I just bought 700 mountain rifle in 7x57 that was made in 1989. From what I have seen is that because the 7x57 is such a historic round, and there are so many old guns chambered in it factory loads and load suggestions are rather anemic because the older guns can't handle the pressure.

I was looking through Hodgdon's Reloading magazine and came across the following loads for 140s. The left side is the minimum and the right is the max. To me, it seems that max load is still light, and I could push this more in a modern firearm.

My goal, which I think is doable is a load that pushes a 140gr bullet around 2,800fps. Certainly I'll work up to it, but do you have any pet loads that you love for the 7x57?

52 grains of 760/H414 will get you 2900fps+ in a 22 inch barrel.
Start at 48 and work up. The 4350's also work but cannot reach teh velocities of the ball powder.

John

Hornady books have 7x57 loads for modern rifles.

You can also use any 7mm08 load as a starting point as the 7x57 case has more capacity.

2800 with a 140 TSX is no problem.

With that short barrel I'd move toward medium fast burners and get a chronograph.

H380, BL-C and Varget will all get you there. Suggest CCI 250 (magnum) primers. look at the Hodgdon page for 7mm08.

Congrats on the best 7mm.

48 to 49 grs of H4350 chronys 2800 - 2850fps with 140gr Nosler Ballistic tips, Sierra ProHunter and Hornady Interlocks all in three different rifles with 22" barrels. Of course, you need to back of a few grains to start.

Good luck.

Wayne

I run 2800 fps MV out of a 22 inch Model 70 featherweight barrel, using 140 grain Ballistic Tips.. my load is 44 grains of IMR 4895..

for heavier bullets, I run 40 grains of 3031 from out of an older Hornady Manual. according to the manual, it will run 175 grain RNs at 2400 fps, but my rifle chronographs those same loads at 2650 fps, and 160s at 2700 fps...

same in my Ruger 77's 22 inch barrel.

+1 with H414 you will achieve the velocity goal easily.

I like H414 too. Good velocity and accuracy out of my 7x57. I use a CCI mag. primer and 49grs. with the 140gr. Nos.BT in Winchester cases.

jryoung: I saw your post on this Mt. Rifle...cool beans..
I would listen to Seafire on this one, he knows his way around a loading bench.
I'm no help, cause I shoot heavier bullets in the 7x57 ( 160 gr +..) But Ive shot them out of a Rem Mt. Rifle and a Win M70 Fwt....and leaned on them....

Hey! Don't listen to others who posted on this thread? We don't know what we are talking about? I resemble that remark.

I also use H-414 in my 7x57 with all bullet weights 100-173 grain.
It just goes together well.

JawnHenry,

One of the oldest myths in handloading is that shorter barrels will get higher velocities with faster powders.
In reality, the same powders that get the highest velocities in longer barrels get the highest velocities in shorter barrels. In fact the last velocity loss in short barrels comes with a combination of slow powders and heavier bullets.

I'm too tired right now to explain AGAIN why this is so, but it is.

I comfortably get where you want to be with H4350, and fine accuracy to boot. This is in a 7x57 built on a G33/40 action that I feel is safe.

Lots of luck. In my Winchester M70 Featherweight, 49.0 gr. of W760 was showing pressure signs and I had to go all the way back to 47.0 grains before all signs of high pressure disappreared In my custom FN Mauser that load (47.0 gr.)would lock up the bolt nice and tight. However, that rifle does have a minimum chamber. Final velocity in the M70 was 2800 FPS. Bullet was the 140 gr. Nosler Ballisitic Tip.
Paul B.

I was gonna mention " listen to roundoak too..." but I neglected it...now we have had our first tiff, so I'd say keep listening to Seafire!!

Yeah - OK. What goes around comes around... sometimes faster than one would expect

PJGunner, I agree with you about 52grs of H414 and a 140gr. bullets, at least in my rifle 49grs IS max. With 52grs I'd be getting over the top pressures. But the 7x57 is one round with a lot of differing chambering dimensions, but still were it me I'd approach that load suggestion with caution.

I have settled on 50.0 grs of H4350 with any 140gr bullet.

Ditto to what Huntr sez... I shoot 50.0 grains of H4350 in my Ruger #1 International (aka "RSI") as my "hunting load". That's a MAXIMUM LOAD according to the Speer Reloading Manual #13.

I haven't chronographed this load yet, but I don't think this load quite makes it to 2800 fps outta my RSI's short 20-inch barrel, but it comes close... I'm guessing probably about 2785 fps or so.

However, in their testing, Speer's test rifle had a 22-inch barrel for this load and achieved slightly OVER 2800 fps.

