Who out there prefers the 8x57 over the 7x57 for an all round big game (except the big bears) rifle for North America?
Thinking about the new Mauser 98. I have and love both calibers but when it comes to spending that much money I’m definitely
open to to considering all opinions and experiences.
Thanks

I would rely on whichever one offers the better bullet selection. Guessing that would be the 7.

It is...

A plus for the 7mm is a larger bullet selection.

A 200 grain NP from a 8x57 sure could take any game animal here in the Lower 48.

But a wise choice would be the 7x57 with a 160 grain NP or Swift A-Frame.

Hows that for being on both sides of the fence?

Why not bears with 8mm? Seems plenty stout enough for hunting (if not what you'd want at 8 feet to stop a charge)?

7

I would have some disdain for the 8x57 given it's military history against the allies in two WWs.

Like everyone says the 7 has the bullet selection but theres nothing wrong with the 8mm. Actually, if your considering all game and the largest game why not go 8mm. 8mm doesnt get enough shine on its capabilities.

The eight is right in there with the 30-06 for versatility. With lighter bullets it shoots nearly as flat as the 7x57 but for some reason I would go 7x57. Maybe it is because I am a fan of the 7mm.

I'd be a heathen and get it in 30-06.

7.92

and at the price point you are talking,
personally I'd consider a Rigby Highland Stalker.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...ighland-stalker-wg5.cfm?gun_id=101293738



Does that extend to the M98 action
it was chambered in..?

I love the 8x57, but is basically the 30-06 with worse bullet selection. It gets a bad rap because American factory loads are anemic. But hand loaded it pretty much the equal of the 30-06.

Drool!!

I've never understood the bullet selection argument. I don't need 536 different bullets for one rifle, I only need one good bullet and I'm pretty sure you can find one good bullet for either.

If the 30/06 is to do all American cartridge, one would say the 8x57 is too, since it sends same weight bullets at about the same speed.

Think about how many commies it killed.

No flies on it, but it definitely isn’t All American.

I guess you didn't understand the analogy.

Like it or not, those communists fought on the side of the Allies & won the war.

Not for me. My best rifle is a 98.

I don't like it. They didn't fight on our side, they fought on their side.

Not fuggin nearly enough....

You’re right. I have no idea why you would refer to the military caliber of the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, and the Third Reich as “All American”.

I didn't say they fought on "our side", I said they fought on the "side of the Allies" which they did.

Like'em or not (I don't), without the Russians fighting against the Nazis, WWII would have ended a lot differently, either in a loss for the Allies or a war that might have been years longer.

I own two Walther Mauser's, a 7x57 and an 8x57, both bought pretty cheap when I lived in Alberta circa mid-2000's. The 7x57 has been drilled and tapped and throws 160 AB well inside an inch at a hundred. The 8x57 appears new and unfired.

The 7x57 is now owned by my youngest son. The 8x57 is untouched.

I couldn’t agree more. That’s always the first argument thrown out with regard to the less popular diameters. 25, 35, 8mm, 411 all get the “poor” bullet selection comment dumped on them. The bullet selection isn’t poor, it’s just not as varied. There are enough good quality bullets available in each of those diameters to meet any need.

There are plenty of bullets now, but that wasn’t always the case. And some of the bullets that used to be offered, were designed to expand at 8mm Magnum velocities and were a little tough for the 8x57.

you've got the bases covered. dry...take the 7. rainy use the 8 with open sights. great looking rifle there. i've had experience with several like it back in the day.

lots of guys who were in germany brought them back. the one problem i had was the slim, stalking rifle stocks could be snappy with norma loads.

saw a lot of whitetails killed very dead using the underpowered commercial loads. 170 rn at 2300 or so did the job.

Buy 2 1 of each. MB

I have wondered about guys not liking a certain cartridge because it was used as a military cartridge. Dad had a restocked m98 8x57 and it was one heavy piece with that cut down original stepped barrel. What a great smooth action though that I wish that I’d have kept and turned into a .35 Whelen. WWll was before my time, but Viet Nam wasn’t and I wouldn’t have a 7.62x39 as a gift. I bet others on here feel the same way.

