Hello fellow hunters,



I would like to share a few perspectives regarding the 7 mm Mauser with you all:-



1. The fact that no European Army adopted the 7 x 57 mm as a military cartridge does not attract from its virtues.



2. In South Africa the cartridge is still 'alive and kicking' and you would have to pry it loose from my cold hands and stiff body.



3. I own a custom built rifle based on a standard K98 action and it feeds flawlessly even though the standard action can accommodate the longer 7 x 64 mm case. The 7 x 64 mm came years later than the 7 x 57 mm and it was simply "Europe's 270 Win" - nothing wrong with that to have in the same bore a bushveld and a plains rifle. It's horses for courses. Impact velocity will determine bullet performance.



4. Why was it just a novelty in the USA? Quite simple the American ammo manufacturers under loaded the cartridge and they drifted away from the long 173 grain bullet that offered good sectional density. That was a mistake - it changed the whole character of the cartridge. Its fast twist of 1 turn in 8.66 inches was meant to stabilize the long-for-caliber bullet. To accommodate the longer bullet, it featured a longer freebore. It is silly to shoot overly short and light bullets in such a design. Why only offer 140 grainers as the heaviest bullet - its downright silly. The magic of the cartridge is simply the 175 grainers @ 2,350 fps, ensuring reliable bullet performance with conventional bullets. I can site plenty success stories.



5. The notion that it served its purpose in the 19th century (but is outdated now), and that magnums kill better, is simply not true. If we consider that most antelope gets shot under 200 yards, the 7 x 57 mm is ideal for medium sized game. With premium controlled expansion bullets the lethality of this cartridge is even better than before. Its ideal impact velocity does not over-stress the bullet and no wonder it still remains an effective killer more than a century later. In addition, killing has to do with biology and as such shot placement plays a decisive role. Even if someone offers me ten 7 mm STW's for free, I would refuse them. The only use for me would be to make a fire with the stock for a barbeque. The steel can be re-cycled and melted to be made up in 7 x 57 barreled actions.



6. CZ's commercial decision to terminate its production is just that - a commercial decision! Not one based on what works or does not. The notion that 'higher velocity' kills better since the days of the Weatherby myth, and still perpetuated today, is wrong and mostly believed by inexperienced novices. The African experience stands testimony to that with all its empirical evidence. Tell a lie 3 times and it will be believed by many. The whole thing is based on misconceptions and 'magnum mania' that sweeps the world, especially the States. Showbiz wrestling mania is the same crap that is used to entertain us - let's get real.



I can ramble on and on, but I am going to save you from that. The penny has dropped for me a long time ago.



Best regards and happy hunting

Truveloshooter