S&B 7X57 140GR SP 20/400

Description

The 7×57 Mauser is one of the older centerfire rifle cartridges still in active production, and for good reason: at moderate velocities it delivers meaningful terminal energy with recoil that stays manageable across a long day of hunting. Sellier & Bellot’s 140-grain SP load is built around a semi-jacketed soft point bullet with a lead core and a copper-zinc jacket engineered to promote controlled, consistent expansion on impact rather than rapid fragmentation or over-penetration. That balance — retaining enough weight to maintain momentum through hide and tissue while still expanding reliably — is what makes a soft point construction the practical choice for medium to large game at typical hunting distances.

The jacket alloy Sellier & Bellot specifies for this bullet is CuZn 10, a copper-zinc blend that provides the mechanical consistency needed for the expansion to occur within a predictable velocity window. A sectional density of 0.248 gives this 140-grain projectile good penetration relative to its diameter, which matters when the shot angle isn’t ideal. Muzzle velocity out of a 23.5-inch test barrel comes in at 2,651 fps, putting muzzle energy near 2,184 ft-lb — figures that place it comfortably within the working range for deer-sized and larger animals at field distances. Brass cases are reloadable for those who work up handloads, and the 20-round box count makes range confirmation of your zero straightforward without committing to a full case. This is a purpose-built hunting load from a manufacturer with decades of production history in European sporting and military ammunition.