Both cartridges are a handloading proposition, I think that I might go with the 8x57 with a good 200gr Accubond load out of the Nosler manual.

If we're going to use that standard, the 7x57 is right out, too. Lots of good Americans lost their lives to it in the Spanish American war.

and the 9mm in a pistol.

Interesting question. When I decided to have a custom built on an FN Mauser action I had I went with the 7x57. I guess too much reading of JB and JO'C written words had something to do with it. Something about the sound of the name 7x57 has a certain ring to it. Frankly in all the years I've been shooting I really never gave any thought to the 8x57. It just didn't appeal to me. So if I was in the OP's position, I'd go with the 7x57and never look back. But then again, probably the biggest game I will ever hunt might be a Black Bear but most likely a cow elk. I figure my 7x57 will work just fine as long as I do my part.
Paul B.

I`ve both too. Killed game with each, load for each. Don`t believe you can go wrong with either. And as mentioned, bullet selection is good for the 8, not out standing. That said, I like the advances in bullet development for the 7 ( high B.C.) which to me takes the 7x57 into this century, and depending on rifle weight, makes it more fun to shoot. I`d go 7x57.

I didn't say it was a rational disdain for the 8x57.

Since we’re off the original comparison of two rifle calibers invented well prior to WWl and WWll you might want to consider that
Ferdinand Porsche once worked for the infamous Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler and sell that Porsche if you own one. I’m sure there are
hundreds of other examples. I will concede that buying something made in China today is a different story. But at least in this country (for now) we have the freedom to choose and express our opinions and use our rifle of choice. Not sure how long we’ll have that freedom or our 2nd amendment rights. However, I do think if and when the present day “nazis” of the radical left come for my guns that it would give me great satisfaction defending my rights and life with either 7x57, 8x57, 5.56 NATO, 308, 30-06 , or the 45-70. If I run out of ammo for these I’ll use the 6.5 Swede, before picking up the 7mm-08 or Creedmoor. Think I’ll take Magnum_Bob’s advice
😎 and buy one of each. I’m sure the wife will understand.

If you are building customs:

280 Remington

338/06

Unbelievable ballistics on both. 280 Remington loads in the manuals are rated for Pump guns. I shot the 160g partitions and Sierra btsp at 2930 on a 24" barrel....load right out of the Nosler manual #4.

There's not a millimeter of difference between those two cartridges . . . .

Personally, I like the 8mm caliber. A lot. Why? Must be the German roots of ancestors, coming over in the 1700's and 1800's to get away from religious and political persecution. I've just always had an affinity for the 8.

And this is good, because with so many frowning on the 8mm caliber, I will always have the unique rifle in camp when I bring mine. Most end up wanting to shoot it

I have several Mausers. A Turk that's for sporterizing only - too dangerous to shoot otherwise. A second Turk that's turned into an 8mm-06AI. Loaded to it's full potential it treads upon the heels of my 325 WSM.

I have a few other Mausers in the safe, that are to a greater or lesser degree more like the original rifle. My son's 8mm Mauser is one he takes with him to re-enactments of WWII.

Yeah, the 8x57mm Mauser was the weapon of 2 German powers. The 7x57mm Mauser was used against the Americans to great effect by the Spanish - forcing the American military to reconsider the 30-40 Krag as the adopted cartridge of use.

It was both the 7mm and 8mm Mauser rounds that drove our military to adopt the 30-06.

If I want to go All-American, I pick up my 45-70, 30-30, or 35 Rem...all in lever guns.

My go-to, in order - 45-70, 325 WSM, 7mm-08, 260 Rem, 8mm Mauser, 30-30, 270 WCF, 6mm Rem, 35 Rem.

Personal Defense - 5.56x45, 7.62x39, 7.62x51

in short, I love them all, because ANY of these might get called upon to defend my home and my nation.

