I almost hesitate to use the word legendary when applied to a rifle cartridge, but somehow the word versatile does not quite seem adequate when applied to a cartridge such as the 7x57 Mauser (the 7 is for the caliber and 57 is for the case length in mm). Originally developed in 1892, it was first chambered in the Mauser 1893, a rifle utilized by the military of Spain and other countries. That rifle had a lot to do with the US developing the Springfield 1903 rifle and a cartridge known as the .30-03 which was later slightly modified to produce the .30-06 Springfield. Bullet diameter for the 7x57 is 0.284 inch, but the British often name cartridges for the bore diameter rather than the groove diameter. As a result, the 7mm Mauser or 7×57 is also known as the .275 Rigby because that famous rifle maker has produced sporting rifles in that caliber for over a century.

The 7×57 Mauser or .275 Rigby was always a world cartridge that was used by famous hunters. W.D.M. Bell, the famous elephant hunter, used a 7x57 rifle to take many of his over 1000 elephants using the military load with a bullet weighing approximately 173 grains. Such a long for caliber bullet penetrates very well and Bell typically made brain shots. Perhaps the most noteworthy use of the .275 Rigby was by Jim Corbett who used his Rigby rifle to control man-eating leopards and tigers in India a century ago. Such feats need not concern hunters in this century so we should describe the 7x57 for use in today’s world

The famous writer on gun-related topics, Jack O’Connor (January 22, 1902 – January 20, 1978) wrote extensively about the cartridge and it was used by both himself and his wife, Eleanor. O’Connor, who was the shooting editor for Outdoor Life magazine also wrote several books dealing with shooting sports and in Complete Book of Shooting (Outdoor Life – Harper & Row, 1965, p. 65), he makes the statement “The best all-around big-game cartridge to start a woman off on is, I believe, the 7x57 Mauser.” In his classic book, The Hunting Rifle (Winchester Press, New York, 1970), O’Connor devotes Chapter 8 to the 7mm Mauser. Many other writers have devoted ink to describing the 7x57 before the introduction of the 7mm Remington Magnum, 7mm-08, and other rifles of 7mm caliber. In spite of all the new developments, the 7x57 is still eminently suitable for a lot of hunting situations. Jack O’Connor in the short chapter “The Big Little 7mm” (Arms and Ammunition Manual, Outdoor Life Books, New York, 1952 pp. 53-57) has this to say: “In any case, don’t sell the 7mm short. Right now it is a sort of wallflower, but it will bear investigating.”

Finding a new factory rifle in 7×57 is not easy as a result of more recent developments such as the 260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 7mm-08 Remington, short cartridges that are somewhat similar in performance. Currently listed by Ruger is a No. 1 single shot in .275 Rigby that is a dealer exclusive. Small runs of rifles in 7x57 Mauser have been made over the years including such products as the Winchester Model 70 Featherweight and Remington 700 Mountain Rifle. The undisputed top model must be the Rigby Highland Stalker in .275 Rigby caliber that starts at over £10,000 or $13,000. However, it is possible to locate many used rifles from the more prominent sources.

Factory ammunition has been produced over the many years with bullets in a wide range of weights. A quick check of MidwayUSA shows that several brands are available with bullets of various types with weights in the range 139 – 175 grains. However, because there are some very old rifles still around, factory ammunition is loaded to moderate pressure. Interestingly, Hornady still lists ammunition with both 7x57 and .275 Rigby designations. Such loads make the 7x57 suitable for many hunting situations, but it is with handloads that the versatility of the cartridge is demonstrated. For use in strong, modern rifles, it is possible produce safe handloads that improve on the performance of most factory loads.

Because the 7x57 cartridge was developed to handle heavy bullets, the standard twist rate is one turn in 8.5–9.0 inches. As a result, many rifles in that caliber give best accuracy with bullets in the range of 140-175 grains. My 7x57 rifle is a Ruger MK II and although I have tested a wide range of bullets, I have obtained excellent accuracy with the 120 grain Hornady soft point. However, the best accuracy that I have obtained is with the 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. When using two different charges of Alliant ReLoder 17 powder, I obtained average velocities of 2574 ft/sec and 2638 ft/sec. With those loads, five-shot groups at 100 yards measured 0.83 and 0.64 inch.

With the thought of using my rifle for varmints and predators, also I tested loads with the 100 grain Sierra hollow point and Speer TNT bullets. Such bullets are relatively short for the 7mm caliber so one should not expect stellar accuracy from such a bullet from a rifle with a fast twist. However, I did get some five-shot groups at 100 yards measuring around 1.5-1.7 inches and in all cases four of the shots would be within 1.0-1.5 inches. Such accuracy would be quite satisfactory for targets the size of a coyote to at least 200 yards. If the predator call works, shots should be well within that range. If you have a rifle in 7x57 caliber, it would be advisable to test various loads to see what works well in your rifle. With suitable ammunition, the 7×57 Mauser aka .275 Rigby has been an effective cartridge for a very long time.

The 7mm Mauser is an old but effective cartridge that is suitable for many types of `hunting.

Hornady has produced cases designated as .275 Rigby which is the usual British designation for the 7×57 or 7mm Mauser.

The 7×57 case is approximately a fourth of an inch shorter than that of the .30-06 Springfield.

A very wide range of bullet weights and styles are available in 7mm caliber.

This modern Ruger 77 Mark II is an ideal choice for a rifle in 7×57 caliber.

This five-shot group was obtained at 100 yards with loads utilizing the 120 grain Hornady soft point.

The 150 grain Nosler Ballistic tip gave this nice cluster with full power loads.