Hunt talk 7x57

[Foxtrot1]

Not quite a staysharp post....

A couple of years ago my brother picked up an interarms mark x 7x57 from the classifieds here. Through some horse trading I got it from him last summer. He had let it fall out of his truck and it had some road rash. The 1970s stock never seemed to fit it anyway. It has a short 20" barrel. With those 2 things in mind, I decided to refinish and modify it as a rifle I could use as a loaner for kids or a dedicated one for the Mrs if I can talk her into shooting something with hair on it. This was the most ambitious stock work I have attempted.

I shortened the LOP to 12 3/4", added a new recoil pad, shortened the forend 4-5", and added a ebony forend. Now it's a handy little package that fits the barrel.

I'm a sasquatch at 6'8" so you can really see the difference between it and my 7x57

 

[elkduds]

Looks good to me! I sure value my Mark X (7RM), it got more accurate when I glass bedded it, relieved forearm pressure on the barrel, and gave it a Timney transplant. Are you keeping the stock trigger?

 

[Foxtrot1]

Looks good to me! I sure value my Mark X (7RM), it got more accurate when I glass bedded it, relieved forearm pressure on the barrel, and gave it a Timney transplant. Are you keeping the stock trigger?
View attachment 127715

Right now it has the stock trigger. I free floated the barrel. At some point I will bed it, but I have a batch to do and didnt have time. If it gets substantial use, I will probably upgrade to a timney trigger.

 

[std7mag]

Interesting!
All the Mark X i have seen have had 24" tubes on them. Including the 270 & 7mm Rem Mag that i've bought.

The stock Mark X trigger is already "fully adjustable". I adjusted both of mine down to a very consistant 2.5lb.

I wish the safety on mine were 3 position, but i can get over that.

I like your stock!
Both of mine have B&C synthetic on them.
Makes them heavy, but still decent shooters.

I swapped out the 270 barrel on mine for an E.R. Shaw 24" barrel with 1.5 contour in 284 Win.
With B&C stock and Sightron STAC scope rifle weight is 10lbs.

 

[SticksMcKinley]

Nice work! It’s nice having a handy compact rifle around.

 

[UncleRick]

Awesome. one of my favorite rounds

 

[homers]

Love the 7x57!

 

[Walkathon]

Very cool stuff.

 

[ImBillT]

I’m in love with the one on the bottom.

 

[Foxtrot1]

I’m in love with the one on the bottom.

I built that one a couple of years ago for myself. I took an old 8x57 Husqvarna hunting rifle apart for the base. So it's an early (1941) FN 98 commercial action with new hinged bottom metal, a 3 position Dakota safety, timney trigger, and match grade douglas barrel. I saved the original banded rear sight and barrel band to reuse. The front sight is a NEG banded sight. I re-used the wood but bedded it, added a couple of hidden cross bolts, and made a buffalo horn grip cap for it. I cerakoted the metal and used waterlox on the stock to make it pretty weather resistant. I still have to develop it's final hand load and file the rear sight for it. The rings are leupold quick detach weaver style, so if there's ever a problem with the optics you can use the back up sights.

 

[Anschutz]

That turned out really good.

 

[choc dogs]

Man, it’s hard to argue with the 7x57. Long neck, reloads like a dream. Good bullets at modest velocity do good things. Hope your wife appreciates the effort.

 

[thomas04]

I built that one a couple of years ago for myself. I took an old 8x57 Husqvarna hunting rifle apart for the base. So it's an early (1941) FN 98 commercial action with new hinged bottom metal, a 3 position Dakota safety, timney trigger, and match grade douglas barrel. I saved the original banded rear sight and barrel band to reuse. The front sight is a NEG banded sight. I re-used the wood but bedded it, added a couple of hidden cross bolts, and made a buffalo horn grip cap for it. I cerakoted the metal and used waterlox on the stock to make it pretty weather resistant. I still have to develop it's final hand load and file the rear sight for it. The rings are leupold quick detach weaver style, so if there's ever a problem with the optics you can use the back up sights.

You're right on that one. But if we talk about professionals hunting, I would definitely try something like thermal imaging stuff. For example, my brother has AGM Protector TM25-384 thermal scope ( from here: https://www.agmglobalvision.com/thermal-imaging ), and says it works way better than night vision scope, in any condition.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Not quite a staysharp post....

That's a good thing.

 

[T Bone]

Hey, I recognize that rifle! I sold it to your brother.

You did a great job fitting it to the small framed shooter.

The Mark Xs I've handled vary widely in quality of finish. Yours was the the finest I've seen. That action was slick!

What a classic cartridge and rifle to be carried by the women in your life!

Your work on shortening the LOP and finishing the recoil pad is exceptional. Mine look like a muskrat on meth tried to eat it.

 

[Foxtrot1]

Broke the little rifle out today to sight it in. Looks like its gonna be a shooter. This is the 1st batch of handloads, 160 gr partitions I've tried in it. And Audra was shooting it off a bipod after I sighted it in. Moved it 1/2" right after her first group. That got her into the bullseye. Shes probably shot a large rifle 10x now in her life.

 

[Don Fischer]

Put in bigger picture's and we'd have to take a vacation to wait for them to open!

 

[huronmtns]

These pictures didn't take any time to load for me. You may want to evaluate your equipment and services before you criticize a positive thread.

 

[sbhooper]

These pictures didn't take any time to load for me. You may want to evaluate your equipment and services before you criticize a positive thread.

Pictures from my i-phone do that. I don't know how to change it, unless you load everything as thumb nail.

 

[Foxtrot1]

The little rifle had its first trip to the field over the weekend. We hit south Texas for hogs, but the hot weather and dry conditions had them shut down. We were able to get on some javelinas. She made a great shot, dropping this boar in his tracks at 150 yrs. She even hunted by herself 1 day. Probably have increased my future tag fees....