My RSI fired a .404 inch, 3 shot group at 50 yards with this load behind 140 grain Sierra ProHunter, flat-based bullets sparked by standard Winchester large rifle primers in once-fired Remington cartridge cases. I noted that recoil was up (but not bad) as was the noise level, so this is 'most likely a true "maximum load".

However, there were no pressure signs and the empty cases extracted easily... but that load is a "whomper" for sure!


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

I confess. Last night I committed an heretical act. Actually, it was a two night event. First, I loaded underweight, lead-free, plastic tipped bullets in the new PRVI brass cases stamped 7mm Mauser. Then I went and loaded them in a classic single shot Ruger #1 and proceeded to fire them into an old rusting steel hulk nearly as old as the cartridge itself. The rifle, a very long throated, early barreled #1, is not a tack driver generally. Ironically, adapting a "Campfire load" of Reloader 15 for the 7mm-08 and bumping it a couple of grains resulted in virtually identical results as what I've gotten in the -08, tight, small clusters. I have to admit, plastic tips in this old cartridge just don't seem right somehow.

My Ruger # 1 22" is a early one with a very long throat. It shoots well though. I can load 50gr of H 4350 with 140 gr bullets for 2855 FPS. 175 gr Hornady 48 gr RL 22 around 2575 FPS.
I loaded the 160 gr NP pretty hot with H 414 and was surprised at the speed and low pressures.

It shoots the better loads around 1.5" @ 100 yards 3 shot groups. with limited testing, it was a lot easier to develop loads with the # 1 Ruger in 7X57 than my LH Ruger 7-08 Hawkeye!

I was getting three shot groups that had a small spread, usually with two vying for the same hole. I'll have to try it on bags sometime with these loads (45 RL15, 120 TTSX). 48.5 H414 with 150 PP were shooting several inches higher, but were running close. I was resting across a snowmachine seat with my knee for a butt support. Perhaps a better rest would help.

I,ll have to try RL 15 in my 7 X 57 my 7-08 does not like it?

Did you try it with the little bullets? I had always tried it with heavier bullets (139-160) and wasn't impressed. With 120s in two Barnes and one Nosler variety, it has been perfect. I never would have given it any more effort had I not been hearing good thing here on the fire.

+1

It shoots 139 grain Hornady's and 140 NBT's out of my MKII into less than 1/2 inch, 5 shot groups.

You need to approach any recommended load with caution. My load is "my" load. But... it is also a recommended load in at leasy one one reloading Manual I have seen (Actually 52.5gn).

I too, have owned a Model 70 in this chambering and I agree with you that 140's maxed out at about 2800fps. You will find this is more due to the tight twist in that rifle which was designed to shoot the only factory load Winchester made at that time, which housed the 175gn RN bullet.

In my Model 70, the most accurate load I tried was using 175gn Sierra BT's over 50gn of IMR 4831 for 2440fps. With the 140's, my best load was 51gn of IMR 4350 for 2846fps using the Nosler Solid Bases.

Hope this helps,

John

I tried 46gn of Rel 15 with both the 160gn Failsafe and 160gn Partition gold and the loads shot very well with velocities arounf 2740-2750 fps and good accuracy.

These loads would work very well on game up to Moose and Elk.

John

The OP's goal here is a 140gr bullet at 2800fps.

Some posters listed a specific brand 140 gr, others just indicated a 140gr bullet. Of the later, were any of those monolithic bullets?

Curious -

Wayne

When I have had 7x57's I always stuck a 140 Partition in it to kill things.And back then I used either IMR 4350 or RL19 to get over 2800 fps.

Always have to chuckle when I see Bob's sig line.

Very appropo on a 7x57 thread....

roundoak: Yes....many times I have felt so insecure about carrying a 270 that I have held off shooting because the animal was too small,in which event I would have over-killed it;or too big so that I would not have killed it dead enough...this may not make sense unless you realize there are varying degrees of "dead".......

.....the solution has been to get a rifle that was smaller....or bigger....as the case may be.

I have always been happier using a 7x57 because it is not as fast as the 270,and therefore kills with the first degree of "dead",as opposed to the second degree which is "too much" on smaller stuff.....

and because it has greater frontal area...(.007) is a LOT ) it kills to the second degree of "dead" on much larger animals ...thereby making it much more suitable on a wider variety of game...which die to varying degrees depending of course on the degree of "dead" required to kill them.....

Have you noticed the same things....yourself??? Huh!?

I have tried the 140gr TTSX and the 139gr GMX in my custom 7X57 with my recommended load of 50.0gr's of H4350 without any pressure signs.

Just came in from outdoors doing chores and pulled up your post. Very profound.

