i am getting a rush hunt together for one of my kids and need some advice. the rifle is a 7x57. i have a lot of rounds loaded with the 139 grain SST bullet. i also have several boxes of Federal 175 grain Hi-Shok as well as several boxes of Sellier & Bellot 175 grain Soft Point Cutter Tips. i can possibly get some of the Federal ammo with the 140 grain Nosler Partition.

i'd like to use something i already have and not have to go find the Nosler rounds. are either of the 139 grain SST, the 175 grain Hi-Shok, or the 175 grain Soft Point Cutter Tips okay for Elk????

[ 10-09-2003, 22:23: Message edited by: bill smith ]

If you're going to be able to make a well-aimed, non-rushed shot on an unaware animal, I'd say use either of the 175s that you have. Personally, I'd lean to the S&B rounds. I think they'll likely hold together a bit better than the Federals.

The 7x57 will take elk all day, but it's highly dependent on you getting it where it needs to go.

Good luck,
RSY

I am not familiar w/ the S&B rounds, but the 175gr Federals @ 7x57 vel. should do the trick. I would not use the lighter SST on elk size game (JMO).
I use the 160grNP in my .280 as my backup elk rifle, but have thought of using 175gr REM. CL. As always, it's shot placement.

[ 10-09-2003, 23:09: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

Are the S&B "Cutter tips" those funky stepped bullets? I always wondered how they worked on game.

DGK

I'd lean to the 175 grain bullet

bill, you don't say what type of terrain you will be hunting and how long of shots you will be taking. I took thirteen head of African game this summer using the 140 gr. Nosler Partitions factory loaded Federal ammunition. The bullet performance was excellent; the PH stopped carrying his rifle.

The recoil will be less with the lighter bullet. But if your boy is big and the shooting distances are less than 200 yds then I will agree with the 175 gr. decision.

If you have the option to reload then I would strongly recommend the Barnes bullet in 140 gr. or the Hornady Accubond. Rick

thanks everyone for the advice. i guess the heavy bullet gets the nod.

Boise: by the way, we will be in timber and i expect the range will be well under 200 yards.

thanks again everyone for the help.

Results of 7x57 140 gr Partitions on full sized Elk. This Rifle M700 Rem 700 mtn, Has now taken Sheep, bear Wt/Mule Deer, Caribou, Moose and Antelope, all after Dads 70th birthday!

I have shot the 7x57 for years and I would go to the trouble to get some 175 gr. Noslers or Northforks myself...Why risk an elk hunt over an unproven bullet.

I never shot the S+B ammo in my 7 x 57. I have shot it in my 6.5 x 55. while it was quite accurate, the bullet sort of broken up a bit, I collected the White Tail so it was ok. On Elk they have more to their bone muscle and hide than deer. If it was my kid, I would just load some 175 gr Nosler Partitions and be done with it. Most 7 x 57 shoot 175 well, so cooking up a load should not take very long.

Any partition in 7mm will work, from 140's on up.
I am hunting elk with a 7 x 57 this fall, with a 170 grain Sierra round nose ( no longer made) with a MV of 2650.

I have a lot of faith in the Round Nose design. However if you want something that is proven, period, Nosler Partition!

The 160s are often overlooked, but they will give you more velocity than a 175, if you are into that.

Speers 160 grain and 175 grain Mag Tip deserve honorable mention in my book also.

Good luck, you are in good company with a 7 x 57.
It has dropped a lot of game all over the world, for a long time. Nostalgia and performance, is what I love about it.

Hi,
I used the S&B cutter tip ammo in a 7x64 on a red stag last month and although the animal was 200 yards away and weighed 150kgs, neither bullet exited although we did find a bullet core under the skin on the far side. Now the cutting edge is really useful as it does make the entry wounds bleed quite freely by punching a round hole in the skin...
Maybe the slower velocity of the 7x57 won't cause jacket/core separation...It is likely that the core and jacket only separated in the last few inches of penetration as the core itself couldn't have pushed through the animal alone.

Bill,

Kinda in same dilemna. Taking my 7mm-08 as backup to my .30 Gibbs this weekend. I spoke to Hornady and they did not like the 139SST's for Elk and recomended the 154SST's for cows and 162SST's for larger bulls. I have loaded up with the 154's and if used plan not to shoot over 200yrds with it.

I killed a pronghorn with the 139SST this year and though the bullet did alot of work (broke onside shoulder, through front brisket, broke neck, exited), the bullet path may have been due to deflection. If the 139SST did deflect (other than the antelope turning and dropping its head @ the last moment which I guess is possible), I would not trust it on Elk.

Deke.

I would get someone to load some 160 grain partitions at 2800 fps, I know these will hammer an elk and penetrate, the others I'm not sure of except the North Forks.

I would say which ever is the most accurate in your particular rifle. If the 140 gr. partition is the most accurate, then go with it. If the 175 grain is the most accurate, then that is the grain weight you want to go with. The 7x57mm works fine for elk. I use 162 grain Hornady bullets or the 160 grain Nosler Partition. I'll be using the 162 grain SSTs for a cow elk hunt in a few weeks. I know a fellow who shudders when I tell him I use my 7x57mm on elk. He is a die-hard 7mm Remington Magnum kind of fellow. His load spits out a 160 grain partition at 2900 fps. My load pops them out at 2,855 fps in my 7x57mm. To talk to him, my 7x57 is inadequate, but his 7mm Magnum isn't. Go figure! An elk gutshot with a 340 Weatherby is just as gutshot with a 7x57mm. I'd say 90 percent of the guides in the area in which I live want clients to come to elk camp with a rifle say from .270 caliber up that they can shoot well, rather than a .375 H&H that they cannot shoot well. I know one guide here who swears by a 6mm Remington with 100 grain bullets. All that said, if you can shoot a .340 Weatherby well time after time and have confidence in your capabilities with the rifle, then, by all means, take one with you. If you can shoot the 7x57mm Mauser well and have confidence in it, then that should be your choice. Just for the hell of it, I graduated from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah years ago with a BS in Journalism. Good luck on your hunt. Tom Purdom

My brother and a freind use the 160 gr Fail Safe in their 7RM's and they plant them pretty good. I would think the Nosler Partitions would be a great choice also.

I only have experience with the 139 SST and the 140 gr Nosler partition. If I had to choose between these two, the Federal Premium with 140 Nosler would definitely be the way to go for elk. I agree with others that your best bet (assuming you have time) would be to load some 160 or 175 premium type bullets.

I really like the 140 Failsafes, and have used them on Elk with great success. However, I won't argue with those who recommend a heavier bullet.