I'm thinking of taking my 7x57 to africa this summer.

Anyone have any experience with the 140 accubond at 7x57 velocities?

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Anyone have any experience with the 140 accubond at 7x57 velocities?

Yep My wife took her 7x57 to Namibia Took a Springbok and Gemsbok. Both one shot and drop. Gemsbok was about 250-275yds. Broke the leg going in took out the heart broke bone on the offside and stopped under the skin. Weighted about 70% of starting weight. The PH was impressed wanted to know just how hot the load was. Velocity was 2750

Most bullets perform in a similar way regardless of what continent they are fired from. What were you thinking of shooting with your 7x57?

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My wife took her 7x57 to Namibia Took a Springbok and Gemsbok. Both one shot and drop.

The gemsbok is a good test. In my (admittedly limited) experience, the gemsbok is very tough for its size, and a lot tougher than kudu.

Chris, as you know I am a big believer in using a bullet, by design that cannot fail.

I consider the 7x57 and the 308 WCF in the same power class.

I have shot a lot of game [and so has my wife] with the 308. She shot zebra, wildebest, and impala with 165gr Trophy Bonded Bearclaws. We have shot game from bobcat to big pigs with it as well.

It is our favorite all round bullet in the 308.

I have also had excellent reaults with 165 and 180 Nosler Partitions in the USA with the 308.

I use a lot of WW Factory 168 Ballistic Silvertips for deer and pigs in Texas, but would not take them to Africa for general use on Plains game.

I feel that you can NEVER go wrong with a Nosler Partition of the proper weight and proper calibre, for the game being hunted, but all in all in the 7x57/308WCF power range the Trophy Bonded Bearclaw is my most favorite bullet.

Because they are bonded, if you shoot a small animal, like a bobcat at 30 yards, a honey badger at 35 yards, or a heyna at 40 yards, etc. the bullet does not fragment and makes small holes in the hide, but these same animals were killed in their tracks..

If you shoot a BIG animal, far off or up close the bullet expands, AND holds together giving you a big and deep wound.

sure, why not use them?

I've had such luck with 162gr A-maxs out of my 280ackley that id try them out over there on the small animals.

actually they are the best bullet ive used for deer and i would be interested to see how well they stacked up on larger animals

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Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Most bullets perform in a similar way regardless of what continent they are fired from.

Sorry. I should have been more clear in positioning my question. The "just behind the shoulder" is the preferred shot by most hunters in North America, as this is where the heart is on deer, elk, etc... This typically only subjects a bullet to a layer of ribs. So someone in NA might say that the bullet punches a nice hole in both sides.

The heart on most African game is further forward in the chest cavity and the "through the shoulder" is the preferred shot there - subjecting the bullet to heavier bone and more muscle before it reaches the vitals. Here one might say that it only went 1/2 way through the chest cavity before coming completely apart.

Tony - you're right with the partitions: they just work. The premiums are never a bad choice, but I wonder at x57 velocities if the heavier jacketed premiums open up well at the slower vel. It sounds like they have for you in the 308.

If the accubond is well bonded, it seemed like it might be a better choice at x57 vel. by not being as tough as on of the heavier jacketed partition types (swift, nosler, etc...)

Like most of us, I'm probably over thinking it. I'll take them and let you know the field results.

Thanks for the input.

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If the accubond is well bonded, it seemed like it might be a better choice at x57 vel. by not being as tough as on of the heavier jacketed partition types (swift, nosler, etc...)

Like I said my wife's 7x57 took two with shoulder shots and the bullet performed and they dropped on the spot.

I took Kudu, hartebeast and Impala with 160s in my 280PDK all shoulder shots. Only recovered bullet was on the hartebeast. Only the Kudu moved he went about 40yds with his heart gone and shoulder gone. I used Part for years. I now shoot nothig but Accubond.

I load 140 grain Accubonds to 2800 FPS in my 280 and have used them successfully on big whitetails and elk. I might have second thoughts with an Eland but all other plains game should be fine.

