If you could only have one 7x57 R or 8x57 R what would be your choice, also consider resale ?

I have had both, still have 3 in 8x57...prefer 8x57. It just has more punch. No significant difference in trajectory within 200 yards, and I suspect would generally sell better than a 7x57R.

Or just split the difference and go 7x65r

If I had to choose it would be the 7mm - more useful in the Uk and we dont need the punch of 8mm

With a combo gun or a drilling I think most of your shots would be under 200 yards, with many closer in heavy cover. At least I know mine are.
Also shooting game like wild pigs and black bear,
I would prefer the 8x57.

Also if I had practiced with my 8x57 I would not be afraid to make longer range shots.

I have some of both, and the 8X57 is hands down a better choice for all around hunting. With a 196gr Woodleigh I would feel a lot better "gunned" if I needed to stop something.

I also have a supply of 196 RN solids.

Damn that's a tough question.

Speaking only of metric chambered rifles my favorite bolt guns are in 8x57 rather than 7x57 or 9.3x62 which I also have.

BUT, in single shots my two favorites are in 7x65R and 9.5x57R, with a pair of 9.3x74Rs close behind.

Heck...buy em both. So far as we know you only get one go around...might as well make it the full Molly.

Like both, but I like the way the 8X57 kills, without making a big mess. I own four of them in repeaters, a combo gun is on my short list.

The 7x57R will kill all hoofed game in NA. The 8mm will do the same with more energy. I own the 7mm....if I need more I take the 9.3x62.

It all depends on what i would be hunting. Without knowing that, i can't answer the question.

DM

For my way of thinking the 8x57IS & 8x57IRS & a 196 gr. bullet is a match made in heaven and punches with considerably more authority than anything the 7x57R ever though of spitting out. Both are fine cartridges in their own right, though.

For Stateside it's a toss-up since you'll have to look alot further & pay a surcharge to obtain either of the rimmed cartridge cases & ammo plus you definately won't find alot of it if you're stuck somewhere outside of your own logistics chain. If you hunt where this isn't an issue and roll your own - whatever floats your boat.

Even here in The Fatherland the pecking order would probably go something like this as to popularity from what I perceive:
1. 8x57IS
2. 7x57R
3. 7x57
4. 8x57IRS

It would also depend on how the Drilling or Combo rifle is set-up; with or w/o scope how much drop in the stock, used, older yet or antique, new, ect. Some of the older Drillings with high mounted scopes, low drop stocks and thin cheek will really hammer you in the chops when you touch one off since you can hardly get a cheek weld; in such a case the 7x57R gets my vote for sure.

If you're gonna purchase new and use a modern platform; then whatever you desire .... in a true light-weight Boomer the 7x57R is much more pleasant to shoot although neither is outlandish in regards to recoil.

Have Fun with your choice.

Two advantages to having the gun in 8X57 Rimmed or a 7X57 Rimmed is that they extract easier...

...AND, the break open guns can be made to handle both rimmed and rimless ammo. Some drillings have a little spring tensioned tit extractor built into the large one for use as a rimless case extractor.

Let's see this last year was my first with my 7x57R/12ga combi. Killed a 350lb black bear, 1st shot with 162gr Hornady factory loads (VERY not impressed with this bullet.) then finished things with a Brenneke Black Magic slug (VERY impressed with this slug.). Took two ducks out of a praire pond and killed a 7x7 mulie over 300lbs with a 157yd shot, this with a 154gr Hornady, MUCH better bullet, one shot took out one shoulder and both lungs, exited. Took three pheasants and two whitetail does in the same large field in one day, does were about 300 yds and both lung shots, dropped after a bit or wobbling around, 154gr Hornady exited on both. Mule deer doe at 305yds center punched lungs dropped, bullet exited. Two more whitetail does at about 60 yds, one with a 154 Hornady (neck shoulder junction, DRT) the other with a Brenneke slug through the lungs, I think I saw a bit of daylight as the slug went though...

My gun is an Antonio Zoli made in the 70's. Norma ammo is very good. Hornady sucks but the loaded ammo was less than a box of Norma brass!! I hand load for it using the Norma velocities from my chrono to limit pressures: My hand loads are around 2600fps. 154gr Hornady or 156gr Norma Oryx will shoot groups under 2 inches or much better depending on whether I let the barrel cool or just shoot 3. The Brenneke slugs will hold a fist sized group at 100yds.

Turkey and bear open in April and I will be out to see if I can get both with the same weapon.

Oh and my Zoli will handle both rimmed and rimless cases, the little extractor thing-y does work but the rimmed cases are MUCH easier to get out.

I haven't tried a 8x57 yet. I have a Franz Sodia combo in 16/7x57R and a Krieghoff Drilling in 16x16/7x57R. My wife shoots a Merkel K1 in 7x57R and we both really like that cartridge.

