It uses the identical 57 mm-long cartridge case, with the same shoulder angle, but necked up to accept a 9 mm-diameter bullet.

Firing a relatively heavy bullet of 14–16 g (220–250 grains) at a modest velocity of 670–700 m/s (2,200–2,300 ft/s), the 9×57mm is low in noise and recoil, pleasant to shoot, and regarded as accurate and effective on all but the very largest, most dangerous game at distances out to 250–300 m (300-350 yd).

[2] However, dependable, recently manufactured factory ammunition is increasingly expensive and hard to obtain, and many users must rely on handloading.

[1] The Eley-Kynoch 9×57 cartridge manufactured by the company at its Birmingham, England factory up to the 1950s used fully jacketed and soft-nosed, round-nosed, flat-based bullets weighing 16.1 grams (248 gr), with an average muzzle velocity of 690 m/s (2,300 ft/s).

Factory-loaded ammunition is now increasingly hard to come by, and most users handload, using either fire-formed 9×57 brass or modified 7×57 or 8×57 cases necked up to accept 9 mm diameter bullets.