Brian:
I'd answer the question based upon where you intend to hunt. If you're mostly going to be hunting in the deep woods, where 100 yards is a long shot, the .30-30 will do it and has the added advantage of having ammo available in almost every shop that sells ammo anywhere.
On the other hand, if you're hunting across open fields and can expect a shot up to 250 yards or so, I'd go for the 7x57R.
If you think you might want to add larger game to the bag using the rifle, I'd opt for the 8x57R, even though the 7x57 has killed more than its share of elk, moose and large bears, to say nothing of their European and African equivalents, in its time. I just like a heavier bullet for larger game.
Out of curiosity, what ammo is Chapuis using to regulate the rifles, and are they regulated with or without scopes?
Thanks.
