Alphecca

Head on over to Kim du Toit's site (www.kimdutoit.com) and poke around a bit. It's his favorite cartridge.

What Nate said.

My knowledge is limited strictly to reading but the cartridge gets high praise in the press. Certainly it's more than adequate for deer, basically a somewhat loaded down .280.

Best part: in a Ruger, it can be loaded pretty hot if you're a handloader.

I have exactly that same rifle in exactly the same cartridge, topped with a Leupold 3X9X50. I've shot everything from S&B, 100 gr Sierra Match bullets to 180gr round nose. Seems to work well for deer in anything over 125 grains. As always, bullet placement is the key. The barrel seemed to stabilize anything I shot through it.

Acclimation on the motion to go visit Kim's site for more information. More specifically, look for the small, black, rectangular button on in the left column of the main page, labeled; "Nation of Riflemen Forum". Once there, click on the forum titled "The Gun Thing". Register accordingly, then post your question there.

My short answer? Superb cartridge, but watch for traditional Amercian manufacturers to load it rather lightly, in fear of old milsurps not handling the pressures your Ruger can take.

Factory premium cartridges, such as Hornady, will be much more likely to be loaded to contemporary standards.

With the right load though, it's one hell of a round. I've taken dozens of deer with a 6.5x55 Sweede...the 7x57 is it's ballistic soul-mate.

Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX

Barrel length has little or nothing to do with accuracy. The velocity difference between a 22" barrel and a 20" barrel is minimal. Perceived recoil is a combination of gun weight, stock shape, and bullet speed among other things. The Ruger #1 is one of the best designed rifles as far as perceived recoil is concerned. The ballistics of 7x57mm Mauser even in a 20" barrel make it superb for almost all North American big game. 175 gr. loads are perhaps the most useful generally. As far as power is concerned, the 7x57mm has been used successfully to take Elephant. (Do a Google for "Karamojo Bell."

(Jim, there are only two "e's" in Swede.

Gerry N.

The 7x57 Mauser cartridge is an EXCELLENT deer round in the 130 grain and up loadings. Out of any single-shot rifle, proper shot placement is essential, as a follow-up shot will be slow. But done properly, the 7x57 will do the job.

Recoil should be relatively mild. (It's no .30-06, for instance.)

I've been shooting the 7x57 for several years, first with an Interarms Mark X, lately with a Remington Mountain Rifle, and taken antelope, whitetail, mule deer and elk...only one elk needed a second shot. I've developed 2 loads for my rifle: 42gr IMR4064 w/Hornady 139grSP for antelope & deer...47.5gr IMR4350 w/Hornady 154gr SP for elk.