Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Reloading advice.

I have 4 rifles - 1 doug barrel, 2 mil RSI barrels, 1 modern win fwt. They all like a light load of 3031 and 139 btsp .
length is what ever is in the reloading book

I sent a XTR in 6.5x55 down the road years ago with the same problem. Looking back I wish I would have spun the barrel back some and recut the chamber.

Weatherby's are noted for shooting great with a long bullet jump. .1-.125"

I'd try Muledeer's method first of putting a bread bag tie clip between the front action screw and top of recoil lug. Unless you are 100% sure the barrel is not touching stock and there is enough free float that the whip of the barrel does not either. Then I would start adding shims under the front of the barrel and forestock as Shiester advised.

I had a 7x 57 and found the front action screw was touching the edge of the hole. Also check that the top of the magazine box is not touching the receiver

There are a lot of little things as mentioned that you could try before rebarreling for $250-$300.

Yep powder first, but 4350, 4064, 4895, Varget, 3031 will all work. Even 4831 for heavier bullets .

Make sure your barrel is cool for each shot. Lot of ways to do that. I take 2-3 flexible ice packs in a cooler and lay on the barrel after each sho.t

Make sure to spend twice as much money as a new barrel would cost while your prick around!


Then you will truly develop a hatred!

Consistency is accuracy. 4350 is at the slow end for 7x57 propellant. Unless you're loading absolute max with 4350 you're probably getting inconsistent burn, consequently inconsistent velocity and inconsistent accuracy.

3031 is a step in the right direction.

I'd try working up a load with H4895. You might not find the *absolute* best accuracy with H4895. But if you load close to maximum with H4895 in the 7X57 you can eliminate inconsistent burn as a contributing factor. H4895 loaded at the upper end of 7X57 loads will burn consistently.

If you're serious about chasing accuracy it's a good idea to buy a chronograph. A chronograph will tell you when you've found a charge that burns consistently and consequently will give you a small extreme spread.

Aren't SAAMI specification 7X57 chambers throated for that ridiculously long round nose bullet- - - -something like 190 grains or so? When I had Dave Manson grind my 7 X 57 reamer, I sent him a dummy round loaded with a Spitzer bullet and had the reamer ground for a normal amount of clearance for that cartridge. Phugg those round nose loads- - - - -I'm not shooting elephants in the ear hole like Karamojo Bell!

I had one of those XTR FWTs in 7x57, it shot well with a very stiff load of 760 (or 414, same thing) or with IMR-4350. I was using 139 Hornady Spire Points or Speer 145 BTSPs.

One thing I found out about the 57mm cased cartridges, they shoot better with the stiffest loads of 760 you can get away with. 6mm Rem., .257 Roberts, 7x57, all responded to stiff loads with 760. I was usiing CCI 250 primers, IIRC. A couple of those rifles wouldn't shoot with anything BUT 760, and just got better and better the more you poured it to 'em.