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Originally posted by ramrod340:

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If the accubond is well bonded, it seemed like it might be a better choice at x57 vel. by not being as tough as on of the heavier jacketed partition types (swift, nosler, etc...)

Like I said my wife's 7x57 took two with shoulder shots and the bullet performed and they dropped on the spot.

I took Kudu, hartebeast and Impala with 160s in my 280PDK all shoulder shots. Only recovered bullet was on the hartebeast. Only the Kudu moved he went about 40yds with his heart gone and shoulder gone. I used Part for years. I now shoot nothig but Accubond.

Thanks Paul. Now it sounds like it's up to me to put them in the right spot!

I have had very good performance in my 7x57 with 175gr Partitions which is what I specified the rifle be built to shoot. It performed perfectly on Kudu out to 250yds consistently. I more or less shoot nothing BUT Partitions if they are available for the caliber. Why experiment with success on something as important and expensive as a safari. I've used Partitions more or less exclusively for over 50 years with complete success.

Love the good words about 7mm Partitions. I'mm working up 7x57mm loads for a pair of Steyr M-72s and a Mannlicher MCA using 160 grain Accubonds, since they appear to be the most accurate bulles in my particular rifles. None of the 140 grain class bullets seem to equal the 160 to 175 grain class slugs. Of course, the first targets of opportunity for these 7x57 loads will be Texas Hill Country deer, not African game, because my battery for the next safari is already set. Powder charges are running 45.0 gr of IMR 4350, and/or Norma N203-B. all charges varying =/- half a grain, and still may be a littl weak. Won't know for sure until I get them out to shoot whitetails next Fall.
LLS

I had very bad results with 7mm 160gr AB out of my 7mmRSAUM on a large mule deer. In short they completely blew up.
These were factory loadings from "Nosler Custom Ammo" velocity was 2900.
I am not totally ruling them out because of one animal however, I have heard very good things about them.
They were incredibly accurate!
Let us know your results.

KC

BobC of this forum took Accubonds to Namibia with his .375 H&H. He had nothing but high praise for the bullet.

A few months ago, at one of our local sports shops I fell into talking to a South African bloke.
As we talked it became obvious that the fellow had done a lot of shooting in Africa, both animals and when in the Army at other targets.
He told me an amusing incident about having been treed by an angry old buff.
I had to ask him were he to go back to Africa what rifle would he use. He turned to the gun rack where there was a BSA Viscount in 7x57 with a Nickel Supra scope on it.
"I'd be happy to walk from Cape Town to Cairo with that over my shoulder", he said.
With a recomendation like that I think I too would be happy to use a 7x57 for plains game.
Does any one know if the 7x57 has been used very much in Africa?

The 7x57 is a South African institution! Remember that it was used in the Anglo Boer War and outshone the British 303 and has been a favourite ever since.
Traditionally used with the heavier bullets, like the 175gr.
I have an original 275 Rigby (shooting 7x57 ammo), but don't get to use it practically very much.
South Africans in particular are very sentimental about their 7mm Mausers.

www.graaffreinetsafaris.co.za

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The heart on most African game is further forward in the chest cavity and the "through the shoulder" is the preferred shot there

Chris, Chris, Chris .....

I know that what's his face has sold a ton of books (shot placement) under this guise that somehow animals in Africa are different than on any other continent. It was a brilliant marketing move; I'll grant him that.

It is also pure BULLSHIT.

The behind-the-shoulder-shot on any animal in Africa from dik-dik to elephant is exactly the same, and the same as dinging the local whitetail, with exactly the same results.

I've seen guys on the plane ride over the pond dutifully studying "the book." They were most likely worrying themselves to death about whether they could remember how to place the shot on an impala and how to differently place the shot on a wildebeest, and where to place the bullet on a warthog, and ....

Holy crap!

Now that you have bought the book, the deed is done, the money paid, the money made, the damage done. Now you can throw it in the trash!

