Hi Rule,

I am still asking myself what was the goal of that large case when designed around 1900...
Even with the 150 gr bullet, the 8x57 with the same bullet weight (slightly lower BC than the.30") had an advantage of 200 f/s over the 30-06, when fired in the 29" barrel lenght of the GEW 98.

The 7,65x53 Belgian-Turkish-Argentine, in the time of adoption order, was the first smokeless Mauser designed cartridge. The diameters of rim, extraction groove and head dimentions were not the same as the ones in the 8x57. The 7,65x53 cases does NOT derives from the 8x57. By the way, the 8x57 was NOT A MAUSER CARTRIDGE no matter the actual name. It was a developement of the 1888 Commission, together with the 1888 rifle.
The bullet with the first 7,65x53, the 1889, 1890 and 1891 rifles, were tipical round nosed heavy for caliber bullet of around 210 gr (depending of the country) at, more or less, 2000 to 2100 f/s.
When the 1909 Argentine Mauser was adopted to update from the excelent 1891 one, the bullet weight went, following the trend, to around 150 gr, flat base at 2800 f/s or so, from the 29" 1909 Mauser barrel lenght.
Later, a 12 gr/185 gr bullet was provided, developed and used in the machine guns, a boat-tail design at around 2500 f/s in the long rifle barrel.
In 1950, the military arsenals made a batch of mach grade cartridge with a 12 gram bullet. This batch was of truly great match quality!!!!
The last military 7,65x53 cartridge made for our 1909/1891 Mauser rifles was the FN HERSTAL 1978 contract. EXCELENT, perhaps THE BEST AMMO EVER MADE for them. Great quality brass, Berdan primed, ball sferical powder with an extreme boat tail bullet of .312" and 174 gr.
Match quality cartridges seldom seen as military ammo!!!! In 60 cm barrel lenghts, the velocity is around 2400 f/s.

Best Regards

PH