20 yards which, in the fading twilight, looked just like a deer running about 100 yards away. The express sights on the Rigby made it an easy swinging shot. An American mate made me an offer I couldn't refuse and he took it home to be "the only goddam deer hunter in New England using a Rigby"!

Thanks for all the info, looks like this adventure will be a bit of fun.

Will def keep it in original shape. This was a well used rifle around Te Anau pre/during Deer cull days. And I never got to meet my GF as he passed before I arrived.

I’m guessing it is a 21H with a its set trigger???

GF used 140GR Norma - so will start around that weight.

Next stop Gunsmith for a once over then a couple of boxes of factory to start.

Pics below

Beautiful rifle. I have a custom DWM Mauser 7x57 and shoot a range of projectiles, but mainly 130 gn Speers in front of 48gn 2209. I have scope mounts here that fit your rifle if you need them. My rifle has a 3-9 Swarofski.