Can't say I have noticed the same things...perhaps after a few cocktails.

Huntr, thanks for satisfying my curiosity. I am always interested in learning more about the use of monolithic bullets in the 7x57.

Your 50gr H4350 load works well with cup and core 139-140gr bullets in 2 out of 3 7x57s I have. In fact one rifle handles the load with a 154gr Hornady InterLock.

Wayne

Best for comparing cartridges....

Bob you are correct...the 270 only kills critters dead... not deader than dead ...and critters only killed dead will rustle around in the freezer.. .

H4350 is your friend.

This has been my experience as well with 3 or 4 different 7x57s.

Can I get in on this?????

Cant help on the 140's, but if you decide to go heavier imr-4350 and 175's are heaven together in my rifle.

Gunner

I recently picked up some Barnes 120 and 140 gr. TSX bullets for my 7x57. i notice in the latest barnes manual that W760 give some of the highest velocity with those bullets. That's probably the powder I'll start with when I do the load work up. I've gotten my best results regarding speed and accuracy with that powder in my three 7x57s.
Paul B.

There is also a 110gn TSX out now in 7mm, and yes, 760 aka H 414 is the fastest powder I have chronographed in the 7mm Mauser case.

It works will all bullet weights. 45gn with 175's up to 53gn with 120's. That's about all you can get into the case.

John

If you are looking at other than the 140gn monolitics then the 120gn GS Custom bears close scrutiny.
In my 25in bbl I get 3235fps with the 120gn GS over 51gn BL-C2 and Fed 215's. Fantastic accuracy and good performance on the tough ferral goat so far.

Von Gruff.

I read all the posts here, and as none have nominated IMR 4064 with 140 gr. bullets, I will as it has shot well in my 7x57 with 140 grain Partitions and Sierras, if memory serves me...

I never chronographed the loads.

Also, the Speer 110 gr. HP in the 7x57 makes a pretty devastating varmint load on groundhogs; I presume Speer still makes that bullet.

You will enjoy the caliber; I am sure a lot of loads will work for you.

In a long throated rifle 52 gr H414 is nothing hot. In others it will be. When I first bought my Ruger (which is long throated) I had some rounds I had loaded for my M70 with 140's and 4350 that chrono'd 2875 in the Win. They didn't break 2700 fps in the Ruger. 52 gr H414 is great in it and goes over 2900 fps. I have shot thousands of these as this is my main hunting caliber. Loading data will vary immensely. You couldn't get enough 4350 in a Win case to hit 2800 fps in the Ruger!

You bring to mind an event that, up until your brilliant explanation, I have been unable to adequately describe. Was a morning when my son used the previously mentioned 50 gr 4350 load (H version) with a 140 Accubond on a nice 10 pt buck. Buck was killed precisely to Dead, Degree 1. At 100 yds or so bullet entered the right shoulder doing minimal meat damage then proceeded to do deadly work on the heart and lungs before exiting. Proper degree of dead was so perfectly met the buck was only able to turn, stumble, and fall downhill about 12 ft. If we add a Percentage Scale within Degree, I would further estimate he was perfectly killed at Dead, Degree 1, 50% +/- 2%.

However, on the same morning another hunter in camp used a .340 Weatherby with 225 gr BT factory load to shoot a 100 lb doe at about 20 yds. Here I would estimate the result to be Dead, Degree 5(max), 98% +/-2%. The entrance wound created by spalshback was almost the size of a dinner plate while the exit was the size of a saucer. Most everything between the wounds was gone. Regardless, the doe did not realize she was dead before her corpse had run 20 t0 30 yds, according to the shooter.

And therein lies my question. Can Degree of Death be diminished by the escape distance traveled or lack of falling or stumbling at the shot? And can it be increased according to volume of biomass removed by the projectile? Before we start flinging around these estimated Degrees of Death perhaps we should first better define our criteria. All in the interest of science.

So I finally got around to putting together some loads tonight and started with 48gr of 414 and it filled the case right to the base of the neck. For viisual purpposes I added 4 more grains and it came into the neck. Does this seem right? Im loading ttsxs so the longer bullets seem like this couuld pose a problem?

Just back off a hair and work up... only YOUR rifle can actually tell what it will digest.. also make a dummy round first and actually see how deep your chambers throat is...

My pushfeed 70 XTR Featherweight likes 51.0 of IMR 4831 and a 140 Nosler Partition at 2893 fps. Caribou--dead. Black bear--dead. Blacktails--deader than dead!

Interesting series of posts - at least some of them are-.

