Bullet choice for 7mm Mauser
 

I have a Ruger M77 7mm Mauser and have always shot the 140 grain Remington Core-Lokts but want opinions on a better bullet.


Factory ammo is very limited so my choices are the Hornady SST 140 grain, the Nosler Accubond 140 grain, or the Federal premium 140 with a Nosler Partion. I just hunt whitetail and hogs.


Thanks

IMHO if you have been satisfied with the Core-Lokts I'd stay with them. If you do change, of the other 3 you mentioned I'd go with the Nosler Accubond.

I don't particularly care for the 139gr SST's in .284 (7mm). In my 7mm.08 I had some blow up issues at close range impact speeds. Past 70-80 yards they always performed flawlessly and they flew amazingly well but close range shots, on bone hits such as shoulder, they had a tendency to blow up. That 7x57 Mauser is running a good bit slower (with Factory ammo) than I have my loads for in my 7mm-08 so you may not have the same issues. The Accubond and Partition both are good bullets. I've been reloading 50+ years now so my factory ammo knowledge is limited to reports from others pretty much and the little bit that I shoot someone elses rifle with their choice of ammo for testing. Another Factory Ammo choice you might want to give a swing at is the other Hornady Factory offering of the Superformance with the GMX bullet.

Your best bet would be get into reloading! The old 7x57 Mauser is a great old cartridge that is severely underrated and all factory loadings are pretty limited in power. Your M77 can handle a MUCH hotter load than any factory offering you will get.

If all you hunt is whitetails and hogs then the 140 gr Core-lokts is all you need if they group well. Medium sized game doesn't require premium bullets. I know a PH in Africa that has a Ruger #1 in 7x57 as an extra rifle for clients whose rifles go down or just want to try it. He loads it with 150 gr Hornadys. I used it on an impala once and they seemed to work well.

Still using the old rifle with the same bullets
 

Worked then; work now. Deer didn't start wearing new bullet proof gear.
Once had a buddy who was told by another, that a 7mm Mauser wouldn't work on deer. He thought he had squandered an investment.
Story short. Young daughter had a deer at the end of the season.

Never used premium bullets. Not that other bullets don't work. Found the old bullets always worked.
Used a favorite "swamp rifle." , a 35 Remington. Always used 200 gr bullets RN. Boring but always worked. Paid a little attention to accuracy.
Saved a little money going boring.

I don't know how easy they would be to obtain, but Sellier and Bellot loads for the 7x57. Not endorsing either, just pointing them out. Sellier looks to offer grains from 140 through to 175 (Prvi also makes a 7x57. Not really top line ammo, but you might discover your rifle loves them).

Sellier and Bellot makes a number of loadings from 140 gr. to 175 grains. They show one in a nosler.

S&B makes good ammo. I shoot it in both my 6.5x55 Swedish and my 9.3x62 Mauser. As a matter of fact I have yet to be able to make a handload that will outshoot S&B in the Swede. A few years back Natchez has a sale on S&B and they had the 131 gr load in the Swede for $8.99 a box. I got a bunch of it and am still shooting it. Never tried it in 7x57 since I dont own one but I see no reason why it wouldn't be good ammo too.

My son killed two with one shot last year with his using 140 core locks. Passed through both deer broadside. In my experience they have worked quite well.

Thanks everyone for the answers. This points me in a direction.