Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7/57 loads in new reloading manual?

I received a new Hornady manual for Xmas and was taken aback that my loads are several grains over the listed Max.
I have used 49 grains of IMR 4350 for around 2700 FPS in a Interarms Mark X for 20 + years. The New Manual shows 45.9 grains Max and states this needs to be worked up to with caution in 98 Mausers.
My primers look ok and extraction seems good but I don't want to push it.
My velocities are running a lot lower than theirs so I am assuming my rifle builds less pressure.
I bought the barreled action and set this in a Brown precision stock,just after going through a divorce. I wanted a 7/08 Model seven but couldn't afford one.So I bought this and was going to cut the barrel to 20 inches. Well after bedding it I took it to a tree stand on a 20 acre lot and realized the 24 inch barrel was fine.
Its laid more than a few deer low.
Back on task, should I back them down?

You don't mention the bullet weight. But if you are talking 150 gr or less, that sounds like a safe load. Velocity should be your guide.

There is tremendous variation in 7x57 chambers--a long throated one needs more powder to reach the same velocity.

Sorry, I am talking about the 139 gr bullet.

Based on the velocity your rifle gets, you could actually increase the load you've been using some with no problems. Or at least that's been my experience with a pile of 7x57's.

As utah708 noted, the throat length of 7x57 chambers is all over the place. A longer throated rifle can safely be shot with more powder than one with a shorter throat. Mark X 7x57's tend to have long throats--or at least that'd been my experience with a couple of them.

In 24" barrels I have yet to encounter any pressure problems with 139-140 grain bullets and IMR4350 at velocities up to 2800-2900 fps. Exactly how much powder it takes to get there will vary considerably, however.

Thanks, That's what I thought. The stated load has worked well for a long time. But I may go up to 150-154 gr bullets in the next year and want to work up to around 2650 if I can.

Welcome to the world of reloading CYA!

Go find their Vol. II.

Without looking it up I think I used 47.5 grains with 140's in my Ruger. I think I was close to that max with 175's.

Interestingly enough, if you look at Nosler's latest data, you will find that the max they list for IMR 4350 and their 140's is...wait for it...wait for it...49.0 gr.

http://www.nosler.com/7x57-mauser

Draw your own conclusions.

Exactly, I know that the 47.5 was not an extreme load. Of course powder evolve, but if they evolve that much they need a new name, or better quality control.

I own 3 regular 7x57's and one improved version. The loads listed in most manuals now days is somewhat retarded. Not all mind you but a lot. The loads...especially w/the 139-140gr bullets, which is the most popular, are all over the place. With your gun and RL19, H414, or IMR 4350 you should be able to easily get 2850-2900fps w/no problems. powdr

Well I been launching 140 gr Nosler Partitions out of my old Steyr Mannlicer Model M Professional in 7 x 57 with 50 gr of IMR-4350 since I bought the rifle back in 1976 almost 40 years. No problems with case life, velocity been pegged at 2840 for an average. The load has worked very well for me over the years, accurate too.

In the old days I loaded 51 gr 4350 with a 140 for about 2900 fps. There are lots of variables with this one, this load was worked up in a Win FW 70, when I shot some from the same leftover box in my Ruger, which is much longer in the throat, they went 2675 fps. Winchester cases will need at least a grain more powder than Remington to duplicate the velocity.

I have shot literally thousands in it with 140 TSX's and TTSX's and 52 grains of H414. With a pressure trace, these are 60000 psi and from memory go 3038 fps. I have shot tons of game with 50 gr of H414 and a 160 partition, at 2800 fps, here and in the desert heat in Namibia, all of these are Winchester cases. The same charge that will touch the bullet base in a W-W case will fill half the neck in a R-P case, so use your head. If I didn't have access to a pressure trace, I'd stop at 2900 and 2700 for 140's and 160's cause it doesn't make any difference anyway.

Obviously these would have been really bad in my old M70!

One of these days, I'm going to work up some with Ramshot Hunter, I think it may work as well or better. I've never seen a 7x57 that wouldn't group very well with H414 however. It also is pretty fantastic in a .243, .220 Swift, .30-06 as well as a .375 and .338-06

Thanks to all for the input. I know my rifle seems to have a slow barrel. When I first built it I was using IMR 4064 and actually loaded 43 gr under the 140 gr Nosler Partition and was killing deer like mad. My Chrony said I was getting 2725 with the 4064. Then tried the 4350 and got groups under and inch. IMR4064 was shooting 1 1/4" so I switched!
I also tried the Nosler 160 gr with 46 gr of IMR 4350 and only got 2500 FPS. It shot great but I wanted more speed.

Me either. Also never saw another powder generate higher velocities in this cartridge.