My old Ruger #1 7x57 , is a tack driver , with a 140 grain ballistic tip over H 414. I strongly urge You to try H 414...tj3006

picky picky, details details!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
picky picky, details details!

Well, there you go ...

Pick a fsst opening 140 ish grain bullet. The 139 Interlock and 140 Ballistic-Tip come immediately to mind, but there are others. It would be difficult to find a load that doesn't shoot well enough for bush rsnge, trajectory and wind are non issues, leaving only terminal performance.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
We use the 140 Accubond in the wife's 7x57. She uses it for everything including Elk and Plains Game.

+1 on the 140gr Accubonds. Have taken Pronghorn, whitetail and hogs with excellent performance. My gun really likes the 150 NP but I had trouble with bullet tips deforming in the magazine.

For White Tail and Texas Hogs, the 120 BT is what I use. Never had an animal that didn't fall over dead when hit.

In my 280 AI I like the 140 Accubonds.

Thanks all.... have all of my reloading components, brass trimmed and primed. Like big bullets have 140gr Hornady interlock and 150 and 160gr Partitions to start off with.

Whitetails aren't all that hard to kill with most any decent shot, I'd have first priority being a decent group at 200 yards or whatever your self imposed max range will be. If this is going to be the annual take-hunting gun, as mentioned Nosler partition or other premium bullet is extra insurance that I'd probably pay for but IMHO probably not necessary for deer.

As I said earlier at close range woods hunting distances give me a 175 rn any day of cup n core design.

I would say the 150 grain Nosler Ballistic tip pushed by H414 out of the 7x57 is the best deer cartridge known to man! Whitetails anyway and for most Mule deer hunting too.

For deer and the ranges you are shooting - Wasbeeman is absolutely correct. If you can't find the 154 gr RN's, the 140 gr Accubond is the perfect balance of speed, penetration and expansion - IMO of course. All my 140 Acc WT's have been DRT -> 7-08 and 7 RM. Highly recommended.

Cheers

Jeffe,

Get a life, lighten up, you lack of a since humor and anal effort to illuminate your knowledge is gett'en plumb scary..

Actually, the 8X57 was the first of the .473 cases, developed in 1888, followed shortly by the 7.65X53 in 1889 for the Belgian Mauser (and the Argentine in 1891), then the 7X57 in 1892.
When I think about the 7X57 -- and I often do -- I recall the chapter in "The Hunting Rifle" that Jack O'Connor devoted to this fine cartridge. He really liked the 139-grain open point bullet loaded by the Western Cartridge Company back in the 1930s. I would love to just see that bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
hornday 139gr .. load it mild, shoot it well, and it will slay them

X3 on what jeffeosso said

Years ago when I was young (and before the Internet ruined my thoughts of bullets, chamberings + rifles), all I had to use was a 280 Rem, and all I shot out of it was mildy loaded 139gr Hornady BTSP. Back then I used it on a couple bull Elk, the odd Bear, a Moose + several AB White tail + Mule deer....but that was many moons ago and we all know that; that combination would never work nowadays.

Ain't no deer alive a cast bullet won't kill and do so efficiently.

I've mostly used the 140 gr Partition in the 7x57 on deer of all sizes.

Never seen a whitetail bullet. Seen a few boat tails, however.

Spot on

The 140 gr Rem Corelokt is the same.

Run then at around 2700 fps and they penetrate well. I have had great results with the same weight bullets in the 6.5X55 at 2700 fps.

Once you start running them at high velocity above 2800 fps, they open up too fast, penetrate poorly and damage too much meat.

Yes you do get the lightning strike kills at time but a lot of blood shot meat too.

150gr in same bullets is great too.

quote:

Originally posted by cmfic1:

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
hornday 139gr .. load it mild, shoot it well, and it will slay them

X3 on what jeffeosso said

Years ago when I was young (and before the Internet ruined my thoughts of bullets, chamberings + rifles), all I had to use was a 280 Rem, and all I shot out of it was mildy loaded 139gr Hornady BTSP. Back then I used it on a couple bull Elk, the odd Bear, a Moose + several AB White tail + Mule deer....but that was many moons ago and we all know that; that combination would never work nowadays.

