The 7x57 Mauser rifle is probably the best all-round rifle ever invented. A man named Bell killed over 1000 elephants with it, specializing in brain shots. Untold number of deer have fallen to it. Countless enemies have dropped to the report of a 7x57 Mauser, too. It destroyed the communists in Spain in the 1930's, and darn near defeated the Americans in Cuba during the Summer 1898 war there. It has little recoil, can be shouldered by anyone, and is pinpoint accurate. On top of that, surplus military rifles in this caliber can be easily obtained at any gun show in the country today. Or on the internet. It's best when shooting it's original bullet weighing in at 175 grains, but there exists a 173 grain H-jacket bullet that is also excellent. Remington produces a 140 grain number that's alright, but the heavier projectiles serve better. Velocities run around 2600 feet per second, faster with the lighter bullets, and this is more than adequate for any purpose it needs to serve. More than 20 countries have used this cartridge as their service round. After it proved ballistically superior to the American weapon during the Spanish-American war, the USA more or less copied it and the rifle which fired it. So much so that they had to pay the Mauser company in Germany a royalty for every rifle produced until the First World War. This bit of genius has never been improved upon, nor could it be. It's perfection in itself and thoroughly complete in its present form. As if all of this weren't enough, rifles in this caliber can be had inexpensively. Why wouldn't any rifle shooter have one? | 
