Guys,

Just acquired a Schultz and Larsen 7x61 Sharp&Hart and was wondering if anybody had some load info for me.I used 63gr of H4350 and 140 sierra game kings pretty good luck.It's a 1 in 12 twist so I think I should stay under 160 grains? Any help would be appreciated.


thanks, Adam

Adam
P O Ackley lists that 63 grain load that you are using with the 145 grain bullet for a velocity of 3187. He also lists a load of 66 grains of 4831 for a velocity of 3128. I would guess that would be H4831.

Fred

Adam,

Very nice rifle and a very nice cartridge to go with it.

I have a resource which has over 300 loads for the 7x61.

Instead of posting them all here why don't you PM me and I can send them to your email.

Ken

Beautiful rifle, great cartridge!!!

Uses a very similar belted magnum cartridge case much like the .264 Win. Mag, 7mm Remington Mag., .308 Norma Mag., .338 Win. Mag., .358 Norma Mag. and .458 Win. Mag., the 7x61 S&H cartridge appears to have a double-radius shoulder much like the 7mm Weatherby cartridge.

Generally, rifles chambered for the 7mm S&H cartridge are free-bored like the rifles chambered for the Weatherby cartridges. I believe your Shultz and Larsen is free-bored, but to be sure... check it out.

Full 7mm Sharpe & Hart maximum loads REQUIRE a free-bored rifle to be safe. Reduce all listed 7x61 S&H loads by at least 5% if the rifle lacks a free-bored barrel.

My old reloading manual (circa 1970) shows a maximum load of IMR4350 (64.0 grains, a compressed load) behind a 139 grain Hornady Spire Point bullet sparked by Remington 9� primers in Norma cartridge cases yielded a muzzle velocity of 3257 fps out of their test rifle, a Shultz & Larsen 65DL w/ a 24" barrel which had a 1:10 twist.

My reloading manual shows loads for the 120, 139, 150, 165 & 175 grain jacketed bullets. If you can't find any other source of loads, PM me indicating what weight bullets you intend to use and I'll send you this old reloading information I have, but remember... these loads use the components circa 1970... and current components may or may not yield the same pressures/velocities.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Good post Ron.

It reminded me to look back at my old reloading manuals and the 7x61 is listed in both my 1967 Hornady and 1967 Lyman manuals.

To the OP, just PM me and I can get you more info than you could possibly use.

Aren't there two cases that fit the rifle with different internal dimensions because of Mr. Hart's over engineering of the original cartridge?

I think that makes a difference in the amount of UMPH you want to give your handloads, too...

SWEET RIFLE!

I'm turning green here...

You are absolutely right efw. In about 1963 Norma reduced case wall thickness by .005" and thinned the web .020" thereby increasing case capacity 5 grains or so.
The outside dimensions remained constant.
Unless you have a supply of pre 1963 brass, all 7x61 brass will be the new design.
Ken Waters reports that the new cases are still very strong and durable.

Adam,

If you get to likin' those 140 Sierra's, let me know. I've got 400 that I wont be using.

We need to see a pic of that baby...

We'll see if I can get pics of em both in, the 65dl and the 54j side by side.

Ron_T

Thanks on the great info,but could you please explain free bore and how I would check it. I assume it's something to do with bullet jump to the lands or something with the belt. I'm loading these to fit in the magazine well, because that's what matters...Right? I do a fair amount of reloading but this is my first belted cartridge.

nsaqam thanks for all the info, I just hope it will be enough to get me started!

again thanks,

Adam

I'm not Ron_T but yes, freebore is a section of unrifled barrel ahead of the chamber before the rifling begins.
Freebore has been used for years by Weatherby as a means of loading to very high pressure to increase velocity without causing the load to develop dangerous pressure due to bullet friction with the rifling.
It is good for that purpose but is not always conducive to the finest accuracy.

So you did get those 300 loads I sent then huh?

"Thanks on the great info,but could you please explain free bore and how I would check it"

I am not Ron T, but I know how to check for freebore and for how much.

Barely squash the mouth of a fired case and start a flat base bullet in backwards. Just start it enough to keep it in place. Instead of bending my case mount, I barely bump it in the sizing die just enough so that I can start a bullet by hand and it will stay put.

Chamber the empty cartridge. The flat base of the bullet will contact the lands and push the bullet on into the case.

Measure the amount the bullet is sticking out of the case and this is your throat length.

I am not sure at which point normal throating ends and free boring begins. My guess is that anything over 1/2 inch of throat length would be considered free bore.

+1 exactly...

Ron T.

Thanks for all the help guys,I just got twenty more pieces of brass so I'm ready to roll.

Does anybody know if the new schultz and larsen classic rifles are free bored?

I'm pretty sure all the S&L 7x61s were freebored. Which model is yours?

Iconic rifle. I’ve never seen one.

Negative on that . . . (confirmed by drawings in an older Horny Manual and Ken Howell's Custom Cartridges book)

I have a NULA 7x61 and had a S&L Model 60. The Model 60 was freebored and you could seat the bullets way out. I was surprised the 1 in 12" twist would shoot a 160 Partition with decent accuracy. The freebore allows using about 2-4 grains more powder for slightly less velocity than I get from the NULA, both guns with 26" barrels.

I'd stay away from much of the old data; seems a bit too hot and I doubt much if any of it was pressure tested. Based solely on my limited experience, if you get the old published figures of 3,100 fps with a 160 grain bullet, that would be a very warm, possibly dangerous load. I've found about 2,900 fps is tops with a 160 grain. Still a great cartridge that will do about anything the 7mm Remington Magnum will and use a little less powder than the Remington cartridge with most loads. And, it doesn't have that dull look...

There was an update on the 7x61 data a few years back on handload. com (or something similar); anyway the online loading data deal that Wolfe Publishing Co. does.

The Lyman 44 manual from 1967 used a S&L Model 65DL for development with a 1:10 twist 24" barrel. They note that the rifle is free-bored.

The one i have is buitl on a 98 mauser.

It has not balked at shooting any bullet weight from 100-162 Sierra match.

Have not shot any coyotes yet but i think it should reach out and grab them.

It is a bench gun and it is heavy.

Hi all,
Just as a matter of interest, the suggestion of the S&L having a double radius shoulder may come about due to the fact that back in the early days before he started making the Mk5 action, Roy Weatherby used the S&L action chambering his cartridges . . unless I'm sadly mistaken!
Cheers, Jack