T
hat the 7x57 can run with most modern centerfire cartridges becomes obvious by merely admiring its profile. Rimless. Bottlenecked. Tapered but not excessively. In 1892 this was the shape of things to come. (The 8x57mm of 1888 actually preceded the 7mm version.) It showed the way for head-spacing on the shoulder rather than rim. Measure the 7x57's head diameter of .473 inch and body diameter near the base of .471 inch and compare those to the .30-06, .280 Rem., .270 Win., .25-06 Rem., .308 Win., 7mm- 08 Rem., .243 Win. and many more of today's most successful cartridges and you'll notice an uncanny family resemblance. The 7x57mm Mauser M98 rifle/ cartridge didn't merely inspire. It was copied, plagiarized and ripped off time and time again. Following a patent infringement suit, the U.S. was for a few years forced to pay Mauser a royalty for every M1903 Springfield manufactured. I suspect the only reason the .30-06 became America's favorite hunting cartridge is because American rifles, military and civilian, were chambered for it instead of the 7x57. Most of the latter hit the gamefields of North America as sporterized military surplus Mausers. Today, the 7mm-08 out-shoots and outsells the 7x57 Mauser because it's loaded to higher pressures. The Mauser case actually holds more powder, thus could be loaded to surpass the 7mm-08 Remington and nearly match the performance of the .280 Rem., but extant old rifles mandate keeping pressures within the lower, original pressure maximum of 51,000 p.s.i. The 7m-08 Rem. is loaded to 61,000 p.s.i. Low pressures or no, Paul Mauser's 19th century creation continues to prove itself as the world's first Do-It-All centerfire, smokeless power cartridge.
SPOR TIN G CL ASSICS 203
