I am heading out to the Selous in September. I plan on taking a Ruger No. 1 in 7x57. Have the other critters covered with a 458 Lott. My load for the 7x57 is around 51.4 grains of RL-22 with winchester cases and hornady 175 grain round nose bullets. I am getting a constant 2600 feet per second out of this load with very, very good accuracy.

I had a friend just come back from SA complaining about penetration from a 375 loaded with Remingon 375s. It has gotten me worried. I believe that with velocities less than 2700 fps I should be fine with the Hornady interlocks on plains game. My friend says he would not go back and shoot any plains game with anything other than fail safes or barnes bullets. I just want to know if anyone has shot any plains game with a 7x57 with something other than a barnes or other mono-metal and how it worked out for him or her. Thanks.

You will be fine with your 7x57 load. I used a similar load two years ago and never had a problem. That heavy bullet will perform perfect on game, and you will not have a single problem. I will never shoot fail safe bullets again due to bad experiences with them. I like the X Bullet however in the 7x57 your load is what I would take.

I am not sure what your friend is talking about with the 375 unless he was using it on buffalo or Jumbo.

I like the Hornady interlocks, I use them in a 300 win mag and have never had any problems.

I really appreciate your replies. In my experience, a quality cup and core bullet is the best projectile for moving at or below 2700 feet per second. I have had bad experiences with mono-metals at moderate velocities in calibers smaller than .338. I thought this thing out about a year ago and felt fine about the 175 Hornadys, but my friend got me rattled. He is a good shot, but first time in SA. I think his pills might have blown up a bit as a lot of his shots were close. He did not even get complete penetration on a lion at around 30 yards with the Remington 275s. I don't think those are round nosers, or even core-lokts for that matter.

What makes you think you will have complete penetration on a lion with a 375? I didn't have it with Swifts on a broadside shot. Lion ain't impala.

But as long as you're sticking to the light and little stuff your 7x57 will probably be okay.

Just; my two cent worth; after having used probably 25 of the hornaday bullets in different calibers on game including Zebra out of the 375 I have had nothing but consistent excellent performance out of the bullets.

I think that people get worried when they don't get a bang flop reaction. With that bullet at that speed you will get long deep wound channels and animals that are going to run for little ways and then lay own and die if you put the bullet through both lungs or heart or the great vessels above the heart or a combination of the above. NO WORRIES BE HAPPY GO TO AFRICA SHOOT CAREFULLY AND HAVE FUN!!!!!!

Just my 2c, but I'd give the 175 A Frames a try. I suspect that they will be more effective on plains game. I had sterling success with 160 A Frames in 7mm Rem mag, with several one shot kills up to and including kudu, gemsbok and zebra.

On my last safari my plains game rifle was a custom 7x57 built specifically to shoot 175gr Nosler Partitions. Killed several Kudu and lesser game at ranges up to and slightly over 250yards. Very effective combination. Have absolutely no idea what the velocity was as I pay little attention to velocity in my reloading. I usually start a couple of grains under maximum book with IMR4350 (my standard powder) and increase till I get acceptable groups and then stop. Don't have a chrono so just accept what the book says. The animals have never once complained in over 55 years of doing it this way. I NEVER NEVER go OVER maximum book period. I have never had a rifle fail to shoot adequately with this procedure.

For my 2004 hunt in Zim I took my 7x57 and 416 Rem. The 7x57 load was the 160 Nosler Partition at about 2700 fps. One-shot flops on Kudu (125 yds), impala (100 yds) and bushbuck (210 yds). The PH was amazed that the Nosler broke both shoulders of the Kudu. I would use the same load again, or else the 175 gr Partition, and never look back! The 7x57 is a great classic round--my favorite.

I personally prefer the Nosler Partitions, but I'm confident that the Hornady's will work just fine - if you send them through the "boiler room".

My wife's and daughter's rifles are both 7x57 Mauser. I have loaded them with Nosler Partitions, Swift A-Frames, and Remington Corelocks all 150 - 154 grain bullets going about 2500 fps. Neither of them has ever shot anything up to and including kudu twice. I honestly can not tell the difference in killing power between any of these bullets on game. Broadside heart lung shots will kill the animal dead as hell. I have lost track of the number of one shot kills on deer and hogs that my wife has made with her 7x57.

If I ever get around to building a custom left handed rifle it will probably be on a Montana action and be in 7x57 Mauser.

A farmer in SA once made a very good offer for my daughter if I would include her rifle in the deal.

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Just my 2c, but I'd give the 175 A Frames a try. I suspect that they will be more effective on plains game. I had sterling success with 160 A Frames in 7mm Rem mag, with several one shot kills up to and including kudu, gemsbok and zebra.

