GUN NOTES
Sensible Sevens
Overlooked by magnum maniacs, the 7x57, 7mm-08 and .280 Remington will do just about anything that needs doing with a .284 bore.
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American shooters seem to go through periodic phases of "magnumitis." We are definitely in one now, and I have no idea how long it will last. Fast-stepping cartridges with large case capacities are interesting, but the reality is that magnum cartridges make a lot of noise and kick harder than most of us like. That's OK if you really need the capability. But most of us don't.
I don't write much about the milder 7mms--the 7mm-08, 7x57 and the .280 Remington. Come to think of it, not too many folks in my line of work do. I'm not sure why that is, but maybe it's because there isn't a whole lot to say. Surrounded by much more popular .270- and .30-caliber cartridges and overpowered by the many magnum 7mms, this efficient, effective trio just keeps rolling along without a great deal of fanfare.
This is unfair. Outspoken fans of the 7mm magnums will tout the high sectional density and downrange performance of the typical 7mm bullet weights, but these attributes apply equally to the "light sevens." In fact, they may apply in spades because you get wonderful performance without having to burn a whole lot of powder.
I have used all three of them with consistently wonderful results. At their milder velocities, bullet performance is routinely magnificent, and all three shoot about as far as most of us need to shoot.
7x57 Mauser
My personal favorite is the 7x57. It was introduced in 1892, and Americans were introduced to it in Cuba, when Spanish troops with 7x57 Mausers clearly outgunned our boys with .30-40 Krags and .45-70 Springfields. The British were introduced to it at about the same time, when Boer farmers with the same Mausers made mincemeat of British regulars armed with .303s.
Karamoja Bell used the 7x57 Mauser for elephant, proving for all time the penetrating capabilities of its 175-grain bullet. Jim Corbett was another great fan of the 7x57, as was Eleanor O'Connor. Both, by the way, shot tigers with the little cartridge.
I wouldn't personally use it for elephants or tigers, but it is effective far beyond its paper ballistics. Technically, I suppose, the 7x57 has two problems. First, it's primarily a handloader's cartridge. Most factory loads out there are extremely mild; this is out of legitimate concern about the many old actions still in use. Standard loads push a 140-grain bullet at an unimpressive 2,660 fps. Norma's 150-grain load is a bit warmer at 2,690 while Hornady's Light Magnum load featuring its excellent 139-grain bullet is a real screamer at 2,830 fps--which gives a good idea of what is possible with handloads in modern actions. Don't sell it short. Even at the lower velocities, the 7x57 is definitely a 300-yard cartridge for deer and antelope and has even more reach with faster loads.
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