Hi fellas,
Thinking about buying a new M77 in 7x57 Mauser.Does anyone out there have an opinion about this rifle and caliber, for deer,Black Bear,and Moose. I have a Ruger #1 in .243 Winchester. I like this rifle but thought I'd like to try something different. I've shot a few whitetails with this rifle, but i think whitetail deer are about it's upper limit. Any ideas and feedback would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
Steve

Well if your in Alaska like your name consider a .308 Win to get the bigger bullets. But since you like the #1 a 7X57 has that personal touch.

Since it's not that easy to get high performance 7X57 ammo you may handload now? If you do a 30/06 can be loaded down to manageable recoil levels. Even a .300 Win Mag could. Then if a really big animal is out there you won't have to wonder if the 7X57 is big enough.

Where I hunt I have no use for .300 Mag's. But I own them anyway!

my first rifle was a Ruger m77 MkII in 7x57

this loaded with a 140gr partition and I think 49gr of IMR 4350 was superbly accurate.
I killed sheep, elk and moose with this load no problems. Be carefull though, once you own a 7X57 you may never love another cartridge again!

Alaska, I think you have hit the practical limit of your .243 and are wise to want to step up. However, since we assume you live in Alaska, I think I would "step up" a bit higher than a
7 X 57. I think I would move up to a 30/06. It would be even more suitable and more versatile for your purposes. Otherwise I'm afraid you'll be back in a year asking the same question again and wanting to "step up" a second time.

But you COULD do it with a 7 X 57. JMHO

Hi Pecos;
I'm actually from Massachusetts, Alaskamaryann is the name of a salmon fly. I picked it up years ago for a cb radio handle. Don't have a radio anymore, but I hung onto the name. The Moose would be an occassional thing.
Thanks for the feedback guys.
Steve.

Alaska,

When I was a young pup my grand father gave me a military 7x57, I loved the rifle. As I got older I wanted the lastest and greatest a 243 Win.(kids what do they know). I hunted many years with that rifle but mostly deer. I then got the 30-06 and loved it but I still had a soft spot for the 7x57.

Much older and wiser I now own several 7x57, its a very versitle cartridge. I will be starting my kids off with the 7x57, low recoil and very versitle.You can hand load it to it full potential and load bullets from 120 gr.- 175 gr. I hunt most of my NA game with the 7x57 except elk then I step up.

If you are in the graet state of AK then I would choose a 30-06 with 180 gr nosler partitions.

Just my .02 worth

BD

If a 7X57 is what you want then get it.The 140/150 gr. at 2700 fps will handle the deer/bear and a 175 gr at 2500 will do a job on a moose out to 300 yds.JMHO

I love mine. My deer load is a 145 grain Speer Hotcor in front of 48 grains of H414 and CCI magnum rifle primers, Frontier brass. The rifle is a sweet shooter. Unfortunately, it is too sweet! I can't talk myself into a 270 or a 30-06!!

Since I've had a mkII made up with a Lilja 7x57 barrel and McMillin stock I have been well pleased with the decision. Stange, but it seems that all the heavy weight 7mm bullets can be had in a spitzer. Even the big ole 195 grain barnes original comes as a spitzer and is the only heaviest weight for caliber bullet they offer(any caliber) that comes as a spitzer. Barnes shows that bullet to have a BC of .570! That caliber will work fine for anything in your part of the country.

My very first "build" was a complete build up on an M1895 Mauser during my 7th grade shop classes. With a huge ammount of help from my woodshop teacher, a hunter, shooter and rifleman, my metalshop teacher with the same hobbies and my grandfathers, one a professional riflemaker and the other just a very talented amature. I still have that 7x57AI and although now 40 years later it is no longer a thing of beauty, it has accounted for a trainload of game and left me with a love of this cartridge that has caused me to build more 7x57 and the Ackley improved version than than all other calibers combined. In the western hemisphere, if it can't be done with a 7x57, it probably dosn't need doing. richard.

I had a Ruger #1 7X57 in the AB model and sadly let it go when I had a custom 7X57 AI built. The 7X57 is a wonderfull cartridge that doesn't get the publicity and hype of the new Ultra and Short Mags. It will handel Moose and Elk with careful shot placement using heavy for calibre bullets such as the 175gr. I think you will be happy with the 7x57.