I agree with HunterMontana on the Hornady ammo with the 162gr bullet. That Hornady 162gr bullet is very accurate but it will blow up too easy prior to penetrating, and destroys a lot of meat. I bought a bunch of that ammo because it was cheap ($20 a box) from Grafs.

quote:

Originally posted by luv2safari:
I have some of both, and the 8X57 is hands down a better choice for all around hunting. With a 196gr Woodleigh I would feel a lot better "gunned" if I needed to stop something.

I also have a supply of 196 RN solids.

+1


M

I like the 200NP best for use in my 8x57jrs drilling.

It's done a great job on all of the deer and blk. bear i've shot with it, includeing this buck i shot last Nov.,



The bullet works perfectly, expanding fast, but driveing in very deep.

DM

Hell! I don't care what you used.

I want to know WHERE!!!

DM.

That's a great looking buck!!

I'll say A little narrow for the length of the tines maybe, but it sure beats any of mine. What a beauty!

quote:

Originally posted by coyote wacker:
If you could only have one 7x57 R or 8x57 R what would be your choice, also consider resale ?

8x57IRS over the 7x57R just for the advantage that extra 20g of lead at the same speed provides

However I'm a bit confused by the notion of resale both cartridges are eclipsed by the 7x65R in both ballistics and (from what I've seen) popularity in Europe, so are you asking which has more marketable nostalgia value???

quote:

Originally posted by Heym SR20:
Or just split the difference and go 7x65r

+1.

I would want the most popular so as to find loaded ammo, brass and bullets.

The 8X57jr that I have requires the hard to find .318 bullets. I size down 32 Special bullets.

Tough, indeed!
It took me this long to decide....

I'd go with the 8x57.
At the end of the day, it is more versatile due to being more powerful. For my hunting, that's a consideration.

Having said that, the 7x57 is excellent, too, and low in recoil which I like.
The bullet choice for the 7mm is better also.
For many the 7mm might be better is no very big game was to be hunted. Say, nothing bigger than whitetail and the relative merits of the 8mm would be hard to justify.
But I'm thinkin moose, wild boar and even bear. My ideal drilling would be a double rifle drilling and thus the 8x57 would be about as good as one can get.

I'm not a fan of the 8mm as such - I get not "kicks" out of it. Were it that I was choosing a bolt action I'd go for the 7x57 but that's only based on feeling!
I have an 8mm lever action and it performs incredibly well.

Now - if you're asking about an O/U combo (shot/rifle combo) it's perhaps a bit more tricky.
I think I'd go with the 7mm.... Since you only have one barrel, make it powerful enough as I said above, but the same logic does not apply here: the main purpose for O/U combos in Finland - and popular they are - is small game hunting where you typically use the rifle barrel for birds, foxen and like at distance. Thus a small rifle caliber is the most common. This would probably also be the main use for me making the roe deer the biggest animal to be hunted, making a very good case for the 7mm, indeed.
I'd expect myself to be hunting on a more versatile basis if I was to hunt with a drilling.
I doubt I've ever come across a combo chambered for anythin bigger than .30-06 which of course is in the power league of the 8mm. Mostly, though, they're something like a .223 or some rimmed persuasion of the cartridges in the less than 6mm league.

- Lars/Finland

quote:

Originally posted by Savage_99:
I would want the most popular so as to find loaded ammo, brass and bullets.

The 8X57jr that I have requires the hard to find .318 bullets. I size down 32 Special bullets.

I'll bet you don't have to size them down. Most bores for the 8X57 IR (JR) are around .320-.321. I've used 170gr .321 32 Special bullets for 52 years so far with no issues.

I had one Emil Kerner that had a .319 bore that shot much tighter with the .321 bullets than with the "proper" ones.

If it slugs out at .321", i'd just use .323's in it, and work up a good hunting load.

DM

quote:

Originally posted by luv2safari:

quote:

Originally posted by Savage_99:
I would want the most popular so as to find loaded ammo, brass and bullets.

The 8X57jr that I have requires the hard to find .318 bullets. I size down 32 Special bullets.

I'll bet you don't have to size them down. Most bores for the 8X57 IR (JR) are around .320-.321. I've used 170gr .321 32 Special bullets for 52 years so far with no issues.

I had one Emil Kerner that had a .319 bore that shot much tighter with the .321 bullets than with the "proper" ones.

I "bet" that I do want to size them down! My 8-57Jr chambered Sauer drilling's rifle barrel has a .3185" ID.

While I have shot the sized down 32 Special bullets in the gun it shoots best with the Norma .3185" bullets.

I have had this excellent gun since 1968 and treasure it.

Be well.

Have you read any of P.O. Ackley's tests regarding bigger bullets in smaller barrels.

I've owned (bought, sold, traded) about 35 guns in 8X57IR, and most had .320 bores, some had .321, and a few had .319.

At .3185 yours should be highly accurate. I've had excellent luck with Norma bullets, but my supply has about dried up. I have so much S&B factory 196gr ammo salted away now that I am no longer loading for the two I still have in 8X57 IR.

quote:

Originally posted by DM:
If it slugs out at .321", i'd just use .323's in it, and work up a good hunting load.

DM

Yep. The 195 Hornadys work great.