Bullet selection? I typically reload to replace the commercial offering most available, then find the heaviest for caliber bullet the cartridge will demonstrate reliable terminal ballistics for my lever and bolt actions. Person defense rifles? Easier to consume the cheap surplus than build loads...until now. Pick a bullet or two or three, and you're good to go. Practice with that combo, get good with it.

If I wanted great bullet selection, I would have kept to 7mm and .30 calibers only. I like a nice selection of tools, and I'll find a few bullets I like the performance in, and leave it there.

That's my $0.02

I'm a fan of the 7X57 and have three. That being said if you consider the resale value should push ever come to shove and you have to sell it the 7X57 will be easier to move. We never figure on having to sell one but it's life and s*&t happens.

Resale is akin to the bullet argument. Just as I don't need 538 different bullets, I don't need 538 buyers, just one. Good stuff sells itself.

A nice/classic 7x57 will sell for as much as 25% more than the same rifle in 8x57 here in Canada.

I vote 7x57, but I've always wanted a modern hunting rifle in 8x57.

Well, it is Canada

Just saying, it shoots the same weight bullets at the same speeds. So if the 30/06 is never a mistake, then one could say the same for the 8x57. Since again, it's shooting the same weight bullets at the same speeds.

Maybe have some Ensure before you read that.

You've heard of us?

If you say so, I apologize. Every time I see Canada I naturally assume another stupid socialist. I don't know why.

You do know it's almost 2021, right? 'That wasn't always the case', seriously? We aren't discussing cartridge choices in 1923.

Who cares about 30 years ago, that has nothing to do with the choices TODAY. Do you live in a nursing home or have some form of dementia so I know not to be so harsh? If it's just plain stupid, let me know, thanks.

I am far from socialist with leanings well into the right, which is the reason I come to the Fire as well as the many other CDNs who come here.

But you didn’t say it was never a mistake. You said “one would say the 8x57 is All American too”. English...you should probably learn it.

I shoot both like them both , no german in my background but have met and known more than a few folks with german ancestors most have been good people. I don't blame ww1 & ww2 on the 7x57 or 8x57 it takes people to do stupid sh*t not firearms. When I get around to it I've got 200 185 gr Rem Corelokts to work up a load for my 8x57 and some 180 nbt's, several kinds & types of 170' s while I would probably never need 200 npt's might get some of them too. I am glad I just enjoy shooting and working up loads cause hunting don't give me near enough shooting. MB

The 8x57 is great. I probably have more of them than anyone in this thread. I killed my second biggest deer with it.

It was at one time the most widely used military cartridge in the world. It was the quintessential German/European/ and world cartridge. At one time, off the top of my head, it was used by Germany, every country in Central and Eastern Europe, several in the Middle East including Iran, a dozen or two in Africa, and China. It was used by both sides in WW II. Hell, even the British used it in machine guns in their tanks and armored cars.

It would not be accurate to call the 8x57 the German 30-06. It would be more accurate to call the 30-06 the American 8x57.

I've played with both of them, and you can cover all of north American game if you have both.
when you load the 8mm with 200 grainers i would hunt big game over 300 pounds.
with the 7mm you can load it like a 243 or a 270.
i've hunted with a 375 h&h and as light as a 223.
I should have kept my 7mm and 8mm's and been happy, but I'm a loonie so trading and selling
is what i do to help my addiction!

Considering that almost all bolt actions are derived from the Mauser the same things could be said about them. I still can't get over that the US was paying patent infringement payments to the Germans while we were at war with them. As a kid we shot surplus Mausers in both calibers and would have endless discussions on which is better, not sure which one won but due to how under loaded the 8mm was and that most bullets for it at that time were round nose I think the 7x57 got the nod as the better deer cartridge, but usually with the caveat that the 8mm was a better "brush gun". This was when the myth of the round nose bullets shooting through a forest of brush was still prevalent.

There was an article in one of the Gun Digests about the perfect deer cartridge and that writer picked the 8mm AI which I thought was a pretty good choice.

