Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7x57 / Varget / NBT 120

I am looking for help regarding a suggested accuracy load using Varget and Nosler's 120gr BT, if you can help.

So far I have tried with N203B and N204 and the best this bullet has done has been 1.6" for four shots at 109 yds.

This bullets gets so many good comments that I would like to insist and see if I can get to the kind of accuracy the rifle is showing with other bullets.

Rifle is a Blaser K95, with the typical CIP long throat.

chamois

Do you know the diameter of the throat? If it's tight then the bullet can still maintain good alignment even in a long throat.

http://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/7x57mm-mauser/

From Nosler regarding Varget, might find interesting..

Does it shoot other boat tail bullets okay?

Norma 204 (RL19) and 203B (RL25) are a bit to slow for this bullet. Varget, RL15, IMR4320, or even CFE 223 would be a better fit.

Norma 203B is NOT Reloder 25. In fact, if it isn't Reloder 15 it's so close I can't find any difference.

Thank you for your replies.

mathman: No, I do not know the exact diameter of the throat but, typically, Blaser’s chamber dimensions are on the tight side. I do not believe this to be the problem, since the rifle shoots quite accurately other bullets that still have to make a big jump before engaging the rifling, due to the looong CIP throat.

Jedi: I had checked Nosler’s data, but was looking for something more accord with modern times. The Blaser K95 has a very strong tilting block action, and I am using new Norma brass, my safe maximum speed standards being 3,075fps with 120gr bullets, 2,900 with 140, 2,775 with 150 qne 2675 with 160.

10gauge: Yes, it does. So far, the most accurate combination has been with RWS Evo Green 127gr bullet, which wears a long boat tail, and Nosler’s 140gr NBT.

Prwlr: Like Mule deer, I have found Norma 203B identical to Re15. I am with you that N204 is on the slow side with 120gr bullets. Not too slow, but slowish.

Mule Deer: In the BB of GG you do not show any loads with 120gr NBT in your long throated VZ-24 and Ruger nr. 1… I used your Custom Remington load with N203B instead of Re15 as a starting load and worked up from there up to where I got 3,050fps but none of the loads showed any promise. I think I will do the same with Varget and the load you show from your Kilimanjaro/Montana, or even use 1,5gr more as my starting load given the short throat of your rifle and the moderate speed it gave you. Varget is very scarce here and I was looking to save some experimentation.

By the way, this has been my last hunt with my 7x57R, a Red Deer stag hunted in the Carpathian Mts. in Rumania, just last week, during the rut.

I shot it in the heart with a 140gr Barnes MRX from 45 yds. In spite of the (slightly) on-quartering angle, the MRX is still flying

Beautiful stag! They have some big ones in that part of the world....

Beautiful animal, congratulations

Hi chamois,

A great Red Deer!! Did you weighted the head, clean?

Congratulations!!

PH

WOW!

WOW x2!!

That is a great looking animal. Are the dark horns and lighter colors tips are really something.

Thank You, Sirs!

Mule Deer: Yes, they do have big ones, and all as a matter of “natural selection” in a territory where the tough winters and the large number of wolves only allow the very best to survive. They do have beatiful forests, too, old and pristine. I really enjoyed it!

Patagonia hunter: Yes we did, 24hr after boiling it it tipped the scale at 10,1 kilos. It was aged at 9 years and scored 223,31 CIC.


chamois

Very impressive stag, sir.

Beautiful Stag chamois, well done. I also shoot a K95 but mine is in 7mm-08.

who killed the FAWN?

Here is photo of the rifle, OSU_sig:



Dressed for the ocasion with a Leica ER-i 3-12x50

chamois

WOW!

I have had good results with IMR 4320 in my R#1, 7x57 using 120BTs.