Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Powders for 7x57 Mauser

Finally got a decent day to go shoot. Ran a double test with Re17, One set was with the Nosler 150 gr. Partition and the other with the 150 gr. Accubond Long Range. I started with 44.5 gr and went up in 0.5 increments to 47.0 gr. which had shown good accuracy in an M70 FWT. Rifle is a custom based on a commercial FN Mauser action. Cartridge of course was the 7x57. The first loads would usually put two within an inch and then blow the third out of the groups. Actually the flyer could be from any one of the three shots. One load, #4 IIRC put two touching and blew the third shot 4 1/2" to the left. Vertically if it had stayed in the group it would have been a .250"x.375" group. Bullet was the Partition. After that particular set groups went haywire and scattered. Was it the loads? Scope? Something get loose in the scope mounts? I even had some of the ABLRs put two nearly touching the a shot out of the group. At the start I allowed a timed two minutes between shot and by 0830 it was starting to get hot so gave three minutes between shots. Once the temps get near 100 even a ten minute wait won't let the barrel cool very well.

My other two 7x57s were easy to find great groups but this Mauser is driving me sane.
Paul B.