I agree that the A Frame is a great bullet, actually my favorite. That being said, my oppinion is that the A Frame is a very hard bullet it is built to withstand high impact velocities from the largest magnums. I do not think that it is the ideal bullet for the lower starting velocity of the 7x57. Im sure it will kill fine but I would worry about the amount of expansion you will realize at the lower velocities. My suggestion would be a partition. It will deffinately give you plenty of expansion. Best luck

Your friend may be a tad off course IMO.....

However the 7x57 is a great plainsgame caliber. The 175 gr. Hornady is a little too tough in my opinnion for plainsgame and I would opt for a 160 gr. Nosler or Woodleigh as they will open up on small stuff and still hold together well enough on the larger species of plainsgame..The 154 gr. HOrnady is a great bullet also. I do however have a personal policy and that is to always use super premiums or premium bullets on an expensice hunt, its my insurance against bullet failure and it works..thus my choice of the Nosler partitions as a rule.

That said, I cannot imagine anyone complaining about the .375, it has been proving itself for about 200 years and every African hunter I know has one, including most PHs....There is no such thing as 300 grs. of bullet failure at 2500 plus FPS on plainsgame, and not likely on buffalo IMHO..

Something you might take into consideration however is that in DG country it is always best to carry a plainsgame rifle that is capable of handling a ticked off elephant, a buffalo that had a bad night on the breeding field, or a Lion that has its foot festering from a snare, I, personally would not want to deal with such a situation with a 7x57.. but then these decisions are up to each individual and they are required to live with them.

I love the 7x57 and in my limited experience it is a great choice for plains game from Kudu down.

I have used it with 175gr Nosler partitions and have never had any problems with penetration or bullet failure.

As Ray has suggested though, i'd rather have a 375 or 416 in my hands if i was in DG country.

I appreciate your responses. I worked up loads with the 175 Hornady round nose because my Ruger No. 1 is older and has a 1:9.5 twist. It does not seem to have enough twist to properly stabilize 175 spitzers well. I am also taking a 458 Lott for buffalo. Will be using the Hornady DGX and DGS 500 grainers. I am not sure how it is going to work, if someone else is going to be carrying the other rifle while the one is in use.

I was told to bring two rifles. I am sure they have something figured out. I think my friend ran into his problem by using 270 or 275 grain core lokts in his 375. He had really good results with fail safes on buffalo.

The 7x57 will do a bang up job, I do like your bullet weight choice also. With those velocities you will be fine.

Dirk

a 7x57 custom mark x mauser has been my most used medium game rifle for the past 30 years. i have taken over 80 head of deer, hogs and black bear with it.i haven't used the 175 hornady, but have used the 175 winchester some. have also used a lot of hornadys in .30 cal.i would have to agree with ray atkinson 100%. no matter what hornady advertising tries to make us believe the innerlock does little or nothing that a standard cup and core bullet does or doesn't do. .i also would load the 160 nosler. partition. it will expand rapidly enough on smaller antelope and hold together and penetrate well on the large antelope. when i hunted africa i left my 7x57 home and took a 300 mag. for a light rifle, which was a mistake. my 7x57 with 160 nosler partitions would have been about perfect for the game and conditions i encountered. good luck to you.

On my first Safari I took two rifles. A 308 loaded with TBBC and Barnes X and a 270 WSM loaded with 140 grain Fail SAfes.The PH ask me to leave the 270 in my room as they hated the FAil Safes because they fail to open on smaller game and act like a solid. I think many African PHs like the 7mm Mauser. If my wife goes that is the rifle she will be using but I think it will be a super premium bullet in the 140 to 160 grain. In Namibia and some places in SA you can have shots of 300 yards.

The 7x57 was popular in Africa long before the availability of premium bullets and it handles the 175's well. Do your part and put the bullet in the right place and the 7x57 will work just fine.

Anyone that has actually USED the 175 gr. Hornady knows it is a very tough bullet ment for penetration and that it does not open well on light deer sized game unless bone is struck. Sure it will kill with a well places shot, but not quickly as a rule but on the positive side it does not ruin a lot of meat...

The 154 gr. Hornady is much better at expansion and it ruins more meat. The Nosler 160 is a really good all around bullet on all game, as are many other 150 to 160 gr. bullets..I would reserve the 175 Hornady for Eland, perhaps buffalo and Lion or big bear.

If I had to have a 175 gr. bullet then I would opt for the Nosler and it will expand enough on all game but the retained partition will still penetrate and give you an exit wound. I am very fond of this bullet in the 7x57...

Just my opine based on my use of the said bullets in my 7x57s over the years.