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Hello,

As I said, I use the 7 mm H-Mantel, 173 grs, since 1980. Back then, just before to move from Córdoba to Bariloche, Northern Patagonia, I bought 6 boxes of ten cartridges RWS with these bullets. They were imported here in the early 70´s. They are the last version, better, the pre-last version of the H-Mantel: semi round nose but steel jacket. The last version is the gilding metal jacket. In the early 80´s the same importer brought an extensive line of RWS bullets, still in the cilindrical 25 bullets boxes. So I bought some 7mm 173 H-Mantel and 162 Cone point or KS (Kegelspitz). A few years ago I found 2 boxes of ten 7 mm 173 H-Mantel cartridges of the old, pointed, style, still Berdan primed. So, I can assure this earliest post II War version end at around 1970.
In those years my only big game rifle was the DWM 1893 7x57 Original Sportin rifle from my great grand father. Still in my possession. And my main hunting cartrige-bullet were that RWS ones.
As 93mouse said, I NEVER found or recovered the rear part of that 7mm H-Mantel. NEVER. Period. The exit hole was, always, a cilindrical one well defined.
But until today I couldn´t find other bullet in the 7x57, and 7x64 as well, with better record of one shot instant kill with a well placed shot than the H-Mantel. I, friends using my rifles and sons for their first big game hunts. Used them in wild boars and big Red Deer. I didn´t use the older pointed version to hunt. Spend only 2 rounds of them to check velocity. The same as the newer ones, around 2500 f/s in my rifles with 60 cm barrel. By the way, I loaded the bullets at 2600 f/s and 2700 f/s in the 7x57 and the 7x64 rifles. Both with R22 powder.
Here are pictures of that older and newer green ten cartridges boxes.
And one of my sons, 2011, with his very strange Red Deer shot with that 7mm H-Mantel reload.

PH

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Edited by PatagonHunter (02/03/21 12:41 PM)

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