I have inherited a really nice custom 7X57 rifle (cutom barrel,trigger, bolt etc) that has been fired very little. I am not that wild about gearing up for that caliber and am wondering what long-range varmit options I have without rebarreling. Have always wanted to do an Ackley.Any ideas on what would work without rebarrelling/rebolting?? Thanks guys

280 Ackley Improved.No bolt mods, your action should be long enough(I'm assuming it's a Mauser '98?)..but the 284 bore is a bit big for varmints.

Ultraman,
It might be an idea to just load lighter bullets and leave it in 7x57. If you rechamber, you have to buy brass anyway, so why not buy 7x57 brass? Bullets will cost the same regardless of chamber size and a 7x57 die set is probably cheaper than cutting a new chamber. I shoot a couple of 7x57s and the only real improvement in trajectory and wind drift comes with 7mm Rem Mag size brass. One of my sevens is zeroed at 235 meters and goes 2.25" high at 125 and 4" low at 300. It has enough poke to break the shoulder on an eland out to 200 meters. It is a real all rounder for plains, bush and gusty, across the ravine, shooting.

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Gerard Schultz
GS Custom Bullets

This one's a little off the wall but I am sitting here looking at a cartridge given to me by a fellow hunter on the springbok hunt I was on.

It is called a 7mm Tombi and at first glance it looks like the Ackley Improved but it's more than that. It is a pure cylinder with the same neck length as the 7X57 plus a 45 deg shoulder.

It has the same ballistics as the 7X64.

BUT, it is a local SA cartridge and reamers etc would be a problem. I'd leave the 7X57 as is. If you want to improve the rifle, rechamber to a 280 - you will not be sorry.

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I hunt, not to kill, but in order not to have played golf.

You have one of the most versitle cartridges in the world in that 7x57, why on earth would you want to fix sumpin that ain't ain't broke....

I have hunted Jack Rabbits around Marfa, Texas and Buffalo in Tanzania successfully with that caliber....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Keep the 7x57 nice caliber sounds like a nice rifle . You didn't have to pay for it use that mony to go out and buy a nice vermit gun and enjoy both.

I would have to agree with the previous two very experienced shooters . It is propably a very nice custom gun (in a very versatile caliber ).
If you want a different caliber - buy something else already chanbered as such , it may ever turn out cheaper .

Bn

Pete,

How does that cylindrical cartridge work in the field? It seems you'd need some taper?

Any trouble extracting?

Don

Good advice all...thank you. I think I will leave this be (or sell) and save up to build a smallbore. I have so many large rifles I just don't need it. Any way for me to tell what the twist is on this for advertising purposes. Can you index a cleaning rod and somehow convert the revloutions made in a cleaning pass to twist rate???

Hey

I suggest that you either sell the rifle or keep it in the condition it is in. Recamber it to a uncommon caliber will not improve the value. If you want more bang out of the rifle make an 7X57 Ackley imp, you can use factory ammo and all cases you already have.

If you want a varmint rifle i suggest that you buy an new accurate rifle in a suitable caliber at your gunshop, and save the rifle for you kids or grand kids. 7X57 is a very nice caliber for medium game, but over bore for varmints.

JOHAN

If you chamber it to a 280, ( or the like), set the barrel back a turn or two so that you clean up the neck, or you will end up with a "step" in the neck from the old chamber.

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May I be half the man my dog thinks I am.

"Can you index a cleaning rod and somehow convert the revloutions made in a cleaning pass to twist rate???"

Yep! Use a tight patch, get it started in the bore and mark the start with a marking pen. Make your index mark back near the handle. Push it through until your index mark is at the same position as the start. Mark the end point and measure the distance between the start and stop marks.

Thanks Scott....that is so simple I feel like an idiot for ever asking.

You are welcome!

P.S. Don't feel bad, if I had a dollar for each time I missed the simple solution, I would have quite a hobby budget!

[This message has been edited by Scott H (edited 07-16-2001).]

Don,

I just measured the case:

Diameter at the Shoulder is 11.7mm
Diameter at the Web is 11.85

Distance between measurements is 43mm

So there is a taper there but it is E-V-E-R so slight.

The shooter didn't claim any problems at all with extraction.

Cheers

pete

If the gun came from Europe it will have a 1x9 or 1x9.5 twist...I suspect...

I put a piece of paper tape on the rod with the ends stright up ( flag like )and mark the rod at a convientient spot of reference. and push until the flag makes a full turn or returns to stright up where it started (one turn)make another mark on the rod at the same place and measure the distance between marks. You can use the tang, the rear receiver ring or whatever for the marks.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com