I have a very accurate load in my 7x57 with this projectile but with a mild velocity of 2,361 fps.

What would the be the largest game in the USA I could take with this combination ?

While I would prefer the Nosler Partition, as I feel that the NP in the proper weight and calibre, is always a good choice, and while I might like more "thump" than a 308 WCF,[I have a lot experience with a 308, which is in the same "power" catagory as the great 7x57] for a lot of NA game...

I think that a 7x57, or a 308, well handled, would work for any NA game...

As well as any similar game anywhere in the world, under hippo/cape buff sized game.

Just ask my wife. She used her 308 in Zim for some pretty big, tough plains game, with NO problems...


Code4
What NA game do you have in mind???

Having no experience of hunting North American game, I was thinking Elk or Black bear as there is a wealth of written and on-line info about these animals.

Your 7x57 with a 160 Speer will work no problem...

IMHO of course...

I wish the bullet companys would give impact velocity data.

I shot that bullet in a 7 x 57 ZKK 600 for a number of years. I stuffed Remington Peters Nickel Cases with around 48 gr of IMR-4350, Shot great and killed a slew of deer a couple of elk an even dozen carabou and two moose. You would not have any problems with game in NA with at load. JOC shot that bullet a lot in the 7 x 57 and he and the Mrs killed a lot of game over the years. You could just load 160 gr Nosler Partitions if it keeps you up at night or Woodleigh's Any reasonable 7mm Bullet is going to work fine out of the 7 x 57.

The load will do fine for virtually any game as long as the range is reasonable.

But do keep in mind that unless heavy bone is hit, the the SPeer 160s requires around 1900-1925 fps at impact to initiate even minimal expansion.

I would say everything excludeing Big Bear.

It would depend on "which" 7mm 160gr Speer bullet you are refering to. They make a good many and each one is better for different situations and Game.

1. BTSP - High B.C. and excellent on Deer at l-o-n-g distances
2. Hot-Cor - Flat Base with a Core poured in Hot which burns off any Forming Die lube. Excellent on Deer from up-close out to as far as you want to use it.
3. Mag Tip - One of the least discussed and best Bargain Bullets ever made. Heavier jacket than the previous bullets. Great on Deer, Bear and Hogs when put into a Shoulder.
4. Grand Slam - A slightly upgraded Mag Tip, now with a complete Hot-Cor design.
5. Trophy Bonded Bear Claw - Premium Fully Bonded Bullet for the tough Game and mean critters that need deep penetration and high weight retention.

So, it depends on which one you are asking about.

Hot Core: You gonna change your handle to "Deep Curl" now that Speer is abandoning the hot core and replacing it?

Naw, I still have plenty of Hot-Cor Bullets on the shelf. They have been a very fine Bullet for me. But I can say the same about Hornady, Sierra, Original Fred Barnes, old Noslers, Wins and Rems.

Lots of excellent Bullets available to choose from.

Do you have a favorite, or use many different brands?

The Hot Cores (specifically the 145 in 284 and the 120gr in 257) have been a sentimental favorite for decades, due to very consistent performance in a 280 and a 257AI.

When velocities get a little higher or game gets bigger, I prefer Partitions.

But Hornady IL's have performed very well,too.

Long answer. Guess the short answer to your question would be different brands, depending on the application.

About all I've ever used in my 7mm Rem. is the 160 BTSP, with 59 grns. IMR 4831. I've hunted deer, black bear, grizzly moose and Elk with it. No comlaints
Grizz

As Hot Core said, the Mag Tip 160 grs (and 175 grs as well) is, in my experience with Big Red Deer and Wild Boar, one of the best bullets !!! It works as a cheap Nosler Partition!!
PH

I shot a black in Ontario (Nipissing District) some years ago with a7x57 using a 154 gr. Hornady, over bait. The black dropped on the spot and the range was about 85 yards. He weighed an estimated 300 lbs. (We had no working scale at the lodge(which really p.o.ed me) but that black was hit in a lung shot that went all the way through and I recovered the bullet in a sand/mud bank. The guide and I agreed it was about 60-70 % whole. As I say,that black died on the spot. I hunted in Africa for buff and read the literature. The 7x57 is a deadly cartridge. (One famous old Africa type carried it for use on lion) I, personally would be happy to use it on sable, (a big antelope I saw on several occasions -and refused to shoot -to the annoyance of my PH) {Yes,you old Africa hands, I knew even then that the sable was a prized trophy - I just didn't want to shoot one) and certainly on leopard. (I love the 7mm Mauser -as we called it over here when I was young -because it does have tremendous penetration - I leave it to others to say why that is so -but it is a fact -and the 7x57,in my humble opinion, is one of the very finest cartridges in the world.

my opinion on the matter is the cal and bullet weight would have no problems for the game you mention
range and shot placement are always key