Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7x57 - flatbase bullets vs boat tails

In another thread on this forum, hornsurgeon stated: Every 7x57 I have owned has loved the Sierra 140gr pro hunter flatbase soft point with as much imr4831 I could get in the case.

In this instance did the rifles prefer the combination of the two components, or the powder, or just the flatbase bullet? Taking into consideration that individual rifles have different component preferences, I have noticed that the 7x57s I have owned and about a dozen other 7x57's owned by others preferred flatbase bullets in a variety of weights. Of course, some exceptions were noted.

Anybody else have a similar observation?

Does this have anything to do with the longer throats of the 7x57s?

At my ranges and little deer, I use a flat-base round nose...

My 7x57 loves the 140 grain Nosler Partition.

That 140 grain Partition is what 2 out of 3 7x57s I owned had in common, a disinct preference. Seen it in others as well.

I prefer flat based bullets regardless of caliber...

but my usual bullet of choice for deer here in Oregon is the 140 grain Ballistic Tip... but of course that is because I bought 500 plus of them for $40 once at a instore special at Shooters Pro Shop

Flat base bullets, all else being equal, tend to be more accurate than boat tails out to, say 300 yds. or so. After that the boat tail comes into it's own due to having a higher BC. At least that is my experience......

Flat base C&C are all anyone NEEDS in normal game ranges but then there is nothing wrong with WANT and what's NORMAL anyways... Getting harder to pick and choose so I will work with variety when push comes to shove.

My 7x57 Ruger #1A is exactly the opposite; loves Nosler 120 gr. BTs, and 160 grain PTs, but absolutely hates the 140 gr. PT. I really wish it liked the 140, but it won't shoot it.

To me this is what makes fooling with rifles interesting,,,you never know what they will prefer.

So have mine.One Rem 700 MR would grind them into clusters.

They all liked the 140 Sierra's as well, so I really never looked any further for bullets.

I use 154gr RNs in my 7x57R.

I've tended to get better accuracy with the Pro Hunters over the Game Kings in several rifles.

My 7x57 likes the 120 Nosler BT a lot but not the 154 Hornady SST. It likes the Interlock flat base 154 gr bullet though. Most of the rounds factory and otherwise have been flat base and have shot very well. I guess I should try more Nosler BT's of different weights and see if the 120 gr is just an anomaly.

Dan

The 139gr Interlokt w/4831 is all my Dad shot in his 7x57 for 20 years. Killed a lot of large panhandle whitetails. powdr

The only bullet my 7x57 doesn't shoot well is the 140gr. Remington corelokt. The rest boat tailed or otherwise, shoot just fine and I have run a lot of different bullets thru this barrel.