Hi MaryAnn: I owned a Ruger Mark II in 7x57mm and I handload. I put a Timney trigger in it, glasshbedded the action, free-floated the barrel and refinished the stock. I loaded with H414 powder. I since traded it for a CZ 550 American in what else but a 7x57mm Mauser. I glassbedded the action, freefloated the barrel, adjusted the trigger to break at 3# even and at a kiss with the set trigger. I also refinished that beautiful Turkish Walnut stock on my rifle with Lindspeed and then had a gunsmith in El Paso jewell the bolt and polish the bolt handle. It is one beautiful rifle now. I handloaded 160 gr. Nosler Partitions with H414 and am getting 2,845 fps with this combo and one-inch groups or slightly less. Then Hornady came out with its SST in 162 grain and I handload it too. The groups with H414 and the bullet moving just at 2,800 fps are sub-half minute of angle at 100 yards. I still have to do some testing with this load. I would not hesitate one bit to use the little 7 for any of the animals you mentioned. Just remember to shoot your rifle a lot and get to know it well, and your loads well. I hope you handload because you can reach the full potential of that round if you do. Try not to fool yourself into thinking you will need more gun. A few years ago I smacked an elk quartering away from me and up a slight hill at 150 yards or so with the 7 and a 154 gr. Hornady. Hit it right in the backbone (screwed up some darn good tenderloin that way though ). He dropped virtually in his tracks. I've used the 162 grain for mule deer, whitetail deer, and wild pig in south Texas. It is an awesome caliber, an awesome cartridge, and a darn good choice. Good luck! Tom Purdom

Alaska

I like your name .have used that fly on salmon too.

I have old slide safty Ruger 77.Thin barrel with the red recoil pad.it's a nice light rifle.
Like the others I hand load for it,but use barnes X or XLC bullets.It will kill anthing in the US,even here in Alaska.BUT if I were tromping around the woods this time of year I'd carry my 375 H&H.
That round has a long history of being a out standing killer of game,And if you read about the Bore war,men as well.
They are pretty light on reoil.and there are a lot of bullets you can load.with a 140 gr X bullet it is a out standing round .Go for it!.
If you want to step up later have it improved.It will then be close to a 7 mm mag.
I like mine real well.

Bed the stock,and have the trigger smothed up you will have a shooter.

As much as I respect the opinion of Don Martin, and others on this board, I am compelled to mention that W.D.M. Bell killed over 800 African elephants with the 7X57mm, using 173-grain bullets, and most of them with one shot. Yes, he was a terrific shot, and knew just where to place his shots. I spent 3 years in Alaska, and while there, shot two 300+pound black bears one morning with a .270 Winchester, 150-grain Nosler Partition bullets @ 2850 FPS. It took three shots for this job. I knew a doctor's wife in Fairbanks who killed a large Polar bear (back when you could!!) with her .270, same load, ONE SHOT!! A good handloader can get up to a little more than 2700 FPS from a 175-grain Nosler Partition bullet in Ruger in 7X57mm rifles. I have a No. 1A and an M77 which both will do this. My load averages in the 1-MOA range, and will kill ANYTHING in Alaska, even though I would not select this caliber for coastal brownies (would opt for the .375 H&H for that!!!). If you load your own ammo, or have access to someone who can do it for you, there is no reason NOT to get a 7X57!! It is a very effective and versatile round, one often under-rated by us in the U.S.A.

I can't speak for the larger species of game but the 7x57 is great on deer. My wife and I both shoot the mauser loaded with 140 grain Partitions. She uses a 700 mountain rifle and I shoot a Ruger 1A, Winchester featherweight, and am in the process of finishing a Mark X in 7x57. If it lights your fire go for it.

Shawn

I've shot a Ruger 77 in 7/57 for over 20 years.I took mine to Zimbabwe on my first safari in 1988 and had five one shot kills on the big African antelope,kudu,tsessebe,etc.shooting 175gr.Partitions at 2500 fps.The same load has taken several NM elk with the same results.
Shoot premium bullets and put them in the chest cavity and you will have meat on the table,all without excessive recoil and in a rifle weight of about 8lbs.
I did put mine in a composit stock.
I thought the factory stock felt like a club.

Bravo five one