Will, interesting assessment.
I don't claim to be an expert, but always advise my clients that the African animals have their spines dip lower than yours in the North America and to consequently aim lower than they would normally do back home.
This I have read and heard numerous times. Do you agree?

www.graaffreinetsafaris.co.za

Admittedly a buff's spine dips down a bit at its shouders, but for the standard behind the shoulder shot, where you are trying to hit the top of the heart and the lungs, it is irrelevant.

Point taken, but I know that over here one of the most common wounding shots, and wounded animals lost and recovered a very long time later, is the high spine shot. The animals drop dramatically, kick a lot, jump up and run for miles.
That may, of course, be the same in North America.

If I recall correctly did not W,D.M. Bell shoot Elephants with a 7x57,,,,using solids I imagine...but believe correct...

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Originally posted by Will:

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The heart on most African game is further forward in the chest cavity and the "through the shoulder" is the preferred shot there

Chris, Chris, Chris .....

I know that what's his face has sold a ton of books (shot placement) under this guise that somehow animals in Africa are different than on any other continent. It was a brilliant marketing move; I'll grant him that.

It is also pure BULLSHIT.

The behind-the-shoulder-shot on any animal in Africa from dik-dik to elephant is exactly the same, and the same as dinging the local whitetail, with exactly the same results.

I've seen guys on the plane ride over the pond dutifully studying "the book." They were most likely worrying themselves to death about whether they could remember how to place the shot on an impala and how to differently place the shot on a wildebeest, and where to place the bullet on a warthog, and ....

Holy crap!

Now that you have bought the book, the deed is done, the money paid, the money made, the damage done. Now you can throw it in the trash!

I'm on Will's side here!

Also, while the 7X57(properly loaded) is fully adequate for most of Africa's plains game, if I owned a .30-06 it would go in the place.

Thousands of Kudu and Gemsbok have been taken with corelokts, power points, silver tips, hot cores, interlocks, and other standard cup and core bullets so I'd be hard pressed to believe a bonded bullet would not be a slight step up in reliability. That said.....I'll remain an A-Frame shooter.

If penetration is the name of the game, the 140 TSX bullets loaded in my 7x57 worked very well on two very large Alberta bucks this past fall. The mule buck was a 300lbs and 1/4ing in to me, bullet went though the front shoulder, through the body and out the far side behind the last rib. Performance like that would do well any where. FS

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Chris, Chris, Chris .....

I know that what's his face has sold a ton of books (shot placement) under this guise that somehow animals in Africa are different than on any other continent. It was a brilliant marketing move; I'll grant him that.

It is also pure BULLSHIT.

So are you saying that there are not significant anatomical differences between a whitetail and a gemsbok? Between a mule deer and a wildebeest? I will have to call BS on your statement I'm afraid.

There are huge differences between North American game and African game. Differences in weight, body shape, body proportions, etc.
Show me the huge spinal processes of the wildebeest on a whitetail for example.

There is clearly nothing wrong with a hunter understanding the anatomy of the game he is trying to kill. I have been poring over some of the material you are dismissing and I will know exactly where I'm shooting when I arrive in Namibia this May. You would have to be quite foolish in my opinion to plan the trip of a lifetime to Africa without preparing properly.

The Perfect Shot books are absolutely great and anyone would do well to buy them and study them carefully. I think most would agree that bullet placement is the most important factor in bringing game down quickly. It follows that knowing where to shoot to begin with is critical.

I respect hunters that spend time learning about the animals we hunt, and I won't be mocking the hunters reading their silly anatomy books on the plane, because I will be one of them. Something tells me my PH won't have a problem with this either.

I suggest if your going half way around the world, spending a lot of money, your best insurance to a good hunt is a super premium bullet, end of story...Personally I would opt for a Nosler 160 gr., GS Customs 150 gr., Woodleigh 160 gr. I also really like the 175 gr. bullets in a long throated, long magazine rifle like the Brno 21 and 22.....