Bottom line now and forever has been, the 7x57 is just plumb good with about any bullet, as one has to determine from reading this and other posts..Ive used the old 120 gr. Sierra, the 130 Speer (a favorite deer bullet of mine), the 140s 150s 160s and 175s on game of all sorts up to and including elk, eland, buffalo and Kudu, have seen it used on elephant on one occasion and several times on buffalo culls.

Is it ideal on such big animals, seemed to be in real life, never on an internet blog..I see it as an awesome deer and elk rifle under decent circumstances, and consider it the equal from a practical standpoint to the 270 and 30-06 under about any circumstances.

I've come full circle in regards to WT bullets. First it was cup & core then bonded, then mono. Now I'm back to cup & core. My thought is that WT just don't need anything more. Like Mr. Atkinson said, the 130 Speer is a great bullet. Cheap, plentiful and accurate!
Caveat here is that I don't own a 7x57 but do own a 7mm-08, 280 Rem & 7mm RM

I've been deer hunting with a sweet little 20" 7x57 Mark X Mauser for 45 years. If there is a bullet available between 130 and 160 grs. that I haven't tried I don't know what it is. IMHO my favorite, after trying all the others is the Sierra 150 gr. GameKing loaded to 2700 fps. Hornady's 154 and Speer's 160 are close 2nds.
Bonded bullets are totally unnecessary for deer. 175's are slow killers and 139/140 don't always penetrate as far as I want/need. Nosler Partitions make a long narrow wound, not always desirable for deer.

140 gr coreLokt. It has always worked like a charm on whitetails.

Can't go wrong with a 140 Noser Partition

7X57 or 7mm-08 hands down 140gr Nosler Ballistic tips.

Note the exit wound!

Interesting Thread, but is there really a BEST bullet? I think not. roger

Bill,
I have some of those old Western Tool and Copper bullets in 100 gr. HPs 25 caliber and 180 gr. HP 30 caliber. I shot up the 7x57s some years ago..They are basically flat base Hollow points with a small cavity hollow point, look like Sierras..Nothing flashy or different, but they do work well..Ive killed deer with them and shot a wounded elk going south with the 30-06 and the 180 gr. at 50 or so yards and killed it on the spot, never found the bullet however..

I really like them and Im still hunting with them from time to time..On a few occasions Ive seen them at gun shows in various calibers and grab them up, usually for a song.

Ray, always great to hear first-hand experience with an old classic.

Yes, I'm sure Ray has taken more deer than many of us through the years.
For accuracy sake with regard to the new rifle, first thing is checking the trigger for proper let off and pull weight. Zero creep and 2 to 2.5 pounds pull works great for me. Shoot often.

If I were forced to shoot one caliber for all my hunting, I would be torn between the 7x57 and the 30-06...I know the 06 is the best choice, but dammit I prefer the 7x57, its magical IMO!!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I also have had good luck with the 145 gr. Speer,

Ive used those for years on Muleys. It has become my favorite deer bullet hands down. Never needed anything more to drop em in one shot. Ive heard them Eastern Whitetails can be pretty damn tough though. They must make good jerky.

The Speer 145gr Hot core is a good bullet for game.

NOTE: The 145gr Speer BOAT TAIL is not a Hot core bullet and performs differently on game. I would not push this bullet too fast on large deer.

JMHO

I dont know if the hot core process really makes that much difference Naki. In fact I sometimes wonder if it might actually soften the jacket. Ive killed several muleys with the BTSP from a 7mm RM @ about 2950 fs. The bullets performance was always excellent in my experience. No massive exit like a polymer tiped slug, but certainly enough to destroy the vitals. Ive come full circle with bullets on deer. Tried BT's, bondeds, Grand slams, etc. and decided it was an exercise in futility. Dont fix it if its not broken. Emphasis on "deer sized game".

Spot on - your velocity explains your results.

My 280 Ack Imp pushes Speer 145 gr BT or FB at 3100 fps & rem corelokt 150 gr at 3100 fps.

The Corelokt really damages too much meat at that velocity.

Like I said, the 7x57 just works with almost any bullet, read this whole thread and about every bullet out there has become someones favorite..Ive found this to be true, Why is this? IMO its mostly because the 7x57 velocity isn't such that it tortures bullets, it allows them to perform properly, Ive always felt that 2800 FPS like 2400 FPS is in big bores, a magical number for performance..Some will argue and let'em, but Im convienced.

just white tail,? just a plain oh simple, 140 grain Sierra spbt...