The time was about three-fourths of the way into the past century. I was making my living as a professional wildlife biologist and starting to sell magazine articles about hunting and guns. My heroes were the outdoor writers of the time, including fellow Texan John Wootters, who was then writing regularly for Petersen’s Hunting. I had met him in 1977 after having read some of his writing for the past 10 years, when I did a helicopter game survey for him and some of his friends on their deer hunting lease in Maverick County, Texas just north of the Rio Grande. That meeting, time spent together for two days led to friendship.
Survey completed and deer harvest recommendations made, John and I were enjoying an adult libation poured from a pint Mason jar, when I asked “What rifle are you using this fall?”
“I’ve got a 7x57 that’s shooting really well.” He replied. I smiled, then related having purchased a 7x57 Ruger Model 77 a few years earlier after I had read an article he had written about the round. I went on to explain that using Hornady 139gr Soft Points, my rifle shot less than inch-and-a-half, five-shot groups at 100 yards. And, I had taken several whitetails in the past with the combination and planned on using it again that fall.
My fascination with the 7x57 Mauser had actually begun even before reading Wootters’ article, although it was what got me to buy one. As a wee youngster, back when firearms could still simply be ordered through the mail, I had lusted over Spanish Mausers chambered in 7x57. The problem was, I did not have the money, even though they then cost very few shillings.
I had read history books that talked about the 7x57 or 7mm Mauser being created in 1892 and that it had become the Spanish Army’s caliber/round of choice in 1893. Too, historical accounts about the Spanish/American War tell how the Spaniards had used their Mausers quite effectively against our American troops, including those under the command of Theodore Roosevelt.
Later I read accounts of Jim Corbett using his 7x57 Mauser on several tigers in India including the Champawat tigress and marauding leopards.
Long enamored by the early hunters of Africa, I read how WDM “Karamojo” Bell killed 1,011 elephants with the 7x57. He used a 175gr FMJ bullet. Admittedly Bell knew elephant anatomy and how to precisely place bullets. The 7x57 used by Bell had in some parts of the world been renamed, including in Great Britain, where in 1901–1902 the round had been renamed the 275 Rigby, the measurement across the lands, as opposed 284 the diameter of the bullet proper. It seems during that time there were ill-feelings between Great Britain and Germany where Paul Mauser had developed the smokeless, rimless 7x57 Mauser.
As a youngster I had read the 7x57 was a favorite round of another of my early outdoor writer/hunter heroes, Jack O’Connor. In O’Connor’s case, his wife Eleanor soon declared the 7x57 to be hers. She used it on a wide variety of big game in both North America and Africa.
I had long wanted a 7x57 and had bought the Ruger 77 from Bible Hardware in Abilene, Texas while I was stationed there as a wildlife biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Back then State salaries were meager to say the least. Add to this my wife and I had two young daughters. There was not much money for guns and ammo. As a sideline I earned money mounting deer heads, and hunted furs during the winter time. Doing so, I was able to put aside a few pesos and eventually saved enough to buy a 7x57.
I used it several years hunting whitetails, including taking several nice bucks with it in the famed South Texas Brush County. Back then it was topped with a Leupold scope, shooting 139gr Hornady soft point ammo.
Moving forward a few years, after having traveled to Africa to hunt big game several times, I thought it would be really interesting to own not only a 7x57, but also at least one or more 275 Rigby rifles, particularly the classic and classy looking Ruger №1 single-shots. Thankfully I found two of them thanks in part of Lee Newton, a long-time friend and Ruger №1 afficionado extraordinaire. If you do not already know, the 7x57 and 275 Rigby are one and the same rounds, other than barrels and ammo cases being head-stamped differently.
I dearly love my two 275 Rigby Ruger №1s. Both are topped with Trijicon’s AccuPoint scopes. I use Hornady Custom 140gr InterLock SP ammo. That particular load in my Ruger №1’s has a muzzle velocity of 2,800 fps, and at 100 yards produces 2,233-foot pounds of energy. Both rifles at worst (my doings) shoot one-and-a-half inch groups. One rifle consistently shoots even tighter groups. It was that rifle I decided to take to Spain to hunt Southeastern and Beceite ibex.
Before heading to Spain I spent a fair amount of time on the rifle range on my place. From a solid rest I practiced shooting out to 500 yards. At that distance with the Ruger №1, Trijicon scope, Hornady ammo combination I could shoot three-inch and less groups, shooting three-shots in rapid succession. I can reload Ruger’s single-shots pretty quickly. At 500-yards the 140gr Hornady loads drop 54-inches.
After much practice, I felt confident taking shots on ibex out to essentially 500 yards.
I thought a classy Ruger №1 chambered in 275 Rigby was an appropriate rifle to use hunting ibex in Spain. And, I proved to have made the right and proper decision.
In Spain with Pedro Alarcon’s Pedriza, I had a fabulous hunt for Spanish ibex, which we filmed for the TV show I then owned, “DSC’s Trailing the Hunters Moon”. I shot a Southwestern ibex at just over 500 yards and a Beceite ibex at just shy of 300 yards, with my 275 Rigby. Less than a month later I returned to Spain and shot two fabulous roe deer. I used the same combination on several whitetails back home in Texas.
In the near future I hope to undertake another 275 Rigby rifle project. This one will be a custom rifle, using a Remington Model 700 action, an 18-inch barrel (which one I have not yet decided), and a wooden stock. The wood will come from a piece of black walnut with great “figure” I have been saving for the past 40-years. It will be a full-length Mannlicher-style stock. I will top the rifle with a Trijicon Huron scope, and will shoot Hornady 140gr Custom ammo, although I may well develop a handload based on Hornady 150gr CX or 150gr ELD-X bullets. Having shot both of those bullets in other rounds, I dearly love their performance in terms of accuracy and terminal performance.
To me this would make an ideal rifle for hunting whitetails, mule deer, wild hogs, called in predators like coyotes, as well as just about any big game of medium size on down. Such a rifle would be attractive and pretty to look at, easy to handle and pick to point, accurate and deadly!
While I am one of those who enjoys shooting at steel at long range, I am not one who enjoys or appreciates taking shots at big game at long range. To me hunting is getting as close as possible before taking a shot. I consider it when hunting, my job, nay duty to kill the animal I am after with the first shot and do so as quickly and humanely as possible. The 275 Rigby or 7x57, in 2022 being 130 years old, properly loaded with Hornady ammo is certainly capable of doing so!
Photo credit: Larry Weishuhn Outdoors