I'm trying to find a replacement powder for H205 for my old (1934 M98 Mauser, made for Venezuela by FN with a Douglas barrel). I had settled on a stiff load (two grains less than I had worked up to) that gave me over 2900 fps with the 140 Nosler Partition. The same load with 140 Ballistic Tips was over 3,000 fps and was too hot for my rifle as there was bolt stiffness. With the partition and the 139 g. Hornady the brass lasts for many reloads so pressures did not appear excessive. Ballistic Tips are another story. My rifle has a long throat so what works in mine may not work in another.

I've been trying H414 but the book max was 49 g. I will try Aussie Gun Writers load of up to 52 g. of H414 - working up from below.

Last fall I chronographed a series of loads in 0.5 g increments with H414 powder, WW brass, Winchester Magnum primers from 47 to 49 g. Velocities were from 2661 (47 g.) to 2789 (49 g.)fps. A week later 49.5 and 50 g. gave velocities (3 shot average)of 49.5 g = 2811, 50 g = 2836 fps.

There have been no signs of pressure on the brass or with the bolt lift so I'm ready to "lean on it" (with deference to Ingwe) to 52 g.

With your loads of 48+ grains with the H414 was the case visibly full? Working up safely aside(acknowledged), are there any implications to "compressing" the powder through seating the bullet assuming no other danger signs are present?

I do not have years of reloading experience so this issue caught me by suprise and sparked my curiosity as I have never seen it addressed and have always been able to hear the powder shake in the cartridge.

Jr, Just put H414 powder in 4 cases (WW brass), 49 to 52 grains. 49 grains is just below the neck, 50 just at the neck, 51 just a little higher and 52 slightly higher in the neck. With a 139 g Hornady BTSP seated at my normal seating depth (3.11 OAL - the cannelure is above the neck of the brass).

The base of the bullet is just to the base of the neck. So the 52 grain load would be slightly compressed. But many loads are compressed in the loading manuals and I've never experienced any problems with the compressed loads I've used -- BUT I'M NO EXPERT -- Just an old geezer who has been loading for years but my experience while long is thin and spotty.

I prefer my cases to be nearly full of powder and like to be able to shake the case and hear the powder. (This is so I don't do something stupid like fail to put powder in the case.)

If there are no other pressure signs present; some compression does not concern me because so many recommended loads are compressed.

Good luck with your 7x57, mine was my main rifle for many years and for a long time it killed every deer I shot at. Then I screwed up a shot.

After a long hiatus of relatively little shooting and no hunting I recently dusted the old 7x57 off and hope to use her for an antelope hunt with the 120 g. Nosler BT that so many rave about for deer and antelope.

49grs of 435O and the barnes 14Otsx out of a ruger 1a will put the first 2 touching-3rd shot always opens up to about 1 1/2". That little barrel heats up in a hurry. only chronographed it once and it came in at 2745-2765. real happy with it.

huntr and i run the same load and bullets.
(we split a jug of h4350)

50.0 grains of h4350 under a 140 grain accubond.

i'm getting about 2850 fps, from a remington classic.

also shot a doe antelope at 470 yards, and another at 390 yards last sept.
both were pass thru's, with massive destruction.
huntr was the witness.

Yep, that load just plain works!

BTW, Splatt, you about ready to split another jug of H4350?

Knew that worked very well in the son's 77 and figured 2800 or so. With a 22" barrel that's probably about right.

Have you and spat tried the 140BT with that load? Wondering what they look like after hitting meat at a reasonable velocity.

shootem,
Nope, haven't tried the 140BT on game, but would not worry about using them.

This should give you all you need
http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/ai.cgi?sn=VroRwFqHnF&catid=16

Following AussieGunWriter's suggestion of up to 52 grains of H414 in a long throated 7X57 I loaded a single round at 50.5, 51, 51.5 and 52 grains of H414, WW brass, WLRM primers with 140 g. PRVI bullets. Then shot them through my ProChrono chronograph.

Results were: 50.5g. = 2830 fps, 51 g. = 2849 fps, 51.5g. = 2879 fps, and 52g. = 2898 fps. No signs of pressure at all with these loads.

The Hornady Manual Fourth Edition gives a maximum load of 52.4 grains of Winchester 760. So his advice agrees with this 1991 manual and appears safe in my rifle.

Now to test for accuracy because the load seems safe and is approaching the velocity of my old load using H205.

Mark

Tag

I bought a Winchester FW that I thought would shoot well, I spent several outings at the range trying different powders, bullets and almost gave up until I tried some H4831SC. This combo works well for 140 bullets in Barnes, Hornady , and Nosler bullets. 50 gr H4831 with mag primer.
3 shot groups, both are 1/2". I like the Hornady Interbonds.

tag