I have made many 7X57s and kept one for myself for several years. I have no complaints against it at all.
But I no longer own a 7X57. I let my Brother in law talk me out of it several years ago, and I never did build a replacement.

I do now have an 8X57 and I truly like it. I have killed antelope, deer and elk with it. When I had my 7X57 I also killed elk and deer, but never an antelope with that rifle.
Both were very accurate and my current 8X57 is REAL accurate. I had a 22" barrel on my 7X57 and 8X57 has a 19" barrel. Trying to count every game animal I killed with both cartridges I can remember 23 as of this writing.

It is true the 7X57 has more bullet options and to be fair, the 7 probably would serve the average American hunter a bit better because of the fact that it shoots flatter with the lighter range of bullets, but in real hunting, it's a small advantage in all reality. The other advantage it has is less recoil with the light bullets. To some that may be an issue worth consideration.

In my 8X57 I have found the 170 gr Hornady SST is so accurate I don't tell folks the size of the groups I have shot (not one, but many times) but safe to say a dime is a reasonable target at 100 yards with these bullets I have not found them to be tough enough for me to recommend them for elk hunting (I did kill a 5X5 bull with them, but was under-impressed with their lack of penetration) but for deer and antelope they work very well. For elk the 200 grain Partition is the best I have used so far, and I have high hopes for the 180 grain Hornady GMX and the Barned TSX in 180 gr too. But those types of bullets are not good for expansion when they impact below 2000 FPS and from my 19" barrel I get about 2520 FPS so the useful rage of these solid-expanding bullet is about 250 yards. In the real world that good enough for about 19 out of 20 shots on elk.
I had an old friend in Nevada that shot an 8X57 and it was his only rifle. He used it mostly on deer, but did kill 2 elk with it in Idaho too. I know he loaded the old 170 Gr RN bullet as his "deer-getter" and he said it was super effective, but I never actually saw him kill one. I only saw them when he's bring them in. He was a WW2 vet and brought the rifle home from France and had a gunsmith in Reno work it over into a nice sporter. He was an old-school shooter and always said to me "Boy don't shoot at them, shoot them. Aim carefully and squeeze!"

PPU makes a 196 Gr Soft Point 8MM bullet I may try in the future. Hornady also makes one in 195 grains. I bet either one would be great on deer and probably do well on elk, but so far I have never shot one, or even seen one used, so I can't say how reliable they are as game killers, or how accurate either.

With my old 7X57, I never shot a bullet that was really inaccurate. All seemed to do well on paper but the some were disappointing on deer. All from 150 to 175 were good however. The oes I remember doing very well were 154 gr Hornadys in both RN and Spire Points, 150 grain Remington Core-lokts, 160 grain and 175 grain Partitions and also 175 grain Hornadys in both RN and Spire Points. Today if I were to get another 7X57 I would try some 140 gr bonded bullet for deer and I am certain I would find them to be perfect. For elk I would go back to what I know if excellent, the 160 gr Nosler Partition.
The 7X57 would probably have a shallower "learning curve" then the 8X57 because of it's higher velocity with light bullets. The 8X57 shoots plenty flat with 150s, but the short bullet don't hold onto their speed all that long because of a low BC. Again, for shots out to about 300 yards (90% of real world kills) it probably make little difference. I sure wish someone would make a 150 or 160 grain Bonded 8MM.

The 7X57 is a wonderful "One size fits nearly all" shell. The 8X57 is a heavier hitter and can throw larger diameter heavier bullets, but you need to learn the hold-overs a bit closer then you would with the 7.

So pic one (or get one of each)
I doubt either would be a disappointment to you at all.

Slightly off topic, but many years ago I encountered a Springfield 1903 custom rifle chambered in 8X57MM caliber. One of the oddest custom rifles I have seen over the years. It was very well done and wasnt priced terribly high

Tell me about your time at band camp. Lord you are dumb

Understood, I'm glad you have full control over your medical, et al.

8x57 All American round. Lololol